PORTABLE IN-LINE CUTTING TOOL WITH STABILIZER

• US 20190308255A1
• Filed: 04/09/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Wason, Peter Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 11,426,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 15/14 actuated by fluid or gas pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 17/06 actuated by fluid or gas pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 29/002 for cutting wire or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 29/023 for cutting wires
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 33/02 Arrangements for holding, guiding, and/or feeding work during the operation
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 35/001 cutting members
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 28/00 Portable power-driven joining or separation tools B25B21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/005 Hydraulic driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 15/00 Hand-held shears with motor-driven blades
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/12 Fluid-pressure means

Abstract

An in-line portable, hand held hydraulic cutting tool having a handle assembly and a working head assembly is provided. The handle assembly has a tool frame portion and a neck portion. The working head assembly has a pair of jaw members joined so that they are movable relative to each other and held in place by a locking pin. Each jaw member has a cutting blade secured to or directly formed into the jaw member. A stabilizer can be secured to or directly formed into one or both jaw members. The one or more stabilizers are aligned with a respective cutting blade such that during a cutting operation at least an edge of the stabilizer engages an object being cut to limit rotation of the object during the cutting operation.

Claims

1. A working head assembly for an in-line hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:

a first jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a first cutting blade and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a first pivot point member having a first aperture therethrough;

a second jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a second cutting blade and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a second pivot point member having a second aperture therethrough;

at least one stabilizer coupled to or formed into the distal end of the first jaw member or the second jaw member and positioned in alignment with the first or second cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool at least an edge of the at least one stabilizer engages an object being cut to limit rotation of the object being cut;

a spring member having a first end attached to the proximal end portion of the first jaw member and a second end attached to the proximal end portion of the second jaw member; and

a locking pin that can extend through the first and second apertures when the first and second apertures are aligned to operatively couple the first jaw member to the second jaw member and form a pivot point about which the first and second jaw members can rotate.

2. The working head assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stabilizer is positioned in alignment with the first or second cutting blade such that the at least an edge of the at least one stabilizer engages the object after rotation the object exceeds a threshold angle.

3. The working head assembly according to claim 2, wherein the threshold angle is in the range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees.

4. The working head assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member or the second jaw member by releasably securing the at least one stabilizer to the first jaw member or the second jaw member.

5. The working head assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member or the second jaw member by directly forming the at least one stabilizer into the first jaw member or the second jaw member.

6. The working head assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first pivot point member comprises a tang having the first aperture, and the second pivot point member comprises clevis having the second aperture, and wherein the clevis receives the tang so that the first aperture can align with the second aperture.

7. The working head assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stabilizer is positioned in alignment with the first or second cutting blade such that the at least an edge of the at least one stabilizer engages the object after rotation the object exceeds a threshold angle.

8. The working head assembly according to claim 7, wherein the threshold angle is in the range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees.

9. A working head assembly for an in-line hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:

a first jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a first cutting blade and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck portion of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a tang and a bore through the tang;

a second jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a second cutting blade and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck portion of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a clevis that receives the tang of the first jaw member and a bore through the clevis that aligns with the bore in the tang;

at least one stabilizer coupled to or formed into the distal end of the first jaw member or the second jaw member and positioned in alignment with the first or second cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool at least an edge of the at least one stabilizer engages an object being cut to limit rotation of the object being cut;

a spring member having a first end attached to the proximal end portion of the first jaw member and a second end attached to the proximal end portion of the second jaw member; and

a locking pin that can extend through the bore in the clevis and the bore in the tang when the bores are aligned to operatively couple the first jaw member to the second jaw member.

10. The working head assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member or the second jaw member by releasably securing the at least one stabilizer to the first jaw member or the second jaw member.

11. The working head assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member or the second jaw member by directly forming the at least one stabilizer into the first jaw member or the second jaw member.

12. The working head assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one stabilizer is positioned in alignment with the first or second cutting blade such that the at least an edge of the at least one stabilizer engages the object after rotation the object exceeds a threshold angle.

13. The working head assembly according to claim 12, wherein the threshold angle is in the range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees.

14. A working head assembly for an in-line hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:

a first jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a first cutting blade and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a first pivot point member having a first aperture therethrough;

a second jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a second cutting blade and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a second pivot point member having a second aperture therethrough;

a first stabilizer coupled to the first jaw member, the first stabilizer being aligned with the second cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool at least an edge of the first stabilizer engages an object being cut to limit rotation of the object being cut;

a second stabilizer coupled to the second jaw member, the second stabilizer being aligned with the first cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool at least an edge of the second stabilizer engages an object being cut to limit rotation of the object being cut;

a spring member having a first end attached to the proximal end portion of the first jaw member and a second end attached to the proximal end portion of the second jaw member; and

a locking pin that can extend through the first and second apertures when the first and second apertures are aligned to operatively couple the first jaw member to the second jaw member and form a pivot point about which the first and second jaw members can rotate.

15. The working head assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member by releasably securing the first stabilizer to the first jaw member, and wherein the second stabilizer is coupled to the second jaw member by releasably securing the second stabilizer to the second jaw member.

16. The working head assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member by directly forming the first stabilizer into the first jaw member, and wherein the second stabilizer is coupled to the second jaw member by directly forming the second stabilizer into the second jaw member.

17. The working head assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first stabilizer is positioned in alignment with the second cutting blade such that the at least an edge of the first stabilizer engages the object after rotation the object exceeds a threshold angle, and wherein the second stabilizer is positioned in alignment with the first cutting blade such that the at least an edge of the second stabilizer engages the object after rotation the object exceeds the threshold angle.

18. The working head assembly according to claim 17, wherein the threshold angle is in the range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees.

19. The working head assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first pivot point member comprises a tang having the first aperture, and the second pivot point member comprises clevis having the second aperture, and wherein the clevis receives the tang so that the first aperture can align with the second aperture.

20. A working head assembly for an in-line hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:

a first jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a first cutting blade having a cutting edge with a thickness in the range from about 0.03 inches to about 0.05 inches, and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a first pivot point member having a first aperture therethrough;

a second jaw member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion includes a second cutting blade having a cutting edge with a thickness in the range from about 0.03 inches to about 0.05 inches, and the proximal end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the proximal end portion includes a second pivot point member having a second aperture therethrough;

a spring member having a first end attached to the proximal end portion of the first jaw member and a second end attached to the proximal end portion of the second jaw member; and

a locking pin that can extend through the first and second apertures when the first and second apertures are aligned to operatively couple the first jaw member to the second jaw member and form a pivot point about which the first and second jaw members can rotate.

21. The working head assembly according to claim 20, wherein the cutting edge of the first cutting blade and the cutting edge of the second cutting blade has a positive edge angle.