An apparatus for cutting off concrete, wooden, and/or metal piles, casing, conductor pipe and other metal tubulars, uses a metal frame and a metal blade linearly moveable within the frame, the blade being hydraulically and/or pneumatically driven to puncture and then slice and split through the metal being cut off, the cutting surface of the blade having a removable, centralized puncture point located essentially at the projected intersection between two concave cutting surfaces.

A variable rake shear comprises a housing (8), a first blade (1) mounted in a first blade mounting (4), a second blade (2) mounted in a second blade mounting (3); and a control device (5) to control movement of one blade mounting to shear the material. Each blade mounting is movable in at least one dimension relative to the housing. One blade is an active blade (1) and the other blade is a passive blade (2). A rake adjustment mechanism (6a, 6b) for at least one of the mountings (3, 4) and the mounting (4) for the active blade (1) has a torque tube linkage mechanism (10, 11, 12).

In various embodiments, a surgical console may include a pneumatic valve to drive a pneumatic tool coupled to the surgical console. The console may further include a controller operable to control and adjust the valve open/close cycle times according to a valve duty cycle. The valve may switch between ports (valve open time for a first port and valve close time for a second port) such that a total valve time may approximately equal the valve open time plus the valve close time. The valve duty cycle may indicate a percentage of the total valve time for the controller to signal the valve to open and may include an adjustment that corresponds to a signal timing of the open and/or closed valve positions that will result in open and closed operating pressures above a predetermined threshold.

A variable rake shear comprises a housing (8), a first blade (1) mounted in a first blade mounting (4), a second blade (2) mounted in a second blade mounting (3); and a control device (5) to control movement of one blade mounting to shear the material. Each blade mounting is movable in at least one dimension relative to the housing. One blade is an active blade (1) and the other blade is a passive blade (2). A rake adjustment mechanism (6a, 6b) for at least one of the mountings (3, 4) and the mounting (4) for the active blade (1) has a torque tube linkage mechanism (10, 11, 12).