Cutter with forwardly and rearwardly displaceable blade

Abstract

A cutter with a forwardly and rearwardly displaceable blade which is supported in a blade slide movable from the outside and guided in the handle of the cutter and which blade slide can be selectively arrested in different locking positions. The blade slide which is of substantially trough-shape configuration and receives the blade between two side edges or walls, is guided by its side edges in grooves at the cutter handle. These grooves extend up to the end of the cutter handle. The part of the blade slide receiving the blade is outwardly movable to a location in front of the cutter handle end for the purpose of changing the blade.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of cutter or knife implement with a blade which can be forwardly or rearwardly displaced, the blade is supported in a blade slide movable from the outside and guided in the cutter handle or grip, and the blade slide can be selectively arrested or locked in different locking positions.

Cutters or knife implements of this type are used by people, for instance, in handcrafts for the most different work, and therefore there are available on the market blades with very different shapes of the cutting edge, which can possess a linear, curved or even serrated construction. In order to be able to replace a blade for a differently shaped blade or a dull blade for a new one, the blades of such cutters must be easily exchangeable. During non-use of the cutter, the blade must be completely retractable into the cutter handle or grip in order to eliminate any possibility of injury.

According to a known construction of cutter of this type, the cutter handle composed of two halves must be threadably disconnected for the purpose of replacing the blade, requiring a great deal of time and further requiring the constant availability of a screwdriver or other suitable tool. This circumstance can therefore impede a rational and economical use of such cutter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hence, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved cutter rendering possible a rapid removal or exchange of the blade without having to dismantle the cutter handle.

Another object of the invention aims at the provision of a new and improved construction of cutter by means of which it is possible to also use blades or knives of different width, so that there is not required the necessity of procuring a new set of cutters if there are to be used for special work blades having different widths.

Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the cutter of the previously mentioned type, as contemplated by the invention, is manifested by the features that the blade slide, which is substantially trough-shaped, and receiving the blade between two side edges or walls thereof, is guided by means of such side edges in grooves provided at the cutter handle. These grooves extend up to an end of the cutter handle. The part or portion of the blade slide which houses the blade can be outwardly extended up to a location in front of the cutter handle end for the purpose of exchanging the blade.

According to a preferred manifestation of the invention, the blade slide is exchangeable for the purpose of being able to use blades of different width, and at the cutter handle there are provided pairs of grooves with different mutual spacing of the grooves of each groove pair for guiding the side edges of different width blade slides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cutter designed according to the invention with the blade slide pushed out or extended for purposes of exchanging the blade;

FIG. 2 illustrates the cutter in its position of use wherein the blade slide is retracted into the cutter handle or grip; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the front end of the cutter handle or grip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Describing now the drawing, the cutter or knife implement depicted in FIGS. 1-3 will be understood to comprise a cutter handle or grip 1 composed of two handle halves or handle portions 1a and 1b (FIG. 3) detachably assembled together by means of screws 2 and 3 or equivalent fastening expedients. Between both handle halves 1a and 1b a guide slot 4 extends along the central lengthwise extending portion of the cutter handle 1. The guide slot 4 is widened at its lengthwise extending edges in that at such lengthwise extending edges there are formed grooves 5 at the cutter handle portion 1a of the cutter handle 1, as best seen by referring to FIG. 3. The parting or separation plane 6 between both of the cutter handle halves or portions 1a and 1b of the cutter handle 1 extends through the guide slot 4 and is flush with its lower surface.

In the guide slot 4 there is displaceably guided for to-and-fro movement a blade or knife slide 7 which, as best seen by referring to FIG. 1, possesses a substantially trough-shaped construction through the provision of two side edges or walls 8 and 9, in order to thus receive the blade or knife 10 between such side edges. Both of the side edges 8 and 9 are guided in the grooves 5 of the cutter handle 1. These grooves, according to the showing of FIG. 1, extend up to the front end of the cutter handle, so that the blade slide 7, even in the position where it is forwardly extended or ejected for the purpose of exchanging the blade, is at least guided by means of the one side edge or wall 8 in the associated groove 5. The rear portion or part 11 of the blade slide 7 forms a narrower tongue member which is resilient and upwardly flexed or bent at its end, as indicated by reference character 12, extending by means of such flexed portion 12 forwardly through a slot 13 provided at the cutter handle portion 1a and at that location is again flexed into a key or actuation tab 14. With the aid of this key or tab 14 the blade slide 7 can be forwardly and rearwardly shifted within the cutter handle 1 and locked or engaged at different positions, wherein not further illustrated projections at the part 11 of the blade slide releasably engage with recesses 15 at the cutter handle 1.

In order to be able to use blades of different width with the same cutter, the blade slide 7 illustrated in the drawing must be exchangeable for a narrower blade slide which has not been particularly shown, but is similar in construction to the illustrated blade slide. For this purpose there are provided at the cutter handle portion 1a two further grooves 20 possessing a smaller mutual spacing from one another and intended to guide a narrower blade slide.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cutter apparatus comprising a cutter handle, a blade slide movably arranged in the cutter handle, means for initiating movement of the blade slide from externally of the cutter handle, a forwardly and rearwardly retractable blade supported at the blade slide, said blade slide possessing a substantially trough-shaped configuration including two side edges for reciving the blade therebetween, said cutter handle being equipped with grooves extending up to an end of the cutter handle from which protrudes the blade, said blade slide being guided with said side edges in said grooves of the cutter handle, said blade slide having a portion receiving the blade, said blade receiving portion of the blade slide being movable outwardly up to a location in front of said end of the cutter handle for the purpose of exchanging the blade, said blade slide being exchangeable for the purpose of being able to use different width blades, said cutter handle being provided with pairs of grooves of different mutual spacing from one another, the grooves of each pair guiding the side edges of blade slides of different width from one another.