Chain cutter

An apparatus for automatically shearing and bending a chain link, the chain link having a selected thickness, the apparatus comprising:

• a first shearing member, the first shearing member having a shearing surface defining a shearing plane and terminating in a first shearing edge, the first shearing member including a jaw, the jaw having a primary bearing surface to exert shearing and bending forces upon the chain link and a secondary bearing surface for preventing unrestrained twisting during the shearing and bending operations, the jaw defining an opening, the opening configured to accommodate the thickness of the chain link;
• a second shearing member, the second shearing member having a shearing surface disposed substantially parallel to the shearing plane and terminating in a second shearing edge, the second shearing member including a primary bearing surface to exert shearing and bending forces upon the chain link, the second shearing member arranged with the first shearing member for relative shearing action along the shearing plane between the shearing edges and the primary bearing surfaces;
• and
• an electro-hydraulic actuator system cooperating with the second shearing member, the actuator system selectively operable to move automatically the primary bearing surface and the second shearing edge of the second shearing member toward and beyond the primary bearing surface and the first shearing edge of the first shearing member to shear the chain link along the shearing plane, thereby defining a pair of severed ends in the chain link, and to bend the severed ends apart while the chain link is restrained against excessive twisting by the secondary bearing surface of the first shearing member, thereby defining an opening between the severed ends of the chain link greater than the thickness of the chain link, the actuator system being electrically operated and requiring no manual actuation force input.