Explosive actuated axial impact fastener setting tool

Claim 1

AN EXPLOSIVE ACTUATED TOOL FOR DRIVING A FASTENER HAVING A WORKPIECE PENETRATING FRONT END, COMPRISING BARREL MEANS PROVIDING A BORE ALONG THE AXIS THEREOF HAVING A DISCHARGE END AT THE MUZZLE THEREOF AND ADAPTED FOR OPERATION OF SAID TOOL SO THAT AN EXPLOSIVE POWDER CHARGE CAN PROPEL A DRIVABLE UNIT THERETHROUGH, SAID DRIVABLE UNIT INCLUDING A PISTON MEMBER ADAPTED IN SAID OPERATION TO MOVE ALONG SAID BORE, SAID PISTON MEMBER HAVING A FRONT END ADAPTED FOR GRIPPING THE REAR END OF SAID FASTENER RELEASABLY AND HAVING A PERIPHERALLY SURROUNDING SIDE PORTION OF A PLASTICALLY DEFORMABLE CHARACTER FORMING THEREON A FIRST ABUTMENT MEANS, SAID TOOL IN PART BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AN ACTUATING POSITION WHEN THRUST AGAINST THE WORKPIECE AXIALLY AND AN INACTIVE POSITION WHEN NOT SO THRUST, A SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS MOUNTED AT SAID MUZZLE ON SAID TOOL FOR MOVEMENT INTO AN OPERATIVE COAXIAL POSITION IN THE PATH OF SAID SIDE PORTION OF SAID FIRST ABUTMENT MEANS FOR GRADUALLY STOPPING SAID DRIVABLE UNIT ADJACENT SAID MUZZLE WITH SAID PENETRATING FRONT END OF THE FASTENER HAVING TRAVELED BEYOND SAID END NOT IN EXCESS OF A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BEYOND SAID MUZZLE FOR WORKPIECE PENETRATION, AND FOR MOVEMENT ALTERNATIVELY INTO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION OF SAID SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS OUT OF SAID PATH, A THIRD ABUTMENT MEANS MOUNTED WITH LIMITED AXIAL MOVABILITY ON SAID TOOL SEPARATE FROM SAID SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS, SAID THIRD ABUTMENT MEANS BEING POSITIONED COAXIALLY ABOUT AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SECOND MEANS AND AXIALLY FOR INTERPOSITION BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE AND SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS, FOURTH ABUTMENT MEANS AT SAID MUZZLE, SAID SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF JAW SEGMENTS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH ABUTMENT MEANS WITH SAID SEGMENTS COCKABLE AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE BARREL AXIS TO SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION AND ADAPTED TO BE PUT INTO ABUTMENT WITH BOTH SAID THIRD AND FOURTH ABUTMENT MEANS AND THEREBY PIVOTED TO SAID OPERATIVE COAXIAL POSITION WHEN SAID TOOL IS IN SAID ACTUATING POSITION WITH SAID SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS HELD COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH ABUTMENT MEANS, SAID ABUTTED SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH ABUTMENT MEANS BEING AXIALLY ARRANGED TO PERMIT SAID TOOL IN PART BEING MOVED TO SAID ACTUATING POSITION AND RESPONSIVE TO MOVING SAID TOOL IN PART TO SAID ACTUATING POSITION FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING AND HOLDING SAID SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS IN SAID OPERATIVE COAXIAL POSITION, RESILIENT MEANS BETWEEN SAID SECOND AND THIRD ABUTMENT MEANS ACTING ON SAID SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS TO URGE SAID SEGMENTS LESS COCKED INTO SAID OPERATIVE COAXIAL POSITION AND ACTING ON SAID THIRD ABUTMENT MEANS TO URGE SAID THIRD ABUTMENT MEANS FORWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND AND FOURTH ABUTMENT MEANS, AND MEANS ON SAID TOOL FOR CONNECTING SAID THIRD ABUTMENT MEANS TO SAID BARREL MEANS WITH LIMITED AXIAL MOTION.