Fastener retaining and positioning muzzle for piston driven fastener inserting guns

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A PISTON DRIVER FASTENER INSERTING GUN, HAVING A DRIVING ROD, ADAPTED FOR USE WITH HEADED AND POINTED FASTENERS OF THE TYPE HAVING A CANTERING DISC POSITIONED BETWEEN THE HEAD AND POINT ENDS THEREOF, A FASTENER RETAINING AND POSITIONING NOZZLE, COMPRISING, A BARREL ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED AT THE DRIVING ROD END OF THE GUN TO FORM A CONTINUATION THEREOF; SAID BARREL HAVING AN AXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH ALIGNED WITH AND ADOPTED TO RECEIVE THE FASTENER DRIVING ROD THEREIN FOR FREE MOVEMENT THERETHROUGH, SAID DRIVING ROD BEING NORMALLY IN A RETRACTED POSITION IN SAID NOZZLE BORE, PROXIMATE THE INNER END THEREOF; THE BARREL HAVING A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY SPACED AND ALIGNED SOCKETS IN THE WALL THEREOF WITH SEATS AT THEIR INNER ENDS, HAVING APERTURES OPEN TO THE AXIAL BORE, CENTERED THEREIN, A SOLID KEEPER BALL, OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE BARREL WALL AT THE AXIAL BORE, POSITIONED IN WHICH SOCKET AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION, WHEREIN THE KEEPER BALL RESTS ON THE SOCKET SEAT WITH ITS PERIPHERAL FACE PROTRUDING INTO THE AXIAL BORE, AND A SECOND POSITION, WHEREIN THE KEEPER BALL IS SPACED FROM THE SOCKET SEAT WITH ITS PERIPHERAL FACE FLUSH WITH THE WALL OF THE AXIAL BORE AND PROTRUDING BEYOND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE BARREL; A SLEEVE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SNUGLY FITTED OVER THE AND BEARING AGAINST THE PERHPHERAL SURFACES OF ALL THE KEEPER BALLS WHEN IN BOTH THEIR FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, AND TO NORMALLY BIAS ALL THE BALLS TO THEIR FIRST POSITIONS, WHEREIN INDIVIDUAL BALLS ACT TO FRICTIONALLY PRESS AGAINST THE EDGES OF THE CENTERING DISC OF A FASTENER OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED TYPE POSITIONED IN THE BORE WITH ITS HEAD AGAINST THE END OF THE DRIVING ROD, TO TEMPORARILY RETAIN SAID FASTENER THEREIN, PRIOR TO ITS BEING DRIVEN OUT THE MUZZLE BORE BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVING ROD THERETHROUGH, THE KEEPER BALLS BEING MOVED TO THEIR SECOND POSITIONS, FLUSH WITH THE BORE WALL, BY THE PASSAGE OF THE DRIVING ROD THROUGH THE BORE IN DRIVING THE FASTENER HOME.