Cutting or pressing appliances

An appliance for gripping and deforming generally rod-shaped workpieces, comprising:

• an elongate tool body with an extremity carrying a first jaw;
• an actuating member articulated to said tool body, at a portion of said tool body adjoining said extremity, for relative swinging about a first pivotal axis;
• an arm articulated to a tip of said extremity for relative swinging about a second pivotal axis parallel to said first pivotal axis, said arm carrying a second jaw confronting said first jaw and bracketing therewith a work space located between said pivotal axes;
• and
• force-transmitting means linking said actuating member with a part of said arm separated from said tip by said second jaw for translating a swing of said actuating member in a predetermined direction with reference to said tool body into a movement of said jaws toward each other with exertion of clamping pressure upon a workpiece inserted into said work space, said force-transmitting means including a rack member secured to said part and a stepping pawl on said actuating member directly coacting with said rack member for intermittently advancing said jaws toward each other upon relative oscillations of said actuating member and said tool body, said working space being surrounded on all sides by said extremity, said arm and said rack member.