Hacksaw with Blade Tensioning Mechanism

A hack saw comprising:

• a frame defining a proximal end and a distal end;
• a blade tensioning assembly including a manually engageable tensioning lever rotatably mounted on the proximal end of the frame, and an axially elongated tensioning rod fixedly connected to the tensioning lever and rotatable therewith, wherein at least one of the tensioning lever and tensioning rod is fixedly secured to a proximal end of the frame such that the tensioning lever and tensioning rod are substantially not movable axially relative to the proximal end of the frame but are rotatable relative to the proximal end of the frame;
• a blade tensioning arm movably mounted on the proximal end of the frame and distally spaced relative to the blade tensioning assembly, wherein the blade tensioning arm includes a proximal blade mount for releasably mounting one end of a hack saw blade thereto, and drivingly connected to the tensioning rod;
• a distal blade mount fixedly secured to the distal end of the frame for releasably mounting another end of the hack saw blade thereto;
• and
• a spring coupled between the blade tensioning arm and the proximal end of the frame that normally biases the proximal blade mount of the blade tensioning arm substantially proximally and, in turn, tensions a hack saw blade mounted on the proximal and distal blade mounts, wherein the tensioning lever is manually engageable and rotatable (i) in a first direction that drivingly engages the tensioning arm with the tensioning rod and moves the proximal blade mount of the tensioning arm substantially proximally from a first position applying a reduced level of tension to the hack saw blade to a second position applying a relatively increased level of tension to the hack saw blade, and (ii) in a second direction opposite the first direction that allows the proximal blade mount of the tensioning arm to move substantially distally from the second position applying the increased level of tension to the hack saw blade toward the first position applying the reduced level of tension to the hack saw blade, and wherein in the first position, the spring normally biases the proximal blade mount of the tensioning arm substantially proximally to releasably retain the blade on the blade mounts.