Patent ID: 7194936

Claim:
In a pliers comprising means defining a pivot means, first and second jaws arranged for oscillation toward and away from each other about the pivot means, first and second handles arranged for oscillation toward and away from each other about the pivot means, the handles having portions adjacent to the pivot means disposed on respective opposite sides of the jaws, a transfer pin slidably disposed in each jaw for alternative engagement with one or the other of the handle portions, the transfer pins being disposed in transverse bores of the jaws having axes parallel to the axis of the pivot means, each of the handle portions having a pair of spaced holes disposed to receive the transfer pin, the transfer pins in the first and second jaws being selectively slidably engaged in the holes of respective first and second handles to effect movement of the jaws toward each other when the handles are moved toward each other to define a first operating position, and the transfer pins in the first and second jaws being selectively engaged in the holes of respective second and first handles to effect movement of the jaws away from each other as the handles are moved toward each other to define a second operating position, the improvement comprising: a switching mechanism mounted to the pivot means and in contact with external surfaces of the handle portions and the transfer pins for enabling simultaneous shifting of the transfer pins in the first and second jaws and holes of the first and second handles, the switching mechanism including a first reaction member housing assembly associated with the external surface of one handle portion, a second reaction member housing assembly associated with the external surface of the other handle portion and a switchplate structure rotatably mounted for side-to-side movement about the pivot means and slidably positioned between at least one reaction member housing assembly and one of the external surfaces of the handle portions, the switchplate structure being engagable with an internal portion and an external portion of the at least one reaction member housing assembly and an end of one of the transfer pins.