Patent ID: 8555517

Claim:
A hand saw comprising: a blade having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the first end and the second end; a frame configured to support the blade, the frame including a first blade support configured to removably couple the blade to the frame and the frame defining a handle of the hand saw, the handle configured to be grasped by a user of the hand saw to reciprocate the blade along the longitudinal axis to cut a workpiece; a lever pivotally coupled to the frame such that the lever pivots with respect to the frame between a release position and a tension position; a rod including a second blade support configured to removably couple the blade to the frame, the rod coupled to the frame such that the rod is movable with respect to the frame in a first direction to increase a distance between the first blade support and the second blade support and the rod is movable with respect to the frame in a second direction to decrease the distance between the first blade support and the second blade support; a first biasing member that biases the rod toward the second direction; a second biasing member that biases the rod toward the first direction; and a clamp member movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the rod is coupled to the lever and the frame such that the rod is movable in the first direction and with the lever when the lever moves from the release position toward the tension position in order to tension the blade, wherein the rod is coupled to the lever and the frame such that the rod is movable with respect to the frame in the first direction and the second direction independent of the lever when the lever is in the release position, wherein the clamp member moves to the engaged position in response to movement of the lever toward the tension position and to the disengaged position in response to movement of the lever toward the release position, wherein in the engaged position the clamp member engages the rod at an engagement point to interconnect the rod and the handle so that the rod moves in the first direction and with the lever when the lever moves toward the tension position in order to tension the blade, and wherein in the disengaged position the clamp member disengages the rod such that the rod is movable with respect to the frame in the first direction and the second direction.