WILLIAM STEVEN TAYLOR
Pilots at Redwood Dr, Danville, CA

4951860, Aug 28, 1990

Dec 28, 1987

7/138145

Ronald L. Peters - Danville CA
Rudolph Peters - Danville CA
William Taylor - Danville CA

Edward Weck & Co. - Research Triangle Park NC

A61B 1700

227177

A method and apparatus for storing, dispensing, and applying surgical staples includes a pistol-like tool having a handle portion with a manually movable trigger lever, and a rotatable barrel portion with a staple track for storing staples in parallel, stacked, column fashion, the axis of the column extending generally colinearly with the barrel axis. The staples are urged distally in the track, and the distal track portion is curved out of axial alignment so that the distal staples are urged into points-first alignment. A form tool is slidably disposed in the barrel portion and adapted to advance and urge the distal-most staple against an anvil tool to crimp the staple. The form tool includes a drag spring which engages the distal-most staple in the staple track as the form tool retracts after a crimping cycle, pulling the distal-most staple from the track into a dispensing position for the next dispensing cycle. A drive block connected to the form tool and the trigger lever is mounted in the apparatus for reciprocal translation along a coaxial drive track. The drive block includes a pawl engaging ratchet teeth in the drive track, so that the block is urged distally by trigger actuation and proximal translation is prevented.