Ratcheting cutting tool for plastic pipes

In a ratcheting cutting tool for cutting plastic pipe, said cutting tool having first and second, elongated rigid members (3,4) with respective handle portions and mounted to each other for pivotal movement about a handle axis (21), said cutting tool further having a knife blade member (11) mounted to the first rigid member (3) for pivotal movement about a first axis (13) substantially parallel to said handle axis (21), said first rigid member (3) having an anvil (7) and said knife blade member having a cutting edge (15) extending along a first peripheral section thereof, said cutting edge being spaced in a first position from said anvil to receive the pipe therebetween with the cutting edge thereafter progressively moved about said first axis (13) toward the anvil in a step-by-step manner to a second position to cut through the pipe by repeatedly squeezing the handle portions (8,9) together about said handle axis (21), the knife blade member having a plurality of ratchet teeth extending along a second peripheral section (19) thereof and being selectively engaged by a drive pawl (10) mounted to the second rigid member (4) for pivotal movement about a second axis (12) substantially parallel to said handle axis (21) and said first axis (13) and biased by a spring arrangement (14) in a first rotational direction about the second axis (12) toward engagement with the ratchet teeth, the cutting tool further having a catch pawl (25) mounted to the first rigid member (3) for pivotal movement about a third axis (27) substantially parallel to the handle, first, and second axes in a first rotation direction about the third axis (27) toward engagement with the ratchet teeth, the improvement including:

• a manually operated release mechanism (40) to move both the drive pawl (10) and catch pawl (25) away from the respective biased engagements with the ratchet teeth, said release mechanism including first (42) and second (44) extension pieces rigidly mounted to said catch pawl (25) wherein manual movement of the first extension piece (42) in a rotational direction about said third axis (27) opposite to said first rotation direction of said catch pawl (25) moves the catch pawl (25) in said opposite rotational direction about the third axis (27) to a release position away from engagement with said ratchet teeth and wherein said manual movement of said first extension piece (42) in said rotational direction about said third axis (27) opposite to the first rotational direction of said catch pawl further moves the second extension piece (44) to contact and rotate said drive pawl (10) in a rotational direction about the second axis (12) opposite to the first rotational direction of the drive pawl (10) to a release position away from engagement with said ratchet teeth wherein said first and second extension pieces extend outwardly of the catch pawl (25) in substantially opposite directions.

In a ratcheting cutting tool for cutting plastic pipe, said cutting tool having first and second, elongated rigid members (3,4) with respective handle portions and mounted to each other for pivotal movement about a handle axis (21), said cutting tool further having a knife blade member (11) mounted to the first rigid member (3) for pivotal movement about a first axis (13) substantially parallel to said handle axis (21), said first rigid member (3) having an anvil (7) and said knife blade member having a cutting edge (15) extending along a first peripheral section thereof, said cutting edge being spaced in a first position from said anvil to receive the pipe therebetween with the cutting edge thereafter progressively moved about said first axis (13) toward the anvil in a step-by-step manner to a second position to cut through the pipe by repeatedly squeezing the handle portions (8,9) together about said handle axis (21), the knife blade member having a plurality of ratchet teeth extending along a second peripheral section (19) thereof and being selectively engaged by a drive pawl (10) mounted to the second rigid member (4) for pivotal movement about a second axis (12) substantially parallel to said handle axis (21) and said first axis (13) and biased by a spring arrangement (14) in a first rotational direction about the second axis (12) toward engagement with the ratchet teeth, the cutting tool further having a catch pawl (25) mounted to the first rigid member (3) for pivotal movement about a third axis (27) substantially parallel to the handle, first, and second axes in a first rotation direction about the third axis (12) toward engagement with the ratchet teeth, the improvement including:

• a manually operated release mechanism (40) to move both the drive pawl (10) and catch pawl (25) away from the respective biased engagements with the ratchet teeth, said release mechanism including first (42) and second (44) extension pieces rigidly mounted to said catch pawl (25) wherein manual movement of the first extension piece (42) in a rotational direction about said third axis (27) opposite to said first rotation direction of said catch pawl (25) moves the catch pawl (25) in said opposite rotational direction about the third axis (27) to a release position away from engagement with said ratchet teeth and wherein said manual movement of said first extension piece (42) in said rotational direction about said third axis (27) opposite to the first rotational direction of said catch pawl further moves the second extension piece (44) to contact and rotate said drive pawl (10) in a rotational direction about the second axis (12) opposite to the first rotational direction of the drive pawl (10) to a release position away from engagement with said ratchet teeth wherein said catch pawl (25) and said first and second extension pieces (42,44) are part of a single, one-piece lever member substantially centrally mounted to said first rigid member (3) at said third axis (27).