Field of the invention

This invention is a chopping block with integrated flaker for manual copping wood pieces, serviceable with a minimum of consequent clean-up. The device is therefore highly suitable for home interiors.

Backround of the invention

Besides a number of diversely constructed devices designed for mechanized wood chopping - e.g. a wood splitter with machine-operated wedges as authorized by European Patent No. 1 837 147, or a wood splitter with a rotating cone and a thread as authorized by Czech Patent No. CR 140726 -the development of a hand-operated wood chopper in terms of its simplification and safety standards has also been enhanced.

Particular attention is paid to a common chopping block for splitting wood billets, with a focus on its essential disadvantage - undesirable falling of the chopped pieces on the floor all around the chopping block. For further chopping, these fallen wood pieces must be collected and lifted up back on the chopping block, which means an extra strain and time investment for a worker. Furthermore, chopping blocks often crack in periphery or even fall apart. These deficiencies have been eliminated by the solution defined in an authorized model CR 6499. In this model a chopping block is tightened with a hose clamp in its upper part the work surface of the block is equipped with an elevated rim (e.g. a wire mesh pane) preventing chopped pieces from falling on the floor. These pieces are then easily collected for further process or left available as a reserve. Chopped pieces remain on the work surface of a block, even in a large number, and a worker is able to collect them easily and carry them away. An elevated rim may also be equipped with a hinged hatch that after opening releases accumulated sticks into a prepared box. The above mentioned hose clamp extends an operating life of a chopping block. It fastens the block and protects it from an excessive cracking and disintegration.

A chopping block with an elevated rim protruding beyond the work surface of the block is the subject of European patent No. 1886779. The wood collection device consists of a ring that is closed in the peripheral direction and that has an upper edge at a significantly shorter distance from the work surface of the block in the region of leading side of the block than on the rear side. The above mentioned ring may advantageously be made of plastic and conically widened towards the upper side.

It is beyond doubt that the stated solutions facilitate the hand-operated wood chopping process and contribute to safety standards. They protect workers from being hit by rebound pieces of wood. On the contrary, they don't meet safety standards for chopping small wood spills. Preparing tihin spills that are suitable for setting the fire must still be done in a conventional way with an axe or a knife. This process requires particular skills, experience as well as smartly coordinated strike and billet holding.

Various kinds of remote devices - e.g. spill planes - may well function for safety wood chopping and making small or even very thin spills. Such kinds of spill planes are provided with a swing knife or fixed radial knives. A billet is laid on the knife, hit by a hammer from above, and thus falls apart. This kind of device is positioned on the wall and it is therefore highly inefficient in absorbing heavy strokes. The noise and shakes of the walls are subsequently spread.

This issue has been solved by a spill plane, a subject of Czech Patent No. 52029, which consists of a four-sided solid cast iron desk with two lateral perpendicular extensions. The extensions, equipped with thin cut-outs situated exactly in the middle of the extensions and opposite to each other, serve for mounting a vertical knife with a knife edge heading upwards. The knife is fixed with two opposite protrusions and also with screws that may concurrently function as a rotating hitch of a shackle anchor clamp. Thus, the whole spill plane may be easily transferable. The process of wood chopping goes as follows: a billet is positioned on the knife edge and is hit from above with a hammer or other suitable instrument. As the knife is securely mounted in the extensions, any noise and shakings are lowered to minimum.

As it was already stated, all types of the spill planes are remote devices. In other words, usage of a hand-operated chopping block is presently possible either in a conventional way with an axe or a knife requiring particular skills, experience and smartly coordinated strike, or with the engaging another remote device - a spill plate.

Summary of the invention

A chopping block with integrated flaker for manual copping wood pieces in accordance with the invention contributes to the elimination of the above mentioned deficiencies. The key improvement resides in an integration of a spill chopper - a spilling knife - right into the work surface of a chopping block. The block is hollow inside and the work surface contains a square inlet hole. At least one stationary knife in placed centrally across this inlet hole and is securely mounted into the walls of the inlet hole. The hollow ends up with an outlet hole in a lower part of a chopping block.

Advantageously, a slanting slide connecting an inlet and an outlet hole may be fabricated inside of the pedestal hollow.

The pedestal of the chopping block has either a shape of a concave cuboid, while the upper surface desk corresponds to this shape and contains a square inlet hole with an integrated knife, or it might have a shape of a concave cylinder, while the upper surface desk corresponds to this shape and contains a round-shaped or a square-shaped inlet hole with an integrated knife. Advantageously, a mounting for a specifically shaped knife edge-guard may be integrated into the walls of an inlet hole.

Furthermore, the pedestal may be equipped with transport wheels at the bottom and with a billet catcher on its upper side. A tool pocket may also be positioned in the central part of the pedestal.

In comparison to the conventional ways, this chopping block in accordance with the invention provides considerably safer, faster and more effective method of preparing smaller pieces of wood and spills for setting the fire primarily. The spill chopper enables us to safely produce a spill of an exact size, and even a very thin spill. A billet is positioned on the knife edge in an appropriate extent, one hand holds the billet and another hammers it f om above. The billet is then notched and split and the cut pieces fall down the hollow through the outlet hole into a prepared box. Due to that, we may easily produce very thin spills that are particularly suitable for setting the fire. Besides, the chopping block still enables us to prepare wider sticks and billets as it is common in conventional ways of wood chopping.

Brief description of the drawings

For the purpose of a detailed clarification of the invention, several drawings are attached. Here:

Fig. 1 is a schematic depiction of a chopping block in accordance with the invention from

lateral perspective,

Fig. 2 is a schematic depiction of a chopping block in accordance with the invention from

f ontal perspective and Fig. 3 is a schematic depiction of a chopping block in accordance with the invention as a ground plan.

Examples of the invention Example 1

A chopping block with integrated flaker for manual copping wood pieces in an exemplary implementation (see Fig. 1 to 3), contains a spill chopper with one stationary knifeI that is designed for splitting billets by hammering them from above. A spill chopper is integrated directly into the work surface of the block 2, a stationary knife 1 is mounted in the walls 2b of an inlet hole 2a on the work surface 2 that is on the upper part of the pedestal 3. In the block pedestal 3 is a hollow 3b, which is situated beneath the inlet hole 2a of the work surface 2 and leads into the outlet hole 3a in a lower part of the pedestal 3. A slanting slide 4 ending up in the outlet hole 3a is fabricated inside the pedestal hollow 3b.

The block pedestal 3 has a shape of a concave cuboid, while the upper surface desk 2 corresponds to this shape and contains a square-shaped inlet hole 2a with an integrated knife \. An inlet hole 2a has a mounting in its walls, which serves for a specifically shaped edge-guard 2c for an integrated knife i of the spill chopper.

The pedestal 3 is equipped with transport wheels 5 at the bottom, with a billet catcher 6 on its upper side, and with a tool pocket in its central area 7.

Example 2

A construction solution of a chopping block is similar to Example 1. The block pedestal 3 has a shape of a concave cylinder, while the upper surface desk 2 corresponds to this shape and contains a round-shaped or a square-shaped inlet hole 2a with an integrated knife 1.