Patent ID: 7845080

Claim:
Tubing cutter apparatus comprising: a substantially C-shaped cutting mechanism having an open central area for receiving a length of tubing and a cuffing blade located in said cutting mechanism for cutting the tubing; a gear mechanism including a semi-circular substantially C-shaped first gear fixedly attached to said cutting mechanism, a pair of substantially identical intermediate gears positioned for simultaneously engaging said first gear, and a third gear engaging both said intermediate gears simultaneously for causing simultaneous rotation of said intermediate gears; said gear mechanism having a housing including a base plate and a generally parallel cover plate, said cover plate and said base plate having open areas corresponding to said cutting mechanism open area, said first gear attached to said cutting mechanism through the open area of said cover plate; said gear mechanism including a semi-cylindrical sleeve fixedly attached to said base plate and extending upwardly therefrom to form a bearing about which said first gear rotates unattached to said base plate with the opening of said C-shaped first gear coacting with the openings of said cutting mechanism, said cover plate and said base plate for receiving and cutting said tubing; said first gear, said intermediate gears and said third gear are in planar arrangement within said housing with said intermediate gears rotatably mounted on support post means secured to said base plate; said first gear, said sleeve and said housing configured to provide a semi-circular channel through which said first gear rotates; a rotary power source for rotating said third gear thereby through said intermediate gear and said first gear to rotate said cutting mechanism, said rotary power source including a handle case extending at substantially a 90 degree angle from said gear mechanism housing, said handle case defining a longitudinal axis and having therewithin a motor with an output shaft coupled to said third gear for rotating said third gear and a battery for powering said motor, and a clamp for removably attaching said apparatus to a length of tubing so that the tubing extends parallel to said longitudinal axis, said clamp being attached to said handle case at a location spaced longitudinally from said cutting mechanism, said clamp having laterally spaced apart jaws having therebetween an open area longitudinally aligned with said open central area of said cutting mechanism, said jaws having outer longitudinal edges maintained by spring tension at a distance less than the diameter of a length of tubing which said apparatus is intended to be used with, said jaws being springingly separateable by pressing said longitudinal edges of said jaws against the outer circumferential wall surface of a length of tubing to thereby position said tubing within said open area between said jaws and maintain said tubing in said position by a compressive spring force exerted on said tubing by said jaws.