Patent Application
20240033963
This application relates to a pipe cutting power tool accessory.
Certain pipe cutting accessories for power tools include a shaft having a rear end couplable to a power tool and a front end, and a disc-shaped cutting blade secured to the front end by a removable screw. The accessory may be coupled to a power tool and used to cut a pipe, such as a PVC pipe embedded in concrete, from the inside of the pipe.
In an aspect, a pipe cutting accessory includes a shaft extending along an axis and having a front end portion a rear end portion configured to be coupled to a tool holder of a power tool; a disc-shaped cutting blade fixedly coupled to the front end portion of the shaft and configured to rotate about the axis together with the shaft; and a roller portion concentrically received over the front end portion rearward of the cutting blade, wherein the roller has a cylindrical outer surface configured to roll along an inside wall of a pipe while the shaft and cutting blade rotate about the axis to cut a pipe from an inside of the pipe.
Implementations of this aspect may include one or more of the following features. The rear end portion may include a polygonal shank. The blade may include a circumferential cutting edge. The cutting edge of the blade may include an abrasive material. An additional portion or an entirety of the cutting blade may include the abrasive material. The blade may be fixedly coupled to the shaft by an axial pin extending along the axis. The axial pin may be press fit into a bore in the front end portion of the shaft. The axial pin may be secured in a bore in the front end portion of the shaft by a cross-pin that extends transverse to the axis. The cutting blade may have a first radius and the roller may have a second radius that is less than the first radius. The difference between the first radius and the second radius may be approximately equal to a thickness of the pipe to be cut. The shaft may be composed of a first metal (e.g., steel) and the roller is composed of a second metal (e.g., aluminum), a plastic, or an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or a rubber-like material). The roller may be rotatable relative to the shaft, or the roller may be non-rotatably fixed to the shaft. The roller portion may include indicia configured to indicate a depth to which the cutting blade is inserted into a pipe. A depth stop may be movably coupled to the roller portion or the shaft, the depth stop having a radius that is larger than a radius of the cutting blade to be configured to abut an end of a pipe when the cutting blade engages an inside wall of the pipe. The depth stop may include a collar with a locking mechanism configured to removably lock the depth stop to the roller portion or the shaft.
In another aspect, a pipe cutting accessory includes a shaft extending along an axis and having a front end portion a rear end portion configured to be coupled to a tool holder of a power tool. A disc-shaped cutting blade is coupled to the front end portion of the shaft and configured to rotate about the axis together with the shaft. A depth stop is movably coupled to the roller portion or the shaft, the depth stop having a radius that is larger than a radius of the cutting blade to be configured to abut an end of a pipe when the cutting blade engages an inside wall of the pipe.
Implementations of this aspect may include one or more of the following features. The depth stop may include a collar with a locking mechanism configured to removably lock the depth stop to the roller portion or the shaft. The collar may include a gap and the locking mechanism includes a set screw that spans the gap. The locking mechanism may include a pin that is movable radially to engage one or more recesses in the shaft. The locking mechanism may include a knob coupled to the pin. The knob and pin may be pullable radially to disengage the pin from the recesses. The pin may be threaded and the knob and pin may be rotatable to disengage the pin from the recesses. A roller portion may be configured to roll along an inside wall of a pipe while the shaft and cutting blade rotate about the axis to cut a pipe from an inside of the pipe. The roller portion may have a radius that is greater than a radius of the shaft and less than the radius of the cutting blade.
In another aspect, a pipe cutting accessory includes a shaft extending along an axis and having a rear end portion configured to be coupled to a tool holder of a power tool and a front end portion; and a disc-shaped cutting blade fixedly coupled to the front end portion of the shaft, configured to rotate about the axis together with the shaft, and having a circumferential cutting edge comprising an abrasive material, the cutting blade configured to rotate about the axis along with the shaft to cut a pipe from an inside of the pipe.
Implementations of this aspect may include one or more of the following features. The rear end portion may include a polygonal shank. The blade may include a circumferential cutting edge. An additional portion or an entirety of the cutting blade may include the abrasive material. The blade may be fixedly coupled to the shaft by an axial pin extending along the axis. The axial pin may be press fit into a bore in the front end portion of the shaft. The axial pin may be secured in a bore in the front end portion of the shaft by a cross-pin that extends transverse to the axis. The cutting blade may have a first radius, the roller may have a second radius that is less than the first radius, and the shaft may have a third radius that is less than the second radius. The difference between the first radius and the second radius may be approximately equal to a thickness of the pipe to be cut. A roller may be concentrically received over the front end portion. The roller may be configured to roll along an inside wall of a pipe while the shaft and cutting blade rotate about the axis to cut a pipe from its inside. The shaft may be composed of a first metal (e.g., steel) and the roller is composed of a second metal (e.g., aluminum), a plastic, or an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or a rubber-like material). The roller may be rotatable relative to the shaft, or the roller may be non-rotatably fixed to the shaft. The roller portion may include indicia configured to indicate a depth to which the cutting blade is inserted into a pipe.
In another aspect, a pipe cutting accessory includes a shaft extending along an axis and having a rear end portion configured to be coupled to a tool holder of a power tool and a front end portion with an axial bore; a pin fixedly secured in the axial bore; and a disc-shaped cutting blade fixedly coupled to the front end portion of the shaft by the pin, the cutting blade configured to rotate about the axis together with the shaft to cut a pipe from an inside of the pipe.
Implementations of this aspect may include one or more of the following features. The rear end portion may include a polygonal shank. The blade may include a circumferential cutting edge. The cutting edge of the blade may include an abrasive material. An additional portion or an entirety of the cutting blade may include the abrasive material. The blade may be fixedly coupled to the shaft by an axial pin extending along the axis. The pin may be press fit into a bore in the front end portion of the shaft. The pin may be secured in a bore in the front end portion of the shaft by a cross-pin that extends transverse to the axis. The cutting blade may have a first radius and the roller may have a second radius that is less than the first radius. The difference between the first radius and the second radius may be approximately equal to a thickness of the pipe to be cut. A roller may be concentrically received over the front end portion. The roller may be configured to roll along an inside wall of a pipe while the shaft and cutting blade rotate about the axis to cut a pipe from its inside. The shaft may be composed of a first metal (e.g., steel) and the roller is composed of a second metal (e.g., aluminum), a plastic, or an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or a rubber-like material). The roller may be rotatable relative to the shaft, or the roller may be non-rotatably fixed to the shaft. The roller portion may include indicia configured to indicate a depth to which the cutting blade is inserted into a pipe.
Advantages may include one or more of the following. Replacing the removable screw with a fixed connector reduces the risk of the blade becoming dislodged from the shaft. Coupling a larger diameter roller to the shaft helps maintain perpendicular alignment between the blade and the pipe to be cut and minimizes the effects of the blade striking concrete inside of which the pipe may be embedded. Having a blade with an abrasive cutting edge or surface reduces blade wear or breakage and increases blade life and durability. Indicia on the roller facilitates cutting a pipe at a more precise depth. Including a depth stop enables the pipe to be cut at a more precise location. These and other advantages and features will be apparent from the description and the drawings.
Referring to
The cutting blade 112 is fixedly coupled to the front end portion 104 of the shaft 102, e.g., by an axial pin 116 that is received through a central opening 117 in the cutting blade 112 and in an axial bore 118 in the shaft 102. The axial pin 116 includes a head 120 (which may be circular, as shown, or another shape) and a shaft 122 (which may be polygonal (e.g., hexagonal) as shown, or another shape such as cylindrical). The central opening 117 and the axial bore 118 each may have a cross-section that is polygonal (e.g., hexagonal) or another shape such as circular. The front end portion 104 of the shaft 102 may have a first cross-bore 124 transverse to the axis X and the axial pin 116 may have a second cross-bore 126 transverse to the axis X and aligned with the first cross-bore 124. The first cross-bore 124 and the second cross-bore 126 may receive a cross-pin 128 to retain the axial pin 116 in the axial bore 118 in the shaft 102. The cross-pin 128 may have a C-shaped cross section (as shown in
A roller portion 130 with a cylindrical outer surface 131 is concentrically received over the front end portion 104 of the shaft 102 and has a second radius R2 that is less than the first radius R1 of the cutting blade 112, with the shaft 102 having a third radius R3 that is less than the second radius R2. In the illustrated embodiment, the roller portion 130 is fixed to the shaft 102 so that they rotate in unison. In other embodiments, the roller portion 130 may be rotatable relative to the shaft 102 (e.g., by bearings or bushings) so that the roller portion 130 can rotate relative to the shaft 102 or at a different angular speed than the shaft 102. In an embodiment, the roller portion 130 can be composed of a different material than the shaft 102. For example, the shaft 102 may be composed of a first metal (e.g., steel) and the roller may be composed of a different second metal (e.g., aluminum), a plastic, or an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or a rubber-like material). The roller portion 130 may include indicia 140 that indicates the depth of insertion of the blade into a pipe to be cut.
Referring to
The cutting blade 212 is fixedly coupled to the front end portion 204 of the shaft 202, e.g., by an axial pin 216 that is received through a central opening 217 in the cutting blade 212 and in an axial bore 218 in the shaft 202. The axial pin 216 includes a head 220 (which may be circular, as shown, or another shape) and a shaft 222 (which may be polygonal (e.g., hexagonal) as shown, or another shape such as cylindrical), and may have a tapered tip 224. The central opening 217 and the axial bore 218 each may have a cross-section that is polygonal (e.g., hexagonal) or another shape such as circular. The axial pin 216 may be fixedly received in the bore 218, e.g., by press fitting or swaging.
A roller portion 230 with a cylindrical outer surface 231 is concentrically received over the front end portion 204 of the shaft 202 and has a second radius R2 that is less than the first radius R1 of the cutting blade 212, with the shaft 202 having a third radius R3 that is less than the second radius R2. In the illustrated embodiment, the roller portion 230 is fixed to the shaft 202 so that they rotate in unison. In other embodiments, the roller portion 230 may be rotatable relative to the shaft 202 (e.g., by bearings or bushings) so that the roller portion 230 can rotate relative to the shaft 202 or at a different angular speed than the shaft 202. In an embodiment, the roller portion 230 can be composed of a different material than the shaft 202. For example, the shaft 202 may be composed of a first metal (e.g., steel) and the roller may be composed of a different second metal (e.g., aluminum), a plastic, or an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or a rubber-like material). The roller portion 230 may include indicia 140 that indicates the depth of insertion of the blade into a pipe to be cut.
Referring to
Referring to
A roller portion 330 with a cylindrical outer surface 331 is concentrically received over the front end portion 304 of the shaft 302 and has a second radius R2 that is less than the first radius R1 of the cutting blade 312. In the illustrated embodiment, the roller portion 330 is fixed to the shaft 302 so that they rotate in unison. In other embodiments, the roller portion 330 may be rotatable relative to the shaft 302 (e.g., by bearings or bushings) so that the roller portion 330 can rotate relative to the shaft 302 or at a different angular speed than the shaft 302. In an embodiment, the roller portion 330 can be composed of a different material than the shaft 302. For example, the shaft 302 may be composed of a first metal (e.g., steel) and the roller may be composed of a different second metal (e.g., aluminum), a plastic, or an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or a rubber-like material). The roller portion 330 may include indicia 340 that indicate the depth of insertion of the blade into a pipe to be cut.
The pipe cutting accessory 300 additionally includes a depth stop 350 that is movably coupled to the shaft 302 and/or the roller portion 330. The depth stop 350 includes a collar 352, which may be C-shaped with a gap 354. The collar 352 of the depth stop 350 has a fourth radius R4 that is greater than the first radius R1 of the cutting blade 312. The depth stop 350 includes a locking mechanism 355, e.g., in the form of a set screw 356 received in a threaded opening 358 and that spans the gap 354. The locking mechanism 355 may be unlocked by loosening the set screw 356 to allow adjustment of the position of the depth stop 350 along the roller portion 330 and/or removal of the depth stop 350 from the roller portion 330. The locking mechanism 355 may be locked to retain the depth stop 350 at a selected position along the roller portion 330 by tightening the set screw 356. The indicia 340 on the roller portion 330 may assist the user in selecting the desired position of the depth stop 330.
In use, as shown in
Referring to
Other locking mechanisms may be used to releasably lock the depth stop 350 in a desired position, such as a cam latch, an over-center latch, a quick release lever, etc.
Example embodiments have been provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and to fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Terms of degree such as “generally,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and “about” may be used herein when describing the relative positions, sizes, dimensions, or values of various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These terms mean that such relative positions, sizes, dimensions, or values are within the defined range or comparison (e.g., equal or close to equal) with sufficient precision as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in the context of the various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections being described.
Numerous modifications may be made to the exemplary implementations described above. These and other implementations are within the scope of this application.
This application claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/369,575, filed Jul. 27, 2022, tiled “Pipe Cutting Accessory For Power Tool,” which is incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63369575 | Jul 2022 | US |
