Reciprocating Saw Blade With Plunge Nose

Abstract

A reciprocating saw blade includes a body formed from a piece of coil stock. The body has a shank end configured to secure the blade with a reciprocating saw, a plunging end configured to enter a workpiece, and a cutting edge and opposite back edge extending between the shank end and the plunging end. The cutting edge has a plurality of teeth arranged in a pattern that includes left and right set teeth. A plurality of gullets is disposed between adjacent teeth. Each of the teeth and the gullets has substantially the same size, except that the first and third consecutive teeth immediately adjacent the plunging end have been flattened to be unset, and at least a portion of the second consecutive tooth has been removed to form an enlarged gullet between the first and third teeth.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reciprocating saw blade comprising:
 a body formed from a piece of coil stock and having a shank end configured to secure the blade with a reciprocating saw, a plunging end configured to enter a workpiece, a cutting edge extending between the shank end and the plunging end, and a back edge opposite the cutting edge and extending between the shank end and the plunging end,   the cutting edge having a plurality of teeth arranged in a pattern that includes left and right set teeth, and a plurality of gullets disposed between adjacent teeth in the plurality of teeth, each of the plurality of teeth and the plurality of gullets having substantially the same size,   except that a first tooth immediately adjacent the plunging end has been flattened to be unset, a third tooth of the plurality of teeth counting consecutively from the first tooth has been flattened to be unset, and at least a portion of a second tooth of the plurality of teeth counting consecutively from the first tooth has been removed to form an enlarged gullet between the first tooth and the third tooth, the enlarged gullet being larger than the remaining gullets in the plurality of gullets.   
     
     
         2 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein the first tooth has a portion removed to have a different configuration than the remaining plurality of teeth. 
     
     
         3 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein the piece of coil stock has the plurality of teeth formed in the pattern prior to being formed into the body. 
     
     
         4 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 3 , wherein the first tooth is formed and the at least a portion of the second tooth is removed by punching the coil stock to form the first tooth and the enlarged gullet. 
     
     
         5 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein the size of the enlarged gullet is approximately twice the size of the remaining gullets of the plurality of gullets. 
     
     
         6 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein the first tooth has a relief face on a relief angle of about 35° to 50°. 
     
     
         7 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein said plunging end has an end surface intersecting said first tooth forming a cutting edge. 
     
     
         8 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein the back edge is not parallel to the cutting edge. 
     
     
         9 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the second tooth has been removed from the body. 
     
     
         10 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern further includes unset teeth. 
     
     
         11 . A reciprocating saw blade comprising:
 a body having a shank end configured to secure the blade with a reciprocating saw, a plunging end configured to enter a workpiece, a cutting edge extending between the shank end and the plunging end, and a back edge opposite the cutting edge and extending between the shank end and the plunging end,   the cutting edge having a plurality of teeth arranged in a pattern that includes left and right set teeth, and a plurality of gullets disposed between adjacent teeth in the plurality of teeth, each of the plurality of teeth and the plurality of gullets having substantially the same size,   except that a first tooth immediately adjacent the plunging end is unset, a third tooth counting consecutively from the first tooth is unset, and at least a portion of a second tooth counting consecutively from the first tooth has been removed to form an enlarged gullet between the first tooth and the third tooth, the enlarged gullet being larger than the remaining gullets in the plurality of gullets.   
     
     
         12 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein the first tooth has a portion removed to have a different configuration than the remaining plurality of teeth. 
     
     
         13 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein the body has been formed from a piece of coil stock having the plurality of teeth formed in the pattern, and the at least a portion of the second tooth has been removed by punching the coil stock to form the enlarged gullet. 
     
     
         14 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein the size of the enlarged gullet is approximately twice the size of the remaining gullets of the plurality of gullets. 
     
     
         15 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein the first tooth has a relief face on a relief angle of about 35° to 50°. 
     
     
         16 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein said plunging end has an end surface intersecting said first tooth forming a cutting edge. 
     
     
         17 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein the back edge is not parallel to the cutting edge. 
     
     
         18 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein an entirety of the second tooth has been removed from the body. 
     
     
         19 . The reciprocating saw blade of  claim 11 , wherein the pattern further includes unset teeth. 
     
     
         20 . A reciprocating saw blade comprising:
 a body formed from a piece of coil stock having a plurality of teeth arranged in a pattern that includes left set teeth, right set teeth, and unset teeth, and a plurality of gullets, each of the plurality of teeth and the plurality of gullets having substantially the same size,   the body being formed to have a shank end configured to secure the blade with a reciprocating saw, a plunging end configured to enter a workpiece, a cutting edge extending between the shank end and the plunging end and defined by the plurality of cutting teeth, and a back edge opposite and non-parallel to the cutting edge and extending between the shank end and the plunging end,   wherein a first tooth immediately adjacent the plunging end is flattened to be unset and has a portion removed to have a different configuration than the remaining plurality of teeth,   wherein a third tooth counting consecutively from the first tooth is flattened to be unset, and   wherein at least a portion of a second tooth counting consecutively from the first tooth is removed to form an enlarged gullet between the first tooth and the third tooth, the enlarged gullet having a size approximately twice a size of the remaining gullets in the plurality of gullets.