Surgical tubing clip clenching tool

Claim 1

A hand operated tool useful for clenching clips onto surgical tubing and the like, such clips being removably mounted on a carrier strip having a generally ''''plus'''' symbol cross-sectional configuration and further having serially spaced inverted notches on its lower edge, which tool comprises: a. a pair of jaw members movable toward each other into clenching position, one of said members having a platen mounted thereon and another of said members having an anvil mounted thereon, said platen and said anvil being in facing relation; b. a pair of handles, pivotally mounted to each other, each of said handles attached to one of said jaw members and operable for urging said members toward or away from each other; c. storage means in one of said handles for slidably receiving said carrier strip, said storage means having a generally ''''plus'''' symbol cross-sectional configuration; d. track means adjacent said storage means for guiding said carrier strip from said storage means toward said anvil; e. indexing means housing in one of said handles for incremental advancement of said carrier strip, said indexing means including a u-shaped spring member adapted to engage said notches in said carrier strip; f. a piston member positioned on another of said handles and operable to actuate said indexing means upon the pivotal opening and closing of said handles; and g. a generally c-shaped spring positioned transverse of said track means and operable to retain said carrier strip against movement away from said anvil.