Claims
- 1. A cutting blade for a hand-held cutting tool, comprising:
a body having first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces being spaced from one another; at least three mounting holes passing through the body, a first pair of said mounting holes being spaced a predetermined mounting distance from one another and a second pair of said mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the second pair not being included in the first pair of mounting holes; a first shear edge adapted to cooperate with a reciprocating cutting member to shear a workpiece, the first shear edge being spaced from the first pair of mounting holes by a fixed distance and in a fixed orientation with respect thereto; and a second shear edge adapted to cooperate with the reciprocating cutting member to shear the workpiece, the second shear edge being spaced from the first shear edge, the second shear edge being spaced from the second pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the second pair of mounting holes.
- 2. The cutting blade of claim I wherein there are three mounting holes, one of the mounting holes of the first pair comprising one of the mounting holes of the second pair.
- 3. The cutting blade of claim 1 wherein the at least three mounting holes comprise a central mounting hole, a first outer mounting hole and a second outer mounting hole, the central mounting hole being spaced from each of the first and second outer mounting holes by said mounting distance, the first pair of mounting holes comprising the central mounting hole and the first outer mounting hole and the second pair of mounting holes comprising the central mounting hole and the second outer mounting hole.
- 4. The cutting blade of claim 1 further comprising a blunt first guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body.
- 5. The cutting blade of claim 4 wherein the first shear edge is positioned at a junction of the first guide surface and the first shear face and the second shear edge is positioned at a junction of the first guide surface and the second shear face.
- 6. The cutting blade of claim 4 wherein the first guide surface is flat to lie flush against a face of the workpiece while the workpiece is sheared.
- 7. The cutting blade of claim 1 wherein the at least three mounting holes includes a third pair of mounting holes, the mounting holes of the third pair being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the third pair being included in neither of the first and second pairs of mounting holes, the cutting blade further comprising a third shear edge adapted to cooperate with the reciprocating cutting member to shear the workpiece, the third shear edge being spaced from the first and second shear edges, the third shear edge being spaced from the third pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the third pair of mounting holes.
- 8. The cutting blade of claim 6 wherein the at least three mounting holes includes a fourth pair of mounting holes, the mounting holes of the fourth pair being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the fourth pair being included in none the first, second and third pairs of mounting holes, the cutting blade further comprising a fourth shear edge adapted to cooperate with the reciprocating cutting member to shear the workpiece, the fourth shear edge being spaced from the first, second and third shear edges, the fourth shear edge being spaced from the fourth pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the fourth pair of mounting holes.
- 9. A cutting blade for a hand-held cutting tool, comprising:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces being parallel to one another; at least five mounting holes passing through the body and defining first, second, third and fourth pairs of mounting holes, the mounting holes of each pair being spaced a predetermined mounting distance from one another, the mounting distance being the same for each of the pairs, at least one of the mounting holes of each of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of mounting holes being included in none of the other three pairs of mounting holes; and spaced-apart first, second, third and fourth shear edges, each of which is adapted to cooperate with a reciprocating cutting member to shear a workpiece, the first shear edge being spaced from the first pair of mounting holes by a fixed distance and in a fixed orientation with respect to the first pair of mounting holes, the second shear edge being spaced from the second pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the second pair of mounting holes, the third shear edge being spaced from the third pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the third pair of mounting holes, and the fourth shear edge being spaced from the fourth pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the fourth pair of mounting holes; whereby the blade can be reoriented on a cutting head to position any one of the first, second, third and fourth shearing edges adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for cooperation therewith by attaching the blade to one of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of mounting holes, respectively.
- 10. The cutting blade of claim 9 wherein one of the mounting holes of the first pair comprises one of the mounting holes of the second pair.
- 11. The cutting blade of claim 9 wherein one of the mounting holes of the third pair comprises one of the mounting holes of the fourth pair.
- 12. The cutting blade of claim 9 wherein there are six mounting holes, one of the mounting holes of the first pair comprising one of the mounting holes of the second pair and one of the mounting holes of the third pair comprising one of the mounting holes of the fourth pair.
- 13. The cutting blade of claim 12 wherein neither of the holes of the first pair comprises a hole of the third or fourth pair and neither of the holes of the second pair comprises a hole of the third or fourth pair.
- 14. The cutting blade of claim 9 further comprising spaced-apart first and second guide surfaces, the first guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body and the second guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a second elongate edge of the body.
- 15. The cutting blade of claim 14 wherein each of the first and second guide surfaces are flat to lie flush against a face of the workpiece while the workpiece is sheared.
- 16. A cutting blade for a cutting tool, comprising:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces defining a thickness of the body; a blunt guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along an elongate lower edge of the body; a first shear edge defined at the junction between the guide surface and the first shear face and a second shear edge defined at the junction between the guide surface and the second shear face; at least three mounting holes, two of said mounting holes being associated with the first shear edge and being spaced from one another by a fixed mounting distance and two of said mounting holes being associated with the second shear edge and being spaced from one another by said fixed mounting distance.
- 17. The cutting blade of claim 16 wherein there are three mounting holes, a central one of the mounting holes being associated with the first and second shear edges and being equidistant from each of the other two mounting holes.
- 18. A cutting blade for a hand-held cutting tool of the type having a motor, a casing having a support adapted to carry a pair of fixed cutting blades in a spaced-apart relationship, and a reciprocating cutting member which pivots about a transverse axis to reciprocate between the fixed cutting blades, the cutting blade comprising:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces defining a thickness of the body; a first guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body; a first shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the first shear face and a second shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the second shear face, the first and second shear edges being parallel to and spaced from one another by the thickness of the body; a first mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the first shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and to position the second shear edge transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the first shear edge; and a second mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the second shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and to position the first shear edge transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the second shear edge.
- 19. The cutting blade of claim 18 wherein the first mount comprises a first pair of mounting holes passing through the thickness of the body and being spaced a predetermined mounting distance from one another, and the second mount comprises a second pair of mounting holes passing through the thickness of the body and being spaced said mounting distance from one another.
- 20. The cutting blade of claim 19 wherein there are three mounting holes, one of the mounting holes of the first pair comprising one of the mounting holes of the second pair.
- 21. The cutting blade of claim 18 wherein the first mount comprises a central mounting point and a first distal mounting point, and the second mount comprises said central mounting point and a second distal mounting point, the first and second distal mounting points being equidistant from the central mounting point.
- 22. The cutting blade of claim 18 wherein the blade further comprises a second guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along a second elongate edge of the body, the second guide surface being spaced from the first guide surface; a third shear edge defined at the junction between the second guide surface and the first shear face; and a fourth shear edge defined at the junction between the second guide surface and the second shear face.
- 23. The cutting blade of claim 22 wherein the blade further comprises a third mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the third shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece with the fourth shear edge being spaced transversely outwardly from both the reciprocating cutting member and the third shear edge; and a fourth mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the fourth shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece with the third shear edge being spaced transversely outwardly from both the reciprocating cutting member and the fourth shear edge.
- 24. A cutting head for a hand-held cutting tool of the type having a motor within a housing, the cutting head comprising:
a casing adapted to connect to the housing, the casing having a casing support; a first blade having a body, first and second mounts, and parallel, spaced-apart first and second shear edges; a second blade having a body, first and second mounts, and parallel, spaced-apart first and second shear edges; the first blade being connected to the casing support by the first mount of the first blade and the second blade being connected to the casing support by the first mount of the second blade such that the first shear edge of the second blade is parallel to and is spaced from the first shear edge of the first blade to define a gap therebetween having a predetermined gap width; and a cutting member carried between the first and second blades and adapted to be coupled to the motor for reciprocal movement within the gap to shear a workpiece by cooperation of the cutting member with the first edge of the first blade and the first edge of the second blade; the second mount of the first blade being positioned on the body of the first blade and the second mount of the second blade being positioned on the body of the second blade such that detaching the first and second blades from the casing and reconnecting the first and second blades to the casing support by their respective second mounts will orient the second shear edges of the first and second blades parallel to one another to define a gap therebetween having said gap width and will position the second shear edge of the first blade and the second shear edge of the second blade to cooperate with the cutting member to shear the workpiece.
- 25. The cutting head of claim 24 wherein the first and second blades are interchangeable with one another.
- 26. The cutting head of claim 24 wherein the first mount of the first blade comprises a first pair of mounting holes passing through the body of the first blade at locations spaced a predetermined mounting distance from one another; the second mount of the first blade comprises a second pair of mounting holes passing through the body of the first blade at locations spaced said mounting distance from one another.
- 27. The cutting head of claim 26 wherein the first mount of the second blade comprises a first pair of mounting holes passing through the body of the second blade at locations spaced a predetermined mounting distance from one another; the second mount of the second blade comprises a second pair of mounting holes passing through the body of the second blade at locations spaced said mounting distance from one another.
- 28. The cutting head of claim 24 wherein the body of the first blade comprises first and second shear faces and a blunt first guide surface, the first shear edge of the first blade being positioned at a junction of the first guide surface and the first shear face and the second shear edge of the first blade being positioned at a junction of the first guide surface and the second shear face; and the body of the second blade comprises first and second shear faces and a blunt first guide surface, the first shear edge of the second blade being positioned at a junction of the first guide surface and the first shear face and the second shear edge of the second blade being positioned at a junction of the first guide surface and the second shear face.
- 29. The cutting head of claim 24 wherein the first blade further comprises a third mount and a third shear edge and the second blade further comprises a third mount and a third shear edge, the third mount of the first blade being positioned on the body of the first blade and the third mount of the second blade being positioned on the body of the second blade such that detaching the first and second blades from the casing and reconnecting the first and second blades to the casing support by their respective third mounts will orient the third shear edges of the first and second blades parallel to one another to define a gap therebetween having said gap width and will position the third shear edge of the first blade and the third shear edge of the second blade to cooperate with the cutting member to shear the workpiece.
- 30. The cutting head of claim 29 wherein the first blade further comprises a fourth mount and a fourth shear edge and the second blade further comprises a fourth mount and a fourth shear edge, the fourth mount of the first blade being positioned on the body of the first blade and the fourth mount of the second blade being positioned on the body of the second blade such that detaching the first and second blades from the casing and reconnecting the first and second blades to the casing support by their respective fourth mounts will orient the fourth shear edges of the first and second blades parallel to one another to define a gap therebetween having said gap width and will position the fourth shear edge of the first blade and the fourth shear edge of the second blade to cooperate with the cutting member to shear the workpiece.
- 31. A cutting blade for a cutting tool, comprising:
a body having parallel first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces being spaced from one another to define a thickness of the body; opposed first and second guide surfaces, the first guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body and the second guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along a second elongate edge of the body; a first shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the first shear face and a first pair of mounting points associated with the first shear edge, the first pair of mounting points comprising first and second mounting points spaced from one another by a fixed distance; a second shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the second shear face and a second pair of mounting points associated with the second shear edge, the second pair of mounting points comprising first and second mounting points spaced from one another by said fixed distance; a third shear edge defined at the junction between the second guide surface and the first shear face and a third pair of mounting points associated with the third shear edge, the third pair of mounting points comprising first and second mounting points spaced from one another by said fixed distance; and a fourth shear edge defined at the junction between the second guide surface and the second shear face and a fourth pair of mounting points associated with the fourth shear edge, the fourth pair of mounting points comprising first and second mounting points spaced from one another by said fixed distance.
- 32. The cutting blade of claim 31 wherein the first mount point of each of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of mounting points comprises a hole passing through the thickness of the body.
- 33. The cutting blade of claim 31 wherein each of the mounting points comprises a hole passing through the thickness of the body.
- 34. The cutting blade of claim 31 wherein the first mounting point of the first pair of mounting points is also the first mounting point of the second pair of mounting points.
- 35. The cutting blade of claim 31 wherein the first mounting point of the third pair of mounting points is also the first mounting point of the fourth pair of mounting points.
- 36. The cutting blade of claim 31 wherein the first shear edge is parallel to each of the second, third and fourth shear edges.
- 37. A cutting blade for a hand-held cutting tool, comprising:
a body having parallel first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces being spaced from one another to define a thickness of the body; at least six mounting holes passing through the thickness of the body, a first pair of the mounting holes being spaced a predetermined mounting distance from one another; a second pair of said mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the second pair not being included in the first pair of mounting holes; a third pair of said mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the third pair being included in neither the first pair nor the second pair of mounting holes; a fourth pair of said mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the fourth pair being included in none of the first pair, the second pair and the third pair of mounting holes; spaced-apart first and second guides surfaces, the first guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body and the second guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a second elongate edge of the body, the first and second guide surfaces being parallel to one another; a first shear edge adapted to cooperate with a reciprocating cutting member to shear a workpiece, the first shear edge being spaced from the first pair of mounting holes by a fixed distance and in a fixed orientation with respect to the first pair of mounting holes; a second shear edge adapted to cooperate with the reciprocating cutting member to shear the workpiece, the second shear edge being spaced from and parallel to the first shear edge, the second shear edge being spaced from the second pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the second pair of mounting holes; a third shear edge adapted to cooperate with the reciprocating cutting member to shear the workpiece, the third shear edge being spaced from and parallel to the first shear edge and the second shear edge the third shear edge being spaced from the third pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the third pair of mounting holes; a fourth shear edge adapted to cooperate with the reciprocating cutting member to shear the workpiece, the fourth shear edge being spaced from and parallel to the first shear edge, the second shear edge and the third shear edge, the fourth shear edge being spaced from the fourth pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the fourth pair of mounting holes; whereby the blade can be reoriented on a cutting head to position any one of the first, second, third and fourth shearing edges adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for cooperation therewith to shear the workpiece by attaching the blade to one of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of mounting holes, respectively.
- 38. A cutting head for a hand-held cutting tool of the type having a motor within a housing, the cutting head comprising:
a casing adapted to connect to the housing and carrying a pair of mounting rods, the mounting rods being spaced from one another by a fixed mounting distance; a first blade including:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces; at least six mounting holes passing through the body, a first pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another; a second pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the second pair not being included in the first pair of mounting holes; a third pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the third pair being included in neither the first pair nor the second pair of mounting holes; a fourth pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the fourth pair being included in none of the first pair, the second pair and the third pair of mounting holes; spaced-apart first and second guides surfaces, the first guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body and the second guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a second elongate edge of the body; a first shear edge spaced from the first pair of mounting holes by a fixed distance and in a fixed orientation with respect to the first pair of mounting holes; a second shear edge spaced from the second pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the second pair of mounting holes; a third shear edge spaced from the third pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the third pair of mounting holes; and a fourth shear edge spaced from the fourth pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the fourth pair of mounting holes; a second blade including:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces; at least six mounting holes passing through the body, a first pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another; a second pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the second pair not being included in the first pair of mounting holes; a third pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the third pair being included in neither the first pair nor the second pair of mounting holes; a fourth pair of the mounting holes being spaced said mounting distance from one another, at least one of the mounting holes of the fourth pair being included in none of the first pair, the second pair and the third pair of mounting holes; spaced-apart first and second guides surfaces, the first guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body and the second guide surface extending transversely between the first and second shear faces along a second elongate edge of the body; a first shear edge spaced from the first pair of mounting holes by a fixed distance and in a fixed orientation with respect to the first pair of mounting holes; a second shear edge spaced from the second pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the second pair of mounting holes; a third shear edge spaced from the third pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the third pair of mounting holes; and a fourth shear edge spaced from the fourth pair of mounting holes by said fixed distance and in said fixed orientation with respect to the fourth pair of mounting holes; the mounting rods of the casing passing through the first pair of mounting holes of the first blade and the first pair of mounting holes of the second blade to releasably connect the first and second blades to the casing, the first shear edge of the first blade being parallel to the first shear edge of the second blade to define a gap therebetween having a predetermined width; a cutting member carried between the first and second blades and adapted to be coupled to the motor for reciprocal movement within the gap to shear a workpiece by cooperation of the cutting member with the first shear edge of the first blade and the first shear edge of the second blade; whereby each of the first and second blades can be detached from the casing, rotated, and reattached to the casing by passing the mounting rods through the second, third or fourth pairs of mounting holes of the blade to position any one of the second, third and fourth shearing edges, respectively, of the blade to cooperate with the cutting member to shear the workpiece.
- 39. A replacement set of cutting blades for use in connection with a hand-held cutting tool of the type having a motor, a casing having a support adapted to carry a pair of fixed cutting blades in a spaced-apart relationship, and a reciprocating cutting member which pivots about a transverse axis to reciprocate between the fixed cutting blades, the replacement set of cutting blades comprising:
a first blade including:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces defining a thickness of the body; a first guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body; a first shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the first shear face and a second shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the second shear face, the first and second shear edges being parallel to and spaced from one another by the thickness of the body; a first mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the first shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and to position the second shear edge transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the first shear edge; and a second mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the second shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and to position the first shear edge transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the second shear edge; and a second blade including:
a body having spaced-apart first and second shear faces, the first and second shear faces defining a thickness of the body; a first guide surface extending between the first and second shear faces along a first elongate edge of the body; a first shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the first shear face and a second shear edge defined at the junction between the first guide surface and the second shear face, the first and second shear edges being parallel to and spaced from one another by the thickness of the body; a first mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the first shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and to position the second shear edge transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the first shear edge; and a second mount adapted to mate with the support of the housing to position the second shear edge adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and to position the first shear edge transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the second shear edge.
- 40. A method of reconfiguring a cutting head for a hand-held cutting tool, the cutting head having a casing adapted to carry first and second blades, and a reciprocating cutting member which reciprocates between the first and second blades, each of the first and second cutting blades including a body having spaced-apart first and second shear edges, the first shear edge being adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for cooperation therewith and the second edge being spaced transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the first shear edge, a first mount mating with the casing, and a second mount adapted to mate with casing, the method including the steps of:
detaching the first mount of the first blade from the casing; turning the body of the first blade; mating the second mount of the first blade to the casing to attach the first blade to the casing, thereby positioning the second shear edge of the first blade adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and positioning the first shear edge of the first blade transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the second shear edge of the first blade.
- 41. The method of claim 40 further comprising cutting the workpiece with the second shear edge of the first blade by reciprocating the reciprocating cutting member after mating the second mount of the first blade to the casing.
- 42. The method of claim 40 further comprising:
detaching the first mount of the second blade from the casing; turning the body of the second blade; mating the second mount of the second blade to the casing to attach the first blade to the casing, thereby positioning the second shear edge of the second blade adjacent the reciprocating cutting member for shearing a workpiece and positioning the first shear edge of the second blade transversely outwardly of both the reciprocating cutting member and the second shear edge of the second blade.
- 43. The method of claim 42 further comprising cutting the workpiece with the second shear edge of the first blade and the second shear edge of the second blade by reciprocating the reciprocating cutting member after mating the second mount of the first blade to the casing.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/______, entitled “EXTENDED CUTTING BLADES FOR HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS, ” filed Aug. 10, 2001, and identified by Perkins Coie LLP Docket No. 31957-8010.