Disposable blade holder

Claim 1

A blade holder for securely holding a flexible, rectangularly shaped, precision ground, single edge, notched end blade, said blade holder comprising: (a) an elongated handle member shaped to fit comfortably in the hand when gripped and containing a recess at the top of its lower end for receiving the forefinger; (b) a substantially rectangular shaped blade receiving member integral with and extending forward of said handle member and positioned in an angular relationship to said handle member such that the bottom edges of said handle member and said blade receiving member form an included angle in the range of from about 25° to 40°, and wherein said blade receiving member contains a threaded aperture in the forward top corner thereof and mounts an outwardly extending pin in the bottom rear corner thereof, with said pin being adapted to mate with a notch at one end of said blade for positioning said blade on said blade receiving member with the cutting edge thereof extending below the bottom edge of said blade receiving member; (c) a removable rectangular cap member adapted to fit over and mate with said blade receiving member with an end segment of said blade sandwiched therebetween, said removable cap being of the same shape and dimensions as said blade receiving member and having a first aperture adapted to slidably receive the pin attached to said blade receiving member to position said cap over said blade receiving member and a second aperture adapted for alignment with the threaded aperture of said blade receiving member when said cap is in engagement with said pin; and (d) a threaded thumbscrew angularly disposed relative to said blade receiving member by having the axis of said thumbscrew angled away from an axis perpendicular to the face of said cap member and adapted to securely clamp said blade between said blade receiving member and said cap when inserted through said cap second aperture and tightened into said blade receiving member threaded aperture.