Dispensing fasteners

A method of dispensing a series of fasteners into one or more screw members, the method comprising:

• providing a device for dispensing the series of fasteners, wherein the device comprises:
• a magazine defining a longitudinal axis and having a distal opening, said magazine sized and dimensioned to hold a series of fasteners, said magazine comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein one or more projections extend inwardly at the distal end of the magazine, wherein the one or more projections are sized and shaped to engage one or more tool flanges of each of the fasteners such that tilting of the device causes portions of the one or more tool flanges to pass the one or more projections thereby allowing for dispensation of the fasteners;
• a support having a splined guide bore aligned with said longitudinal axis of said magazine, said support connected to said magazine to be rotatable radially with respect to said longitudinal axis;
• a shaft slideably disposed within said support;
• a biasing element connected between said support and said shaft, said biasing element configured to urge said shaft along said longitudinal axis in a direction towards said distal end relative to a location of said support;
• and
• a ratchet connected to said shaft and engageable with said magazine to permit sliding of said shaft in a first direction towards said distal end, to prevent sliding of said shaft in a second direction away from said distal end in a first position, and to enable sliding of said shaft in said second direction in a second position, said ratchet movable from said first position to said second position when said support is rotated radially with respect to said longitudinal axis, said ratchet including one or more ratchet pawls, said ratchet pawls engageable with said magazine, said ratchet pawls movable in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis;
• wherein once one of the series of fasteners is dispensed, the biasing element urges the shaft towards the proximal end to thereby position a second of the series of fasteners for dispensing,
• wherein the biasing element is a spring,
• loading the series of fasteners into the magazine through the distal opening of the magazine;
• inserting the distal end of the magazine with one of the fasteners into one of the screw members;
• tilting the device such that the longitudinal axis of the magazine is not axially aligned with an axis of the screw member to release the fastener into the screw member.