Patent Application
20150135924
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cutting tool for cutting building materials, for example vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring. More specifically, this invention relates to a cutting tool including a base with a pair of support supporting a cam rotatably connected to the pair of supports and a blade holder with a blade, the blade holder pivotally connected to the pair of supports to move in an arc and movable downward by rotating the cam.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Various tools are currently used to cut building materials, however most are bulky, heavy, require power to be operated, produce large amounts of dust during the cutting process, and/or result in uneven or splintered cuts. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved cutting tool for cutting building materials. There is a need for a portable, non-power operated cutting tool capable of cutting building materials, particularly vinyl and PVC flooring, in a predictable and straight fashion without splintering, cracking or similar problems and without creating dust.
The present invention provides a portable, non-power operated cutting tool for cutting sheets of building materials, for example, but not limited to, vinyl and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, in a clean, straight manner without tearing, splintering or cracking.
According to an embodiment of this invention, the cutting tool includes a base with a support surface for supporting the building material that is to be cut. The support surface preferably further includes a guide rail for aligning the material. The guide rail may be adjustable, allowing the building material to set at a range of angles to the blade in a horizontal plane. The base further includes a pair of supports extending vertically from the base. The supports are preferably positioned on either side of the base with a blade holder and a cammed axle extending between the supports.
The blade holder is preferably connected with a pivot connection to the supports and spaced from the support surface to allow the building material to slide under the blade holder. In a preferred embodiment, the blade holder includes a main body with arm extending from the main body. The main body preferably includes a slot with a threaded connection for connecting a blade to the blade holder. The threaded connection allows for the blade to be removed for replacement or repairs. Alternatively, the blade may be connected with any type of connection, such as an adhesive or weld connection. In another embodiment, the blade holder and the blade may be integrally formed together. The arm extends from the main body and includes a connection for a pivot connection to the pair of supports. In a preferred embodiment, the connection comprises an axle connection between each support and each arm. With the axle connection the blade moves in an arc, where the arc includes a radius equal to a distance between the axle and the blade. The circular motion of the arc improves the ability of the cutting tool to cut through building materials such as vinyl and PVC flooring.
The cammed axle is rotatably connected to the supports and positioned over and in contact with the blade holder. The blade holder and the blade are moveable between an open position, where the blade is separated from the base, and a closed position, where the blade is in contact or nearly contacting the base, by rotating the cammed axle. In the open position, the cammed axle contacts the blade holder at a relatively small radius of the cam, as the cam rotates, the cammed axle contacts the blade holder at a gradually increasing radius forcing the blade holder downward until the blade contacts a blade stop, the closed position. In a preferred embodiment, a spring is positioned between the base and the blade holder. The spring biases the blade holder in the open position and is compressed as the blade holder moves downward. In a preferred embodiment, a handle is connected to the cammed axle to assist in rotating the cam.
a is a side view of the cutting tool shown in
b is a close-up of the side view shown in
a is a side view of the cutting tool shown in
b is a close-up of the side view shown in
a is a rear view of the cutting tool shown in
b is a rear view of the cutting tool shown in
As shown in
In an embodiment, the support surface 16 is mounted on the base 14 with threaded connections. In an alternative embodiment the support surface 16 and the base 14 may be integrally formed as a single component. The support surface 16 preferably includes a textured or a high friction, non-slip surface that prevents the building material from slipping or moving during cutting process. The support surface 16 is preferably made of lightweight and durable materials, such as plastic, rubber, metal and composite materials, but may be made of any material capable of supporting the building materials and withstanding the cutting force. The base 14 and support surface 16 are preferably sized to accommodate standard sizes of materials, such as a vinyl and PVC flooring tiles, and may correspond in width to such materials.
The support surface 16 preferably includes a guide rail 26 on support surface 16 that can be used to align the building materials to the blade 20. In an alternative embodiment, the guide rail 26 may be adjustable to cut the material at a range of angles to the blade 20. The guide rail 26 may further include a ruler for measuring the material to be cut.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the pair of supports 12 are connected to the base 14 and extend generally perpendicular to a plane of the support surface 16. In this embodiment, the pair of supports 12 are connected to the base with a threaded connection and are positioned on either side of the base 12 at a width sufficient to accommodate the material to be cut. The pair of supports 12 may be formed of durable materials such as, but not limited to, steel, aluminum or similar rigid materials which are capable of withstanding the force created during cutting. In other embodiments, the pair of supports 12 can be welded to or integrally formed to the base 14 or connected in any other means known to one of skill in the art.
As best shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the blade 20 is attached to the blade holder 18 with a threaded connection. With this arrangement, the blade 20 can be removed from the blade holder 18 for repairs, sharpening and to select a specialty blade for a type of material. In an alternative embodiment, the blade 20 can be integrally formed with the blade holder 18. The blade 20 is preferably formed of steel or another material capable of repeatedly cutting the building material.
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the cutting tool includes the handle 24 which is connected to the cam 22 to assist a user to rotate the cam 22. A distal end of the handle 24 preferably includes a hand grip for the user to manually grab or engage. In an alternative embodiment, the handle 24 may be adjustable and/or extendible to provide additional assistance to cut through tough-to-cut materials.
In an embodiment of this invention, as shown in
According to a preferred embodiment, the blade holder 18 is biased upward into the open position by a spring 48. As shown in the figures, the spring 48 is positioned between the base 14 and the blade holder 18 and maintained in position with a pair of alignment pins 50. The strength and configuration of the spring 48 may be adjusted depending on the desired application.
In operation, the cutting tool 10 of this invention starts in the open position as shown in
While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the material cutter is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.
