Importance

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Abstract

After the removal of a burned out fluorescent lighting tube and its transport to a waste collecting locale, a hand held and hand operated tool is inserted in part over a tube end. Thereafter upon creating a squeezing force, via the lever action of this tool, a sharp pointed cutter is safely driven through the glass of the tube. A small vent hole is created, through which air passes until the outside and inside air pressures are the same. Thereafter, the tube is safely and progressively hit against the rim of a waste container to break the tube into small waste pieces, which drop into this container. In a preferred embodiment, two lever portions of a hand width length, are hinged at their leading ends, which are sized to fit over and partially down the end of the fluorescent lighting tube. A sharp pointed cutter is set back a short distance from the leading edge of one lever portion and positioned within an internally threadable upright embossment. The cutter head is formed to receive a blade of a screwdriver used in threading this sharp pointed cutter down through the embossment and beyond into a tube end piercing or cutting position. A compression spring is positioned and secured to keep the free ends of the two lever portions apart at a selected convenient open starting angle, until the squeezing force is applied to press them together, thereby insuring the penetration of the sharp pointed cutter into the interior of the burned out fluorescent lighting tube.

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First Claim