Patent ID: 6018875
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: B26B

Abstract:
A tool for cutting a sheet of metal, comprising:sheet metal shears having a pair of arms pivotally coupled together, each arm having a cutting blade and a lever handle;said lever handle of a first one of said arms having a closed finger loop distal said cutting blade of said first arm;said lever handle of a second one of said arms having a generally U-shaped open finger loop distal said cutting blade of said second arm;said open finger loop having a pair of spaced apart elongate portions and an arcuate portion connecting said elongate portions of said open finger loop together;a first of said elongate portions connecting said open finger loop to said lever handle of said second arm;a second of said elongate portions of said open finger loop terminating at tip;said second elongate portion having an arcuate region adjacent said tip for forcing a portion of the select metal cut by said cutting blades away from the open finger loop to protect the hand of the user from injury from the cut edges of the sheet metal while the user is cutting the sheet metal;said first elongate portion and said arcuate portion of said open finger loop and said lever handle of said second arm lying in a generally common plane such that said first elongate portion and said arcuate portion of said open finger loop and said lever handle of said second arm are generally coplanar; andwherein said arcuate region curves in a direction away from the common plane of said first elongate portion and said arcuate portion of said open finger loop and in a direction away from said lever handle of said second arm such that said tip of said open finger loop extends outwardly from said common plane of said one elongate portion and away from said lever handle of said second arm.