Patent ID: 8496157

Claim:
A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: a handle assembly; a body portion extending from the handle assembly, the body portion having a rod and a staple cartridge assembly, the staple cartridge assembly defining staple receiving slots; and an anvil assembly including an anvil head, an anvil member, an anvil shaft, and a biasing member, the anvil shaft defining a longitudinal axis and being connectable to the rod, the anvil member being pivotally secured to the anvil head about a transverse axis, the transverse axis being transverse to and laterally spaced from the longitudinal axis, such that the axes do not intersect, and the anvil member defining staple forming recesses, and the biasing member being supported on the anvil assembly to urge the anvil member from a first position to a second position defining an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.