Patent Application
20140157967
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cutting tool for cutting sheets of building materials, for example laminate, at a range of angles from vertical and/or horizontal. More specifically, this invention relates to a cutting tool including a base, a cutting platform adjustably connected to the base, a cam pivotally connected to the cutting platform, and a blade, the blade movable downward by pivoting the cam.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Often carpenters need to cut building materials, such as baseboards and crown molding, with a beveled or mitered cut in order to fit in or around corners. Various tools are currently used to cut building materials with a beveled cut, 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 with beveled cut. There is a need for a portable, non-power operated cutting tool capable of cutting building materials with a vertical or beveled cut and 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 at a range of angles in both a vertical and horizontal direction without splintering or cracking.
According to an embodiment of this invention, the cutting tool includes a base with a cutting platform connected to the base with a pivotable connection for example, but not limited to, a hinge and an axle. The cutting platform preferably includes a pair of supports. The supports are preferably positioned on either side of the cutting platform with a cam connected to at least one of the supports. A blade holder, with a blade, is positioned under the cam and aligned the cutting platform. In a preferred embodiment, a handle is connected to the cam to assist in rotating the cam. The blade holder and the blade are moveable between an open position and a closed position by pivoting the cam. In the open position, the cam contacts the blade holder at a relatively small radius, as the cam rotates, the blade holder contacts the cam at a gradually increasing radius until the blade holder and the blade are in a closed position.
According to a preferred embodiment, as the blade holder travels from the open position to the closed position, the blade holder is maintained in a generally straight path by the supports or a pair of guide pins. A hole in the blade holder is of slightly larger diameter than the support so that the path of travel of the blade holder is maintained straight providing a consistent and repeatable cutting motion. In a preferred embodiment, a spring is positioned between the support and the blade holder. The spring biases the blade holder in the open position and as the blade holder travels downward, the spring is compressed to further urge a uniform cut of the blade through the material.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the base and the cutting platform are connected with a lockable hinge that allows the cutting platform, guide pin, blade holder and cam to be angled relative to the base. With this arrangement, the cutting tool of this invention can cut a building material with a vertical cut or an angled cut, such as a 45° miter cut from vertical. Preferably, the lockable hinge allows the cutting surface to be locked into a range of angles, ranging from 0° to 90°. In an embodiment of this invention, the handle is adjustable relative to the cam, allowing for the cutting tool to move through a full range of motion, from the open position to the closed position, for all angled cuts.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the base further includes a guide rail for aligning the building material to the blade. The guide rail is adjustable, allowing the building material to set at a range of angles to the blade in a horizontal plane.
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 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
a is a side view of a hinge plate according to an embodiment of this invention.
b is a side view of a hinge lock according to an embodiment of this invention.
As used herein, “material” refers to a sheet or plank of building material, such as baseboards, crown molding, chair rail molding, wood flooring, laminate flooring, composite flooring, vinyl flooring, vinyl siding, vinyl composition tile or similar materials, including, but not limited to, one or more combinations of wood, fiber, concrete, plastic and/or other materials that may or may not include a laminated layer.
As shown in
In an embodiment of the invention, the base 14 comprises a U-shape base that provides stability for the cutting tool 10, however the base 14 is not limited to this shape and may comprises any shape that provides a stable base for the cutting tool 10. The base 14 may be formed of steel, aluminum or another material with durable qualities capable of withstanding the force required to cut the building materials 12.
The base 14 preferably includes a support surface 26 for accommodating the material 12 to be cut. The support surface 26 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 26 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 12 and withstanding the cutting force. The base 14 and support surface 26 are preferably sized to accommodate standard sizes of materials 12, such as a baseboard, and may correspond in width to such material 12.
The cutting tool 10 preferably further includes an adjustable guide rail 28 and a track 30 on the support surface 26 that can be used to align the building material 12 at a range of angles, along a horizontal plane, to the blade 20. In the embodiment shown in
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the cutting platform 16 is connected to the base 14 with the hinge 24 allowing the cutting platform 16 to be set at a plurality of angles to the base 14. For example,
a-b shows an embodiment of two components of hinge 24 separate from the other components of the cutting tool 10.
The hinge plate 70 comprises a plurality of attachment points 72 for connecting the hinge plate 70 to the base 14 with rivets, threaded connectors or any other type of connectors. In an alternative embodiment, the hinge plate 70 can be connected to the base 14 with a weld connection or integrally formed with the base 14. The hinge plate 70 further includes an axle hole 74, a platform slot 76, a rack 78 and a spring mount 82 for adjusting the position of the cutting platform 16 to the base 14. As shown in
To lock the cutting platform 16 to an angle, the cutting platform 16 and the hinge lock 80 are aligned with the desired angle on the rack 78. A hinge spring 98 positioned between the spring mount 82 and the spring catch 88 presses the locking projection into the teeth of the rack 78 locking the cutting platform to the desired angle. Preferably, the cutting platform 16 is further secured by tightening the wing nut 96 or another similar mechanical connector. To adjust the angle of the cutting platform 16, the wing nut 96 is loosened and the lift 84 pulled upward, disengaging the locking projection 92 from the teeth of the rack 78. The cutting platform 16 is rotated about platform axle 40 and through the platform slot 76 to the newly desired angle. The lift 84 is released allowing the locking projection 92 to mate with the teeth of the rack 78 and the wing nut 96 is retightened, securing the cutting platform 16 at the new angle. In an alternative embodiment, the hinge 24 may not include the rack 78, the spring mount 82, the lift 84, the spring catch 88, the locking projection 92, and/or the hinge spring 98. In this alternative embodiment, the cutting platform is secured by tightening the wing nut 96 at a desired angle.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, as best shown in
In a preferred embodiment, as best shown in
As best shown in
As shown in the figures, each support 38 includes an axle 44 connected to a cam 46. Each cam 46 includes an offset 48, the pair of offsets 48 are connected by a beam 50. In an alternative embodiment, the offsets 48 and beam 50 can be replaced with a single axle, not shown, extending between the pair of supports 38 and the cam 46 connected to the single axle. As shown in
In a preferred embodiment, this invention includes the handle 22 with a proximate end 56 and a distal end 58. The proximate end 56 is attached to the beam 50 to assist a user to rotate the cams 46. In a preferred embodiment, the proximate end 56 is connected to the beam 50 with an adjustable connection 60. The adjustable connection 60 allows the handle 22 to be set in at least two positions to compensate for the angle of the cutting platform 16, allowing the handle 54 to rotate fully from the open position to the closed position and to prevent the handle 54 from contacting the base 14. In an alternative embodiment, the handle may not include the adjustable connection and the attachment can be formed in various ways including, but not limited to, a threaded connection, a welded connection or an integral connection with the beam 50. The distal end 58 of the handle 54 preferably includes a hand grip for the user to manually grab or engage. In an alternative embodiment, the handle 54 may be extendible to provide a longer lever for cutting the material 12.
As shown in
As best shown in
According to a preferred embodiment, the blade holder 18 and blade 20 are biased upward into the open position by a spring 66. As shown in the figures, the spring 66 is positioned between the cutting platform 16 and the blade holder 18. In this embodiment, the spring 66 wraps around the support 38. In an alternative embodiment, the spring 66 may not wrap around the support 38. As the blade holder 18 travels downward, the spring 66 is compressed to further urge a uniform cut of the blade 20 through the material 12. The strength and configuration of the spring 66 may be adjusted depending on the desired application.
In a preferred embodiment, the blade 20 moves downward in a plane that is coplanar with the axis of rotation of the platform axle 40 and, as best shown in
In operation, the cutting tool 10 of this invention starts in the open position as shown in
In an alternative embodiment of this invention, the cutting tool 10 may not include a base and may be attachable to a work table or another surface. In the alternative embodiment 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.
