A method of application of an explosively actuated fastener system for initiating ignition of a solid propellant pill for driving a fastener into a work surface, said fastener system comprising:
- (a) a front end, where the solid propellant pill and the fastener are received and disposed of, and a back end;
- (b) an open-ended muzzle that is positioned adjacent to the front end of the fastener system;
- (c) an open-ended outer tubular member that has a front end and a back end, that has attached to its back end an open-ended tubular cap, having a front end, a back end and an inward circular protrusion at its back end, and that contains a balancing spring;
- (d) an open-ended barrel member that includes an axial, central bore, extending through the barrel member and receiving the solid propellant pill, and that extends from within, that is an integral continuation of and that connects the muzzle to the outer tubular member;
- (e) an open ended inner tubular member that has a front end and a back end and that contains a forward spring, with an outward circular protrusion and an inward circular protrusion being positioned at the front end of the open-ended inner tubular member;
- (f) an ejector housing that comprises a tube, an outward circular protrusion and a firing pin extending forwardly from the tube, with the tube comprising a closed top, an open bottom, a front section that is smaller in diameter than the axial, central bore of the barrel member, a middle section and a back section, that is separated from the middle section by the outward circular protrusion and that has a number of perforations, and that accommodates a reciprocable ejector comprising a retaining section positioned in the inner tubular member, an outward circular protrusion and a firing rod that extends forwardly and is separated by the outward circular protrusion from the retaining section and that comprises a front section, a middle section and a back section,
- with the retaining section of and the outward circular protrusion of the reciprocable ejector being prevented from exiting the inner tubular member even while the reciprocable ejector is sliding through the outer tubular member,
- with a pin means being fitted in the number of perforations in the back section of the ejector housing, and
- with the balancing spring being fitted between the outward circular protrusion of the ejector housing and the barrel member;
- (g) an open-ended sliding guide that comprises a tubular main body and a front part, having at its front edge an inward circular protrusion, and that is positioned in front of the inner tubular member and within the outer tubular member, with a reset spring being fitted around the front part of the sliding guide and being positioned between the outward circular protrusion of the ejector housing and the main body of the sliding guide;
- and
- (h) a handle that is attached to and that serves as a closure for the back end of the inner tubular member;
- said method comprising:
- manually resetting the fastener system by pulling the handle backward,
- such that upon pulling the handle backward, the front section of the firing rod underlies the number of perforations, providing additional free space for penetration of the pin means, and thus a backward movement of the sliding guide is unconstrained,
- such that the reset spring opens up as the inner tubular member moves towards the back end of the fastener system, and
- such that the sliding guide is pushed by the reset spring towards the back end, the pin means is forced by the front part of the sliding guide into the number of perforations in the back section of the ejector housing to lock the front section of the firing rod, with some distance existing between the closed top of the tube and top of the firing rod but the sliding guide is prevented by a protruding portion of the pin means from passing beyond the pin means;
- removing any remaining parts of a used solid propellant pill when the propellant of the used solid propellant pill is consumed after the propellant is fired by causing a forwardly directed motion of the ejector housing;
- positioning a new solid propellant pill in front of the firing pin and in the axial, central bore of the barrel member and positioning the fastener in front of the new solid propellant pill, with the fastener heading towards the work surface;
- placing the muzzle against the work surface;
- and
- pushing the handle, forcing the inner tubular member to move towards the front end of the fastener system such that:
- the forward spring becomes compressed in the inner tubular member between the outward circular protrusion of the reciprocable ejector and the handle and simultaneously the back section of the firing rod of the reciprocable ejector relatively penetrates into the inner tubular member, the sliding guide is pushed forward by the inner tubular member, such that the reset spring is compressed between the outward circular protrusion of the ejector housing and the main body of the sliding guide until the main body of the sliding guide moves over the number of perforations in the back section of the ejector housing, allowing the pin means to unlock,
- with the pin means unlocking, the compressed forward spring opens up and pushes the reciprocable ejector forward while the outward circular protrusion of the reciprocable ejector overlaps with the inward circular protrusion of the inner tubular member to prevent exit of the retaining section of and the outward circular protrusion of the reciprocable ejector from the inner tubular member and while the firing rod is unlocked and moves forward in the tube of the ejector housing that is forced to move towards the front end of the fastener system, and a portion of the back section of the ejector housing slides backward into the inner tubular member or the back section of the ejector housing moves onto and against the inward circular protrusion of the inner tubular member,
- the front section of the firing rod reaches the front of the front section of the ejector housing, the middle section of and a portion of the back section of the firing rod enter the middle section of and fit tightly within the middle section and a portion of the back section of the firing rod enters and fits tightly within the back section of the ejector housing, causing the pin means to protrude outwardly of the number of perforations in the back section of the ejector housing into a free space under the main body of the sliding guide, top of the firing rod strikes bottom of the firing pin and causes deflagration or detonation of the solid propellant pill and firing of the fastener and the balancing spring contributes to returning the ejector housing to its original position after deflagration or detonation, and
- the handle, as well as a portion of the inner tubular member at its back end that is attached to and covered by the handle, are prevented from entering into the outer tubular member by and return when striking the inward circular protrusion at the back end of the cap;
- such that the inner tubular member, the sliding guide, the ejector housing, the reciprocable ejector and the fastener move co-axially in the fastener system;
- and
- such that any longitudinal movement of the sliding guide is constrained between the outward circular protrusion of the ejector housing and the pin means.