Tube cutter with a ratchet handle

A tube cutter comprises an elongated handle formed in two longitudinal halves and having a C-shaped head at one end also formed into halves and defining an opening through which a tube can be inserted, a C-shaped body rotatably mounted within the two half portions of the head and comprising an opening of substantially the same width as the opening of the C-shaped head, a pawl and ratchet system formed at least between one of the contacting surfaces of the body with a half portion of the head, and a tube cutter assembly mounted on the body and including a tube cutter member mounted on the body, a tube abutment member slidably mounted in the body for radial movement towards and away from the cutter member, and control means mounted on the body to move the abutment member towards the cutter member to press a tube between the two members, such two members having a spacing therebetween in register with the openings of such body and head whereby a tube can be inserted through the registering openings in the body and head and between the two members and the cutter member pressed against the tube and back-and-forth operation of the handle causes rotation of the body and cutter member through the pawl and ratchet system to cut the tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a tube cutter with a ratchet handle. 
The above-mentioned patent application Ser. No. 869,346 discloses a tube 
cutter of simple and inexpensive construction which can be easily used in 
rather closed quarters due to its minimal external diameter relative to 
the maximum diameter of the tubes which can be handled by the cutter. In 
the above patent application, the cutter and ratchet assemblies are 
axially spaced from each other and require a minimum number of components. 
Applicant has now found that the construction of the tube cutter can still 
be further simplified by rearranging the relative position of the cutter 
and ratchet assemblies. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The tube cutter, in accordance with the invention, comprises an elongated 
handle formed in two longitudinal halves and having a C-shaped head at one 
end also formed in two halves and defining an opening through which a tube 
can be inserted, a C-shaped body rotatably mounted within the two half 
portions of the head and defining an opening of substantially the same 
width as the opening of the C-shaped head, a pawl and ratchet system 
formed between at least one of the contacting surfaces of the body with a 
half portion of the head, and a tube cutter assembly mounted on the body 
and including a tube cutter member mounted on the body, a tube abutment 
member slidably mounted in the body for radial movement towards and away 
from the cutter member, and control means mounted on the body to move the 
abutment member towards the cutter member to press a tube between the two 
members, such two members having a spacing therebetween in register with 
the openings in the C-shaped body and head. With the above cutter, the 
opening of the C-shaped body can be aligned with the opening of the 
C-shaped head and a tube can be inserted through the registering openings 
of the C-shaped body and head into the tube cutter assembly and the cutter 
member pressed against the tube to cut the tube through back-and-forth 
operation of the ratchet handle. 
The pawl and ratchet system of a preferred embodiment of the invention 
comprises ratchet teeth formed on the body or on the head and interrupted 
by the opening in the body or in the head and two pawls mounted on the 
body or on the head at a distance greater than the width of the opening in 
such body or head, whereby there is always one pawl in contacting 
engagement with the ratchet teeth for the full 360.degree. rotation of the 
handle around the body. 
The abutment member of the cutter assembly preferably comprises a block 
slidably mounted in a guideway in the body and a V-shaped jaw integral 
with such block and adapted to engage the tube. The control means 
preferably includes a bolt rotatably carried by the body and threaded into 
the block, and a knob secured to the bolt externally of the body to rotate 
the bolt and move the jaw towards and away from the tube cutter member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, the tube cutter comprises a handle 10 formed in 
two longitudinally extending, symmetrical half portions 12 and 14 and 
having a C-shaped head at one end also formed in two symmetrical C-shaped 
half portions 16 and 18 spacedly facing each other and having a lateral 
opening 20. Half portions 12 and 16 are integrally united and so are half 
portions 14 and 18. The handle half portions 12 and 14 are secured 
together by bolts 22 extending therethrough. 
A C-shaped body 24 is rotatably mounted within a shoulder 26 formed in each 
half portion of the C-shaped head. The body 24 has a lateral opening 28 
having a width corresponding to lateral opening 20 of the head. Body 24 
has a peripheral outer face 24a exposed between shoulders 26 of head half 
portions 16 and 18, and opposite radial side faces 24b and 24c in sliding 
contact with the inner radial side faces 16a and 18a of head half portions 
16 and 18 respectively. The cutter is provided with a pawl and ratchet 
system including ratchet teeth 30 (FIGS. 7 and 8) which are formed in 
radial side face 24b of the body 24, and pawls 32 mounted on half portion 
16 of the head and protruding from side face 16a. The distance between the 
two pawls 32 is greater than the width of the opening 20 and 28 of the 
head and body, respectively, whereby there is always one pawl in 
contacting engagement with the ratchet teeth for the full 360.degree. 
rotation of the handle around the body. Each pawl consists of a pin fully 
extending through a hole 34 in the half portion 16 of the head and biased 
in contact with the teeth 30 by means of spring 36. The pawl is held in 
position in hole 34 by pin 38. 
The cutter assembly includes a cutter wheel 40 rotatably mounted on body 24 
about a pin 42 parallel to the rotational axis of the body. Cutter wheel 
40 is located in a recess 24d of body 24 and protrudes into central 
opening 24e of said body 24. An abutment member is located in central 
opening 24e and consists of a block 44 slidably mounted in a guideway 46 
in the body 24 and a V-shaped jaw 48 integral therewith. A bolt 50 is 
rotatably mounted on body 24 and has a threaded portion which is threaded 
into block 44, and extends through the exposed outer face 24a of body 24 
and a knob 52 is secured thereto exteriorly of the body 24. Guideway 46 is 
located opposite opening 28 of body 24 and guides the abutment member in a 
movement towards and away from cutter wheel 40 in a direction transverse 
to lateral opening 28 of body 24. Rotation of the knob presses the tube 
placed on the V-shaped jaw 48 against the cutter wheel 40 to cut the tube 
upon rotation of the ratchet handle. 
The above disclosed cutter operates as follows: 
Knob 52 is rotated to fully open the jaw 48 and the handle is rotated 
relative to the body so as to align the openings 20 and 28. Thus the 
cutter can be positioned along a tube to be cut, the tube simply entering 
through the lateral openings 20 and 28 and within the aligned space 
between the cutter wheel 40 and the V-shaped jaw 48. The knob is rotated 
to tighten the jaw 48 against the tube contacting the cutter wheel 40. The 
handle is simply activated back-and-forth along as limited an angle of 
rotation as is necessary depending on the headway, to rotate the body 24 
step by step and, consequently, the cutter wheel around the tube. The knob 
52 is rotated after each turn or so to further press the cutter wheel 
within the material of the tube to finally cut the tube. 
The two half portions 12 and 14 are notched at their contacting faces, 
adjacent body 24 to define a through opening 54 of sufficient dimension 
for the free passage therethrough of knob 52 during full 360.degree. 
rotation of body 24 relative to handle 10. 
Although the invention has been disclosed with reference to a preferred 
embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not limited to this 
embodiment and the scope of the invention is determined by the claims 
only. For example, the ratchet teeth and the pawls could be mounted on 
both contacting surfaces of the body with a half portion of the head. 
Furthermore, the ratchet teeth and the pawls could be interchanged on any 
one of the contacting surfaces of the body with the head.