Masonry cutter

• US 20040007226A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sidewalks Plus Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sidewalks Plus Incorporated
• Inventors: Denys, Leo Edmund
• Granted Patent: US 6,863,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 125/13.01
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/027 the saw carriage being mounted on a carriage, e.g. gantry-type sawing machines
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 47/08 of devices for bringing the circular saw blade to the workpiece or removing same therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/044 the saw blade being movable on slide ways B28D1/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/045 Sawing grooves in walls; sawing stones from rocks; sawing machines movable on the stones to be cut

Abstract

A masonry cutter comprising a tripod having legs for straddling the masonry to be cut and a cutting assembly mounted between the legs. The cutting assembly comprises a cutting element, preferably a circular saw, and a means for operating the cutting element. The legs may be vertically adjustable. Adjustment of the legs permits changing the angle between a plane parallel to the cutting element and a plane parallel with the masonry to be cut. The tripod may be mounted to a frame by means of a pivot with a vertical pivot axis passing through the pivot. This allows the tripod legs to be positioned and the cutting assembly to be oriented so that the first and second axes are in a desired direction with reference to the masonry to be cut. In one embodiment, the masonry to be cut is a sidewalk slab and the apparatus is used to remove trip hazards from the sidewalk slab. The masonry cutter may be removably mounted to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A masonry cutter comprising:

a) a tripod having three legs for straddling masonry to be cut; and

,

b) a cutting assembly mounted to the tripod between the legs, the cutting assembly comprising a cutting element and a means for operating the cutting element, the cutting assembly movable along a first axis and along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to thereby move the cutting element through the masonry.

2. A masonry cutter according to claim 1, wherein the legs form a triangle therebetween.

3. A masonry cutter according to claim 2, wherein each leg is vertical and vertically adjustable.

4. A masonry cutter according to claim 3, wherein the first axis and the second axis lie in a plane parallel with the cutting element.

5. A masonry cutter according to claim 4, wherein vertical adjustment of the legs changes the angular orientation of the plane parallel with the cutting element with respect to a plane parallel to the masonry to be cut.

6. A masonry cutter according to claim 5, wherein the angle between the plane parallel with the cutting element and the plane parallel with the masonry to be cut is between 0 and 60 degrees.

7. A masonry cutter according to claim 5, wherein the angle between the plane parallel with the cutting element and the plane parallel with the masonry to be cut is between 0 and 10 degrees.

8. A masonry cutter according to claim 1, wherein the masonry cutter comprises a frame, the tripod attached to the underside of the frame by a pivot and rotatable about a vertical pivot axis passing through the pivot.

9. A masonry cutter according to claim 8, wherein the cutting assembly rotates with the tripod about the vertical pivot axis.

10. A masonry cutter according to claim 9, wherein rotation of the tripod about the vertical pivot axis changes the direction of the first axis and the second axis with respect to the masonry to be cut.

11. A masonry cutter according to claim 10, wherein the first axis and the second axis lie in a plane parallel with the cutting element.

12. A masonry cutter according to claim 11, wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to the vertical pivot axis.

13. A masonry cutter according to claim 1, wherein the cutting element is circular and the means for operating the cutting element causes rotation of the cutting element.

14. A vehicle for cutting masonry comprising:

a masonry cutter comprising a tripod having three legs for straddling masonry to be cut, and, a cutting assembly mounted to the tripod between the legs, the cutting assembly comprising a cutting element and a means for operating the cutting element, the cutting assembly movable along a first axis and along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to thereby move the cutting element through the masonry;

wherein the masonry cutter is removably mounted to the vehicle.

15. A method of cutting masonry comprising:

a) providing a masonry cutter comprising a tripod having three vertically adjustable legs for straddling masonry to be cut; and

, a cutting assembly mounted to the tripod between the legs, the cutting assembly comprising a cutting element and a means for operating the cutting element, the cutting assembly movable along a first axis and along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to thereby move the cutting element through the masonry, the first axis and the second axis lying in a plane parallel with the cutting element;

b) positioning the legs to straddle the masonry to be cut;

c) vertically adjusting the legs so that the plane parallel with the cutting element adopts a pre-determined angular orientation with respect to a plane parallel to the masonry to be cut;

d) moving the cutting element along the first axis into engagement with the masonry to be cut;

e) moving the cutting element along the second axis through the masonry to be cut, thereby forming a cut portion of masonry; and

,

f) removing the cut portion of masonry.

16. A method of cutting masonry according to claim 15, wherein the masonry is a sidewalk.

17. A method of cutting masonry according to claim 16, wherein the masonry to be cut is a raised portion of a sidewalk slab.

18. A method of cutting masonry according to claim 17, wherein the raised portion of a sidewalk slab is removed in a manner that reduces the likelihood of tripping over the raised portion.

19. A method of cutting masonry according to claim 18, wherein two legs are positioned on a sidewalk slab adjacent to the raised portion of a sidewalk slab and aligned therewith.

20. A method of cutting masonry according to claim 19, wherein the second axis is parallel to the two legs so that the legs may be used as an aid in aligning the cutting element with the raised portion of a sidewalk slab.