Patent Application
20070125215
The present invention generally relates to apparatuses and methods for punching and/or cutting holes in items. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for aligning a punch for punching and/or cutting holes in an object such as a wall of an electrical box in order to run electrical conduit or conductor through the hole.
Punches and/or other cutting devices used to punch and/or cut holes within an object such as a wall of an electrical enclosure or box are well known in the art. Holes are cut within the wall(s) of an electrical enclosure(s) such that a conduit and/or conductor may be run into the electrical enclosure. Generally, the wall of an electrical enclosure is fabricated from sheet metal such as steel.
Referring to
As an example, in operation, a target sheet 1 such as a wall of an electrical enclosure may include a target latitudinal center indicator 2 that marks or identifies the position of the latitudinal center of an aperture desired to be punched from target sheet 1. Target sheet 1 may also include a target longitudinal center indicator 3 that marks or identifies the position of the longitudinal center of the aperture that is desired to be punched from target sheet 1. The intersection of target latitudinal and longitudinal center indicators 2 and 3, respectively, is aligned with the geometric center of the desired aperture.
In order to punch out the desired hole from target sheet 1, a pilot hole 6 is drilled at geometric center (which is the intersection of latitudinal or longitudinal center indicators 2 and 3) of a size sufficient enough to permit draw stud 16 to fit through it. Punch 12 and die 14 are positioned on opposite sides of target sheet 1 and aligned with the pilot hole. Draw stud 16 is inserted through die hole 15, pilot hole 6, and punch hole 13. An operator turns draw stud 16 such that it draws punch 12 through target sheet 1 and into die 14, cutting or punching a hole through target sheet 1.
Generally, pilot hole 6 is sized such that it is larger than draw stud 16, thus permitting punch 12 and die 14 to move along target sheet 1. Such movement of punch 12 and die 14 along target sheet 1 may permit punch 12 to punch an aperture in target sheet 1 that is not exactly at the desired location, i.e., misaligned or off-center. The misaligned aperture in the target sheet (e.g., wall of an electrical enclosure) may cause the hole to be misaligned with pre-installed electrical conduits, thus causing the electrical enclosure to be discarded and wasting time and money.
Some conventional dies have placed four lines on its outer surface, wherein each line is spaced 90 degrees apart around its peripheral edge or circumference. Such lines enable the operator to align them with the target latitudinal and longitudinal center indicators found on target sheet 1 to attempt to align punch 12 and die 14 in the exact, desired location along target sheet 1 before punching the desired aperture. However, such lines are faint and hard to see. In addition, they generally are along a vertical plane, which makes them even harder to see and align with the target latitudinal and longitudinal center indicators that are typically along a horizontal plane.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved alignment apparatus and method for aligning punch and/or cutting devices.
Accordingly, the present invention is intended to address and obviate problems and shortcomings and otherwise improve previous alignment devices and methods for punches.
One exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for aligning a punch with a target area. The alignment apparatus includes a body, a receptacle disposed within the body, a receptacle latitudinal indicator disposed on the body such that it is aligned with the latitudinal center of the receptacle, and a receptacle longitudinal indicator disposed on the body such that it is aligned with the longitudinal center of the receptacle. The receptacle is configured to receive a punch or die. The receptacle latitudinal indicator is configured to identify the latitudinal center of the receptacle, and the receptacle longitudinal indicator is configured to identify the longitudinal center of the receptacle.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for aligning a punch with a target aperture location to be punched within a sheet, including a body, a receptacle disposed within the body and configured to receive a punch or die, a first receptacle indicator aligned with and indicating the latitudinal center of the receptacle, and a second receptacle indicator aligned with and indicating the longitudinal center of the receptacle.
Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for determining the center of a conduit. The apparatus includes a body, a receptacle disposed within the body and configured to receive an end of a conduit, a receptacle latitudinal indicator disposed on the body such that it is aligned with the latitudinal center of the receptacle, and a receptacle longitudinal indicator disposed on the body such that it is aligned with the longitudinal center of the receptacle. The receptacle latitudinal and longitudinal indicators are configured to identify the geometric center of a conduit received within the receptacle.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative in nature and not intended to be limiting of the invention defined by the claims. Moreover, individual features of the drawings and the invention will be more fully apparent and understood in view of the detailed description.
Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate similar elements throughout the views.
In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides apparatuses and methods to help properly align and/or position a punch and/or cutting tool along an object or sheet such as a wall of an electrical enclosure in order to punch or cut a hole within the enclosure at the desired location. Referring to
Body 22 may comprise any shape and/or size without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this exemplary embodiment, body 22 has a rectangular shape such as a square-shape. Additionally, body 22 may be fabricated from a variety of materials, including but not limited to metal, wood, composites, plastics (e.g., polymers), or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, body 22 is fabricated from a clear acrylic sheet such as ACRYLITE, commercially available from CYRO Industries. The clear plastic used for body 22 may assist an operator in aligning alignment apparatus 20 by enabling the operator to see a target sheet (e.g., target sheet 1,
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
In another exemplary embodiment, alignment apparatus 20 is configured such that the receptacle is disposed completely through body 22 and sized such that die 14, rather than punch 12, may slide into the receptacle. The receptacle is sized such that die 14 may move through it until die 14 abuts against target sheet 1 while punch 12 punches (or cuts) an aperture through target sheet 1. Thus, alignment apparatus 20 may be positioned on the die-side of target sheet 1 rather than the punch-side of target sheet 1. Such a configuration permits an operator to move, align, and hold the die at a desired aperture location along target sheet 1 rather than punch 12.
However, it should also be understood that receptacle 24 may be sized such that both punch 12 and die 14 may be capable of fitting into and/or moving through receptacle 24. In another exemplary embodiment, receptacle 24 may be configured such that it is only partially disposed through body 22. In such an embodiment, punch 12 may, as it is drawn into die 14, punch through both body 22 and target sheet 1. In still another exemplary embodiment, receptacle 24 may be configured such that it comprises a mark indicating its location on body 22 in order to align die 12 or punch 14 with the marked receptacle 24 on body 22.
Referring back to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Receptacle latitudinal and longitudinal center indicators 26 and 28, respectively, may also comprise notches disposed within the body's (22) peripheral edge 23 and aligned with latitudinal and longitudinal center lines 25 and 27, respectively. As shown in
Referring particularly to
Referring to
Receptacle latitudinal center indicator 46 may comprise a line, notch, combinations thereof, or any other indicator capable of identifying the latitudinal center of receptacle 44. Similarly, receptacle longitudinal center indicator 48 may comprise a line, notch, combinations thereof, or any other indicator capable of identifying the longitudinal center of receptacle 44. As shown in
In operation, the exemplary embodiment in
Getting an exact measurement to the center of the conduit can be very difficult because the center is not visible, i.e., it is open space in the inside of the conduit, and thus the conduit's center location is typically estimated (“eye-balled”) by the person taking the measurement (e.g., an electrician). The present invention enables an improved measurement and location of the center and thus an improved alignment of the conduit(s) and the enclosure. To accomplish this, alignment apparatus 40 may be positioned onto the conduit such that the conduit slides into receptacle 44. Once positioned, a measurement from the nearest fixed item (e.g., a facility wall) to either receptive latitudinal center indicator 46 or receptacle longitudinal center indicator 48, whichever is in a parallel orientation to a planar surface of the fixed item (e.g., the facility wall's face) may be taken.
For example, a measurement may be taken from a first facility's wall and the receptacle latitudinal center indicator 46. This measurement will permit the distance from the first facility wall to the geometric center of the conduit to be determined and thus provide the distance from a first wall of the enclosure (wall located nearest to the first facility wall) to the center of the desired location for the required aperture in order to be aligned with this conduit. A second perpendicular measurement may be taken from a second fixed item (e.g., a second wall of the facility) to the receptacle longitudinal center indicator 48 that is perpendicular to the first measurement. This will give an improved, and possibly an exact, measurement and thus location of where the aperture needs to be punched along the bottom wall of the enclosure such that it aligns with the conduit.
Using the example set forth above, if additional apertures need to be punched from the enclosure to align with additional conduits, then while the apparatus 40 is still on the first conduit, a mark may be made on the first wall, perpendicular to the receptacle latitudinal center indicator 46. This may be accomplished by placing one side of a T-Square along the receptacle latitudinal center line 45 and then marking perpendicular location along the first wall. This mark identifies the location of the geometric center of the first conduit along the first wall. This process may then be repeated for a second conduit such that a second mark may be identified on the first wall, locating the geometric center of the second conduit. A measurement may then be taken by between the first mark and the second mark in order to get an exact measurement of the distance between the two conduits.
Another exemplary method to measure the distance between two conduits and thus the required distance needed between two apertures to be punched within an enclosure will be set forth below. A first alignment apparatus (e.g., alignment apparatus 40) may be positioned on a first conduit and a second alignment apparatus (e.g., alignment apparatus 40) such that one of the receptacle center indicators (either latitudinal 46 or longitudinal 48) of the first alignment apparatus is parallel to one of the receptacle center indicators (either latitudinal 46 or longitudinal 48) of the second alignment apparatus. A measurement may then be taken between the two parallel receptacle center indicators.
Accordingly, while some of the alternative embodiments of the present invention have been discussed specifically, other embodiments will be apparent or relatively easily developed by those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, this invention is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications and variations that have been discussed herein, and others that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the claims.
