June 10, 1952

Filed Oct. 4, 1948

A. W. WERTEPNY ET AL
PINKING SHEARS

2,600,036

2 SHEETSSHEET i

,]une 10, 19,52

Filed Oot. 4, 1948

A. W. ,'ERTEPNY ET AL
PINKING SHEARS

2,600,036

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2

<" ;/

Patented June 10, 1952

UNITED STATES PATENT

2,600,036
PINKING SHEARS
Alexander W. Wertepny and Rudolph J. Wer-
tepny, Chicago, III., assignors of sixty per cent
to Stanley A. Wertepny, Edward 1. Wertepny,
and Benjamin Luscalzo, Chicago, III.
Application October 4, 1948, Serial No. 52,736
2 Claires. (CI. 30--268)

!
This invention relates to new and novel im-
provements in a class of shears commonly known
as pinking shears. Prior known kinds of shears
used in pinking have not been entirely satis-
factory because with slight wear or incautious
use the shears became improperly aligned so that
operation of te shears, if not exasperating and
inefficient, became impossible for numerous
reasons. Several underlying causes are subse-
quently described.
One of the primary factors involved in the
rendering inoperative of heretofore known types
of pinking shears bas been te wearing of teet
or serrations because of use. Because no, or very
poor means have been provided in most well
known kinds of pinking shears for aligning the
blades, and consequently the teeth or serrated
cutting edges, those shears would soon become
unusable without being realigned. The realign-
ment involved was costly, requiring precision
methods.
One of the objects of out new and novel shears
is to provide an adjustable tension means con-
nected fo one of the blades or jaws of the shears
which wfll keep the teeth in efficient cutting
relatiouship so that the cutting plane is always
perpendicular to the .pivotal axis.
Another of the factors involved in the in-
effiCiency of prior known types of pinking shears
is the disaligning of the jaws due to the fact that
material to be cut would accumulate hubward,
beyond the cutting teeth. This phenomenon
would result in malalignment of the cutting teeth
which in turn would cause chipping or abnormal
wear of one of the teeth. The abnormal wear
on any of the teeth would cause a chain result,
causing all of the teeth to eventually be useless
in cutting.
Another of the objects of out new and novel
device is fo provide, on the hub portion of each
of the blades or jaws, extensions or teeth which
are adapted to limit the opening of the jaws
fo thereby preclude the gathering of material
beyond the cutting teeth.
Another object of our invention is to provide
a flange on each of the jaws of a pinking shears;
precision machined teeth spaced along the longi-
tudinal axes of the respective flanges; said teeth
being formed of merging machined arcuate faces
which are concentric with the pivotal axis of
the shears; adjustable tension means for keeping
the teeth in a cooperable alignment; and means
for limiting the opening of the jaws to prevent
gathering of material beyond the teeth.
Other and further objects of out invention-will
become apparent from the following description
and appended claires, reference being made fo
the drawings herein and the numerals of refer-
ence thereon.
On the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pair of pinking

2,600,036
OFFICE

shears with the jaws closed, looking at the side
which discloses the tension spring means.
Fig. 2 is an elevation taken at right angles
to Fig. 1.
5 Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section with
parts broken away and showing the pivoting
mechanism of out pinking shears.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken substan-
tially on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1 and showing the
10 pivoting mechanism and te relation of the
members utilized in limiting the opening of
the jaws.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken substantially
on a line §--5 of Fig. 6 showing the pivoting
15 means and the members utilized in limiting the
opening of the jaws, said limiting means being
shown in abutting position and operating to keep
the jaws from opening further.
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a side elevation
20 showing the jaws in extreme open' position.
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a side elevation
of the inner surface of one of the jaws showing
the flange which bears the cutting teeth or
serrations.
25 Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the structures in
box 6 of Fig. ï showing how the teeth are formed.
Referring to the drawings, numerals | | and. | 2
designate a pair of cooperating jaws or blades
having the usual flnger openings |3 and |4.
30 Preferably integral with a portion of the upper
and inner edge of jaw ||, and with a portion
of the lower and inner edge of jaw |2, are
preferably arcuately shaped, preferably integral
and inwardly extending flanges |5 and |6 respec-
35 tively which may extend the length of the jaws
from the hub portion 27.
The lower edge of jaw || and upper edge of
jaw |2 are preferably curved as illustrated in
Figs. 1 and ï. Each of the flanges |5 and |6
40 is provided with a plurality of machined trans-
verse serrations or teeth |7, preferably extend«
ing the entire length of said anges. The
teeth |7 are preferably disposed in a curved re«
lation substantially corresponding to the curva «
45 ture of the respective flanges |5 and |6. Each
of the teeth is formed by two sloping and merg-
ing arcuate faces |6 and |9. Each of the
cuate faces |6 and |9 slopes in opposite direc «
tions from an apex line which forms the top
50 of the tooth |7. In cross section each of the
teeth is substantially triangular. Each of the
faces |6 and |9 is curved in such a manner that
a cutting" plane is produced which is perpendic-
ular to the pivotal axis, said faces |6 and
55 being arcuate and machined in planes con-
centric fo the pivotal axis of the shears.
Each of the jaws || and |2 at the hub por-
tion 27 thereof is provided with a precision
drilled aperture or hole 20. The aperture 26 in
60 each of the jaws is in alignment with the aper-
ture in the other of the jaws. A flanged and

S
recessed pivoting member 2! is preferably rigid-
ly positioned in the aperture of one of the ]aws,
preferably jaw J2, and is incapable of move-
ment independent of said last jaw. Said ruera-
ber 2! is positioned in the aperture in
said jaw being pivotable around said pivot
member. Pivot member 2! may be provided
with a preferably integral jaw-engaging portion,
cap or head 22. Pivot member 2! is provided
with a preïerably integral annular flange
having a bearing surïace for the jaw J. Said
bearing member 28 is utilized as a spacer and
provides for the normal spacing, of the jaws
and 2. Pivot member 2! is provided with a
threaded recess 2g which is adapted to receive
an adjustable headed screw 24, which is adapted
to draw the jaws J and 2 together to com-
pensate for wear due to use.
Preferably jaw ! is provided with a recess
25 which may be at the hub portion 2ï. there-
of, and which is adapted to receive one end
of the tension means or spring 26, said recess
providing surfaces against which said spring
may develop its leverage. The spring
preferably ovate in shape and is preferably
apertured atone end thereof, and is positioned
through said aperture around and about the
screw 24 by which said spring is retained.
The spring 26 is adapted to apply a tension on
the shears to thereby aid in keeping the teeth
|7 in a cooperable relationship and thereby pro-
vide for a more efficient shears. The adjustable
tensing of spring 26 is provided by scçew 24,
against the head 26 of vhich spring 2 a.buts,
said spring being positioned between the shears
(jaw J) and head 28 as illustrated in Figs. 2
and 3.
The recess 29, as illustrated in Fig. 3, provides
for a threading of screw 24 thereinto. Not on]y
will a tightening of the screw 24 keep the jaws
! ! and 2 from undesirable rocking due fo wear-
ing of the parts, including the flange 2, but
also it wilI increase pressure on the spring 26
which in turn will thereby transmit the pres-
sure to the appropriate jaw to keep saine in
cooperable relationship with the other jaw of
the shears.
As illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, preferably
each of the jaws l! and J2, at an inner por-
tion of the hub 27 thereof, is provided with an
inwardly extending extension 0. The exten-
sion, lug, or cooperating member  may be
welded, or equivalently mounted, or may be cast
directly with its respective jaw. Cooperating
means {} may be optiona]ly positioned but are
adapted fo limit the opening of the jaws or
blades ! f and 12. The limiting should be pref-
erably at a position hot beyond the gripward
ends of the rows of teeth or serrations 7. By
doing this, the material fo be cut Wfll never
gather between the blades and cause malalign-
ment of the jaws.
We wish it to be understood that in one
form the teeth of each blade or jaw of out shears
are machined in a single operation. The holes
or apertures 2}, pivot member 2, spring 26,
being precision ruade, will permit assembly of
cooperating pairs of toothed jaws f! and 2 in
cutting relationship, and will hot thereafter re-
quire grinding of teeth to return the jaws fo
cooperating relationship. If should be under-
stood that the teeth  of each jaw are precision
machined after the pivot hole Or aperture
has been drilled. This will insure that, .after
assembly of the jaws |f and

9,600036
4
will be in exact cutting, relation and will so meet.
As many changes could be ruade in the above
construction, and as many apparently widely dif-
ferent embodiments of out invention vithin the
 scope of the claires could be constructed without
departing from .the spirit and scope thereof, it is
intended hat all marrer contained in the ac-
companying sPecification shall be interpreted as
illustrative and hot in a limiting sense.
10 We claire:
1. In a pinking shears, a pair of blades hav-
ing inwardly extending flanges fm.med with co-
operating teeth, said blades having spaced mu-
tually facing hub portions, one of said hub por-
1 tions having a cylindrical pivot bore and also
having an annular bearing surface about that
end of said bore which is proximate to the other
hub portion, a pivot member rigidly flxed fo said
other hub portion against independent movement
0 relative thereto and formed with an annular
bearing surface in rotary bearing engagement
with the annular bearing surface oï said one hub
portion, said pivot member having an integral
cylindricat internally threaded end portion dis-
 posed in said bore, a headed screw threaded
in said end portion, and a spring coniïned be-
tween said one hub portion and the head of said
screw, said screw being rotatable relative to said
pivot member fo vary the spring pressure and
$0 thereby obtain proper engagement between said
bearing surfaces.
2. In a pinking shears, a pair of blades having
inwardly extending flanges formed with cooper-
ating teeth, said blades having spaced mutually
$ facing hub portions, said hub portions having
axial cylindrical bores, a pivot member having
axially spaced cylindrical portions disposed in the
respective bores and an intermediate integral
annular plate-like fiange whose faces extend in
4 parallel planes normal to said axis, said pivot
member having an integral head at the outer
end of one of said cylindrical portions, said head
and one face of said flange being in rivet-tight en-
gagement with the respective outer and inner
45 ïaces of one of said hub portions so that said
pivot member is incapable of movement inde-
pendent oï said one hub portion, the other cy-
lindrical portion being internally threaded, a
headed screw engaged in said other cylindrical
50 end portion, and a spring under pressure between
the screw head and the outer face of the other
hub portion and holding the other face of said
flange in rotary bearing engagement with the
inner face of said other hub portion.
55 ALEXANDER W. WERTEPNY.
RUDOLPH J. WERTEPNY.
REFERENGES GITED
The following references are of record in the
60
file oï this ptent:
UNITED STATES PATENTS

65

70

Number
363,049
398,509
841,690
923,621
947,626
1,205,999
1,723,756
1,822,591
2,387,053
2,395,896
2,395,897

Name Date
Deichmann ......... May 17, 1887
Henckels ........... Feb. 26, 1889
Holtgrave .......... Jan. 22, 1907
Bowes .............. June I, 1909
Chapin ............ Jan. 25, 1910
Kermsee .......... Nov. 28, 1916
Zeidler ............. Aug. 6, 1929
Hickok .............. Sept. 8, 193!
Brown .............. Oct. 16, 1945
Mitchell ............ Mat. 5, 1946
Kethcart ............ MaL 5, 1946