Universally adjustable blade

A scalpel comprising an elongated cylindrical handle closed at its proximal end and having a hollow sleeve portion formed with a spherical socket and cleft at its distal end adapted to receive a chuck in which a blade is fixedly secured, said chuck including a spherical base slideably seated in said socket for rotation of said chuck in an arc of at least 360 degrees therein and a shank extending through said cleft for swinging said chuck in an arc of at least 90 degrees, means for releasably locking said chuck in a selected position of rotation and swing comprising a stop plate slidable axially within the sleeve portion in opposition to the spherical base of said chuck and an over-the-center crank mechanism to alternately effect proximal movement of said stop plate into an inoperative position free of said spherical base thereby permitting rotation of said chuck or distal movement of said stop plate into an operative position pressed against said spherical base to lock said chuck against rotation, said crank mechanism being located in a slot having parallel sidewalls and comprising a crank head mounted within said slot between the proximal and distal ends thereof, said crank head being rotatably journaled about a pin having a transverse extending perpendicular to the center axis of said handle and passing through the center axis of said handle, aid crank head having a circular surface centered about an offset axis parallel to the transverse axis of said pin and offset therefrom to revolve in an eccentric path about said transverse axis, a rod interposed between said stop plate and said crank head so that when said crank head is revolved in one direction, said rod biases said head to move said stop plate into the operative locking position and when said crank head is revolved in the other direction said rod moves to release said stop plate from the operative locking position, and a lever integrally connected to said crank head and extending radially outward from said handle when said crank head is in its inoperative position and lying flat against said handle when said crank head is in its operative position.