Shearing apparatus

A shearing apparatus comprising:

• a. an elongated frame having opposite ends and a bed plate having a shear edge extending along a major portion of the distance between the opposite ends of said frame;
• b. said bed plate of said frame has a substantially horizontal upper surface;
• c. an elongated shearing member having opposite ends, one end of said shearing member being pivotally mounted on said frame adjacent one end of said frame;
• d. said shearing member has an upper edge and a lower edge;
• e. the pivotal mounting of the one end of said shearing member on said frame comprises a pin having a longitudinal axis positioned below the upper surface of said bed plate;
• f. an extensible member having one end thereof pivotally supported adjacent said one end of said frame;
• g. a crank arm having a fulcrum pivot and a long arm and a short arm, the other end of said extensible member being pivotally connected to said long crank arm, said short crank arm being pivotally connected to said shearing member adjacent the other end thereof;
• h. the other end of said extensible member is pivotally connected to a first pivot point of said crank arm;
• i. the other end of said shearing member is pivotally connected to a second pivot point of said crank arm;
• j. the long arm of said crank arm is defined by the portion of the crank arm between said fulcrum pivot and said first pivot point;
• k. the short arm of said crank arm is defined by the portion of the crank arm between said fulcrum pivot and said second pivot point;
• l. said crank arm and said second pivot point thereof being positioned above the upper edge of said shearing member;
• m. means on said frame movably supporting said crank fulcrum pivot to accommodate the arcs of the short lever arm and shearing member as the crank arm is actuated by the extensible member;
• n. said means movably supporting said crank fulcrum pivot comprises an elongated connecting link having one end thereof pivotally connected to said fulcrum pivot of said crank arm and the other end thereof pivotally connected to the other end of said frame;
• and
• o. guide means mounted on said frame adjacent the other end thereof to guide said shearing member during movement thereof in shearing cooperation with the bed plate shear edge of said frame in response to operation of said extensible member.