Irwin-industrial Tool Company

Norman Leblanc

Steven R Levine

William B Korb

Corey M Talbot

Donald A Brown

Kevin Fleury

Peter Weremchuk

Gordon Anderson

A utility knife includes a body having a groove adapted to receive a blade. The groove has a plurality of tabs defined on at least a first side. The utility knife also includes a slide assembly device positioned in the body for sliding movement with respect to the body. The slide assembly device includes a housing with a first engaging member having a first protrusion and a second engaging member having a second protrusion releasably engaged with the tabs. The slide assembly device also includes a rocker attached to the housing that is operatively connected to at least one of the engaging members. The rocker is operable for disengaging the first protrusion or second protrusion with respect to the tabs. Disengaging one of the first and second protrusions by the rocker allows sliding movement of the slide assembly device with respect to the body.

Slide assembly device for a snap-off blade utility knife

The fastener includes a shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end of the shaft includes a threaded portion. A head is connected to the second end of the shaft and a flange extends radially outward from the head. A handle is connected to the head and the handle is positioned against the flange the first position and generally upstands from the head in the second position. The handle moves between the first position and a second position. The fastener may be used to fasten halves of a separable housing.

Fastener with attached pivotable handle

A utility knife has a blade carrier defining a blade support surface movably mounted in a housing between retracted and extended positions. A catch is mounted on the blade carrier and is movable between a first position engagable with a blade seated on the blade carrier and substantially preventing the blade from moving relative to the blade carrier, and a second position spaced away from the blade located on the blade carrier and permitting removal of the blade from the blade carrier. An actuator is mounted on the blade carrier and is operable to move the blade carrier between the retracted and extended positions to, in turn, move a blade located on the blade carrier between retracted and extended positions, and move the catch between the first and second positions to release a blade from the blade carrier. The housing has a nose portion that defines the blade aperture and is made of a more wear-resistant material than the other portions of the housing. A sheet material spare blade holder is mounted within the housing and defines a fold, a support portion located on one side of the fold, and a biased retaining portion located on the other side of the fold for receiving spare blades therebetween.

Utility knife with actuator for moving blade carrier and for releasing blade therefrom, and related method

Utility knife

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, NC, United States of America

Norman Leblanc