This invention relates to a pair of fishermen""s pliers and, in particular, to a pair of multi-purpose fishermen""s pliers.
Most serious fishermen have the need for a number of different tools for cutting line, crimping hooks and lures and various other tasks relating to maintaining, adjusting, and repairing fishing gear and tackle. Presently there is a wide range of lines that are presently available that are fabricated from many different and diverse materials. Accordingly, the cutters needed to cut a certain material may be entirely unsuitable for cutting a different material. In addition to different cutting tools, most anglers also require a good set of pliers for grasping, crimping and holding hooks, lures and the like as the fishing tackle, is being assembled or adjusted. Attempting to utilize a number of different tools in the confines of a boat or at the end of a pier can at times, prove to be difficult.
In a U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,749 to Hermann there is disclosed a pair of fishermen""s pliers that combine a pair of gripping jaws with a set of straight edge cutting blades that are arranged to come together along a common cutting line as the gripping jaws are closed. The cutting blades are located between the gripping jaws and the pivot point of the pliers lever arms. In another embodiment of the invention, a second set of straight edge cutting blades are mounted in the lever arms behind the pivot point. Although the straight edge blades employed by Hermann works well when cutting certain materials, the blade edges tend to break down and become nicked when the blades are used to cut hard materials such as metal lines.
Koelewyn, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,552 also discloses a pair of pliers suitable for use by a fishermen. Here again, the gripping jaws of the pliers are combined with a set of straight edge cutting blades that are adapted to close along a common cutting line as the gripping jaws are closed. The cutting blades in this case are angularly offset with regard to the gripping jaws.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve pliers of the type utilized by fishermen.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pair of fishermen""s pliers that can perform a wide range of functions relating to the adjusting and maintaining of fishing gear and tackle.
A still further object of the present invention to provide a pair of fishermen""s pliers having two sets of cutters that are capable of cutting a wide range of materials.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of fishermen""s pliers having one set of cutters for delivering a first cutting action and a second set of cutters for delivering a second cutting action such that a wide range of different materials can be cut by the pliers.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a pair of fishermen""s pliers having a pair of lever arms that are rotatably joined by a pivot so that the arms can move between an open position and a closed position. Each arm further includes an extended nose section that protrudes outwardly from the pivot. The nose sections contain a set of gripper jaws at the distal end thereof, a first set of cutting jaws situated behind the gripping jaws and a second set of cutting jaws situated behind the first set of cutting jaws. The first set of cutting jaws include a straight edge blade that is arranged to close against the flat face of an anvil with a slicing action as the lever arms are brought to a closed position. The second set of cutting jaws contain a pair of coacting blades that are arranged to provide a scissor action as the lever arms are brought to a closed position.