Open ended tubing cutters

Abstract

A self-clamping cutting tool which includes a handle (11) attached to a C-shaped housing (12) and has an opening (13) sized to admit a pipe (23). Rotatably mounted within the housing is a C-shaped tool body (24) carrying a set of clamping rolls (27, 28 and 31) and two support rolls (51 and 52) and an edged cutting roll (64). The support rolls are disposed to one side of the axis (29) of a pipe and the cutting roll is disposed to the other side of a pipe axis so that these rolls contact a pipe at three circumferential points. Cutter advancing apparatus (63, 65, 66, 67, 68) advance the cutting roll toward the support rollers. The support rolls and cutting roll are rotatable independently of the C-shaped housing. A one way ratchet mechanism (41, 43) disposed between the C-shaped housing and the C-shaped tool body permits operation by movement in one rotational direction about the pipe axis. In another embodiment, the tool body is rotated by a power driven mechanism (80- 87). In addition, an automatic cutter advancing device (75-79) can be provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.