Hacksaw with improved blade tensioning mechanism

In a hacksaw of the type having a front generally vertical frame member, a top horizontal frame bar attached at its forward end to the upper end of the front frame member, a handle attached at its upper end to the rear end of the top horizontal frame bar, a rocker arm pivoted to the lower portion of the handle, and a blade held at its forward end by a front mounting post at the lower end of the front frame member, the blade being held at its rear end by a rear mounting post located on the rocker arm near one end thereof, improved means for adjustably applying tension to the blade, said improved tensioning means comprising:

• (a) a manually movable lever pivoted adjacent its upper end to the handle, said lever having a rod mounting portion extending forwardly of the lever pivot point;
• (b) a tension rod pivoted at its upper end to said rod mounting portion and hanging downwardly, said movable lever and tension rod pivot points being located with relation to each other such that pivoting said lever clockwise causes said tension rod to be lifted, and pivoting said lever counter-clockwise causes said tension rod to be lowered;
• (c) a tension adjusting knob means cooperating with the lower end of said tension rod and the other end of the rocker arm for altering the distance between the other end of the rocker arm and the tension rod pivot point;
• and
• (d) latch means for locking said lever to the handle;
• (e) said lever pivoting in the clockwise direction to increase blade tension, and pivoting in the counter-clockwise direction to decrease blade tension.