Hacksaw and method for making the same

A hacksaw comprising:

• an elongated blade having opposing longitudinal end portions with a cutting edge between said longitudinal end portions;
• a handle and frame assembly comprising:
• (i) a rigid frame member having a forward end portion providing a first blade mounting structure, one of said longitudinal end portions of said blade being removably mounted on said first blade mounting structure;
• (ii) a manually engageable handle member connected rearwardly of said rigid frame member and being constructed and arranged to be manually grasped to enable performance of a cutting operation wherein the cutting edge of the blade is engaged with a workpiece and moved forwardly and rearwardly to cut the workpiece;
• (iii) a generally rearwardly facing load bearing surface having an arcuate, concave configuration;
• and
• (iv) tensioning device mounting structure spaced generally forwardly of said load bearing surface;
• a lever pivotally mounted to said mounting structure, said lever providing a second blade mounting structure and a load transmitting surface having an arcuate, convex configuration that is engageable with said generally rearwardly facing load bearing surface, the other of said longitudinal end portions of said blade being removably mounted on said second blade mounting structure;
• said lever being constructed and arranged to be pivotally moved between (a) a blade tensioning position wherein said first and second blade mounting structures are moved relative to one another so as to tension said blade between said first and second blade mounting structures and thereby apply a generally forwardly directed force to said lever via said second blade mounting structure and a rearwardly directed force to the forward end portion of said frame member via said first blade mounting structure and wherein said load transmitting surface engages said load bearing surface so that at least a portion of said generally forwardly directed load is transmitted to and borne by said load bearing surface, thereby preventing the entire forwardly directed force from being transmitted to and borne by said tensioning device mounting structure and (b) a blade releasing position wherein said first and second blade mounting structures are moved relative to one another so as to release the tension from said blade and thereby allow removal and replacement of said blade,
• wherein said lever has a pair of pivot pins and wherein said tensioning device mounting structure has a pair of apertures formed in a pair of spaced apart side walls on said handle member;
• said lever being pivotally connected to said tensioning device mounting structure by inserting said pivot pins into said apertures.

A hacksaw comprising:

• an elongated blade having opposing longitudinal end portions with a cutting edge between said longitudinal end portions;
• a handle and frame assembly comprising:
• (i) a rigid frame member having a forward end portion providing a first blade mounting structure one of said longitudinal end portions of said blade being removably mounted on said first blade mounting structure;
• (ii) a manually engageable handle member connected rearwardly of said rigid frame member and being constructed and arranged to be manually grasped to enable performance of a cutting operation wherein the cutting edge of the blade is engaged with a workpiece and moved forwardly and rearwardly to cut the workpiece;
• (iii) a generally rearwardly facing load bearing surface having an arcuate, concave configuration;
• and
• (iv) tensioning device mounting structure spaced generally forwardly of said load bearing surface;
• a lever pivotally mounted to said mounting structure, said lever providing a second blade mounting structure and a load transmitting surface having an arcuate, convex configuration that is engageable with said generally rearwardly facing load bearing surface, the other of said longitudinal end portions of said blade being removably mounted on said second blade mounting structure;
• said lever being constructed and arranged to be pivotally moved between (a) a blade tensioning position wherein said first and second blade mounting structures are moved relative to one another so as to tension said blade between said first and second blade mounting structures and thereby apply a generally forwardly directed force to said lever via said second blade mounting structure and a rearwardly directed force to the forward end portion of said frame member via said first blade mounting structure and wherein said load transmitting surface engages said load bearing surface so that at least a portion of said generally forwardly directed load is transmitted to and borne by said load bearing surface, thereby preventing the entire forwardly directed force from being transmitted to and borne by said tensioning device mounting structure and (b) a blade releasing position wherein said first and second blade mounting structures are moved relative to one another so as to release the tension from said blade and thereby allow removal and replacement of said blade,
• wherein said lever includes an adjusting mechanism constructed and arranged to selectively move said second blade mounting structure relative to said lever so as to selectively adjust the amount of tension being applied to said blade when said lever is in the blade tensioning position thereof.

A hacksaw comprising:

• an elongated blade having opposing longitudinal end portions and a cutting edge between said longitudinal end portions;
• an overmolded frame assembly comprising a rigid metal frame member having a longitudinal portion thereof covered in surrounding relation by solidified plastic material, said solidified plastic material having an I-beam configuration with upper and lower end caps on opposing sides thereof extending longitudinally with respect to said frame member and a generally vertical web extending between said upper and lower end caps;
• a first blade mounting structure carried by said hacksaw, one of said longitudinal end portions of said blade being removably mounted on said first blade mounting structure;
• a releasable blade tensioning device carried by said hacksaw, said blade tensioning device providing a second blade mounting structure and the other of said longitudinal end portions of said blade being removably mounted on said second blade mounting structure, said blade tensioning device being constructed and arranged to affect relative movement between said first and second blade mounting structures to tension said blade in the longitudinal direction thereof and thereby apply a rearwardly directed force to a forward end portion of said metal frame member, said blade tensioning device being constructed and arranged to affect relative movement between said first and second blade mounting structures to release the tension and allow for removal and replacement of said blade;
• said frame assembly being constructed and arranged such that the rearwardly directed force applied to the forward end portion of said frame member creates a bending moment in said frame assembly which said metal frame member and saidsolidified plastic material with the I-beam configuration cooperate to resist;
• and
• a manually engageable handle member constructed and arranged to be manually grasped to enable performance of a cutting operation wherein the cutting edge of the tensioned blade is engaged with a workpiece and moved forwardly and rearwardly to cut the workpiece.

A method for making a hacksaw, comprising:

• providing a rigid metal frame member;
• molding and solidifying molten plastic material in surrounding relation over a longitudinal portion of said frame member so as to provide said plastic material with an I-beam configuration having upper and lower end caps on opposing sides thereof extending longitudinally with respect to said frame member and a generally vertical web extending therebetween;
• connecting a manually engageable handle member rearwardly of said metal frame member either before or after overmolding and solidifying said plastic material such that said metal frame member, said plastic material, and said handle member define a handle and frame assembly, said handle and frame assembly providing a first blade mounting structure;
• mounting a blade tensioning device to said handle and frame assembly, said blade tensioning device providing a second blade mounting structure;
• removably mounting opposing longitudinal end portions of an elongated blade to said first and second mounting structures, said blade having a cutting edge between said longitudinal end portions;
• and
• thereafter operating said tensioning device so as to affect relative movement between said first and second blade mounting structures and thereby tension said blade between said first and second blade mounting structures such that said blade applies a rearwardly directed force to a forward end portion of said metal frame member so as to create a bending moment in both said metal frame member and said solidified plastic material with the I-beam configuration, said frame member and said plastic material cooperating to resist the bending movement create by said rearwardly directed force.

A method for making a hacksaw, comprising:

• feeding a sheet metal blank into a cutting tool assembly;
• engaging a cutting tool with said blank so as to separate a plurality of frame members with opposing first and second longitudinally extending edges from said blank in such a manner that (a) the first edge of an associated one of said frame members is sheared from and substantially congruent with the second edge of a frame member that is immediately adjacent the first edge of said associated one of said frame members and (b) the second edge of said associated one of said frame members is sheared from and substantially congruent with the first edge of a frame member that is immediately adjacent the second edge of said associated one of said frame members;
• connecting a manually engageable handle member to said associated one of said frame members with said handle member being disposed rearwardly of said associated one of said frame members, one of said handle member and said associated one of said frame members providing a first blade mounting structure;
• connecting a releasable blade tensioning device to one of said handle member and said associated one of said frame members either before or after connecting said handle member to said associated one of said frame member, said releasable blade tensioning device providing a second blade mounting structure;
• removably mounting opposing longitudinal end portions of an elongated blade to said first and second blade mounting structures;
• and
• thereafter operating said blade tensioning device so as to affect relative movement between said blade mounting structures and thereby tension said blade.