Manually actuated linear action impact tool

Claim 1

IN A MANUALLY ACTUATED, SPRING OPERATED, LINEAR ACTION IMPACT TOOL, AN INPUT UNIT INCLUDING A TUBE HAVING A HEAD PORTION AND A FREE END PORTION, AN OUTPUT UNIT INCLUDING AN ANVIL BLOCK BEYOND SAID FREE END PORTION IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE HEAD PORTION AND HAVING AN IMPACT-RECEIVING FACE, A ROD CONNECTED WITH THE BLOCK AND EXTENDING TOWARD THE HEAD PORTION WITHIN THE TUBE, COACTING AXIAL SHOULDERS RIGID WITH THE ROD AND HEAD PORTION RESPECTIVELY WITHIN THE TUBE FOR LIMITING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID UNITS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, THE ROD HAVING A LATCHING SHOULDER BETWEEN ITS ENDS FACING THE HEAD PORTION, A HAMMER WITHIN THE TUBE AND MOVABLE ALONG THE ROD AND TUBE SO AS TO STRIKE THE ANVIL BLOCK, A HELICAL COMPRESSION SPRING IN THE TUBE OPERATINGLY BEARING AT ONE END ON THE HAMMER AND AT ITS OTHER END ON THE HEAD PORTION, A LATCH MOVABLY CARRIED BY THE HAMMER RELEASABLY TO ENGAGE THE LATCHING SHOULDER, MEANS RIGID WITH THE HEAD PORTION ARRANGED TO RELEASE THE LATCH AS A FUNCTION OF PREDETERMINED MOVEMENT OF SAID UNITS TOWARD EACH OTHER, AN ABUTMENT ON THE FREE END PORTION OF THE TUBE POSITIONED AXIALLY ADJACENT AN OPPOSING SURFACE OF THE HAMMER IN THE LATCHED POSITION OF THE HAMMER AND POSITIONABLE BEYOND SAID IMPACT RECEIVING FACE, SO AS NOT TO BE STRUCK BY THE HAMMER, AS A FUNCTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID UNITS TOWARD EACH OTHER TO COMPRESS THE SPRING AND RELEASE THE LATCH.