Patent ID: 7464849

Claim:
A surgical cuffing and fastening instrument comprising: a control handle; an elongate channel coupled to said control handle and sized to support a cartridge therein, said elongate channel defining a longitudinal axis; an anvil having a pair of trunnions protruding therefrom, each said trunnion received in a corresponding elongate pivot hole formed in said elongate channel to pivotally couple said anvil to said elongate channel, said trunnions defining a pivot axis that is substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis, said elongate pivot holes sized relative to said trunnions to facilitate axial travel of said pivot axis within said elongate pivot holes and such that said anvil is selectively pivotable between open and closed positions relative to said elongate channel; a drive system operably supported in said elongate channel; and a closure nut movably supported in said channel and responsive to separate opening and closing motions from said drive system, said closure nut configured to coact with said anvil such that upon receiving a closing motion from said drive system, said closure nut pulls the entire said anvil relative to said elongate channel to cause said anvil to close and axially move to an aligned position relative to said elongate channel and upon application of an opening motion to said closure nut, said closure nut causes said anvil to move to an open position relative to said elongate channel.