Rescue tool

• US 5,953,822 A
• Filed: 12/24/1996
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clear Stream Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rescue Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Vogelsanger, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYER, HWEI SIU CHOU
• Application Number:
  US08/772,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 30/228, 30/258, 30/229, 30/279.2, 30/245
• US Class Current: 30/228
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 15/00 Hand-held shears with motor-driven blades

Abstract

A hydraulically powered, self-contained rescue tool has a cutting head, a hydraulic motor, a battery-powered hydraulic fluid pump, and all the controls necessary for operation of the tool. The cutting head can be pivotally mounted so that the angle of attack of the cutting blades are adjustable for convenience of the operator. The cutting blades are shaped so that, when the tool is in use, the blades take bites of material out of the object to be cut and there is no torque to twist the tool out of the grasp of the operator.

Claims

1. A hand-manipulatable rescue tool comprising:

a frame;

a first anvil that is attached to the frame and has a cutting edge;

a second anvil that is attached to the frame and has a cutting edge that is shaped the same as the cutting edge of the first anvil, the first and second anvils being spaced apart in fixed positions relative to one another such that the cutting edges face each other and lie in parallel planes;

a cutting blade pivotally mounted between the anvils such that the blade can be rotated relative to the anvils about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the planes, the blade having two spaced-apart cutting edges which are positioned such that, when the blade is rotated relative to the anvils, the cutting edges of the blade overlap and travel along the cutting edges of the anvils;

a hydraulic actuator connected to the frame to rotate the blade relative to the anvils about the axis;

a conduit for delivering high pressure hydraulic fluid to the actuator;

a pump for pumping hydraulic fluid through the conduit;

an electric motor operatively connected to the pump;

a battery connected to the electric motor to supply electrical current to the electric motor; and

a manually operable switch which controls the flow of electrical current between the battery and the electric motor.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein the motor comprises a hydraulic actuator.

4. The tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a power source for driving the motor; and

a housing which encloses both the motor and the power source so that the tool is self-contained.

2. A hand manipulatable rescue tool comprising:

a frame which is sized and shaped so that a rescue worker can manipulate the tool by hand in a confined space;

a handle, including a hand grip portion, for supporting the frame when the rescue tool is being manipulated by a rescue worker;

a first anvil that is attached to the frame and has a cutting edge;

a second anvil that is attached to the frame and has a cutting edge that is shaped the same as the cutting edge of the first anvil, the first and second anvils being spaced apart in fixed positions relative to one another such that the cutting edges face each other and lie in parallel planes;

a cutting blade pivotally mounted between the anvils such that the blade can be rotated relative to the anvils about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the planes, the blade having two spaced-apart cutting edges which are positioned such that, when the blade is rotated relative to the anvils, the cutting edges of the blade overlap and travel along the cutting edges of the anvils; and

a motor connected to the frame to rotate the blade relative to the anvils about the axis.

5. A hand-manipulatable rescue tool comprising:

a frame;

a first anvil that is attached to the frame and has a cutting edge;

a second anvil that is attached to the frame and has a cutting edge, the cutting edges of the first and second anvils being of identical curvature, the first and second anvils being spaced apart in fixed positions relative to one another such that the cutting edges face each other and lie in parallel planes;

a cutting blade pivotally mounted between the anvils such that the blade can be rotated relative to the anvils about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the planes, the blade having two spaced-apart cutting edges which are of identical curvature and are positioned such that, when the blade is rotated relative to the anvils, the cutting edges of the blade overlap and travel along the cutting edges of the anvils; and

a motor connected to the frame to rotate the blade relative to the anvils about the axis, the cutting edges of the anvils and blade being of such curvatures that, when the motor operates at a constant speed, the junction of each edge of the blade and the edge of the adjacent anvil moves at a constant speed along the edge of the blade.

6. A hand manipulatable rescue tool comprising:

a cutter head having first and second cutting members which are movable relative to one another to cut a strip of a limited length from an object to be cut, each cutting member having at least two cutting edges of identical curvature, at least one of the cutting members being no wider than the strip so that, after a first strip is cut from the object, the cutter head can move forward to cut an additional strip from the object;

a motor connected to the cutter head to cause the cutting members to move relative to each other, the cutting edges of the first and second cutting members respectively being of such curvatures that, when the motor operates at a constant speed, the junction of each pair of adjacent cutting edges moves at a constant speed; and

a manually-operated switch which controls operation of the motor.