Patent ID: 7185435

Claim:
A utility knife comprising: a substantially semi-circular housing having a top portion, two side portions, a front portion, a rear portion, and an internal chamber, said housing further having a footplate having a fore end and an aft end, said footplate having a longitudinal axis bisecting said footplate and running from the fore to aft end, and a transverse axis bisecting said footplate and running from the front to rear portion, and being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a first slot and a second slot formed in said footplate, said first slot located directly adjacent said fore end, said second slot located directly adjacent said aft end, both said first slot and said second slot being located along the longitudinal axis of said footplate of said housing, thereby allowing said footplate to be adapted to be placed against a workpiece that is to be cut; a blade holder mounted within said internal chamber said internal chamber being capable of housing a plurality of blades, said blade holder being pivotable relative to said housing between a fore position and an aft position; a first blade and a second blade mounted on said blade holder, with said blade holder in said fore position said first blade extending exteriorly of said internal chamber through said first slot located along the longitudinal axis of said footplate of said housing, with said blade holder in said aft position said second blade extending exteriorly of said internal chamber through said second slot located along the longitudinal axis of said footplate of said housing; an actuator connected to said blade holder on said front end of said housing, said actuator extending exteriorly of said housing, said actuator contactable manually to cause movement of said blade holder between said fore position and said aft position; an entry means located on said rear portion of said housing for access to said plurality of housed blades; and a pair of push buttons located on said front portion of said housing said pair of push buttons being equipped with blade release mechanisms.