Nail feeding mechanism for pneumatically operable impact tools

Claim 1

IN A PNEUMATICALLY OPERABLE NAILING TOOL IN COMBINATION A MAIN CYLINDER HAVING A SIDE WALL AND UPPER AND LOWER END WALLS, A PISTON AXIALLY RECIPROCABLE IN THE CYLINDER SIDE WALL BETWEEN A RETRACTED AND AN ADVANCED POSITION, VALVE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ADMITTING AIR UNDER WORKING PRESSURE TO ONE END OF THE CYLINDER TO DRIVE THE PISTON DOWNWARDLY FROM ITS RETRACTED POSITION TO ITS ADVANCED POSITION AND FOR DISCHARGING AIR FROM SAID ONE END OF THE CYLINDER TO PERMIT RETURN OF THE PISTON UPWARDLY TO ITS RETRACTED POSITION, A NAIL RECEIVING MAGAZINE CONNECTED TO THE CYLINDER, MEANS ESTABLISHING A DRIVER SLOT AT THE END OF THE MAGAZINE FOR RECEIVING NAILS THEREFROM, A DRIVER CONNECTED TO THE PISTON AND IN REGISTER WITH SAID DRIVER SLOT FOR DRIVING NAILS THEREFROM, A RECIPROCABLE TRIP LATCH MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID DRIVER SLOT FOR NAIL SELECTING AND NAIL-IMPELLING PURPOSES RESPECTIVELY, MEANS YIELDINGLY BIASING SAID TRIP LATCH TOWARD SAID DRIVER SLOT, A CYLINDER AND PLUNGER ASSEMBLY OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TRIP LATCH AND EFFECTIVE UPON APPLICATION OF AIR THERETO TO MOVE THE TRIP LATCH IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE DRIVER SLOT AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID BIASING MEANS, AND MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGE IN ONE OF THE CYLINDER WALLS ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER AND SAID CYLINDER AND PLUNGER ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO THE LATTER AT SUCH TIME AS THE PISTON APPROACHES ITS ADVANCED POSITION.