Patent ID: 8898911

Claim:
In a cutting tool having a body including a pair of jaws which are movable toward and away from one another during a cutting operation performed with the tool wherein the tool utilizes a replaceable cutting blade which includes an elongated body along which is defined a leading cutting edge for engaging an item to be cut upon movement of the jaws toward one another while the item to be cut is positioned between the jaws, two opposite end walls which extend rearwardly of the cutting edge, a trailing edge which extends between the two end walls and along the blade body opposite the leading cutting edge, and a pair of side faces which extend between the two end walls and between the leading cutting edge and the trailing edge, and wherein the blade has a perimeter which extends around the two end walls and the side faces of the blade, the improvement comprising: one of the jaws includes a body which defines a blade-accepting pocket for nestingly accepting the replaceable blade inserted therein for releasable securement of the blade within the blade-accepting pocket wherein the blade-accepting pocket has an access passageway defining an opening through which the replaceable blade must be inserted trailing edge-first into the blade-accepting pocket and further defining inner surfaces which are provided entirely by the body of said one jaw so that when the replaceable blade is nestingly accepted by the blade-accepting pocket, the inner surfaces of the access passageway frictionally grip the perimeter of the blade so that the replaceable blade is releasably secured within the blade-accepting pocket with only the inner surfaces of the access passageway of the body of said one jaw; and wherein said one jaw of the cutting tool defines a side face disposed to one side of the cutting tool and includes a U-shaped slot which is accessible through the side face of said one jaw and is in communication with the access passageway of the blade-accepting pocket so that when the replaceable blade is nestingly accepted by the blade-accepting pocket, the blade can thereafter be manipulated out of the pocket through the access passageway opening by way of the side face and the U-shaped slot.