Fastener driving apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DRIVING FASTENERS INTO A WORK PIECE COMPRISING A BODY DEFINING A FASTENER DELIVERY PASSAGE, A MAGAZINE STRUCTURE FOR HOLDING A FASTENER PACKAGE INCLUDING A MULTIPLICITY OF PARALLEL FASTENERS INTERCONNECTED IN SERIES, STRUCTURE CONNECTING SAID MAGAZINE TO SAID BODY DEFINING A FASTENER FEED PASSAGE FOR GUIDING FASTENERS FROM SAID MAGAZINE TO SAID FASTENER DELIVERY PASSAGE, A PLUNGER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BODY BETWEEN A STARTING POSITION AND A FASTENER DRIVEN POSITION A FASTENER DRIVING BLADE DEPENDING FROM SAID PLUNGER FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID FASTENER DELIVERY PASSAGE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER FROM SAID STARTING POSITION TO SAID FASTENER DRIVEN POSITION TO THEREBY DRIVE A FASTENER FROM SAID DELIVERY PASSAGE INTO A WORK PIECE, MEANS FOR EFFECTING RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUGNER FROM SAID FASTENER DRIVEN POSITION TO SAID STARTING POSITION, FEED MEANS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT FROM A FIRST POSITION THROUGH SAID FASTENER FEED PASSAGE INTO A SECOND POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID FASTENER PACKAGE AND EFFECT MOVEMENT OF THE LEADING FASTENER FROM A FEED POSITION WITHIN SAID FEED PASSAGE INTO SAID DELIVERY PASSAGE AND THE NEXT ADJACENT FASTENER INTO SAID FEED POSITION AND FOR MOVEMENT FROM SAID SECOND POSITION TO SAID FIRST POSITION, HOLDING MEANS OPERABLE TO ENGAGE A PORTION OF SAID FASTENER PACKAGE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FEED PASSAGE TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER THEREIN IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID DELIVERY PASSAGE DURING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS FROM SAID SECOND POSITION TO SAID FIRST POSITION BUT TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID FASTENER PACKAGE WITHIN SAID FEED PASSAGE DURING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION, SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID FEED MEANS FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION, MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PLUNGER AND SAID FEED MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER FROM SAID STARTING POSITION TO SAID FASTENER DRIVEN POSITION FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS FROM SAID SECOND POSITION INTO SAID FIRST POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS, LATCH MEANS ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN SAID BODY AND SAID FEED MEANS IN RESPONSE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS INTO SAID FIRST POSITION TO RETAIN THE LATTER AGAINST MOVEMENT OUT OF SAID FIRST POSITION BY SAID SPRING MEANS AND RELEASABLE TO PERMIT SUCH MOVEMENT, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PLUNGER OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER TO SAID STARTING POSITION FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH MEANS TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION INTO SAID SECOND POSITION BY SAID SPRING MEANS.