Patent ID: 6983677

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 pins, 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 towards each other when the handles are moved towards 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 towards 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 flexing spring plate disposed on the external surface of one handle portion and a second flexing spring plate disposed on the external surface of the other handle portion, each of the spring plates having a pair of boss pins engageable with opposite ends of the transfer pins.