Cutlery – Cutting tools – Plural cooperating blades
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-08
2001-01-30
Payer, Hwei-Siu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Cutting tools
Plural cooperating blades
C030S092000, C030S249000, C030S250000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178643
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,445 discloses a ratchet action manually operated tool for cutting cable or otherwise bringing a pair of jaws together in a scissor action, which includes first and second jaws pivotally coupled together with a pair of actuating, pivotally coupled handles. The first jaw is mounted on the end of a first handle. The second jaw includes a plurality of ratchet teeth for receiving a pawl, which is mounted on a second link extending between the jaw pivot and an end of the second handle. The tool uses a ratcheting action of the pawl and ratchet teeth to close the first and second jaws with respect to each other by repeatedly moving the handles towards and away from each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,565 discloses another hand operated ratchet tool which includes first and second handles, which are pivotally coupled to each other at one end, and first and second jaws which are pivotally coupled to each other and to the first and second handles through a linkage assembly of three links. First and second pawls are mounted on pivots on the linkage assembly. The second jaw includes a plurality of ratchet teeth for receiving the pawls to rotate the linkage assembly in a direction which closes the adjoining working faces of the jaws when the first and second handles are reciprocated repeatedly toward and away from each other.
While these tools have provided significant improvements over other existing manually operated cable cutters and other ratchet action jaw equipped hand tools known at the time, further improvements to the performance of such tools would be valuable.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention is a hand-held ratchet action tool for moving a pair of jaws toward and away from each other. The hand-held ratchet tool comprises a first jaw and a second jaw which includes a plurality of ratchet teeth. The second jaw is mounted to pivot with respect to the first jaw. The ratchet tool further includes a linkage of four links operatively coupled together and with the first and second jaws, and a pawl which is supported on one of the four links so as to be engageable with the ratchet teeth of the second jaw. The linkage is configured to drive the pawl into oscillatory motion along the ratchet teeth. The pawl is arranged to drive the second jaw towards the first jaw during the oscillatory motion.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is a hand-held ratchet action tool for moving a pair of jaws toward and away from each other. The hand-held ratchet tool comprises a first jaw and a second jaw having a plurality of ratchet teeth. The ratchet tool further comprises linkage means which is operatively connected to the first jaw and to the second jaw for closing the first and second jaws, a pawl which is supported on the linkage means so as to be engageable with the ratchet teeth of the second jaw, and drive means which is operatively connected to the linkage means for driving the pawl in an oscillatory motion along the ratchet teeth. The pawl is arranged to drive the second jaw towards the first jaw during the oscillatory motion.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is a hand-held ratchet action tool for moving a pair of jaws toward and away from each other. The hand-held ratchet tool comprises a frame; an elongate handle which is fixedly attached to the frame; a first jaw which is mounted to the frame; a first link which has first and second opposing ends, the first end of the first link being pivotally coupled to the frame; a second link which has first and second opposing ends; a third link which has first and second opposing ends, the first end of the third link, the second end of the first link and the first end of the second link all being pivotally connected along a common, movable pivot axis; a fourth link which has first and second opposing ends, the first end of the fourth link being pivotally coupled to the second end of the third link; and a second jaw which includes a plurality of ratchet teeth for receiving a first pawl, the second end of the fourth link and the second jaw being pivotally connected along a common, immovable axis fixed with respect to the first jaw. The ratchet tool further comprises a first pawl which is pivotally mounted on the fourth link between the first and second ends of the fourth link, so as to be engageable with the ratchet teeth of the second jaw; a motorized drive mechanism attached to the frame, the motorized drive mechanism having an output; and a gear set which has an input and an output, the motorized drive mechanism output being drivingly connected to the gear set input. Additionally, the ratchet tool comprises an eccentric which is drivingly connected to the gear set output, the eccentric pivotally supporting the second end of the second link, the second link being drivingly connected to the first pawl so as to close the second jaw in a first direction with respect to the first jaw when the motorized drive mechanism is operated; a second pawl which is mounted on the frame so as to engage the ratchet teeth of the second jaw to prevent the second jaw from being driven in a second direction opposite the first direction when the first pawl is disengaged from the ratchet teeth; a selector which is operatively associated with the first and second pawls to selectively bias the first and second pawls out of engagement with the ratchet teeth of the second jaw; and at least one inhibitor which is mounted on at least one of the first and second jaws so as to limit the relative movement of the second jaw with respect to the first jaw.
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Erbrick Robert S.
Erbrick, Jr. Joseph E.
Homacki Joseph
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Electroline Corporation
Payer Hwei-Siu
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