Patent ID: 7347132

Claim:
In combination: a) a sheet cutting apparatus comprising: a base comprising a surface for supporting a sheet material operatively positioned upon the base; a rail assembly on the base comprising first and second rail portions with spaced ends, the rail assembly having a length; and a blade assembly, the blade assembly having an operative state in which the blade assembly is movable guidingly in a cutting path along the length of the rail assembly to make a cut in a sheet material operatively positioned upon the base, and repositionable relative to the rail assembly from the operative state into a separated state; and b) a tool having first and second legs spaced from each other a set distance, the tool operable by a user to facilitate repositioning of the blade assembly from the operative state into the separated state, the tool and rail assembly configured to cooperate with each other such that with the tool aligned in a first separated position relative to the rail assembly and directed from the first position translatingly against the rail assembly to a second position, the first and second legs simultaneously engage the rail assembly so as to each exert a force on the rail assembly at spaced locations to thereby change a spacing between the rail portions at a location spaced from the ends of the rail portions to allow the blade assembly to be changed from the operative state into the separated state without requiring disassembly of any part of the rail assembly and without changing a spacing between the rail portions at the spaced ends of the rail portions.