Light duty, forward acting stapling machine

A method for installing at least one fastener into a substrate by impact blow comprising the steps of:

• providing a housing having a hand grip opening, a bottom, and a front;
• attaching a fastener guide track to the housing near the bottom thereof;
• urging the fastener inside the fastener guide track toward the front of the housing;
• locating a plunger at the front of the housing;
• orienting the plunger to expel the fastener out of the housing through a fastener exit slot;
• providing a spring within the housing above the hand grip opening;
• linking the spring to the plunger so that the plunger is biased toward the bottom of the housing;
• providing an actuating lever within the housing above the hand grip opening;
• rotating the actuating lever about a first pivot within the housing, wherein a front end of the actuating lever engages the plunger proximate to the spring and lifts the plunger within a channel of the housing above the exit slot;
• rotating a hand lever about a second pivot rearward of the first pivot, wherein a front end of the hand lever rotates downward toward the exit slot;
• linking the hand lever to the actuating lever at a location between the first and the second pivots so that as the hand lever rotates downward, the actuating lever raises the plunger;
• constraining the spring to an elongated form extending from the plunger rearward toward the back of the housing and pivoting the spring about a spring fulcrum within the housing body;
• and
• squeezing the hand lever so that the front end of the hand lever rotates toward the exit slot to a pre-determined position and the actuating lever disengages the plunger, the plunger urged by the spring to drive the fastener by impact into the substrate.

A fastening device comprising:

• a housing having a front, a bottom, and a rear;
• a fastener guide track attached to the housing near the bottom thereof, to guide fasteners toward the front of the housing;
• a plunger located at the front of the housing, the plunger oriented to expel objects from the fastener guide track out of the fastening device through a fastener exit slot, wherein the plunger includes a thin, flat sheet metal form, elongated from a top to a bottom;
• a spring fulcrum element within the housing;
• a spring linked to the plunger, oriented to force the plunger toward the bottom of the housing, wherein the spring is elongated and extends from a second opening in the plunger toward a rear of the housing and pivotably presses the spring fulcrum element;
• an actuating lever linked to the plunger and pivotably attached to the housing at a first pivot so that rotation of the actuating lever lifts the plunger within a channel of the housing, wherein the channel is disposed above and aligned with the exit slot;
• a hand lever linked to the actuating lever at a location rearward of the first pivot, the hand lever pivotably attached to the housing at a second pivot rearward of the hand lever to actuating lever link location;
• a front distal end of the actuating lever engaging the plunger through a first opening in the plunger;
• a hand grip opening through the housing, elongated from a closed front end and extending rearward;
• a segment of the spring between the plunger and the spring fulcrum bent downward so that the spring partially surrounds the closed front end of the hand grip opening;
• and
• the hand lever having a first end substantially above the plunger and a rear end near the second pivot, the hand lever pivoting from an initial position toward the housing such that the hand lever front end rotates substantially directly toward the exit slot.