Background of the Invention It is often desirable to cut material to be used in the fabrication of clothing, quilts, and various other fabric articles. A fabric cutting system is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 5,253,790 to Brady and the subject matter of such patent is incorporated herein by reference. As taught by Brady, fabric to be cut may be placed upon a mat which both facilitates the attachment of a pattern to the fabric to be cut and provides a protective surface for the table top upon which it is usually positioned. A pattern, which defines the shape to which the material is to be cut, is generally attached to the material via weights having sharp pins extending from the lower surface thereof, i. e., pin weights. Such pin weights are generally positioned at intervals about the pattern along the cut to be made such that the pins extend downwardly through the pattern, through the material to be cut. Thus, the pins of the pin weights prevent relative movement of the pattern and material to be cut, thereby preventing shifting during the cutting process. A rotary razor cutter may be used to cut the material in the shape of the pattern by pressing the cutter against the material to be cut.

As further disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 5,253,790 to Brady the pin weights used each have a housing which must be drilled to facilitate the insertion of pins or thumbtacks through the bottom of the housing such that

the pointed tips of the pins extend downwardly therethrough. A steel washer is inserted into the housing for providing the pin weight with sufficient mass to holding the fabric in place during the cutting process. Although generally suitable for its intended purpose, in light of the prior art fabric cutting weights, such as the above described pin weights, it is therefore evident that there exists a need in the art for an improved fabric cutting weight which is relatively easy to manufacture and assemble and is relatively low cost.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fabric cutting weight for holding a pattern and material to be cut in place upon a mat. The weight is provided with a first housing half. The weight is further provided with a second housing half formed to engage the first housing half. The housing halves are cooperatively formed to define a volume therebetween.

The first housing half has integrally formed spikes protruding therefrom. The weight is further provided with a filler material disposed within the volume defined by the housing halves.

In the preferred embodiment of the fabric cutting weight of the present invention, the housing halves are formed to define a generally annular volume. The second housing half has a bottom surface with the spikes protruding therefrom. The first housing half has an external surface which has at least one depression therein. The depression is sized and configured to receive without contacting the spikes of the external surface of the second housing half to facilitate stacking of the second housing half upon the first housing half. In addition, the filler material comprises metal tailings or other relatively dense

material and the housing halves may be formed of plastic.

As such, based on the foregoing, the present invention mitigates the inefficiencies and limitations associated with prior art weights. Advantageously, the fabric cutting weight of the present invention incorporates spikes which are integrally formed into second housing half thereof. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, such integrally formed nature of the spikes avoids the need to perform additional machining of the second housing half and assembly associated therewith to insert separately formed spikes or pins through the bottommost portion of the second housing half. Thus, such a design lowers material and manufacturing costs relative to prior art designs. In addition, a filler material is used to filled the interior of the housing halves. Such filler material may take the form of metal tailings or sand, for example, and such materials are contemplated to be relatively low in cost. Furthermore, because the weight of the present invention is formed via a simple two half housing construction, assembly of the same is relatively simple. It is contemplated that the filler material may be scooped into the interior of the housing halves. Subsequently, the housings may be attached to each other with the filler material enclosed therein.

Accordingly, the present invention represents a significant advance in the art.

Brief Description of the Drawings These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein: Figure 1 depicts a top perspective view of the fabric cutting weight of the present invention;

Figure 2 depicts a bottom perspective view o the fabric cutting weight of Figure 1; Figure 3 depicts exploded view of the fabric cutting weight of Figure 2; Figure 4 depicts a cross sectional view of the fabric cutting weight of the present invention as shown with another such weight stacked upon it; and Figure 5 depicts a perspective view of multiple fabric cutting weights of the present invention which are stacked upon each other.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, Figures 1-5 illustrate a fabric cutting weight which is constructed in accordance with the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fabric cutting weight 10 for holding a pattern and material to be cut in place upon a mat.

The weight 10 is preferably generally circular in configuration and has a generally circular central opening 12 formed therein. The weight is preferably provided with generally annular first and second housing halves 14,16. The housing halves 14,16 are cooperatively formed to define a generally annular volume with the circular central opening 12 extending therethrough. In this respect the housing halves 14, 16 are formed to sealably engage one another. The second housing half 14 has integrally formed spikes 18 protruding therefrom. The weight 10 is further provided with a filler material 20 disposed within the generally annular volume defined by the housing halves 14,16. It is contemplated that weight 10 may have configurations other than annular, such as triangular, circular, geometric and others known to one of ordinary

skill in the art. In this respect, the weight 10 is not required to have a central opening 12. The advantages of such an opening 12, however, are discussed below.

In the preferred embodiment of the fabric cutting weight 10 of the present invention, the second housing half 16 has an external surface 22 with the spikes 18 protruding therefrom. The second housing half 16 may be of a generally disc or washer shape as best seen in Figure 3. The first housing half 14 has an external surface 24 which has at least one depression 26 therein. The depression 26 is sized and configured to receive without contacting the spikes 18 of the external surface 22 of the second housing half 16 to facilitate stacking of the second housing half 16 upon the first housing half 14. Referring now to Figure 4, a fabric cutting weight 10a is stacked upon another similarly formed weight lOb (shown in cross-section).

As can be seen, the external surface 22a of the second housing half 16a is supported by the external surface 24b of the first housing half 14b. The annular depression 26a in the external surface 22a accommodates the spikes 18b without contact. Thus, an annular void is formed between the external surface 22b of the second housing half 16b and the external surface 24a of the first housing half 14a. Such non-contact is contemplated to facilitate stacking of the weights 10 without dulling of the tips of the spikes 18 by repeated contact with other weights 10.

As mentioned above, the fabric cutting weight 10 of the present invention may be provided with a circular central opening 12. In this regard, the first housing half 14 is generally defined by an inner diameter 28 as well as an outer diameter 30. Likewise, the second housing half 16 is generally defined by an inner diameter 32 as well as an outer diameter 34. As such, the inner diameters 28,32 of the housing halves

14,16 are cooperatively sized and configured to sealably engage each other. Likewise, the outer diameters 30,34 are cooperatively sized and configured to sealably engage each other. The engagement of the respective inner and outer diameters 28,30,32,34 of the housing halves 14,16 creates the formation of generally annular volume disposed within between. It is contemplated that the inner diameters 28,32 are chosen to define the circular central opening 12 of the fabric cutting weight 10 so as to facilitate stacked storage of the weight 10 about a post 36, as depicted in Figures 4 and 5. The fabric cutting weight 10 may be formed of a variety of sizes and weights such that the user is provided with some flexibility of use. The circular central opening 12, and therefore the inner diameters 28,32, may optionally have a variety of sized to facilitate segregation thereof. Thus, the weights 10 of a given size and weight may be stacked upon a particular sized diameter post 36.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the housing halves 14,16 are formed of injection molded or vacuum drawn plastic. As such, it is contemplated the such parts are advantageously low in cost to manufacture. In addition, the housing halves 14,16 may be attached to one another any number of methods including adhesive bonding, sonic welding, optical bonding and other which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In this respect it is contemplated that such attachment facilitates relatively easy assembly of the fabric cutting weight 10.

Preferably, the filler material 20 comprises metal tailings, sand or other relatively dense material which may be of a relatively inexpensive material. As such, the filler material 20 may be relatively low in cost, and yet capable of maximizing the occupancy of the

volume defined enclosure within the housing halves 14, 16 due to its preferred particulate or granular nature.

Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of parts described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only one embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention.