Patent ID: 8006388
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: B23D,B26B

Abstract:
1. A combination retractable saw blade and knife blade utility tool comprising: (a) an elongated handle having two ends and comprising a first handle half having an inner wall and an outer wall and the inner wall of the first handle half has a first groove therein, and a second handle half having an inner wall and an outer wall and the inner wall of the second handle half has a second groove therein, when the first and second handle halves are assembled together they define a hollow space inside the handle between the two handle halves, and the first groove and the second groove are parallel to each other and form a channel, wherein the assembled handle has a top with a first slot through and along most of a length of the handle that communicates with the hollow space, a second slot through one of the two ends of the handle that communicates with the hollow space and a third slot through the other of the two ends of the handle that communicates with the hollow space; (b) a carrier to which the saw blade and knife blade are fastened, the carrier being mounted inside the hollow space of the handle and being movable in the channel formed by the first and second grooves, wherein as the carrier is moved from one end of the handle hollow space to an opposite end of the handle hollow space the knife blade extends through the second slot to be utilized or the saw blade extends through the third slot to be utilized, wherein the carrier has a first side facing the first handle half and a second side facing the second handle half and has a first channel along the first side, wherein there is a protrusion in the first channel, wherein the first channel has an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein the saw blade has a base with a hole through it, wherein to fasten the saw blade to the carrier the base of the saw blade is inserted into the channel until the hole through the base of the saw blade is placed over and onto the protrusion in the first channel and in this position movement of the saw blade is constrained by the first channel upper and lower lip and the protrusion; (c) a retainer that is inserted into the first channel after the saw blade is positioned therein and the retainer assists with the upper and lower lips of the first channel and the protrusion in the first channel of the carrier to prevent the saw blade from inadvertently being removed from the first channel and thereby from the carrier; wherein the carrier has a first slot and the retainer has a flexible tab, and when the retainer is inserted into the first channel of the carrier after the saw blade is inserted therein, the flexible tab of the retainer is momentarily deflected until it enters the first slot to thereby prevent the retainer and the saw blade from inadvertently being removed from the first channel and thereby from the carrier; (d) an actuator button external to the handle and being attached through the first slot to the carrier inside the handle hollow space, the actuator button being moved along the first slot to move the carrier from the one end to the opposite end of the handle hollow space to extend and utilize either the knife blade or the saw blade; and (e) a lock mechanism for both locking the knife blade in an extended position and locking the saw blade in an extended position, and to retract either the knife blade or the saw blade inside the handle hollow space the lock mechanism must be operated at the same time that the actuator button is moved to withdraw the knife blade or the saw blade inside the handle hollow space.