Releasable separate member latching device for a portable hand tool

A portable hand tool, which comprises:

• means for supporting a movable cutting member for performing a cutting operation on an article;
• a guard member movable between guarding and unguarding positions with respect to the tool cutting member;
• a housing;
• a latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to the guard member, the guard member and the latch member being mounted adjacent one another on one side of the housing and the latch member including a latching portion for engaging a retaining portion of the guard member to preclude movement of the guard member out of its guarding position;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• a handle mounted on an opposite side of the housing;
• an elongated push rod for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position, the push rod being connected to the latch member and extending through the housing with a portion of the push rod extending from the opposite side of the housing adjacent the handle;
• and
• cooperative means on the latch member and the guard member for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position as the guard member is moved into its unguarding position during cutting of an article by the tool cutting member.

A portable hand tool, which comprises:

• means for supporting a movable cutting member for performing a cutting operation on an article;
• a guard member movable between guarding and unguarding positions with respect to the tool cutting member;
• a latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to the guard member, the latch member including a latching portion for engaging a retaining portion of the guard member to preclude movement of the guard member out of its guarding position;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position;
• and
• cooperative ferromagnetic means mounted on respective ones of the latch member and the guard member for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position as the guard member is moved into its unguarding position during cutting of an article by the tool cutting member.

A releasable separate member latching device for use in an application such as a portable hand tool, which comprises:

• a pivotable latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions wih respect to a separate member, the latch member having a latching portion for engaging a retaining portion of the separate member to preclude movement of the separate member from an initial locked position into a second unlocked position with respect to the latch member;
• means for moving the pivotable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the pivotable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position;
• means for retaining the pivotable latch member in its unlatched position to permit movement of the separate member to its unlocked position with respect to the latch member;
• and
• means for releasing the means for retaining the pivotable latch member in its unlatched position, after the separate member has moved out of its initial locked position.

A releasable separate member latching device for use in an application such as a portable hand tool, which comprises:

• a latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to a separate member, the latch member having a latching portion for engaging a retaining portion of the separate member to preclude movement of the separate member from an initial locked position into a second unlocked position with respect to the latch member;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position;
• ferromagnetic means for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position to permit movement of the separate member to its unlocked position with respect to the latch member;
• and
• means for releasing the ferromagnetic means for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position, after the separate member has moved out of its initial locked position.

A releasable guard member latching device for use in a portable hand tool having a cutting member for performing a cutting operation on an article, which comprises:

• a latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to a guard member for the tool cutting member, the latch member having a latching portion for engaging a portion of the guard member when the latch member is in the latched position, to preclude movement of the guard member from a guarding position into an unguarding position with respect to the tool cutting member;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position to release the guard member for movement from the guarding position to the unguarding position, the moving means including an elongated push rod connected to an operating portion of the latch member and of a length to extend from adjacent one side of a housing of the portable hand tool, through the housing to and beyond an opposite side of the housing;
• means for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position to permit movement of the guard member to an unguarding position with respect to the tool cutting member for an article cutting operation;
• and
• means for releasing the latch member from its retained unlatched position after the guard member has moved out of its guarding position with respect to the tool cutting member for an article cutting operation.

A releasable guard member latching device for use in a portable hand tool having a cutting member for performing a cutting portion on an article, which comprises:

• a pivotable latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to a guard member for the tool cutting member, the latch member having a latching portion for engaging a portion of the guard member to preclude movement of the guard member from a guarding position into an unguarding position with respect to the tool cutting member;
• means for moving the pivotable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the pivotable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position, the moving means including an elongated push rod connected to an operating portion of the pivotable latch member and of a length to extend from adjacent one side of a housing of the portable hand tool, through the housing to and beyond an opposite side of the housing;
• means for retaining the pivotable latch member in its unlatched position to permit movement of the guard member to an unguarding position with respect to the tool cutting member for an article cutting operation;
• and
• means for releasing the pivotable latch member from its retained unlatched position after the guard member has moved out of its guarding position with respect to the tool cutting member for an article cutting operation.

A releasable guard member latching device for use in a portable hand tool having a cutting member for performing a cutting portion on an article, which comprises:

• a latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to a guard member for the tool cutting member, the latch member having a latching portion for engaging a portion of the guard member to preclude movement of the guard member from a guarding position into an unguarding position with respect to the tool cutting member;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position, the moving means including an elongated push rod connected to an operating portion of the latch member and of a length to extend from adjacent one side of a housing of the portable hand tool, through the housing to and beyond an opposite side of the housing;
• ferromagnetic means on the latch member cooperable with ferromagnetic means on the guard member for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position to permit movement of the guard member to an unguarding position with respect to the tool cutting member for an article cutting operation;
• and
• means for releasing the latch member from its retained unlatched position after the guard member has moved out of its guarding position with respect to the tool cutting member for an article cutting operation.

A releasable separate member latching device for use in an application such as a portable hand tool, which comprises:

• a latch member movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to a separate member, the latch member having a latching portion for engaging a retaining portion of the separate member when the latch member is in its latched position, to preclude movement of the separate member from an initial locked position into a second unlocked position with respect to the latch member;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position to release the separate member for movement from its initial locked position to its second unlocked position with respect to the latch member, the latch member moving means including an elongated push rod connected to the latch member and of a length to extend from adjacent one side of an associated housing, through the housing and beyond an opposite side of the housing;
• means for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position to permit movement of the separate member to its unlocked position with respect to the latch member;
• and
• means for releasing the means for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position, after the separate member has moved out of its initial locked position.

A portable hand tool, which comprises:

• a housing;
• means for supporting a movable cutting member on the housing, for performing a cutting operation on an article;
• a guard member mounted on one side of the housing and movable between guarding and unguarding positions with respect to the tool cutting member;
• a latch member mounted on the one side of the housing adjacent the guard member and movable between latched and unlatched positions with respect to the guard member, the latch member including a latching portion for engaging a retaining portion of the guard member when the latch member is in its latched position, to preclude movement of the guard member out of its guarding position;
• means for moving the movable latch member into its latched position;
• means for moving the movable latch member from its latched position into its unlatched position to release the guard member for movement from the guarding position to the unguarding position, and including an elongated push rod connected to the latch member and extending through the housing with a portion of the push rod extending from an opposite side of the housing;
• and
• means for retaining the latch member in its unlatched position as the guard member is moved into its unguarding position during cutting of an article by the tool cutting member.