Cutting mechanism

• US 5,943,933 A
• Filed: 07/23/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murray Evans, Thomas Thomas
• Original Assignee: Murray Evans, Thomas Thomas
• Inventors: Thomas, Thomas, Evans, Murray
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHLEY, BOYER DOLINGER
• Application Number:
  US08/899,056
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 83/917, 83/614, 83/613, 83/594, 83/581, 83/522.25, 83/522.19, 83/522.17, 83/522.16, 83/468.7, 83/468.6, 83/468.2, 83/468.1, 83/464 , 83/268, 83/247, 83/633, 83/454, 83/455, 83/563, 83/636, 83/879, 83/875, 83/869, 83/692, 83/693, 83/641
• US Class Current: 83/522.19
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 1/12 to notch margins of work
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 5/04 for planing, cutting, shearing, or milling mitre joints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/917 Notching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0304 Grooving
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/461 With abutment to position work being fed with respect to cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7507 Guide for traveling cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7567 Manually actuated drive means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7613 Adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7647 Adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/858 Indicates dimension of work being cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8748 Tool displaceable to inactive position [e.g., for work loading]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8773 Bevel or miter cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/885 Fixed axis lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8854 Progressively cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8868 Adjustably mounted cooperating tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9442 Notching tool

Abstract

A cutting mechanism for accurately cutting a notch in a piece of edging, to permit sharp bending of the piece of edging for a picture or plaque, is disclosed. The cutting mechanism comprises a jig secured to a base member, the jig being dimensioned to receive the piece of edging clamped thereto. A cutting blade is mounted on the base member for reciprocating movement between a first retracted position whereat the cutting blade is remote from the jig and a second fully extended position whereat the cutting edge has passed through the jig. The cutting blade has an inverted "V"-shaped cutting edge comprising two blade portions joined one to the other at a central vertex. A cutting blade guide means retains the cutting blade such that, during cutting of the piece of edging retained in place on the jig, the vertex is disposed at a level between the top surface of the jig and the top surface of the second wall of the piece of edging, so as to thereby permit scoring of the inwardly facing surface of the second wall of the piece of edging. A first blade receiving aperture is disposed in the jig to permit the cutting blade to pass therethrough, and is open at the top to permit the cutting blade to extend therethrough. An actuation handle permits selective movement of the cutting blade between the first retracted position and the fully extended position.

Claims

1. A cutting mechanism for accurately cutting a notch through a first wall of a workpiece, and a co-operating score in a second wall of the workpiece;

said cutting mechanism comprising;

a base member defining a generally planar base surface, and having first and second jig members mounted on the base surface such that respective base faces of the first and second jig members contact the base surface, in which said first and second jig members define a blade receiving aperture therebetween, said first and second jig members having respective first and second workpiece receiving surfaces opposite said respective base faces and each workpiece receiving surface disposed at a respective side of said blade receiving aperture, said first and second workpiece receiving surfaces being coplanar, and each of said first and second workpiece receiving surfaces being disposed in a first selected plane at a first selected distance from said base surface;

said first and second jig members each having a front face, an opposing back face, and opposing side faces all extending generally perpendicularly from said base surface to said first and second workpiece receiving surfaces, respectively;

workpiece clamping means mounted on said base member for clamping the workpiece against said first workpiece receiving surface of said first jig member and against said second workpiece receiving surface of said second jig member;

a cutting blade having an inverted "V" configuration, said inverted "V" configuration having a vertex, said vertex of said inverted "V" configuration of said cutting blade being disposed in a second selected plane which is spaced at a predetermined distance "S" from said first selected plane, wherein said second selected plane defines the height of said blade with respect to said base surface, and wherein the height of sad blade receiving aperature with respect to said base surface is defined by said first selected distance, and is substantially the height of said blade; and

actuation means to permit selective movement of said cutting blade between a first, retracted position and a second, extended position;

whereby, when said cutting blade is moved from said retracted position to said extended position thereof, said cutting blade passes through said blade receiving aperture between said first and second jig members, and said vertex is moved in said second selected plane as said cutting blade is moved through said blade receiving aperture and through said first selected plane.

2. The cutting mechanism of claim 1, further comprising measurement means mounted onto said base member, said measurement means comprising a selectively positionable first indexing member mounted onto said base member adjacent said first and second jig members, said first indexing member having a first indexing surface thereon generally aligned with said vertex of said "V" shaped configuration of said cutting blade when said cutting blade is in its extended position, and a second indexing member mounted in selectively positionable relation to said base member remote from said cutting blade and adjacent the workpiece when the workpiece is secured in place, said second indexing member having a second indexing surface, in which the second indexing surface generally faces said first indexing surface.

3. The cutting mechanism of claim 1, wherein said cutting blade has a leading point at said vertex, and first and second cutting edges which slope away from said leading point in a direction away from said blade receiving aperture towards said first retracted position.

4. The cutting mechanism of claim 3, wherein said cutting blade is slidably mounted in a slot in said base member, wherein said cutting blade is slidably retained within a triangularly sectioned slot in a housing block removably secured to said base member, and wherein said slot in said base member and said triangularly sectioned slot in said housing block act as cutting blade guide means.

5. A workpiece cutting device comprising:

a base member defining a generally planar base surface;

a reciprocating cutting blade movably mounted on said generally planar base surface;

actuation means for reciprocating said blade in a first selected direction of reciprocation between a first retracted position and a second extended position, said cutting blade defining an inverted "V" shaped cross-section having a vertex, said vertex being located at a first selected height relative to said generally planar base surface; and

an elongated positioning jig having first, second, third and forth opposing side faces disposed perpendicularly relative to said generally planar base surface, said elongated positioning jig being mounted on said base surface such that a base face of the elongated positioning jig contacts the base surface, said opposing side faces of said elongated positioning jig being disposed perpendicularly to said first selected direction of reciprocation of said cutting blade, said elongated positioning jig including a workpiece receiving surface opposite said base face, said workpiece receiving surface being disposed between said opposing side faces and formed along a top thereof in a plane at a second selected height parallel to said generally planar base surface, said opposing side faces all extending from said base surface to said workpiece receiving surface, wherein said second selected height is substantially equal to but less than said first selected height;

said elongated positioning jig including a blade receiving aperture corresponding in dimension to the cross-section of said reciprocating cutting blade, said blade receiving aperture extending through the depth of said elongated positioning jig from said first face to said second face in said first selected direction.

6. The workpiece cutting device of claim 5, further comprising workpiece clamping means mounted on said base member for clamping a workpiece against said workpiece receiving surface of said elongated positioning jig.

7. The workpiece cutting mechanism of claim 5, wherein said cutting blade has a leading point at said vertex, and first and second cutting edges sloping away from said leading point in a direction away from said blade receiving aperture towards said first retracted position.

8. The workpiece cutting mechanism of claim 5, wherein said blade receiving aperture is a triangularly sectioned slot in a housing block removably secured to said base member, and wherein said housing block acts as a cutting blade guide.

9. The cutting mechanism of claim 5, further comprising measurement means mounted onto said base member, said measurement means comprising a selectively positionable first an indexing member mounted onto said base member adjacent said elongated positioning jig, said first indexing member having a first indexing surface thereon generally aligned with said vertex of said "V" shaped cross-section of said cutting blade when said cutting blade is in its extended position, and a second indexing member mounted in selectively positionable relation to said base member remote from said cutting blade, said second indexing member having a second indexing surface, in which the second indexing surface generally faces said first indexing surface.

10. In combination:

a workpiece; and

a cutting mechanism for accurately cutting a notch through a first wall of the workpiece, and a co-operating score in a second wall of the workpiece;

said cutting mechanism comprising;

a base member defining a generally planar base surface, and having first and second jig members mounted on the base surface such that respective base faces of the first and second jig members contact the base surface, in which said first and second jig members define a blade receiving aperture therebetween, said first and second jig members having respective first and second workpiece receiving surface opposite said respective base faces and each workpiece receiving surface disposed at a respective side of said blade receiving aperture, said first and second workpiece receiving surfaces being coplanar, and each of said first and second workpiece receiving surfaces being disposed in a first selected plane at a first selected distance from said base surface;

said first and second jig members each having a front face, an opposing back face, and opposing side faces all extending generally perpendicularly from said base surface to said first and second workpiece receiving surfaces, respectively;

workpiece clamping means mounted on said base member for clamping the workpiece against said first workpiece receiving surface of said first jig member and against said second workpiece receiving surface of said second jig member;

a cutting blade having an inverted "V" configuration, said inverted "V" configuration having a vertex, said vertex of said inverted "V" configuration of said cutting blade being disposed in a second selected plane which is spaced at a predetermined distance "S" from said first selected plane, wherein said second selected plane defines the height of said blade with respect to said base surface, and wherein the height of said blade receiving aperture with respect to said base surface is defined by said first selected distance, and is substantially the height of said blade; and

actuation means to permit selective movement of said cutting blade between a first, retracted position and a second, extended position;

whereby, when said cutting blade is moved from said retracted position to said extended position thereof, said cutting blade passes through said blade receiving aperture between said first and second jig members, said vertex is moved in said second selected plane as said cutting blade is moved through said blade receiving aperture and through said first selected plane;

said workpiece being dimensioned to be received on said first and second coplanar workpiece receiving surfaces of said first and second jig members, respectively, said workpiece having a thickness greater than said predetermined distance "S".

11. In combination:

a workpiece; and

a workpiece cutting device;

said workpiece cutting device comprising;

a base member defining a generally planar base surface;

a reciprocating cutting blade movably mounted on said generally planar base surface;

actuation means for reciprocating said blade in a first selected direction of reciprocation between a first retracted position and a second extended position, said cutting blade defining an inverted "V" shaped cross-section having a vertex, said vertex being located at a first selected height relative to said generally planar base surface; and

an elongated positioning jig having first, second, third and forth opposing side faces disposed perpendicularly relative to said generally planar base surface, said elongated positioning jig being mounted on said base surface such that a base face of the elongated positioning jig contacts the base surface, said opposing side faces of said elongated positioning jig being disposed perpendicularly to said first selected direction of reciprocation of said cutting blade, said elongated positioning jig including a workpiece receiving surface opposite said base face, said workpiece receiving surface being disposed between said opposing side faces and formed along a top thereof in a plane at a second selected height parallel to said generally planar base surface, said opposing side faces all extending from said base surface to said workpiece receiving surface, wherein said second selected height is substantially equal to but less than said first selected height;

said elongated positioning jig including a blade receiving aperture corresponding in dimension to the cross-section of said reciprocating cutting blade, said blade receiving aperture extending through the depth of said elongated positioning jig from said first face to said second face in said first selected direction;

said workpiece being dimensioned to be received on said workpiece receiving surface of said elongated positions jig, said workpiece having a thickness greater than the difference between said first selected height and said second selected height.