Hand-held cutting device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6668461
  • Patent Number
    6,668,461
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, October 1, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 30, 2003
    20 years ago
Abstract
A cutting device is operable with one hand for cutting a circle or an elliptical shape in a sheet of material. In a first embodiment for cutting elliptical shapes, the cutting device includes a first member for placement on the sheet material and a second member for simultaneous pivotal and translatable movement with respect to the base plate. The first member has a first pivot point that is movable along a first axis, while the second member has a second pivot point that is movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The first and second members are operably connected to each other at the first and second pivot points. A knob is connected to one of the pivot points and is sized to be grasped by one hand and rotated. Rotation of the knob about the one pivot point causes the second member to rotate and slide in an elliptical pattern with respect to the base plate.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to cutting devices, and more particularly to a device for cutting circles or ellipses of variable sizes in photographs, sheets, mats, and the like.




2. Description of the Related Art




Various different devices for cutting shapes in a sheet of material are known in the art. Circle cutters and elliptical cutting devices have become popular, especially by those who create “memory books” by cutting photographs and borders to desired shapes to enhance the display of photographs. Known devices generally require two-handed operation, with one hand holding the base of the device in a fixed position, while the other hand moves a cutting arm around the base. During the course of a cutting operation, one of the arms and/or hands of the user will invariably block another of the arms and/or hands since one hand is usually held stationary while the other hand moves a cutting arm. This type of interference can produce results that are below expectations since the cutting operation must be stopped, the moving hand repositioned under the interfering arm, and the cutting operation restarted. Many variables are introduced into the cutting operation during hand repositioning, such as uneven or inconsistent pressure applied to the cutting device from one or both hands, leaning or inadvertent moving of the device, etc. Thus, these types of devices are difficult to manipulate and maintain accurate and consistent cuts.




In addition, many prior art cutting devices are primarily designed to cut out a shape in a cardboard mat or the like, where the inside of the shape is usually discarded after the cut. Such devices are typically hand-held and include one or more pins that pierce the oval area for securing a base portion of the device against movement with respect to the mat during cutting. This type of arrangement is not suitable when the sheet of material cannot be damaged, such as when a person desires to cut a photograph in a circular or oval shape.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




These and other problems of the prior art are overcome by the provision of a hand-held device that is operable with one hand for forming a circular or an elliptical shape in a sheet of material without damaging the sheet of material. In a first embodiment for cutting elliptical shapes, the cutting device includes a first member for placement on the sheet material and a second member for simultaneous pivotal and translatable movement with respect to the base plate. The first member has a first pivot point that is movable along a first axis, while the second member has a second pivot point that is movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The first and second members are operably connected to each other at the first and second pivot points. A knob is connected to one of the pivot points and is sized to be grasped by one hand and rotated. Rotation of the knob about the one pivot point causes the second member to rotate and slide in an elliptical pattern with respect to the base plate. The second member may include or may be coupled to a forming member to thereby form an elliptical shape in the sheet of material. In a second embodiment for cutting circular shapes, the cutting device has a first member for placement on the sheet of material and a second member for pivotal movement with respect to the first member. The first member includes a single pivot point. A knob is placed substantially over the single pivot point, and rotation of the knob causes the second member to pivot about the single pivot point, thereby forming a circle in the sheet of material.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and:





FIGS. 1A

,


1


B,


2


A and


2


B are each side elevational views of a hand-held oval cutting device according to a first embodiment of the invention;





FIG. 3

is an exploded side view of the hand-held oval cutting device of

FIGS. 1 and 2

;





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view of the hand-held oval cutting device of

FIGS. 1 and 2

;





FIG. 5

is a top plan view of a base plate and slider block according to the first embodiment of the invention;





FIG. 6

is a cross sectional view of the base plate taken along line


6





6


of

FIG. 5

;





FIG. 7

is a top plan view of an adjusting plate according to the first embodiment of the invention;





FIG. 8

is an end view of the adjusting plate of

FIG. 7

taken along line


8





8


of

FIG. 7

;





FIG. 9

is a top plan view of a spacer block according to the first embodiment of the invention;





FIG. 10

is a side view of the spacer block of

FIG. 9

;





FIG. 11

is a top plan view of the cutting device of

FIGS. 1 and 2

;





FIG. 12

is a bottom plan view of the cutting device of

FIG. 11

;





FIG. 13

a top plan view of the cutting device of

FIG. 11

after it has been rotated 90 degrees;





FIG. 14

a bottom plan view of the cutting device of

FIG. 13

;





FIG. 15

is a perspective view of the cutting device of

FIGS. 1 and 2

;





FIGS. 16A and 16B

each show different finger placement for a user to rotate the knob of the cutting device in accordance with the preferred embodiments;





FIG. 17

is a bottom plan view of the hand-held oval cutting device at a first cutting position;





FIG. 18

is a bottom plan view of the hand-held oval cutting device at a second cutting position;





FIG. 19

is a bottom plan view of the hand-held oval cutting device at a third cutting position;





FIG. 20

is a bottom plan view of the hand-held oval cutting device at a fourth cutting position;





FIG. 21

is an exploded side view of a hand-held circle cutting device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; and





FIG. 22

is an exploded perspective view of the hand-held circle cutting device of FIG.


21


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




The presented invention is presented herein by way of example in two specific embodiments. The features of an oval cutting device according to the first embodiment is discussed herein with reference to

FIGS. 1-20

. A circular cutting device according to the second embodiment is discussed herein with reference to

FIGS. 21-22

. Note that these preferred embodiments are presented as examples of suitable implementations in accordance with the present invention, and other variations are possible within the scope of the present invention.




Referring now to the drawings, and to

FIGS. 1-4

in particular, a hand-held oval cutting device


10


comprises a base plate


12


pivotally connected to a spacer block


14


and an adjusting plate


16


. Adjusting plate


16


includes a blade holder


18


. An elongate machine screw


20


or other suitable fastener has a head portion


54


and a threaded shaft portion


26


. The shaft portion


26


extends through the base plate


12


, the spacer block


14


, and the adjusting plate


16


. A knob


22


includes a lower stem portion


24


that includes an internally threaded portion for receiving an upper end portion of the threaded shaft


26


for holding the base plate, spacer block, and adjusting plate together. An upper handle portion


28


of the knob


22


is adapted to be grasped and manipulated by one hand of a user.




As shown in

FIGS. 4-6

, in a first embodiment of the invention, base plate


12


is preferably elliptical in shape. A slot


30


extends through the base plate


12


. The slot


30


preferably lies along a major axis


36


of the ellipse. A channel


38


is formed in the upper surface


32


of the base plate


12


and preferably extends along a minor axis


40


of the ellipse, intersecting the slot


30


in a substantially perpendicular orientation.




A slider block


42


is dimensioned to be slidably received in the channel


38


with a length “A” that is preferably longer than a width “B” of the slot


30


. An extended portion


44


extends from the slider block


42


and is adapted to be received into an aperture


15


on the spacer block


14


, as shown in FIG.


4


. The extended portion


44


of slider block


42


constrains movement of the slider block within the channel


38


when the spacer block


14


is rotated with respect to the base plate


12


, pivoting the slider block


42


about the pivot point defined by aperture


15


.




As shown in

FIGS. 3 and 6

, a plurality of resilient feet


48


are attached to the lower surface


34


of the base plate


12


, preferably through an adhesive layer, but may alternatively be attached by suitable fasteners, ultrasonic welding, or other well-known means. The resilient feet are arranged so as to firmly grip the surface of a sheet material during cutting. In the specific configuration shown in

FIG. 6

, resilient feet


48


are mounted to feet


49


that extend downward from the top surface


32


of base plate


12


. Note also that base plate


12


suitably includes one or more stiffening ribs


13


that provide the required strength for performing a cutting operation without undue flexing.




As used herein, the terms “forward,” “rearward,” “upper,” and “lower” and other directional terms are indicative of relative, not absolute orientations or positions. Preferably, the cutting device is constructed of clear plastic material, with the exception of the knob


22


which may be constructed of nylon or the like.




With emphasis on

FIGS. 4 and 9

, the spacer block


14


includes a hexagonal recess


50


that receives a nut


42


that engages the threads of the fastener


20


to mount the spacer block


14


to the base plate


12


. Hexagonal recess


50


includes a bottom portion with a hole


51


that is dimensioned to receive the threaded shaft


26


of fastener


20


, while holding nut


42


in place. A spacer


52


is received in the slot


30


between the head


54


of the fastener


20


and a lower surface


56


of the spacer block


14


, and is dimensioned to slide freely in the slot


30


. The shaft


26


of the fastener


20


extends through the spacer


52


, while the head portion


54


is larger than the spacer and larger than the width “B” of slot


30


. Preferably, the height of the spacer


52


is slightly greater than the thickest portion of slot


30


in base plate


12


such that the head


54


is located within a lower recess defined within base plate


12


to minimize friction during pivoting and sliding movements of the adjusting plate and spacer block with respect to the base plate. As shown in the figures, the preferred configuration for spacer


52


is a bushing that has an inside diameter large enough to allow threaded shaft


26


of fastener


20


to slide through it, has an outside dimension smaller than the width of slot


30


in base plate


12


, and has a height greater than the depth of slot


30


. With the hold


51


in the hexagonal recess being smaller than the outside diameter of the bushing


52


, the upper surface of bushing


52


will rest upon the lower surface of spacer block


14


, thereby allowing the spacer block


14


to slide and rotate atop the base plate


1




2


.




Note that the screw


20


and bushing


52


are only examples of a suitable connecting mechanism within the scope of the preferred embodiments. Many other mechanisms may be used to couple spacer block


14


to base plate. For example, spacer block


14


may have a screw coupled to it with a head portion on the upper portion of the spacer block


14


and a nut on the threaded portion


26


below base plate


12


that captivates the base plate


12


to the spacer block


14


. In another example, spacer block


14


may have another portion, such as a metal or plastic rod, that extends downward through slot


30


. A push nut could then be placed on the rod at the appropriate position to captivate the spacer block


14


and the base block


12


together. These and other variations are expressly within the scope of the preferred embodiments, which extend to any suitable connecting mechanism for coupling a first member, such as base plate


12


, to a second member, such as spacer block


14


, in a manner that allows the second member to slide atop the first member when the first member is placed on a sheet of material.




Spacer block


14


includes multiple portions


17


that extend upward to engage recessed portions


72


of adjusting plate


16


. The position of adjusting plate


16


with respect to spacer block


14


may be adjusted by moving the adjusting plate


16


so that different recessed portions


72


engage the multiple extended portions


17


of the spacer block. In this manner the distance between the blade holder


18


and the spacer block can be varied to allow cutting different sizes of shapes.




With reference now to

FIG. 7

, a slot


62


extends through the adjusting plate


16


. The slot


62


preferably lies along a longitudinal axis


68


of the plate


16


. The plurality of recessed portions


72


are formed in the lower surface of the adjusting plate


16


, and are preferably formed on both sides of the adjusting plate


16


, extending parallel to slot


62


. Adjusting plate


16


preferably includes a plurality of stiffening ribs


97


that provide the strength needed to perform the cutting action without undue flexing.




As shown in

FIG. 8

, adjusting plate


16


includes a blade holder


18


that has a recess


88


for receiving a cutting blade formed in the rear surface


90


of the holder


18


. The recess


88


has a lower side wall


89


, an upper side wall


91


, and a lower edge


94


that together define edges of the recess


88


. The recess


88


is shaped to receive a standard razor-type cutting blade


92


. Blades manufactured under the trade name X-ACTO™, for example, would be suitable. Preferably, the depth of the recess


88


is greater than or equal to the thickness of the blade


92


in order to shield as much of the blade as possible from a user. The bottom edge of recess


88


includes a slot


95


, best shown in

FIG. 12

, through which the tip


96


of blade


92


extends. A screw


106


is used to captivate the blade


92


within recess


88


once the blade is properly positioned. In the preferred embodiments, a user can easily assure proper position of the blade by first loosening the screw


106


, pushing the tip


96


of blade


92


through slot


95


until the blade will not move any more because it is contacting one or both edges


89


and


91


of recess


88


, and tightening screw


106


to hold blade


92


in place. Once installed, the cutting tip


96


of the blade


92


extends a predetermined distance below a lower surface


116


of the blade holder


18


for cutting materials of a predetermined thickness. It will be understood of course, that the


20


predetermined distance may be adjustable to accommodate different material thicknesses.




Although it is preferred that the blade holder


18


and blade


92


extend substantially perpendicular from the top portion of adjusting member


16


, there may be some instances where it is desirous to cut a beveled surface. In this case, the blade holder and/or adjusting member may be modified to position the blade at an angle with respect to a surface of the sheet material to be cut.




As shown most clearly in

FIG. 4

, blade holder


18


includes one or more stiffening ribs


19


that provide strength to blade holder


18


while reducing the amount of material required to fabricate blade holder


18


. Stiffening ribs


19


provide the required strength to blade holder


18


to perform a cutting operation without undue flexing.




Adjusting plate


16


preferably include one or more stiffening ribs


97


that preferably run parallel to the longitudinal axis


68


of adjusting plate


16


. These stiffening ribs


97


allow the thickness of adjusting plate


16


to be kept to a minimum, thereby conserving the plastic material used to form adjusting plate


16


, while still providing the desired strength that allows the cutting device


10


to operate dependably.




Referring again to

FIGS. 3 and 4

, the oval cutting device


10


can be adjusted to cut different sizes of ovals by first loosening the knob


22


, lifting the adjusting plate


16


until the extended portions


17


are clear of their respective recessed portions


72


in adjusting plate


16


, sliding the adjusting plate forward or rearward until the extended portions


17


are in alignment with a new set of recessed portions


72


, and then retightening the knob


22


with the adjusting plate in the new position. Since the fastener


20


is also threaded through a nut that is captivated into the spacer block


14


, the spacer block remains together with the base plate


12


when the knob


22


is removed. Note that even when the knob is not present, pivoting and sliding movement between the spacer block and base plate may occur. While the preferred embodiment has spacer block


14


and adjusting arm


16


as separate pieces, it is equally within the scope of the preferred embodiments to form a spacer block


14


that includes an extended arm and blade holder for cutting ellipses of a fixed size, rather than providing a two-piece system that allows adjustment of the size of the ellipse. The preferred embodiments expressly extend to any configuration of forming member, whether integrated into the spacer block or provided separate from the spacer block.





FIGS. 11-14

show cutting device


10


when the spacer block


14


(and hence, adjusting plate


16


) is in two different positions with respect to the base plate


12


. In

FIG. 11

, the longitudinal axis


68


of slot


62


in adjusting plate


16


(see

FIG. 7

) is substantially aligned with the major axis of the base plate ellipse.

FIG. 12

shows that in this position, the slider block


42


is in a center position within channel


38


, while the enlarged portion of fastener


20


is at the extreme end of slot


30


. When the knob is rotated clockwise for a quarter turn, the cutting device


10


is now in a position as shown in

FIG. 13

, where the longitudinal axis


68


of slot


62


in adjusting plate


16


is substantially aligned with the minor axis of the base plate ellipse.

FIG. 14

shows that in this position, the slider block


42


has moved to one extreme of channel


38


, while the enlarged portion of fastener


20


has moved to a position in the center of slot


30


. Because the spacer block


14


(and hence, adjusting plate


16


) are captivated together using a suitable connecting mechanism, the first pivot point slides along the slot


30


while the second pivot point slides along the channel


38


, thereby causing spacer block


14


to rotate and slide in an elliptical pattern with respect to base plate


12


.




Operation of the oval cutting device


10


will now be described with respect to

FIGS. 17-20

. We assume that the cutting device is positioned in an initial cutting position on a sheet of material with the resilient feet


48


in contact with an upper surface of the sheet. The view of

FIGS. 17-20

is from the upper surface of the sheet looking up as the device is rotated to form an ellipse in the sheet of material. The base member


12


is preferably oval-shaped and includes an elliptically-shaped outer periphery that is preferably substantially parallel to an oval to be cut. The shape of the base member


12


greatly facilitates initial placement and alignment of the cutting device


10


on the sheet of material to be cut. In addition, the ellipse-shaped base member


12


includes index marks


172


that identify the major axis of the ellipse, and index marks


174


that identify the minor axis of the ellipse. Index marks


172


and


174


make placement of the cutting device on a sheet of material easier by identifying the axes of the ellipse, which can then be visually aligned with the sheet to be cut.




The adjusting plate


16


can be adjusted to cut an oval of a predetermined dimension, as previously described. As shown in the drawings, we assume that the screw


20


is fixed with respect to the slot


62


(see

FIG. 7

) midway between the ends of the slot


62


to define a medium size oval to be cut. After setting the proper oval size and positioning the device


10


on the sheet, the knob


22


is then grasped in one hand by a user and pressed downwardly to maintain the position of the device


10


on the sheet. Simultaneously, the knob is rotated in a direction as shown by arrow


122


. Two possible hand positions on the device are shown in

FIG. 16

to illustrate that there are many different ways to rotate the knob


22


to effect the cutting motion. In

FIG. 16A

, a user extends the fingers of one hand and grasps the outer edges of the upper portion


28


of handle


22


such that all fingers and the thumb of one hand contact the knob


22


. A simple twist of the wrist rotates the knob, which causes the device to cut an oval shape, as described in more detail below. In an alternative grip, the person's hand is positioned so the top portion of knob


22


rests on a portion of the user's palm, with the thumb and two or more fingers wrapped around the upper portion


28


and extending into the area of the reduced portion


24


of knob


22


. This grip is similar to the way a person might grasp a doorknob. Referring to

FIG. 15

, to effect proper rotation of knob


22


, which is coupled to spacer block


14


and adjustment plate


16


, the diameter


25


of knob


22


is preferably more than one inch, is more preferably between one and three inches in diameter, and is most preferably approximately two inches in diameter. This size allows easily gripping the knob with a human hand to effect rotation of the knob and thereby form an elliptical shape in the sheet of material in a smooth, one-handed motion.




Referring back to

FIGS. 17-20

, during rotation from the

FIG. 17

position to the

FIG. 18

position, the slider block


42


moves in a direction represented by arrow


124


from a central portion of the channel of the base member


12


to an upper end of the channel. Simultaneously, the screw


20


slides in the slot


32


of the base member


12


in a direction represented by arrow


126


from a first end of the slot


32


to a central portion of the slot


32


, and simultaneously rotates in the direction


122


. The mutual position of the screw


20


and slot


62


do not change during movement since they are fixed together by the knob


22


, as is evident from

FIGS. 3A

,


3


B and


15


. Thus, the screw


20


functions as a first movable pivot point for the spacer block/adjusting plate combination (and attached blade holder


18


and blade


92


). Sliding movement of the slider block


42


in the channel


38


and simultaneous rotation of the spacer block


14


about the pivot point of the slider block


42


defines a second movable pivot point about the aperture


15


in spacer block


14


. Mutual movement of the first and second pivot points causes elliptical movement of the blade


92


along the path


120


. The distance between the first and second pivot points is maintained during the elliptical movement. The distance between the pivot points and the cutting tip


96


can be adjusted when not cutting by loosening the knob


22


and locating the extended portions


17


in a different set of recesses


72


, as previously described.




Continued rotation of the spacer block


14


about the aperture


15


in spacer block


14


from the

FIG. 18

to the

FIG. 19

position causes the slider block


42


to move in a direction represented by arrow


130


from the upper end of the channel position to the central channel portion. Simultaneously, the screw


20


slides in the slot


32


of the base member


12


in the direction


126


from the central slot portion to a second end of the slot opposite the first slot end.




Likewise, continued rotation of the spacer block


14


about the aperture


15


in spacer block


14


from the

FIG. 19

to the

FIG. 20

position causes the slider block


42


and slider


42


to move in the direction


130


from the central channel portion to a lower end of the channel. Simultaneously, the screw


20


slides in the slot


32


of the base member


12


in a direction represented by arrow


132


from the second channel end back to the central channel portion. Continued rotation of the spacer block to the

FIG. 17

position completes the cut and places the slider block, pivot pin and screw


20


in their original positions. Thus, oval shapes can be cut in a sheet of material through smooth, continuous action from one-handed manipulation of the knob.




Although clockwise rotation of the slider block


14


, and hence the attached adjusting plate


16


and blade holder


18


is preferred for right-handed use, the blade


92


can be set for counter clockwise rotation if desired, which is preferable for left-handed use. Moreover, although the cutting device


10


is intended primarily for cutting ovals in photographs, cardboard sheets and the like, the blade holder can be adapted to receive other cutting implements for ceramic, glass, wood, etc., or can be modified within the scope of the preferred embodiments to receive standard drawing implements.




A circle cutter in accordance with the second embodiment is shown in

FIGS. 21 and 22

. The same knob


22


, adjusting plate


16


, nut


42


, spacer block


14


, spacer


52


, and screw


20


may be used as is used in the oval cutting device in

FIGS. 1-20

, described above. However, spacer block


14


A is shown without the aperture


15


that made up the second pivot point in the oval configuration, because no second pivot point is needed for a circle cutter. To make a circle cutter, a circular base plate


12


A with a circular opening


30


A is used instead of the elliptical base plate


12


. The diameter of opening


30


A is preferably large enough to receive the threaded portion


26


of screw


20


, yet smaller than the outside dimension of spacer


52


. This configuration assures that spacer block


14


A will slide atop the circular base plate


12


A when the screw


20


is tightened into nut


42


. Note that circular base plate


12


A suitably includes index marks


176


along two diameters that intersect at right angles to help in aligning the circle cutter on the sheet of material.




In this circle cutter configuration, note that the same adjusting plate


16


may be used to generate circles of various sizes by selectively positioning the adjusting arm in a desired position with respect to the spacer block


14


A, and tightening the knob


22


to hold the extended portions


17


of spacer block


14


A within a selected set of recesses


72


on the adjusting plate


16


. The circle cutter in accordance with the second embodiment allows one-handed operation while cutting circles of various sizes, which is a great improvement over the two-handed operation of known circle cutters in the art.




In the preferred embodiments, the base plate


12


, spacer block


14


, and adjustment arm


16


are made of a clear plastic material that allows a person to see the sheet of material under the base plate


12


. The preferred manufacturing technique is injection molding, which allows the various features of each piece (including stiffening ribs) to be formed at the same time by injecting heated liquid plastic into a mold. Once the plastic cools, the parts are removed from the mold, and the process continues. Note that other variations and methods of manufacture for manufacturing the cutting device, whether now known or developed in the future, are expressly within the scope of the preferred embodiments.




While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. For example, the particular oval shape with its present major and minor axes can be changed by adjusting the relative dimensions of one or more of the described components.



Claims
  • 1. A hand-held device for forming an elliptical shape in a sheet of material, comprising:a first member adapted for placement on the sheet of material, the first member having a first pivot point that is movable along a first axis; a second member having a second pivot point that is movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis; the first member and the second member being operably and slidably connected to each other at the first and second pivot points; and a knob connected to one of the first and second pivot points, the knob having a size and shape that allows grasping the knob by a thumb and all fingers on one human hand such that rotation of the knob about the one pivot point causes the second member to rotate and slide in an elliptical pattern with respect to the first member, wherein a slot is formed in one of the members and an opening is formed in the other of the members; and wherein the one pivot point comprises a fastener extending through the slot in the one member and through the opening in the other member, the knob being mounted to the fastener for holding the first and second members together, wherein rotation of the knob causes substantially linear movement of the fastener along the slot and rotational movement of the other member about the fastener.
  • 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the knob is between one and three inches in diameter.
  • 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the knob is approximately two inches in diameter.
  • 4. The device of claim 1 wherein a channel is formed in the one member and extends generally transverse to the slot; and further comprising a slider block positioned in the channel for movement therealong, the second pivot point including an aperture that receives an extended portion of the slider block, such that rotation of the knob causes substantially linear movement of the slider block along the channel, and rotational movement of the other member about the extended portion of the slider block.
  • 5. The device of claim 1 wherein the second member comprises a forming member for forming the elliptical shape in the sheet of material.
  • 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the second member is coupled to a forming member that forms the elliptical shape in the sheet of material as the second member slides atop the first member.
  • 7. The device of claim 6 further comprising an adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the second member and the forming member that allows the forming member to be placed in a plurality of positions with respect to the second member for selectively forming different sizes of elliptical shapes.
  • 8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cutting blade operably connected to the second member and adapted for contacting the sheet of material for cutting an elliptical shape therein as the knob is rotated.
  • 9. The device of claim 8 wherein the second member comprises a blade holder, the cutting blade being removably mounted to the blade holder.
  • 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the blade holder comprises a recess that is shaped to receive a substantial portion of the blade, a depth of the recess being at least equal to a thickness of the blade.
  • 11. A hand-held device for forming an elliptical shape in a sheet of material, comprising:a first member adapted for placement on the sheet of material, the first member having a first pivot point that is movable along a first axis; a second member having a second pivot point that is movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis; the first member and the second member being operably and slidably connected to each other at the first and second pivot points; a knob connected to one of the first and second pivot points, the knob having a size and shape that allows grasping the knob by a thumb and all fingers on one human hand such that rotation of knob about the one pivot point causes the second member to rotate and slide in an elliptical pattern with respect to the first member; and a cutting blade operably connected to the second member and adapted for contacting the sheet of material for cutting an elliptical shape therein as the knob is rotated, wherein the second member comprises a blade holder, the cutting blade being removably mounted to the blade holder, wherein the blade holder comprising a recess that is shaped to receive a substantial portion of the blade, a depth of the recess being at least equal to a thickness of the blade, and further comprising a fastener mounted to the blade holder, the fastener having a head portion, with the head portion of the fastener being located in the recess such that a space for the blade is formed between the head portion and bottom surface of the recess, such that the blade can be securely held between the head portion of the fastener and the bottom surface of the recess.
  • 12. The device of claim 1 further comprising an instrument operably connected to the second member and adapted for contacting the sheet of material for forming the elliptical shape as the knob is rotated.
  • 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the instrument is a cutting member for cutting the elliptical shape in the sheet of material.
  • 14. The device of claim 1 wherein the first member has an elliptical shape with a major axis and minor axis, wherein the first member further comprises index marks that identify the major axis and the minor axis to facilitate the alignment of the first member on the sheet of material.
  • 15. The device of claim 1 wherein the first member comprises resilient feet that contact and hold the sheet of material in a fixed position with respect to the first member as the knob is rotated without damaging the sheet of material.
  • 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the knob is at least about one inch in diameter.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/536,920, filed Mar. 28, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,406 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/140,264, filed Aug. 26, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,909. The application, including the specification, drawings, claims and abstract, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

US Referenced Citations (74)
Number Name Date Kind
386619 Wilson et al. Jul 1888 A
494864 Huston Apr 1893 A
517522 King Apr 1894 A
572320 Stuparich Dec 1896 A
658710 Forker Sep 1900 A
658711 Forker Sep 1900 A
660211 Durkel Oct 1900 A
697997 Drinkous Jun 1902 A
701828 Arnold Jun 1902 A
705576 Forker Jul 1902 A
742047 Moehle Oct 1903 A
973047 Jeter Oct 1910 A
1007910 Dakel Nov 1911 A
1010292 McKinstry Nov 1911 A
1031780 Fine Jul 1912 A
1326260 Hardebeck Dec 1919 A
1391530 Bustillo y Diego Sep 1921 A
1470168 Jepsen Oct 1923 A
1614772 Bambini et al. Jan 1927 A
1806484 Michaud May 1931 A
1837912 Mann Dec 1931 A
2215216 Gits et al. Sep 1940 A
2458208 Ruger Jan 1949 A
2494557 Irick Jan 1950 A
2512786 Borg Jun 1950 A
2790240 Silverstein Apr 1957 A
2872732 Arrowood Feb 1959 A
2908972 Nitenson Oct 1959 A
2925655 De Beek Feb 1960 A
3032893 Debeh May 1962 A
3165130 Sanders Jan 1965 A
3562915 Brown Feb 1971 A
3576148 Katz Apr 1971 A
3621574 Yanke et al. Nov 1971 A
3787968 Littmann Jan 1974 A
3820245 Yozzo Jun 1974 A
3845676 Pierce Nov 1974 A
3867636 Miyahara Feb 1975 A
D243117 Green Jan 1977 S
4057898 Piosky Nov 1977 A
4112793 Pierce Sep 1978 A
4148144 Stiles Apr 1979 A
4176452 Duggins et al. Dec 1979 A
4222169 Lockwood Sep 1980 A
4233736 Duggins et al. Nov 1980 A
4244106 Pierce Jan 1981 A
4306598 Peot Dec 1981 A
4407074 Ledbetter Oct 1983 A
4426781 Kufrin Jan 1984 A
4445275 Dubrow May 1984 A
4567927 Plamann Feb 1986 A
4624057 Hursey Nov 1986 A
4649647 Kaulfuss Mar 1987 A
4691604 Carmichael Sep 1987 A
4773798 Gaster et al. Sep 1988 A
4782730 Picone et al. Nov 1988 A
4790222 Morgan Dec 1988 A
4858322 Kluga Aug 1989 A
4934054 Morozumi Jun 1990 A
5014584 Kozyrski et al. May 1991 A
5058282 Coll Oct 1991 A
5099727 Kozyrski et al. Mar 1992 A
5123170 Enrique Jun 1992 A
5189800 Morita et al. Mar 1993 A
5233748 Logan et al. Aug 1993 A
5322001 Boda Jun 1994 A
5430946 Peters et al. Jul 1995 A
5526573 Peters et al. Jun 1996 A
5555631 Houston Sep 1996 A
5671647 Mori Sep 1997 A
5802942 Cornell et al. Sep 1998 A
6052909 Gardner Apr 2000 A
6158133 Carlson et al. Dec 2000 A
6484406 Gardner Nov 2002 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (29)
Number Date Country
1581097 Feb 1978 GB
2075405 Nov 1981 GB
47-19474 Jul 1972 JP
48-4123 Jan 1973 JP
48-58260 Aug 1973 JP
4921232 Feb 1974 JP
50-23336 Aug 1975 JP
51-8152 Jan 1976 JP
53-119132 Oct 1978 JP
53-124391 Oct 1978 JP
54-38466 Mar 1979 JP
54-60028 May 1979 JP
55-20094 May 1980 JP
55-146800 Nov 1980 JP
60-53592 Apr 1985 JP
61-32800 Feb 1986 JP
61-83987 Jun 1986 JP
61-226297 Oct 1986 JP
62-60699 Mar 1987 JP
1-106296 Jul 1989 JP
02293200 Dec 1990 JP
03101999 Apr 1991 JP
03244600 Oct 1991 JP
04164698 Jun 1992 JP
6-88478 Nov 1994 JP
7-80390 Aug 1995 JP
08090988 Apr 1996 JP
2552913 Aug 1996 JP
10035182 Feb 1998 JP
Non-Patent Literature Citations (10)
Entry
“What Can You Do With A Doodle Cutter?”, Creating Keepsakes, Jul.-Aug. 1999.
Instructions for Doodle Cutter, Minx Inc., Jul. 21, 2000.
Coluzzle Collage Template System, California East, Ltd., Feb. 1999.
Nested Templates, California East, Ltd., May 1998.
Ellipsographs of De l'Hospital, http://155.185.1.61/labmat/hospitin.htm, p. 1 of 1, Jun. 5, 2000.
Ellipsograph of Van Schooten, http://155.185.1.61/labmat/Vanschin.htm, p. 1 of 1, Jun. 5, 2000.
The Fletcher-Terry Company, Product Book, 26 Pages.
Delphion Intellectual Property Network, Jul. 6, 2000, 3 pages, http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=JP02293200A2, JP01308698A2.
Delphion Intellectual Property Network, Jul. 6, 2000, 3 pages, JP4369600.http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=JP04369600A2.
Delphion Intellectual Property Network, Jul. 6, 2000, 3 pages, http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=JP08257802A2.
Continuation in Parts (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 09/140264 Aug 1998 US
Child 09/536920 US