US2794249A - Shears for cutting patterns and the like - Google Patents

Description

R. MAINHARDT ETAL 2,794,249

Filed Oct. 11, 1954 ORNEYS June 4, 1957 SHEARS FOR CUTTING PATTERNS AND THE LIKE SHEARS FOR CUTTING PATTERNS AND THE LIKE Robert Mainllardt and Mary Janice Mainhardt, Diablo, Calif.

This invention relates to shears for cutting fabric, paper or the like, and is more particularly directed towards sears for cutting paper patterns.

As is well known in the art, paper patterns to be used for fabric cut-outs are widely distributed and used, and by their use, the person using the same may place the paper pattern on the fabric or material out of which the finished garment will be made and cut out the component parts of such garment according to the paper pattern. In most instances, the paper patterns are provided with match-up notches of a generally V-shaped configuration which must be cut as the pattern is being cut. It will be appreciated that conventional shears or scissors are efiicient in cutting a straight line or even arcuate lines where the radius of curvature is not too small, but inasmuch as the notches usually do not have an over-all depth or width of more than one-half inch, the job of cutting out such notches becomes tedious and time consuming.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a pair of shears which may be utilized for conventional cutting along straight or arcuate lines, in which means are incorporated for selectively permitting such shears to rapidly and conveniently cut the notches of V-shaped configuration provided in paper patterns or the like.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the notching portion thereof may be selectively placed in and out of operative position.

A further object of our invention is to provide shears of the type referred to in which the major portionof the blade may be of conventional beveled shape or shaped to provide a pinking action without in any way detracting from the operation of the notching element thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combination shear and notching arrangement which is simple in construction and which may "be produced at a cost just slightly higher than is required for more conventional though less efficient shears or scissors.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a pair of shears of the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mechanism for placing the notching element in operative position.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 States Patent best seen in Figure 2 of the drawing.

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but showing the position of the parts when the shears may be utilized for notching.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 and illustrates a modified form of combination cutting and notching shears.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating a further modification of our invention.

The shears of the present invention, in their simplest form, are best illustrated in the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawing, and reference Will therefore first be made to this arrangement. As seen therein, a pair of shears is provided with cooperating blades 12 and 13 having manually engageable handle portions 14 and 16 respectively at the ends thereof. The blades are pivotally secured together in a conventional manner as by a spring-loaded screw 17 threadedly engageable in a tapped 'bore of a pin 20 so as to permit the blades to be alternately opened and closed upon reciprocation of the handles. This latter detail of the pivotal connection is It will be understood that the foregoing represent conventional shear construction.

In accordance with the previously discussed objects and features of this invention, means are provided on the blades so as to permit them to readily cut a V-shaped notch extending generally normalto the line of cutting without directing the blades along the sides of such a notch. Such means include a solid projection 18 on one of the blades, the projection being of V-shaped crosssectional form and extending from the inner edge 19 of the blade to approximately the medial portion of the width of the blade, and preferably lies along an arcuate path with its center of curvature being positioned at the pivot 17. A complementary V-shaped hollow projection 21 is positioned along a similar arcuate path on the other of the blades and is arranged to receive projection 18 when the blades are brought into closed relationship and effect a V-shaped cut extending normal to the general line of cutting made by the conventional action of the shear blades.

As a matter of convenience, the projections 18 and 21 are positioned relatively close to the pivot 17, preferably in the neighborhood of one-fourth the blade length, so that while the shears are being used in their normal manner, i. e., for cutting straight or curved sections of a pattern, the cutting may be done forwardly of the projections along the major length of the blades without interference from the projections. However, when the notches are to be cut, theshears may be advanced until the operator sighting along one of the projections aligns the notch with the projections and moves the handles together.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated how the single pair of shears may be utilized to effect standard cutting as well as match-up notch cutting. However, we recognize that with the arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7, an operator, intending to make standard cuts, might unintentionally open the blades too wide and result in the cutting of the notches.

In order to overcome the foregoing, the shears are preferably constructed as illustrated in Figures 1 through 5 of the drawing. In this embodiment, the blades, projections, and pivot are similar to that just discussed. However, additional means are incorporated so as to prevent the blades from opening sufficiently to permit the projections to be effective until the operator desires such action. In other words, during normal usage, the blades will open no further than shown in Figure 1 so that their forward conventional cutting or shearing surfaces will be in operative position. When it is desired to cut a notch,

suitable mechanism is actuated to permit a greater opening of the blades and separation of the complementary projections 13 and 21 so that the latter may be utilized.

As best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the pivot member 17 extend through thickened shank portions 26 and 27 of blades 12 and 13, and positioned rearwardly of the pivot is a lock mechanism which selectively permits a limited or full opening of the blades. Shank portion 27 is provided from its outer surface 28 with a bore 29 which communicates with an enlarged counterbore 31, the latter extending in an arcuate path from pivot 17, as best seen in Figure 3. Shank portion 26 is provided from its innermost surface 32 with a bore 33 which terminates in a diametrically reduced bore portion 34 inwardly of the outer surface 36 of the shank. Bore 33 has a diameter substantailly equal to the width of the arcuate counterbore or passage 31, and as the shear blades are opened and closed, bore 33 would be aligned with passage 31 at various latter.

The lock mechanism now to be described operates in conjunction with the bores and passages just discussed. Disposed within bore 33 is a pin 41 having a radially enlarged collar 42 secured thereto intermediate the ends thereof. The collar, and consequently the pin, is normally urged towards shank 27 by means of a spring 43. The distal end of pin 41 engages one surface of a lug 44 positions along the length of the seated in counterbore 31, the lug having a contour corcounterbore and movable in The other surface of the lug bears against a shoulder at the juncture of the bore 29 and counterbore 31 to limit the outward movement thereof. A shank 46 is attached to the lug, said shank being provided with a manually engageable push button 47 at its end.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that in normal position of the parts, spring 43 will force collar 42 into the passage 31 and prevent opening or separation of the blades 12 and 13 to a position where the projections would be separated and permit them to perform their notching operation. Thus, with the parts positioned as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the shears may be used in their conventional manner to effect substantially linear cutting. Further opening of the blades is prevented by virtue of collar 42 extending into passage 31.

When it is desired to use the projections for their notching function, it is only necessary for the operator to depress button 47, urging the pin and collar against spring pressure until the collar clears the passage and is positioned entirely within its bore 33. Under such circumstances, the parts will assume the position illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawing, and the blades 12 and 13 may then be further opened until the projections are in spaced-apart relation. The shears may then be utilized for cutting the V-shaped notches as hereinabove described. While the blades are in their full-open position, collar 42 will ride on the inner surface of shank portion 27, and as the blades are closed, the collar will again be forced into the arcuate passage 31 preventing subsequent full opening of the blades until the button i again actuated. Thus, each time a notch is to be cut, the button 47 will be depressed, and as the parts automatically return to their locked position, there will be no danger of cutting additional notches When the operator intends to make more convetnional linear cuts.

In Figure 8, a slightly modified form of lock actuating means are disclosed for urging the pin and collar into their released position. As illustrated, the outer surface of shank 46 is engaged by a cam 52 of varying thickness. The cam is pivotally secured to blade portion 27 and is actuated by a lever 53 which may be conveniently engaged by the operator while still maintaining a grip on the handles. As the lever is moved, a thicker portion of they cam will force shank 46 and consequently collar 42 responding to that of the the latter.

inwardly, releasing the latter from passage 31 in the same manner as actuation of push button 47.

It will be understood, however, that the release and automatic resetting of the parts will be the same. It will also be understood that while the invention has been disclosed and described in connection with V-shaped projections for cutting match-up notches, the projections could assume other complementary configurations for cutting other shapes without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pair of shears comprising a pair of blades, means pivotally securing said blades together for relative movement from and towards each other for cutting material placed therebetween, cooperating projections on said blades for effecting cutting in a direction generally normal to the line of cut made by said blades, said projections being positioned on said blades adjacent said pivotal securing means, and means for releasably limiting pivotal movement of said blades whereby said projections will be inoperable while said blades may still be moved to cut material placed therebetween.

2. Shears for cutting fabric and the like comprising a pair of blades, means pivotally securing said blades together for movement from and towards each other, cooperating cutting projections on the confronting surfaces of said blades positioned adjacent said means, means for limiting the pivotal movement of said blades from each other whereby said projections will remain in interengaged position while distal portions of said blades may be opened and closed relative to each other, and means for releasing said last named means to permit further opening of said blades and separation of said projections.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said pro jections each have a generally V-shaped cross-sectional configuration and traverse said blades along an arcuate path having a center of curvature substantially at said pivotal securing means.

4. Shears comprising a pair of longitudinally extending blades, means pivotally securing said blades together adjacent the ends thereof, said blades being movable from an open position to an overlapped closed position, a pair of cooperating cutting projections on the confronting surfaces of said blades positioned adjacent said securing means, said blades being provided with overlapping handle portions extending on the other side of said securing means from the blades, means in one of said portions normally engageable with the other of said portions for restricting the opening of said blades whereby said projections will remain in adjacent relationship, and means for releasing said last named means so as to permit full opening of said blades and separation of said projections.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which said means in one of said portions includes a spring-loaded member normally urged into engagement in a recess formed in v the other of said portions.

6. Shears comprising a pair of longitudinally extending blades, means pivotally securing said blades together adjacent the ends thereof, said blades being provided with overlapping handle portions extending on the other side of said securing means from the blades, cooperating cutting projections on the confronting surfaces of said blades, one of said handle portions being provided with a bore extending from the inner surface thereof, an element axially slidable in said bore, the other of said handle portions having a recess therein, means normally urging said element into said recess for limiting the opening of said blades, and manually engageable means for moving said element out of said recess for permitting further opening of said blades.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said recess extends in an arcuate path having a center of curvature at said pivot means, and said manually engageable means includes an arcuate lug of substantially the same shape as said recess and movable therein, and a member attached thereto extending past the outer surface of said other handle portion.

8. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said manually engageable means includes a cam on one of said handle portions, a manually engageable operating lever on said cam, and said cam being operatively connected to said element for moving the latter out of said recess iipon movement of the cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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