Portable in-line cutting tool with stabilizer

Abstract

An in-line portable, hand held hydraulic cutting tool having a handle assembly and a working head assembly is provided. The handle assembly has a tool frame portion and a neck portion. The working head assembly has a pair of jaw members joined so that they are movable relative to each other and held in place by a locking pin. Each jaw member has a cutting blade secured to or directly formed into the jaw member. A stabilizer can be secured to or directly formed into one or both jaw members. The one or more stabilizers are aligned with a respective cutting blade such that during a cutting operation at least an edge of the stabilizer engages an object being cut to limit rotation of the object during the cutting operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A working head assembly for a hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:
 a first jaw member operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool, the first jaw member having a first cutting blade that includes a first cutting edge;   a second jaw member operatively coupled to the neck of the cutting tool, the second jaw member having a second cutting blade that includes a second cutting edge; and   at least one stabilizer coupled to or formed into the first jaw member or the second jaw member such that the at least one stabilizer is spaced away from the first or second cutting edge and fixed in position relative to the respective first jaw member or second jaw member, the at least one stabilizer extends laterally from one of the first or second jaw member and is positioned in alignment with one of the first or second cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool the at least one stabilizer contacts an object being cut by the first and second cutting blades to limit rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades.   
     
     
         2 . The working head assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilizer includes an object contacting surface configured to contacts the object after rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades exceeds a threshold angle. 
     
     
         3 . The working head assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the threshold angle is about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The working head assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member or the second jaw member by releasably securing the at least one stabilizer to the first jaw member or the second jaw member. 
     
     
         5 . The working head assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is formed into the first jaw member or the second jaw member by forming the at least one stabilizer with the first jaw member as a single piece or forming the at least one stabilizer with the second jaw member as a single piece. 
     
     
         6 . The working head assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first jaw member is pivotably coupled to the second jaw member. 
     
     
         7 . A working head assembly for a hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:
 a first jaw member operatively coupled to a neck portion of the cutting tool and having a first cutting blade that includes a first cutting edge;   a second jaw member operatively coupled to the neck portion of the cutting tool and having a second cutting blade that includes a second cutting edge, the second jaw member being pivotably coupled to the first jaw member; and   at least one stabilizer coupled to or formed into the first jaw member or the second jaw member such that the at least one stabilizer is spaced away from the first or second cutting edge and fixed in position relative to the respective first jaw member or second jaw member, the at least one stabilizer extends laterally from one of the first or second jaw member and is positioned in alignment with one of the first or second cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool when an object being cut by the first and second cutting blades rotates to or beyond a threshold angle relative to the first and second cutting blades the at least one stabilizer contacts the object to limit further rotation of the object.   
     
     
         8 . The working head assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member or the second jaw member by releasably securing the at least one stabilizer to the first jaw member or the second jaw member. 
     
     
         9 . The working head assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer is formed into the first jaw member or the second jaw member by forming the at least one stabilizer with the first jaw member as a single piece or forming the at least one stabilizer with the second jaw member as a single piece. 
     
     
         10 . The working head assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizer includes an object contacting surface configured to contact the object after rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades to or beyond the threshold angle. 
     
     
         11 . The working head assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the threshold angle is about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         12 . A working head assembly for an in-line hydraulic cutting tool, the working head assembly comprising:
 a first jaw member operatively coupled to a neck of the cutting tool and having a first cutting blade that includes a first cutting edge;   a second jaw member operatively coupled to the neck of the cutting tool and having a second cutting blade that includes a second cutting edge;   a first stabilizer coupled to or formed into the first jaw member such that the first stabilizer is spaced away from the first cutting edge and fixed in position relative to the first jaw member, the first stabilizer extends laterally in a first direction from the first jaw member and is aligned with the second cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool the first stabilizer contacts an object being cut by the first and second cutting blades to limit rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades; and   a second stabilizer coupled to or formed into the second jaw member such that the second stabilizer is spaced away from the second cutting edge and fixed in position relative to the second jaw member, the second stabilizer extends laterally in a second direction from the second jaw member and is aligned with the first cutting blade such that during a cutting operation of the cutting tool the second stabilizer contacts the object being cut by the first and second cutting blades to limit rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades.   
     
     
         13 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the second direction of the second stabilizer is opposite the first direction of the first stabilizer. 
     
     
         14 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first stabilizer is coupled to the first jaw member by releasably securing the first stabilizer to the first jaw member. 
     
     
         15 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the second stabilizer is coupled to the second jaw member by releasably securing the second stabilizer to the second jaw member. 
     
     
         16 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first stabilizer is formed into the first jaw member by forming the first stabilizer with the first jaw member as a single piece. 
     
     
         17 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the second stabilizer is formed into the second jaw member by forming the second stabilizer with the second jaw member as a single piece. 
     
     
         18 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first stabilizer includes an object contacting surface configured to contact the object after rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades exceeds a threshold angle. 
     
     
         19 . The working head assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the threshold angle is about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The working head assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the second stabilizer includes an object contacting surface configured to contact the object after rotation of the object relative to the first and second cutting blades exceeds a threshold angle. 
     
     
         21 . The working head assembly according to  claim 20 , wherein the threshold angle is about 15 degrees.