WO2017002112A1 - Kosher scissors - Google Patents

Abstract

Disposable scissors, or blade shears, for cutting and shearing tallit and tzitzit. The scissors include a pair of bows laid one on top of the other and fastened by a pivot. The blade shears include a pair of bows hinged by a hinge at the end of the gripping portion farthest from the shearing blades. Each bow includes a handle portion which is rigid, non- fragile, non-metallic, and is fixedly coupled to the shearing portion. Non- metallic shearing portions of the bows feature blades which include glass, the sharpened edges of which slide against each other when the bows opposite to the pivot are closed or squeezed.

Description

KOSHER GLASS SCISSORS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to cutting and shearing tools, and specifically to scissors intended for cutting cloth material used in the manufacture of particular ritual cloths.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cloth materials, fabrics and textiles are used for human clothing for thousands of years. The preparation and design of a cloth requires cutting or trimming materials, fabrics, or textiles into the desired shape before their further processing. When performing these operations manually, scissors are the most prevalent instrument of preference applied to such tasks. Customarily, scissors are fabricated from metallic substances, mostly iron based, due to the ease of processing metals, the ability to design sharp blades - that do not wear easily and are suitable for repeated sharpening, and the excellent endurance through decades of use.

One particular cloth used by Jewish followers, used in rituals and/or worn by orthodox, devout, pious, or observant followers, is a prayer shawl known as "tallit". The tallit is shaped as a rectangular mantle that according to Jewish tradition looked like a blanket and was worn by men in ancient times. It is usually white and made either of wool, cotton, silk, or linen. The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers and worn during all prayers on Yom Kippur. Another form of tallit ("tallit katan") is worn everyday as an undergarment. The tallit has special twined and knotted fringes known as "tzitzit" attached to its four corners (Numbers 15:38, Deuteronomy 22:12). The tzitzit is formed of specially knotted ritual fringes, or tassels, which according to Jewish tradition was worn in antiquity by Israelites and nowadays by observant Jews and Samaritans.

However, according to Jewish tradition, the cutting or shearing tools used for cutting the tallit and tzizit - must not include iron or be metallic following the commandment prohibiting their contact with such substances ["Shulchan Aruch - Orach Chaim", Chapter 1 1 - Tzitzit Laws, Section 13; and accepted prominent commentators to the same Section: "She'erit Yoseph" (p. 205, Comment 13); "Kaf Hachaim" (p. 71 , Comment 17); "Mishna Berura", p. 44, Comment 61 )]. As a result, alternative manufacturing methods are often applied to their manufacturing processes (e.g., the rectangular cloth may be fabricated in its final size and dimensions, thereby obviating the need to shear anything).

US Patent No. 5,528,833 to Sakuma entitled "Scissors with Ceramic Coated Replaceable Cutting Blades," is directed to a pair of scissors that includes a fixed metal blade and a movable metal blade. The blades are detachably connected to handle portions. The cutting portion of each blade has a ceramic coating to improve the sharpness of the blade. US Patent No. 849,252 to Lipscomb entitled "Sheep-Shears," is direct to a sheep-shear consisting of two cutting blades each removably and adjustably connected to a separate handle. The two handles are connected at one end, such as by a spring.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0124945 to Hirai entitled "Scissors Having Rustproof Blades," discloses a pair of scissors with ceramic, rust free blades. The blades are made of sintered ceramic rotatable about a pivot hole. A ceramic ring is rotatably inserted into the pivot hole.

US Patent No. 3,972,333 issued to Leveen entitled "Disposable Surgical Tool," is directed to a hand operated device for surgical operations. The device includes a pair of opposing arms interconnected by a bowed portion at a proximal side of the arms. The arms and the bowed portion are made of flexible resilient plastic material. The distal side of each opposing arm is able to securely attach a variety of tools, such as blades or forceps. The device allows for an operator to manipulate the tools on the distal side of the arms, such as to clasp or cut an element between the attached tools, by applying pressure on each of the opposing arms, directing each arm towards the other. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shearing or cutting tool that allows is manual application to the fabric of manufacturing of tallit or tzitzit, while avoiding any contact with iron or metal during the manufacturing process. Further objects of the present invention include avoiding drawbacks associated with metals at large, particularly in the context of medical uses and food treatment, and providing an inexpensive tool suitable as a disposable item.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed technique, there is thus provided disposable scissors for cutting and shearing tallit and tzitzit. The scissors include a pair of bows laid one on top of the other and fastened by a pivot. Each bow includes a handle portion having a ring disposed on the end thereof, wherein the fastened bows can be pivotally opened and closed by a thumb and finger inserted through the rings. Each bow further includes a non-metallic shearing portion having a blade, wherein the sharpened edges of each of the blades slide against each other when the bows opposite to the pivot are closed. The shearing portion includes glass and the handle portion is rigid, non-fragile, non-metallic, and is fixedly coupled to the shearing portion.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technique, there is provided disposable blade shears for cutting and shearing tallit and tzitzit. The blade shears include a pair of bows laid one on top of the other and hinged by a hinge at the end of the gripping portion farthest from the shearing blades. Each bow includes a handle portion hinged to the handle portion of the other bow at the end thereof, wherein the shears include an urging part for urging the bows to a default open position when no force is applied to overcome its urge, and wherein the hinged bows can be closed by squeezing the handle portions together against the urge of the urging part. Each bow further includes a non-metallic shearing portion having a blade, wherein the sharpened edges of each of the blades slide against each other when squeezed together. The blades include glass. The hinge part may include at least one leaf spring like configuration which operates as the urging part. The handle portion is rigid, non-fragile, non-metallic, and is fixedly coupled to the shearing portion. The handle portions, and/or the shearing portions may include polymers, non-fragile ceramics, or fiberglass.

The blades may be glass blades or glass coated blades. The blades may be glass blades which are fastened to the shearing portions. The shearing portions may include glass coated sharpened edges that form the blades, or may be glass shearing portions in their entirety, with sharpened edges that form the blades.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool, constructed and operative according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool, constructed and operative according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are side view illustrations of a shearing tools, constructed and operative according to further embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 9, is a an enlarged isometric view of a part of a bow of the shearing tool of FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a shearing tool is provided that can be safely used for shearing and cutting tallit and tsitsit without compromising the commandment of prohibition of contact of metals therewith, and avoiding drawbacks associated with metals such as being susceptible to rusting, oxidation, reaction with acids, magnetism and high thermal and electrical conductance. Preferable embodiments are particularly inexpensive and are well suited as such as a disposable tool, which is particularly preferable for sterile medical uses, but also for treating foods (the non-metallic substances eliminate the typical oxidation of vegetables and other food upon contact with metals). Two principal embodiments used in conjunction with the invention will be discussed in further detail below. One embodiment involves the use of scissors based tool and the other - blade shears based tool.

Scissors are a hand-operated shearing tool, consisting of a pair of blades laid one on top of the other and fastened by a pivot, so as to allow them to be opened and closed by a thumb and finger inserted through rings on the end of their handles, and so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles or bows opposite to the pivot are closed. Blade shears are similar to scissors and are a common tool for cutting wool.

Blade shears consist of two blades arranged similarly to scissors except that the hinge is at the end farthest from the point (not in the middle), namely - the bows are hinged at the gripping end, not in the middle. A spring at the hinge forces the blades apart each time they are pulled together. The cutting edges pass each other as the shearer squeezes them together and shears the wool close to the animal's skin.

Figures 1 illustrates a side view of a shearing tool constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The shearing tool of Figure 1 includes scissors 100 which are operational for cutting and shearing tallit and tzitzit. Scissors 100 include a pair of bows 101 and 103, laid one on top of the other and fastened by a pivot 105. Bows 101 and 103 include handle portions 107, 109 respectively, having rings 1 1 1 , 1 13, disposed respectively on the end thereof. Fastened bows 101 and 103 can be pivotally opened and closed by a thumb and finger inserted through rings 1 1 1 and 1 13. Bows 101 and 103 further include shearing portions 1 15 and 1 17, respectively, each of which features an internally faced blade, denoted 1 19 and 121 , correspondingly. The respective sharpened edges 123 and 125, slide against each other when bows 101 and 103, opposite to pivot 105, are closed.

Blades 1 19 and 121 are made of glass or are coated with glass, thereby no metal or iron comes in contact with the material, fabric, or textile which is cut or sheared by scissors 100. Bows 101 and 103 in their entirety can be made of glass, in which case shearing portions 1 15 and 1 17 simply include sharpened edges 123 and 125 which form blades 1 19 and 121 , correspondingly. If there is a concern that a metallic pivot 105 may come in contact with the sheared objects, pivot 105 can be made of non-metallic materials, or coated by a non-metallic isolating coat or inserted in concave external niches cut in bows 101 and 103 such that the external parts of pivot 105 are spaced internally away from the outer surface of bows 101 and 103.

It will be appreciated that the term 'glass' refers herein to a variety of amorphous (non-crystalline) solid materials, and is primarily directed to the traditional silicate glasses [based on the chemical compound silica (silicon dioxide), such as soda-lime glass, composed of approximately 75% silicon dioxide (S1O2), sodium oxide (Na20) from sodium carbonate (Na2C03), calcium oxide, also called lime (CaO), and several minor additives, and common glass ingredients], not requiring treatment by costly processes such as tempering, sintering, crystallization, hardening and the like, for maintaining cost-effective manufacturing suitable for disposable tools.

Figures 2 - 4 illustrate various alternatives to fully glassy scissors, such as non-metallic scissors having glass shearing portions, or glass blades, or glass coated blades. In reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view illustration of a shearing tool including scissors 200, constructed and operative according to another embodiment of the present invention. Scissors 200 are similar to scissors 100 of Fig. 1 , with the difference of featuring glass shearing portions 219, 221 having blades 215 and 217 with edges 223, and 225, while the rest of scissors 200 is rigid, non-metallic and non-fragile (unbreakable, shatterproof), such as when comprised of polymers, non-fragile ceramics, or fiberglass, or combination thereof. Thus, direct contact between the glass blades and the user hand is avoided and danger of injury caused by breakage of glass, which is limited to shearing portions 219 and 221 is reduced. Glass shearing portions 219 and 221 are fastened to bows 207, 209 in the area designated 230, by any suitable means, such as with adhesives, bolts 232 and the like. Preferably, glass shearing portions 223 and 225 are fixedly coupled to bows 207, 209, as further exemplified in reference to Figures 7 and 8.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a side view illustration of a shearing tool having scissors 300, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Scissors 200 are similar to scissors 200 of Fig. 2, with the difference of featuring non-metallic shearing portions 315, 317 having glass blades 319 and 321 with edges 323, and 325, while the rest of bows 307, 309 and scissors 300 is also non- metallic. Glass blades 319 and 321 are fastened lengthwise to shearing portions bows 315 and 317 by any suitable means, such as with adhesives, bolts 332 and the like, or fixedly casted or moulded with shearing portions 315 and 317.

FIG. 4 is a side view illustration of a shearing tool featuring scissors 400, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Scissors 400 are similar to scissors 300 of Fig. 3, with the difference of featuring non-metallic scissors having non-metallic bows 407 and 409 wherein the non-metallic material forms each bow 407, 409 in its entirety, except shearing portions 415 and 417, which include glass coated sharpened edges 423 and 425 forming blades 419, 421 .

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 which is a side view illustration of a shearing tool featuring blade shears 500, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Blade shears 500 include a pair of bows 501 and 503 laid one on top of the other and hinged by hinge portion 505 at the end of gripping portion 507 farthest from the shearing blades of blade shears 500. Each bow 501 , 503 Includes a handle portion, the handle portions are denoted 51 1 , and 513, respectively and are rigid, non— fragile and non-metallic. Handle portions 51 1 and 513 are hinged at hinge 515, thereby each handle portion 51 1 , 513 is hinged to the handle portion (513, 51 1 ) of the other bow (503, 501 ) at the end thereof, respectively. Blade shears 500 include an urging part for urging bows 501 , 503 to a default open position, as in Fig. 5, when no force is applied to overcome its urge. The urging part of blade shears 500 is featured by an articulated non-metallic leaf spring like configuration that forms gripping portion 507. Hinged bows 501 , 503 can be closed by squeezing the two sides of gripping portion 507 together against the urge of the leaf spring.

Each bow 501 , 503 further includes a shearing portion, denoted 515, 517 respectively, each of which includes a blade, denoted 519, 521 , respectively. The sharpened edges 523, 525, respectively, of each of blades 519, 521 slide against each other when squeezed together by means of squeezing gripping portion 507. Blades 519, 521 include glass interface, whether shearing portions 515, 517 are made of glass, or blades 519, 521 are made of glass, or any of them are coated with glass, such that at least the external interface of blade shears 500 at sharpened edges 523, 525 includes glass. All the elements of blade shears 500 are non-metallic, wherein adequate non-metallic materials form the springy hinge 505, and are configured to operate as a leaf spring life functionality.

In reference to FIG. 6, there is shown a side view illustration of a shearing tool featuring blade shears 600, constructed and operative according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Blade shears 600 are similar to blade shears 500 of Fig. 5, wherein the difference is embodied in the urging part. Each handle portion 61 1 , 613 of blade shears 600 features an articulated leaf spring like form, both of which are coupled to each other at hinge 615 to form a double leaf spring like form at hinge 615. Accordingly, while hinge portion 505 of Fig. 5 features a single leaf spring like portion, hinge portion 605 of Fig. 6 features a double leaf spring like configuration, which operates as an urging part.

Reference is now made to Figures 7 and 8, showing side view illustrations of shearing tools, constructed and operative according to further embodiments of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a shearing tool in the form of scissors 700, which are similar to scissors 200, of Fig. 2. Bows 701 and 703 exemplify further coupling modes by which a glass shearing portion is coupled to a non-metallic handle portion. Bow 701 includes a non-metallic handle portion 707 and a glass shearing portion 715. Cavity 730 in shearing portion 715 allows insertion, or direct casting or molding of a complementary meshing protrusion 732 extending handle portion 707. A suitable bolt 732 may lock protrusion 734 to the wall of cavity 730. Although both bows 701 , 703 may be similarly constructed, bows 701 and 703 demonstrate two structural variations. Bow 703 includes a non-metallic handle portion 709 and a glass shearing portion 717. Cavity 740 in shearing portion 717 allows direct casting or molding of a complementary meshing protrusion 742 extending handle portion 707. The outline of cavity 740 winds along a curve that holds protrusion 742 locked in cavity 740. A shearing portion of most scissors is usually thinly formed along its entire length, with reference to the width between the flat cutting wall, which is proximal to and interfacing the similar wall of the other bow of the scissors, and the external wall distally disposed relative to the other bow. Such a thin configuration may be prone to easy breakage due to weakened tensile and compressional strengths of the extra thin glass walls (e.g., enclosing cavities 730, 740) and of the non-metallic protrusions sandwiched between the walls (e.g., protrusions 732, 742. Reference is now also made to FIG. 9, which is an enlarged isometric view of a part of bow 703 of the shearing tool of FIG. 7. Glass shearing portion 717 includes a bulging portion 744 containing cavity 740. Bulging portion 744 bulges toward the external wall distally disposed relative to bow 701 , thereby providing extra volume that enables adequate width for the glass walls of bulging portion 744 surrounding cavity 740 and leaving further extra volume for the width of protrusion 742. The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 can apply, mutatis mutandis, to any other bow, including bow 701 , and those of FIG. 2, and to the handle portions of the bows shown in FIG. 8.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a shearing tool in the form of scissors 800, which are similar to scissors 200, of Fig. 2. Bows 801 and 803 exemplify further coupling modes by which a glass shearing portion is coupled to a non-metallic handle portion. Bow 801 includes a non-metallic handle portion 807 and a glass shearing portion 815. Nut- threaded cavity 850 of handle portion 807 allows coupling to a complementary meshing bolt-threaded protrusion 852 extending from shearing portion 815. Although both bows 801 , 803 may be similarly constructed, bows 801 and 803 demonstrate two structural variations. Bow 803 includes a non-metallic handle portion 809 and a glass shearing portion 817. Cavity 840 in handle portion 809 allows direct casting or molding over a complementary meshing protrusion 842 extending from shearing portion 817. The outline of cavity 840 winds along a curve that holds protrusion 842 locked in cavity 840. The sections of handle portions 807, 809 containing the coupling means may be bulging in a configuration, analogous to that of bulge 844 of Fig. 9

While certain embodiments of the disclosed subject matter have been described, so as to enable one of skill in the art to practice the present invention, the preceding description is intended to be exemplary only. It should not be used to limit the scope of the disclosed subject matter, which should be determined by reference to the following claims.

Claims

1. Disposable scissors for cutting and shearing tallit and tzitzit comprising:

a pair of bows laid one on top of the other and fastened by a pivot, wherein each bow comprises:

a handle portion comprising a ring disposed on the end thereof, wherein the fastened bows can be pivotally opened and closed by a thumb and finger inserted through said rings; and

a non-metallic shearing portion comprising a blade, wherein the sharpened edges of each of said blades slide against each other when the bows opposite to the pivot are closed;

wherein said blades comprise glass, and wherein said handle portion is rigid, non-fragile, non-metallic, and is fixedly coupled to said shearing portion.

2. Disposable blade shears for cutting and shearing tallit and tzitzit comprising:

a pair of bows laid one on top of the other and hinged by a hinge at the end of the gripping portion farthest from the shearing blades, wherein each bow comprises:

a handle portion hinged to the handle portion of the other bow at the end thereof, wherein said shears comprise an urging part for urging said bows to a default open position when no force is applied to overcome its urge, and wherein the hinged bows can be closed by squeezing said handle portions together against the urge of said urging part; and

a non-metallic shearing portion comprising a blade, wherein the sharpened edges of each of said blades slide against each other when squeezed together,

wherein said blades comprise glass and wherein said handle portion is rigid, non-fragile, non-metallic, and is fixedly coupled to said shearing portion.

3. The blade shears of claim 2, wherein said hinge part comprises at least one leaf spring like configuration which operates as said urging part.

4. The handle portion of claims 1 or 2, and/or the shearing portion of claims 1 or 2, comprising at least one selected from the list consisting of:

polymers;

non-fragile ceramics; and

fiberglass.

5. The shearing portions of claims 1 or 2, comprising glass shearing portions, wherein said shearing portions comprise sharpened edges forming said blades.

6. The blades of claims 1 or 2, comprising glass blades fastened to said shearing portions.

7. The shearing portions of claims 1 or 2, wherein said shearing portions comprise glass coated sharpened edges forming said blades.