Hydraulic spreader-cutter
From Free net encyclopedia
A Hydraulic spreader-cutter, also known a Hurst tool or by the brand name Jaws of Life, is an emergency rescue tool often used in vehicle extrication. Similar to a large, powerful set of scissors it has two large, very strong, hydraulically powered blades which can be used for spreading or cutting through sheet metal, steel rods and cables.
Contents |
Use
The tips of the blades are wedged into a seam or gap, for example around a vehicle door, and the device engaged. A hydraulic pump, attached to the tool or as a separate unit, powers a piston that pushes the blades apart with great force and spreads the seam. Once the seam has been spread, the now-open blades can be repositioned around the metal. The device is engaged in reverse and the blades close, cutting through metal. Repeating this process allows a rescuer to quickly open a gap wide enough to pull a trapped victim free. The blades can spread or cut with a force of several tons or kilonewtons with the tips of the blades spreading up to a meter.
Previously rescuers often used circular saws but these suffered from drawbacks such as lots of sparks, which could start a fire, lots of noise, which could stress a victim, and slow cutting. Or rescuers could simply try to pry open the doors using a crowbar or halligan bar but this could compromise the stability of the vehicle, further injure the victims, or unintentionally activate airbags. In comparison, the Jaws of Life are quieter, fast, and more versatile: they can cut, open, and even lift a car.
History
Jaws of Life is a trademarked line of tools originally developed by Hurst Performance, later owned by Hale Products, for use in auto racing. A hydraulic spreader was originally developed in 1972. "Because the tool reduced the time to extricate a victim from a car crash, literally snatching them from the 'jaws of death', the tool earned the name Jaws of Life."[1] Hurst later developed a cutter, and a hydraulic ram.