Patent ID: 8024864
Filing Date: 2011-09-27
Classification: B26B,B26D

Abstract:
1. In a ratcheting cutting tool for cutting plastic pipe, said cutting tool having first and second, elongated rigid members ( 3 , 4 ) with respective handle portions and mounted to each other for pivotal movement about a handle axis ( 21 ), said cutting tool further having a knife blade member ( 11 ) mounted to the first rigid member ( 3 ) for pivotal movement about a first axis ( 13 ) substantially parallel to said handle axis ( 21 ), said first rigid member ( 3 ) having an anvil ( 7 ) and said knife blade member having a cutting edge ( 15 ) extending along a first peripheral section thereof, said cutting edge being spaced in a first position from said anvil to receive the pipe therebetween with the cutting edge thereafter progressively moved about said first axis ( 13 ) toward the anvil in a step-by-step manner to a second position to cut through the pipe by repeatedly squeezing the handle portions ( 8 , 9 ) together about said handle axis ( 21 ), the knife blade member having a plurality of ratchet teeth extending along a second peripheral section ( 19 ) thereof and being selectively engaged by a drive pawl ( 10 ) mounted to the second rigid member ( 4 ) for pivotal movement about a second axis ( 12 ) substantially parallel to said handle axis ( 21 ) and said first axis ( 13 ) and biased by a first spring arrangement ( 14 ) in a first rotational direction about the second axis ( 12 ) toward engagement with the ratchet teeth, the cutting tool further having a catch pawl ( 25 ) mounted to the first rigid member ( 3 ) for pivotal movement about a third axis ( 27 ) substantially parallel to the handle, first, and second axes in a first rotation direction about the third axis ( 27 ) toward engagement with the ratchet teeth, the improvement including: a manually operated release mechanism (