1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable cutters that include a base member, a housing guide, a housing and a knife holder on the housing. The knife holder is adapted to receive and hold a box cutter knife (with handle and blade), wherein the box cutter knife is removable and blades are removable, replaceable, or interchangeable. The device may be a stand alone, with its own table structure, a stand alone for placements on a table, desk or other structure, or maybe one that is removably attached to a table, desk or other structure.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents are representative prior art references relating to cutters:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,999 relates to a trimming station for sheet like articles comprising a first conveyor assembly conveying sheet material in a first orientation having a first trimming section with vibrating trimming elements. Further, a sheet material reorienting section is provided for the sheet material. Reoriented sheet material articles are conveyed in a second orientation to a second conveyor assembly having a second trimming section with trimming elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,515 describes an improved rotary trimmer having a blade biasing member. The biasing member biases the blade in an inoperative position in which the blade is retracted inside a housing when not in use. A manual actuating means is used to overcome the bias provided by the biasing member and to move the blade into an operative position in which at least the cutting edge of the blade projects from the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,459 describes paper cutter or trimming device that comprises a cutting board including measuring indicia, rail assembly, and a carriage assembly including a circular blade. The indicia are calibrated in a scale measured from a predetermined cut line. The rail assembly is mounted in a perpendicular relation to the measuring indicia for pivotal movement between operative and inoperative positions with respect to the cutting board. The carriage assembly is mounted for sliding movement on the rail assembly. The cutting board may include a positive stop, and the rail assembly may be biased against the at least one stop when the rail assembly moves to the operative position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,618 describes a rotary paper trimmer for cutting sheet material and a method of using the trimmer. The rotary paper trimmer has a base, a pressure pad, and a blade holder assembly. The pressure pad has a guide rail and a gear track attached to its upper surface. A blade holder assembly has an outer shell slideably attached to the guide rail, a shaft rotatably attached to the shell, a circular blade attached to the shell and adjacent a lateral edge of the base, and a gear attached to the shaft. As the blade holder assembly is slid on the guide rail, the gear engages with the gear track and rotates the shaft and circular blade to cut sheet material inserted between the pressure pad and base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,942 illustrates a paper trimmer that includes a base and a plate pivotally attached to the base. A carrier is slideably attached to the plate in an elongated slot. A blade assembly includes a blade secured to a blade holder. The blade assembly is received in a cavity formed in the carrier such that a cutting edge of the blade extends below the plate and is received within a channel formed in a cutting region of the base when the plate is disposed over the cutting region. A paper is cut by translation of the carrier along the slot of the plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,204 describes improvements in the life of cutting knife blades and the quality of shearing of thick multiple sheet and shingled paper products produced in a paper trimming system having two circular rotatable knives mounted to overlap at a shearing station through which the paper products are passed. Thin steel annular disc cutting blades with teeth about the outer circumference are significantly improved in life be eliminating the effects of blade warping and non-continuous mating contact with a bed knife cutting surface in an adjacent shearing relationship that is not broken by intervention of sheared paper or out of round knife surfaces or by deflection of the cutting blade away from mating surface contact by the pressure of thick or shingled paper products. Friction and wear is reduced by inclination of the cutting blade to prevent continuous rubbing against sheared paper edges. These problems are resolved by dishing and mounting the thin flexible annular disc cutting knife at a small angle away from perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the knives and by supporting its outer circumference to prevent deflection away from mating contact with the bed knife cutting surface. Thus, the cutting edges between the two rotary knives remain in continuous contact to produce clean cuts without raggedness in the presence of heavy loading form thick many paged paper products even when shingled to present a succession of step function increases of cutting loads.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter provides significant advantages over prior art paper and paperboard and other commercially available cutters. Among these advantages are:
In the present invention, easily replaceable blades or box cutter knifes are used as the cutting mechanism.
There is a blade to cutting channel relationship that eliminates the need for consumable cutting mat.
In some preferred embodiments, there is a high friction grip surface of the hold down handle that helps to hold the media in position while it is being cut.
In some preferred embodiments, there is an instant access thumb control of the blade length or penetration.
In some preferred embodiments, there is a unitized, self-supporting construction that allows for easy mounting to most tables and work benches. It also makes the cutter portable, as easy installation allows quick simple removal and re-installation on another table.
In some preferred embodiments, the edge of hold down plate helps to “eyeball” the path of cutting blade through media. A light shining upward through the slot can show the path of the cutting edge in translucent or transparent material.
The present invention cutter may be used to cut and trim paper, foam core, laminated paper, vinyl sheets, card board, fabrics, poster board, etc.
In some preferred embodiments, The present invention allows the operator to raise and lower the cutting beam via a foot pedal. In this scenario, the operator has both hands free for positioning of the media. This is very useful on long cutters (over 5 or 6 feet).
The nature of the construction allows the cutter to be fabricated in sections as knock down assemblies. This feature provides for cost saving with respect to shipping because the long cutters can be disassembled and easily shipped inexpensively. Aluminum is a preferred material of construction for the larger components.
The present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter includes: (a) a base member having a flat top and an elongated recessed cutting channel; (b) an elongated housing guide connected to the top of the base member with a gap between the base member and the elongated housing guide so as to position a sheet to be cut atop the base member and under the elongated housing guide, the elongated housing guide being parallel to the channel, the elongated housing guide having at least one track component selected from one of a male track component and a female track component, and adapted to receive the other of a male track component and a female track component of a main housing; (c) a main housing adapted to move along the elongated housing guide parallel to the channel, the main housing having a handle, having at least one track component selected from one of a male track component and a female track component moveably connected to the housing guide, and having a knife holder adapted to receive and hold a cutting knife.
In preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter elongated housing guide is connected to the top of the base member indirectly, by connection to one or two guide support members that are connected to the top of the base member. The elongated housing guide, or beam, is preferably supported by two guide support members at opposite ends of the elongated housing guide. While this is preferred, a single guide support member may be used with a cantilevered elongated housing guide.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter base member has two opposing sections and the channel is established by a void between the two opposing sections.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter two opposing sections have horizontal plates with downwardly extending vertical plates with the channel therebetween.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter elongated guide and the main housing each have at least two of the track components and the track components of the elongated guide are complementary to the track components of the main housing.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter base member includes a paper cutter table.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter base member includes attachment means for portable, removable attachment to a table.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter attachment means is at least one clamp.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter main housing includes an inverted U-shaped portion moveably nested about the elongated housing guide.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter knife holder includes a knife slider controller for adjustment of knife blade height.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter knife holder includes a plurality of ratchet slots for movement and locking of the knife slider controller within the plurality of ratchet slots for adjustment of knife blade height, and the cutter includes a knife with breakaway segments.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter elongated housing guide is vertically moveable within the guide support member to provide elongated housing guide height adjustment capability.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter guide support member includes a vertical guide and a manual vertical adjustment controller for vertically raising and lowering the elongated housing guide.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter vertical adjustment controller is a manually rotatable screw and lock and the elongated housing guide is threaded and functionally connected to the manually rotatable screw and lock.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter elongated guide and the main housing each have at least two of the track components and the track components of the elongated guide are complementary to the track components of the main housing.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter main housing includes an inverted U-shaped portion moveably nested about the elongated housing guide.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter knife holder includes a knife slider controller for adjustment of knife blade height.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter knife holder includes a plurality of ratchet slots for movement and locking of the knife slider controller within the plurality of ratchet slots for adjustment of knife blade height, and the cutter includes a knife with breakaway segments.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter channel is less than 15 inches in length.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention light duty, long axis portable cutter channel is at least 15 inches in length.
The present invention should be more fully understood when the specification herein is taken in conjunction with the drawings appended hereto wherein:
Elongated housing guide 31 is connected to the top of base member 3 indirectly via guide support member 41 and guide support member 91, at opposite ends. In other words, guide support members 41 and 91 are screwed, bolted, welded, riveted, slot-fitted or otherwise attached to base member 3. Right angle brackets 43 and 93 aid to eliminate vibration and torquing.
Elongated housing guide 31 is moveably connected to guide support member 41 and guide support member 91 in this embodiment, although elongated housing guide 31 could include an L-shaped piece or a cantilevered bridge attached directly to base member 3, or it could be attached to one or more supports such as guide support members in a non-moveable manner wherein only the blade height is adjustable. However, in this preferred embodiment, the elongated housing guide 31 is vertically adjustable via a lock/unlock ratchet mechanism engaged between elongated housing guide 31 and guide support members 41 and 91 to provide height adjustment. In
Slideably attached to elongated housing guide 31 is a main housing 51, in this case, with an end view having an inverted U portion. Main housing 51 is able to slide from left to right, and vice versa, for cuffing and return. It has a convenient handle 53 and has a knife holder 55, adapted to receive and hold a cutting knife or cutting knife blade 57.
As can be seen, elongated housing guide 31 is positioned parallel to recessed cutting channel 13 and appropriately positioned and aligned so that a cutting blade such as blade 57 may move back and forth within recessed cutting channel 13. To facilitate the positioning of work pieces to be cut, in this embodiment, there is an optional, but preferred, work piece guide rail 45 and an extended work piece support 47 attached to cutter 1, as shown.
In this embodiment, the guide is initially held in the up position by springs attached to the beam at each end and shown in more detail below. The operator places the material to be cut under the raised guide 31. Using line of sight the user may align the material with the edge of and an extended work piece support 47 or the blade recess to establish the cut line. As a result of the downward force imposed be the operator on handle 53 the force of the springs is overcome and the guide 31 moves down to rest on top of the material to be cut, clamping it between the horizontal surfaces of base support member 9 and high friction surface 5. This clamping action and/or the fence 45, prevent the material from being moved be the forces imposed by the cutter blade, when pushed through the material. The operator then pushes down on the handle 53 and pushes the housing and blade 57 along the appropriate length of the beam so as to cut the material.
Present invention portable cutter 1, as shown in
In
In the foot operated configuration shown in
This feature is very useful when handling long pieces of material on long cutters, (over 5 or 6 feet). In addition, it facilitates very accurate line up with reference marks on the material such as cut lines and crop marks.
Elongated housing guide 431 is connected to the top of the base member sections 401 and 403 indirectly via guide support member 421 and guide support member 423. In other words, the guide support members 421 and 423 are screwed, bolted, welded, riveted, slot-fitted or otherwise attached to base member sections 401 and 403, and also aid to eliminate vibration and torquing.
There is an elongated housing guide 410 that is a rotated “U” channel with a top plate 415 and a bottom plate 417. This elongated housing guide 410 is moveably connected to guide support member 421 (with cover 426) and guide support member 423 with pins and springs (described below).
Slideably attached to elongated housing guide 410 is a main housing 425, in this case, with an end view having an a generally “L” shape. Main housing 425 is able to slide from left to right, and vice versa, for cutting and return, as its tongue fits into elongated housing guide 410. It has a convenient handle 427 and has a knife blade holder 430 with lightening screw 431, adapted to receive and hold a cutting knife blade or a razor blade 429.
As can be seen, elongated housing guide 425 is positioned parallel to recessed cutting channel 405 and appropriately positioned and aligned so that a cutting blade such as razor blade 429 may move back and forth within recessed cutting channel 405.
Referring now to
Note that in this preferred embodiment (
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.