Bending and cutting tool

A portable scissor-like tool is provided that will bend and cut a workpiece t a predetermined length, such as the electrical leads extending from a flat-pack type of integrated module in sequential operations without the need for changing tools. Adjustable means are provided for varying the depth of the bend in the workpiece depending on the installation. Latch means are included to prevent the accidental cutting of the leads before the bending operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Miniature and micro-miniature electronic circuit boards use various 
integrated circuit modules connected thereto by electrical leads, such as 
so-called flat-packs. These components vary greatly in size, length, and 
number of extending leads. The components are usually manufactured with 
straight leads having a length that will satisfy all known installations. 
Accordingly, the leads must be tailored to any specific board in the size 
of their offset bend, and the length of their leads. 
Bench-type hand presses are available in the micro circuitry industry for 
the bending and cutting operation of flat-pack type leads, requiring 
special dies for each type and size of component to be tailored. Such 
machines are large, costly, and not readily portable. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A scissor-like tool is provided for performing in sequential operations the 
functions of gripping, bending, and cutting a workpiece, such as the 
electrical leads extending from a flat-pack type of module. 
The tool comprises a pair of jaws, at least one of which is movable with 
respect to the other, each jaw being provided with a handle. As the jaws 
are sufficiently wide to handle a wide range of module sizes, means are 
provided for aligning said jaws during their sequential movements. The 
movable jaw has a spring loaded clamping bar for gripping the article to 
be bent against mating clamping bar on the other jaw. The clamping bar is 
driven by an actuating bar which in turn is moved by its respective handle 
through a pivotally mounted releasable link. Mounted on the actuating bar 
is a bending bar which bends that portion of the article protruding beyond 
the clamping bars and against an anvil mounted on the other jaw. When the 
link is released, further squeezing of the handles enables a cutting bar 
to trim off any access of the article extending beyond the bend created by 
the bending bar. 
STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
A principal object of this invention is to provide a scissor-like portable 
tool that will both bend and cut an article in sequential operations 
without changing tools. 
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become 
apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when 
considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawing where like reference numerals refer to similar 
parts throughout the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a novel 
scissor-like tool 10 capable of sequentially clamping, bending and 
trimming an article, such as the leads 12 of a flat-pack type of 
electronic module 14 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). 
Tool 10 includes a pair of jaws 16 and 18 which generally may be referred 
to as upper and lower jaws assemblies, respectively, having handle 
portions 20 and 22, respectively, intermediately pivoted at 21. The jaws 
are biased to an open position in FIG. 1 by a coiled compression spring 23 
positioned between the handles. Jaws 16 and 18 have a sufficient length, 
i.e., approximately two inches, to accommodate modules of different 
dimensions. Because of the length of the jaws, means are provided for 
maintaining the jaw in alignment during their opening and closing 
movements, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a pair of spaced 
apart pins 24 and 26 that extend between the jaws. The pins are secured by 
set screws 28 (FIG. 4) to a lower clamping bar 30 of jaw 18 and extend 
freely through drilled openings in the remaining components of bottom jaw 
18 and all of the components of upper jaw 16. Lower clamping bar 30 is 
recessed at 31 for a purpose to be described. 
The jaw end of handle 22 is bolted at 32 to a lower bending bar 34 assembly 
which is movable on pins 24 and 26 with respect to lower clamping bar 30 
by centrally positioned knurled adjusting screw 36 threaded through the 
lower jaw and abutting on the bottom of the lower clamping jaw at 38. This 
adjustment enables the depth of step 40 (FIG. 3) in the electrical leads 
to be varied in accordance with the thickness of the module and the 
requirements of any specific installation. The lower ends of each pin 24 
and 26 is provided with a detachable split locking washer 42, and a 
compression coil spring 44 positioned between the washer and the bottom of 
lower jaw 18 provides a spring bias for adjustment screw 36. 
Upper jaw assembly 16 includes an upper clamping bar 46 freely slidable on 
pins 24 and 26 and movable against lower clamping bar 30 by means of an 
actuating bar 48 via a set of coil springs 50 one mounted on each pin. 
Upper clamping is recessed at 49 to face recess 31 in lower clamping bar 
30. Clamping bar 46 and actuating bar 50 are adjustably connected together 
by a centrally positioned bolt 52 threadedly anchored in upper clamping 
bar 46 and freely movable through actuating bar 48 which allows adjustment 
of the position of upper clamping bar 46. The resilient connection allows 
actuating bar 48 to be further depressed independently and relative to 
upper clamping bar 46 during the bending operation to be described. 
An upper bending bar 54 is secured to actuating bar 48 by a set of screws 
56 on the same side of the tool as lower bending bar 34 with which it 
cooperates during the bending operation, the inner face of bar 54 being 
recessed at 58 to accommodate the thickness of electrical leads 12 during 
bending (See FIG. 7). The side of upper bending bar 54, opposite recess 
58, has a flared bending edge at 59 for a purpose to be described during 
the cutting operation. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper clamping bar 46 is 
adjusted to extend below bending edge 59 so that the leads 12 are firmly 
clamped before the bending operation is commenced. Upper bending bar 54 is 
slidable with respect to upper clamping bar 46 to enable the bending 
operation to proceed after the leads 12 and clamped in position. 
Handle 20 is operatively connected to upper jaw 16 through a latch 60 
pivotally mounted on a pin 62 which extends through actuating bar 48 and 
upper bending bar 54. A pin 64 mounted on the jaw end of handle 20 rides 
in a longitudinal slot 66 formed in link 60, the pin being biased by a 
tension spring 68 into a right angle locking slot portion 70. The 
operation of latch 60 is described below. 
The inner side of the jaw end of handle 20 is recessed at 72 to receive a 
cutting bar 74 mounted thereto by screws 76. The inner edge 78 of the 
cutting bar slides along upper bending bar 54 and forms with the flared 
edge 59 a pair of cutting edges. However, before the cutting bar can be 
operated, latch 60 must be moved by the operator to cam pin 64 out of 
locking slot 70 and into slot 66. Spring 68 returns pin 64 back to locking 
slot 70 after the cutting operation and the handles are relaxed by the 
operator. 
The operation of novel tool 10 is described as follows. With the jaws 
maintained in a normally open position by compression spring 23 acting on 
handles 20 and 22 (FIG. 1), flat-pack 14 is positioned by one hand of the 
operator adjacent the tool with the electrical leads 12 projecting through 
the opened jaws. The operator then initially compresses the handles 
together with the other hand causing upper actuating bar 48 through 
springs 50 to force upper clamping bars 46 against lower clamping bar 30 
to clamp leads 12 at their predetermined length, as in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
Recesses 49 and 31 in the respective clamping bars house the flat-packs to 
enable short leads to be cut. At this time the relative position of lower 
clamping bar 30 and lower bending bar 34 is adjusted by screw 36 to 
provide the proper depth of step 40 in the leads. 
Further squeezing together of handles 20 and 22, as in FIGS. 6 and 7, 
causes actuating bar 48 to move down relative to upper clamping bar 46 
further compressing coil springs 50. This additional movement forces upper 
bending bar 54 to bend the end of electrical leads 12 against lower 
bending bar 34 forming step 40, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. At this 
position of the jaws latch 60 has been slightly pivotted, but cutting bar 
74 remains in an inoperative position by pin 64 engaging slot 70 in latch 
60 and the handles cannot be squeezed further together to perform the 
cutting operation, as shown in FIG. 6. 
In order to release cutting bar 74 to perform its cutting operation, it is 
necessary for the operator to pull back on the upper end of latch 60 with 
his free hand to align pin 64 with slot 66. This movement releases the 
handles to be further squeezed together enabling cutting bar 74 to trim 
off the excess length of electrical lead 12, as clearly shown in FIG. 9. 
When handles 20 and 22 are released to remove the flat-pack, the tension in 
spring 68 causes pin 64 to be returned to locking slot 70 in readiness for 
the next use of the tool. 
The novel tool is readily portable and of a size that will fit into the 
average tool box or drawer. It enables the electrical leads to be bent and 
trimmed by the operator in sequential operations, while being clamped to 
prevent movement. All such operations can be performed by the operator 
quickly and accurately without the need to release the tool being held in 
one hand, enabling his free hand to initially support the module until it 
is clamped in position and subsequently to operate latch 60. 
Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may 
be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.