Blades for hand held power operated shears

Abstract

A hand-held power-operated blade-actuating or other work member actuating device, especially useful as shears for processing comestible products such as fowl. A servo mechanism and linkage connected with a movable blade and a finger control causes controlled powered movement of the blade in coordination with the finger control. A fixed blade and a pivoted blade are insertable and removable as a unit from a hand-held frame in which the fixed blade is restrained against rotation relative to the frame. The blades and frame are constructed so the blades are insertable or removable only when closed. In a preferred embodiment the fixed blade is retained in part by two load bearing pins extending from the frame and located substantially diametrically opposite each other relative to the pivot axis of the movable blade.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, we claim:  
     
         1 . A pair of replaceable blades for a hand-held power-operated blade-actuating device, said blades without handles and having cooperating edges for cutting, said pair of blades comprising a first blade having a cutting portion and having a mounting portion by which the first blade can be fixed relative to a support and a second blade having a cutting portion and an actuating portion and constructed to be pivoted relative to the support and the first blade at a location on the second blade between the cutting portion of the second blade and the actuating portion of the second blade, a surface forming a part of the actuating portion for operatively coupling the second blade to a powered actuator, the actuating portion of said second blade including a portion that is located relative to the mounting portion of the first blade when the blades are closed to allow attachment and removal of the blades as an assembled unit to or from the support, and located when the blades are open to prevent the attachment or removal of the blades to or from the support, and a locating surface on the pair of assembled blades that extends transversely of the general extent of the blades for engaging with a surface of the support that extends transversely of the general extent of the blades when the blades are mounted on the support.  
     
     
         2 . A pair of blades as set forth in  claim 1  including a heel portion forming a part of the actuating portion of the second blade substantially aligned with the cutting edge of the second blade and having a ride surface facing toward the first blade, a surface on the first blade opposed to and contacted by the ride surface to bias the cutting edge of one blade into mutual contact with the cutting edge of the other blade at a location along each where the cutting edges intersect.  
     
     
         3 . A pair of blades as set forth in  claim 2  wherein one of said ride surface and opposed surface has a portion projecting toward the other from the general plane of the respective blade to bias the cutting edge of one blade into mutual contact with the cutting edge of the other blade at a location along each where the cutting edges intersect.  
     
     
         4 . A pair of blades as set forth in  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said coupling surface is formed by a slot in which a movable drive portion associated with an actuator is receivable, said slot extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the general extent of the cutting edge of the second blade and beginning at least within 0.55 inch from the location of the pivot of the second blade and extending a distance of at least 1.0 inch from the location of the pivot.  
     
     
         5 . A pair of blades as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said mounting portion has an opening to receive a load bearing pin of the support and serves to inhibit relative movement between said first blade and the support.  
     
     
         6 . A pair of blades as set forth in  claim 5  including a second opening in the mounting portion, said first and second openings being located substantially diametrically opposite to each other relative to the location where the second blade pivots relative to the first blade, to inhibit relative rotation of the first blade with respect to the support.  
     
     
         7 . A pair of blades as set forth in  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  5  or  6  in which the actuating portion of the second blade includes a portion that underlies the mounting portion of the first blade when the blades are closed and that extends from behind the mounting portion when the blades are not closed, and when extending prevents the attachment or removal of the blades to or from the support.  
     
     
         8 . A pair of replaceable work members for a hand-held power-operated work member-actuating device, said work members without handles and having cooperating work surfaces for pressing against a work piece located between the two work members, said pair of work members comprising a first member having a working portion and a mounting portion by which the first member can be fixed relative to a support and a second member having a working portion and an actuating portion and constructed to be pivoted relative to the support and the first member at a location on the second member between the working portion of the second member and the actuating portion of the second member, a surface forming a part of the actuating portion for operatively coupling the second member to a power-operated actuator, the actuating portion of said second member including a portion that is located relative to the mounting portion of the first member when the work surfaces are closed to allow attachment and removal of the members as an assembled unit to or from the support, and located when the members are open to prevent the attachment or removal of the members to or from the support, and a locating surface on the pair of assembled members that extends transversely of the general extent of the mounting and actuating portions of the members for engaging with a surface of the support that extends transversely of the general extent of the mounting and actuating portions of the members when the members are mounted on the support.  
     
     
         9 . A pair of work members as set forth in  claim 8  including a heel portion forming a part of the actuating portion of the second work member substantially aligned with the work surface of the second work member and having a ride surface facing toward the first work member, a surface on the first work member opposed to and contacted by the ride surface to bias the work surface of one work member into mutual contact with the work surface of the other work member at a location along each where the cutting edges intersect.  
     
     
         10 . A pair of work members as set forth in  claim 9  wherein one of said ride surface and opposed surface has a portion projecting toward the other from the general plane of the respective work member to bias the work surface of one work member into mutual contact with the work surface of the other work member at a location along each where the cutting edges intersect.  
     
     
         11 . A pair of work members as set forth in  claim 8 ,  9  or  10  wherein said coupling surface is formed by a slot in which a movable drive portion associated with an actuator is receivable, said slot extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the general extent of the work surface of the second work member and beginning at least within 0.55 inch from the location of the pivot of the second work member and extending a distance of at least 1.0 inch from the location of the pivot.  
     
     
         12 . A pair of work members as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said mounting portion has an opening to receive a load bearing pin of the support and serves to inhibit relative movement between said first work member and the support.  
     
     
         13 . A pair of work members as set forth in  claim 12  including a second opening in the mounting portion, said first and second openings being located substantially diametrically opposite to each other relative to the location where the second work member pivots relative to the first work member, to inhibit relative rotation of the first work member with respect to the support.  
     
     
         14 . A pair of work members as set forth in  claim 8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  12  or  13  in which the actuating portion of the second work member includes a portion that underlies the mounting portion of the first work member when the work members are closed and that extends from behind the mounting portion when the work members are not closed, and when extending prevents the attachment or removal of the work members to or from the support.  
     
     
         15 . A hand-held power-operated tool, said tool comprising: 
 first and second members for performing a desired task upon relative movement about a pivot axis from a first position towards a second position, said first member having a mounting portion and said second member having an actuating portion;    a frame for supporting said members in extending relationship to the frame for relative pivotal movement;    a load bearing pin extending from said frame and spaced from the pivot axis of said members;    an opening in the mounting portion of said first member to receive said pin;    a thumb-receiving recess in the frame;    a finger-operated control member secured to the frame, relatively movable with respect to the first and second members and the frame, said control member extending from the frame in a direction generally opposite to that of said second member, and said thumb-receiving recess being located on said frame at a position generally aligned with and displaced from said first member;    an actuator engaged with the actuating portion of said second member for moving said second member relative to said first member; and    a servo mechanism controlled by said second member and said finger-operated control member that controls operation of said actuator to move said second member relative to said first member in response to movement of said finger-operated control member.    
     
     
         16 . A tool as set forth in  claim 15  including a second load bearing pin extending from said frame and spaced from the pivot axis of said members and a second an opening in the mounting portion of said first member to receive said second pin, said two pins and two openings being located substantially diametrically opposite to each other relative to the pivot axis.  
     
     
         17 . A tool as set forth in  claim 15  or  16  including a recess in the frame in which the actuating portion of the second member moves when the second member is pivoted with respect to the first member, and a surface at least in part bounding an opening to the recess, said opening being a size and shape that said surface allows entry or removal of the second member to the recess when the members are pivoted to a closed position and prevents entry or removal when the first and second members are displaced from a closed position.