Tie-wrap tool with improved bracing block

In a tie-wrap tool adapted to grip and cut a tie-wrap, the tie-wrap tool comprising an actuating handle and a gripping handle pivotally secured together by a rear axle bolt and a torsion spring carried by the rear axle bolt for urging the handles apart, a feed-in hole at a forward portion of the actuating handle, a holding block secured to the actuating handle adjacent to the feed-in hole, the actuating handle having a pair of side panels, each side panel having an upper slotted hole and a lower slotted hole formed therein, a pair of guiding plates, a front axle bolt, a middle axle bolt, each guiding plate being movably mounted to a side panel of the actuating handle by the front and middle axle bolts extending through the upper slotted holes and the rear axle bolt extending through the lower slotted holes, a cutter blade secured to the front axle bolt, a tensioning spring having first and second ends, the first end being secured to the middle axle bolt and means securing the second end to the actuating handle at a rearward portion thereof, the gripping handle having side panels and including a feed-out hole at a forward portion thereof, at least one bracing block rotatably mounted adjacent to the feed-out hole about an axis between the side panels of the gripping handle, and a spring for rotating the bracing block toward the actuating handle and into engagement with a tie-wrap extending through the feed-out hole, the improvement wherein the bracing block comprises:

• (a) a single row of a plurality of teeth, each tooth comprising at least three triangular faces joined to form a pyramid with an apex defined by the intersection of the three triangular faces;
• (i) wherein the angle of each of the three triangular faces that form the apex of the pyramid is less than about 90.degree.;
• (ii) wherein the row of teeth is positioned at a point on the perimeter of the bracing block farthest from the axis of rotation of the bracing block;
• and
• (iii) wherein the row of teeth is perpendicular to the length of a tie-wrap extending through the feed-out hole;
• (b) a notch formed in the bracing block;
• and
• (c) at least one restraining pin in the gripping handle positioned to engage the notch formed in the bracing block when, in the absence of a tie-wrap, the bracing block is biased towards the actuating handle, each restraining pin restricting the rotation of the bracing block to prevent the teeth from contacting the gripping handle.