Patent ID: 7299962

Claim:
A nail driving apparatus for driving a nail into an object, the apparatus comprising: an alignment tube being configured for slidably receiving the nail and maintaining a substantially perpendicular alignment of the nail with a surface of the object, said alignment tube having an open top end and an open bottom end; a piston rod being slidably extendable into said top end of said alignment tube to strike the nail and drive the nail outwardly of said bottom end and into the object, said piston rod having an outer end extending outwardly from said top end of said alignment tube; a weight being coupled to said outer end of said piston rod; a chambering member being coupled to said alignment tube, said chambering member having a chamber in communication with said alignment tube, said chamber having a bottom wall being angled toward said alignment tube, said chambering member having a top wall having an insert aperture extending therethrough, said insert aperture receiving the nail and said chamber guiding the nail into said alignment tube when said piston rod is positioned above said chamber, said chambering member being capable of simultaneously holding only a single nail; a loading tube being coupled to said chambering member and extending upwardly from said chambering member, said loading tube being in communication with said insert aperture, a free end of said loading tube receiving the nail and guiding the nail to said insert aperture of said chambering member, said loading tube having a longitudinal axis being oriented parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of said alignment tube; and a brace extending between and being attached to said alignment tube and said loading tube.