Patent ID: 7216573

Claim:
A portable shear comprising: a frame having a proximal end and a distal end between which a hydraulic cylinder, a push block, and a pair of shear blades are disposed, the push block being disposed between and immediately adjacent to both the hydraulic cylinder and the pair of shear blades, the pair of shear blades consisting of a stationary blade and a movable blade, each shear blade having a cut-out, each cut-out having opposite sides and each cut-out having an open configuration such that a portion of the shear blade extends between opposite sides of the cut-out of each shear blade, said shear blades being slidably engaged such that said cut-outs can be aligned; the hydraulic cylinder being constructed and arranged to apply a force to the push block which acts on the movable blade such that the movable blade moves in the direction of the force applied by the hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic cylinder supplying a force that drives the moveable blade from a first position where all cut-outs are substantially aligned to a second position where said cut-outs are not aligned such that a workpiece placed in the cut-outs is sheared when the blades move from the first position to the second position; the frame having a proximal handle recess and a distal handle recess into which a handle is removably attached, the handle consisting of two handle portions, each handle portion having a frame attachment end and a joining end, the frame attachment end of one of the handle portions engaging the proximal handle recess and the frame attachment end of another of the handle portions engaging the distal handle recess, the joining ends of the handle portions fixedly connecting at a point substantially equidistant from the distal handle recess and the proximal handle recess; the frame has stabilizing recesses into which the joining ends of the handle portions can engage to the frame and extend to a floor or wall surface to stabilize the shear.