Multi-purpose tool including folding scissors

A folding tool including a pair of scissors, comprising:

• (a) a handle defining a cavity;
• (b) first and second scissors blades interconnected with each other through a scissors pivot joint defining a scissors pivot axis, each of said scissors blades having a respective base portion and a respective cutting portion, said base portion of said first scissors blade being interconnected with said handle and movable with respect to said handle in a first direction about a handle pivot axis, between a stowed position in said cavity and an deployed position, said base portion of said first scissors blade including a stop and said second scissors blade moving about said scissors pivot axis in said first direction with respect to said first scissors blade during a cutting stroke of said scissors;
• (c) a rocker pivot located adjacent said base portion of said first scissors blade and a rocker mounted thereon for pivoting movement, about a rocker pivot axis defined by said rocker pivot, with respect to said base portion of said first scissors blade and said handle, said rocker having a first cam portion and an outer end, said outer end extending toward said base portion of said second scissors blade;
• (d) a spring, disposed in said handle and engaging said first cam portion of said rocker, said spring urging said rocker toward a first position with respect to said handle, and thereby urging said outer end toward said base end of said second scissors blade, said outer end urging said second scissors blade to pivot about said scissors pivot axis toward an open position with respect to said first scissors blade, in a blade-opening direction opposite said first direction;
• said spring also resting against said stop and preventing said first scissors blade from being moved in said first direction with respect to said handle beyond said deployed position.

A folding tool including a pair of scissors, comprising:

• (a) first and second handles each defining a cavity;
• (b) first and second scissors blades interconnected with each other through a scissors pivot joint, each of said scissors blades having a respective base portion and a respective cutting portion, said base portion of said first scissors blade being interconnected movably with said first handle and said base portion of said second scissors blade being interconnected movably with said second handle through respective handle pivots each defining a handle pivot axis, each of said handles being movable relative to the respective scissors blade in a handle-extending direction about said handle pivot axis, from a folded position to an extended position with respect to said scissors blade;
• (c) a scissors blade spring located in each of said handles and engaged with the respective one of said base portions interconnected with each said handle, said scissors blade spring holding said base portion stationary with respect to said handle when said handle is in its extended position;
• (d) a rocker pivot located in said first handle and defining a rocker pivot axis, and a rocker mounted on said rocker pivot for pivoting movement about said rocker pivot axis with respect to said first handle, said rocker having a first cam portion and an outer end, said outer end extending toward said base end of said second scissors blade;
• (e) a rocker spring disposed in said first handle and engaged with said first cam portion of said rocker and urging said rocker toward a first position with respect to said first handle when said handle is in said extended position, said outer end being urged thereby toward said base end of said second scissors blade and urging said scissors blades to pivot about said scissors pivot joint in an opening direction with respect to each other toward an open position of said cutting portions.

A folding tool including a pair of scissors, comprising:

• (a) a pair of handles each defining a cavity;
• (b) a pair of scissors blades interconnected with each other at a scissors pivot joint, each of said blades having a respective base portion, each of said base portions being interconnected movably with a respective one of said handles and each of said scissors blades being movable about a respective handle pivot axis, between a stowed position in said cavities and a deployed position;
• (c) a pair of blade springs each located in a respective one of said handles and pressing on said base portion of the respective one of said scissors blades, thereby holding said respective one of said scissors blades stationary with respect to said handle when said scissors blades are in said deployed position, but urging said respective one of said scissors blades further into said cavity when said one of said scissors blades is in said stowed position;
• (d) a pair of rockers each having first and second cam portions and an outer end, each said rocker being interconnected with a respective one of said handles and rotatable about a rocker pivot axis with respect to said respective one of said handles, each said outer end extending toward said base of the one of said scissors blades interconnected with the other of said handles, each said rocker being linked with the one of said scissors blades interconnected with the one of said handles with which the respective rocker is interconnected, and each said rocker being movable about said rocker pivot axis through a limited angle of rotation with respect to said base portion of the respective one of said scissors blades with which it is linked;
• and
• (e) a pair of rocker springs, each disposed in a respective one of said handles and engaging one of said rockers interconnected with said respective one of said handles, and each urging said respective rocker toward a blade-opening position with respect to said handles, thereby urging said scissors blades to pivot about said scissors pivot joint with respect to each other toward an open position when said scissors blades are in their respective deployed positions and urging said rockers toward a second position with respect to said handles when said blades are in their respective stowed positions, both of said blade springs and both of said rocker springs thereby urging said handles toward each other when said scissors blades are both in said respective stowed positions.

A folding tool, comprising:

• (a) a handle defining a cavity;
• (b) a pair of blades, each of said blades having a respective base portion, one of said base portions being interconnected movably with said handle and said one of said blades being movable about a handle pivot axis, between a stowed position at least partially within said cavity and a deployed position;
• (c) a pair of springs located in said handle, one of said pair of springs pressing on said base portion of said one of said blades, thereby holding said one of said blades stationary with respect to said handle when said one of said blades is in said deployed position, but urging said one of said blades toward an interior of said cavity when said respective one of said blades is in said stowed position;
• and
• (d) each of said springs having an anchored end and an opposite tip, each of said springs being tapered in thickness so that said tips are thinner laterally than said anchored ends thereof and so that said tips are thereby spaced laterally apart from each other and one of said tips is aligned with said one of said blades and is free from contact with a laterally adjacent one of said tips.

A folding tool including a pair of movably interconnected jawlike members, comprising:

• (a) first and second handles each defining a cavity;
• (b) first and second jawlike members movably interconnected with each other through a jaw pivot joint, each of said jawlike members having a respective base portion and a respective acting portion, said base portion of said first jawlike member being interconnected movably with said first handle and said base portion of said second jawlike member being interconnected movably with said second handle, through respective handle pivots each defining a handle pivot axis, each of said handles being movable relative to the respective jawlike member in a handle-extending direction about said handle pivot axis, from a folded position to an extended position with respect to said jawlike member;
• (c) a spring located in each of said handles and engaged with the respective one of said base portions interconnected with each said handle, said spring holding said base portion stationary with respect to said handle when said handle is in its extended position;
• (d) a rocker pivot located in said first handle adjacent said base portion of said first jawlike member, said rocker pivot defining a rocker pivot axis, and a rocker mounted on said rocker pivot for pivoting movement about said rocker pivot axis with respect to said first handle, said rocker having a first cam portion and an outer end, said outer end extending toward said base end of said second jawlike member;
• (e) a rocker spring disposed in said first handle and engaged with said first cam portion of said rocker and urging said rocker toward a first position with respect to said first handle when said handle is in said extended position, said outer end being urged thereby toward said base end of said second jawlike member and urging said jawlike members to pivot about said jaw pivot joint in an opening direction with respect to each other toward an open position of said acting portions.

A folding tool including a pair of movably interconnected jawlike members, comprising:

• (a) a handle defining a cavity;
• (b) first and second jawlike members movably interconnected with each other through a pivot joint defining a jaw pivot axis, each of said first and second jawlike members having a respective base portion and a respective acting portion, said base portion of said first jawlike member being interconnected with said handle and movable with respect to said handle in a first direction about a handle pivot axis, between a stowed position in said cavity and an deployed position, said base portion of said first jawlike member including a stop and said second jawlike member moving about said jaw pivot axis in said first direction with respect to said first jawlike member during an acting stroke of said jawlike members;
• (c) a rocker pivot located adjacent said base portion of said first jawlike member and a rocker mounted thereon for pivoting movement about a rocker pivot axis defined by said rocker pivot, with respect to said base portion of said first jawlike member and said handle, said rocker having a first cam portion and an outer end, said outer end extending toward said base portion of said second jawlike member;
• (d) a spring, disposed in said handle and engaging said first cam portion of said rocker, said spring urging said rocker toward a first position with respect to said handle and thereby urging said outer end toward said base end of said second jawlike member, said outer end urging said second jawlike member to pivot about said jawlike pivot axis toward an open position with respect to said first jawlike member, in a jaw-opening direction opposite said first direction, said spring also resting against said stop and preventing said first jawlike member from being moved in said first direction with respect to said handle beyond said deployed position.

A folding tool including a pair of jawlike members, comprising:

• (a) a pair of handles each defining a cavity;
• (b) a pair of jawlike members interconnected with each other at a jaw pivot joint, each of said jawlike members having a respective base portion, each of said base portions being interconnected movably with a respective one of said handles and each of said scissors blades being movable about a respective handle pivot axis, between a stowed position in said cavities and a deployed position;
• (c) a pair of jaw springs each located in a respective one of said handles and pressing on said base portion of the respective one of said jawlike members, thereby holding said respective one of said jawlike members stationary with respect to said handle when said jawlike members are in said deployed position, but urging said respective one of said jawlike members further into said cavity when said one of said jawlike members is in said stowed position;
• (d) a pair of rockers each having first and second cam portions and an outer end, each said rocker being interconnected with a respective one of said handles and rotatable about a rocker pivot axis with respect to said respective one of said handles, each said outer end extending toward said base of the one of said jawlike members interconnected with the other of said handles, each said rocker being linked with the one of said jawlike members interconnected with the one of said handles with which the respective rocker is interconnected, and each said rocker being movable about said rocker pivot axis through a limited angle of rotation with respect to said base portion of the respective one of said jawlike members with which it is linked;
• and
• (e) a pair of rocker springs, each disposed in a respective one of said handles and engaging the respective one of said rockers interconnected with respective said one of said handles, and each urging said rocker toward a jaw-opening position with respect to said handles, thereby urging said jawlike members to pivot about said jaw pivot joint with respect to each other toward an open position when said jawlike members are in their respective deployed positions and urging said rockers toward a second position with respect to said handles when said jawlike members are in their respective stowed positions, both of said jaw springs and both of said rocker springs thereby urging said handles toward each other when said scissors blades are both in said respective stowed positions.