Notching tool

A pipe notching tool to produce a notch extending longitudinally of the pipe from an end thereof, said tool comprising a first member, a second member and a pivot pin pivotally connecting lugs on the first member and holes in the second member, the first member including a base affixed to a column and means for removably mounting a female blade on the first member, a uniform width slot in the female blade extending away from the pivot pin and having two shearing sides and a shearing end remote from the pivot pin, a head affixed to the column, said head containing the lugs, said lugs provided with aligned pivot pin holes, the second member further including a blade holder having aligned pivot pin holes, and means for removably securing a male blade in a slot in the holder said blade being positionable to enter the end of a pipe to be notched, said male blade being aligned with the slot of the female blade so as to enter therein on a closing relative pivotal movement between the first and second members to cause a shearing action between opposed corners of a shearing edge of the male blade and the shearing sides of the female blade slot and a shearing action between a trailing end of the male blade and the shearing end of the female blade slot, said shearing edge of said male blade being convexly curved with the convex curve extending from a leading end of the male shearing edge to said trailing end of the male blade, the leading end of the male blade shearing edge being spaced from the female blade by an amount at least equal to the thickness of the wall of the pipe to be notched to permit the pipe wall to pass between the female blade and the leading end of the male blade shearing edge when the first and second members are pivoted to an open pipe-receiving relationship, and means for causing the male blade to initially contact the pipe to be notched in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the pipe.