Patent ID: 7971359

Claim:
An apparatus for clipping a protrusion of material on a surface of a substrate comprising: a shearing block having a shearing edge for engaging a first portion of the protrusion of material; a cutting blade having a cutting edge for clipping the protrusion of material as the cutting blade engages an opposing second portion of the protrusion of material; a mounting structure having a sole under-surface for placing on the surface of the substrate, wherein the mounting structure confines the shearing block and the cutting blade and permits a range of relative movement between the shearing edge and the cutting edge for clipping the protrusion of material such that the relative movement of the cutting edge is within a substantially flat plane that is substantially co-planar with the sole under-surface, wherein the cutting edge is on the surface of the substrate over the range of relative motion and wherein the mounting structure comprises a mounting plate having an upper surface and wherein the relative movement between the shearing edge and the cutting edge is within a first substantially flat plane and wherein the mounting structure comprises a parallel guide forming a second substantially flat plane that is offset from the first substantially flat plane and wherein the parallel guide forms a third substantially flat plane that is offset from the second substantially flat plane and that is offset from the first substantially flat plane; and an actuator configured to move the cutting edge toward the shearing edge by actuation of a momentary switch proximate to the apparatus and the actuator being further configured to move the cutting edge away from the shearing edge.