BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to improvements in cutting tools, and more particularly to improvements in powered tools for cutting heavy fabrics, such as rugs, carpets, carpet backing, or the like.

2. RELEVANT BACKGROUND

As is well known in the carpet industry, carpets are generally cut by manually drawing a knife across the carpet backing. Although various knife shapes have been proposed in efforts to make the process faster, easier, and more exact, the process is usually slow, tedious, and inexact.

One of the problems presented in precision carpet cutting is that carpet backing often is synthetically reinforced, for example, with rubber, resin, or other substance unified with the carpet fibers or weave. The primary purpose of such reinforcement is to make the carpet stronger and to improve its wear lifetime. However, at the same time as the lifetime and strength goals are met, such reinforcement often makes cutting the carpet even more difficult, since the reinforced backing is generally resilient to cutting. Moreover, as a result of research and development that is devoted to improving carpeting products, the backing itself has become more and more resilient to cutting, even without being specially reinforced.

In addition to the cutting problems encountered in the normal installation of carpets, sometimes carpets are cut to enable other pieces that may contrast in color or texture to be introduced into portions or areas of interest of the carpet. For example, one such use may be in the creation of carpets for installation into corporate lobbies in which pieces of various contrasting carpet have been sewn together to present a particular corporate logo. Another such use may be in the creation of carpet sculptures to create an artistic pattern that may be installed or displayed. Both such carpet creations require precision cutting of the carpet portions to enable them to be sewn or fastened together to form the

desired patterns, and, as mentioned, hand cutting carpet with precision can be extremely difficult and tedious.

Another problem that is frequently encountered is that the edges of cut carpets often fray after they have been cut, even if the carpet backing has been synthetically reinforced. Furthermore, not only might the individual yarns fray, but the yarns themselves may disconnect or unweave from each other and be difficult to handle. This sometimes makes subsequent sewing or interconnecting of the various carpet pieces particularly difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the above, therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved tool for cutting fabrics, such as rug or carpet backing, or the like. It is another object of the invention to provide an improved tool of the type described that can be easily manually manipulated by an operator, and which may have provision for removal of debris created by the cutting action of the tool. It is another object of the invention to provide a tool by which precision cuts can be made in rug or carpet backing in a process for creating detailed carpet mosaics, sculptures, or the like.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

According to a broad aspect of the invention, a tool for connection to a source of rotary power is presented for cutting fabric. The tool has a tube with an open bottom side parallel to an axis of the tube. A window is formed in the top side of the tube to enable an interior region and the open bottom side of the tube to be visible from outside the tube and to constrain cuttings produced by the blade to within the tube. A chuck is rotatably mounted in the interior region of the tube parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tube for receiving a cutter blade. The cutter blade may be selectively mounted on the chuck substantially within the interior region

of the tube adjacent one end of the tube, but with a portion of the cutter blade extending through the open side of the tube. An end cover is provided to cover the end of the tube adjacent the cutter blade. A vacuum source may be connected to communicate with the interior region of the tube from a side opposite the end cover for removing cuttings produced by the blade from within the tube. The vacuum from the vacuum source may be communicated to within the tube by a coaxial tube, which also carries a rotation transmission line from the source of rotary power to the chuck.

According to another broad aspect of the invention, a device is provided for cutting carpet backing. The device includes a source of rotary power and a member with a cylindrically shaped body having enclosed ends and a flattened side parallel to a longitudinal axis of the member to form a "D" cross-sectional shape on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the member. The flattened side has a window therethrough to an interior region of the member. A chuck is connected to the source of rotary power and is rotatably mounted inside the member. The chuck is adapted to selectively receive and rotatably carry a disk shaped cutter blade substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the member. The chuck is disposed to carry the cutter blade substantially within the member adjacent one end of the member, with a portion of the cutter blade extending through the window in the plate to enable cutting engagement with the carpet backing. A transparent shield is carried opposite the flattened side at a top portion of the member to cover a window in the member to enable the cutter blade to be visible from outside the member and to constrain cuttings produced by the blade to within the member. A vacuum source is connected to provide a vacuum in communication with the interior of the member from an end opposite the one end to remove cuttings from within the member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded side elevational view of a cutting apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a cutting blade for use in the apparatus of Figure 1, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the cutting blade of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a cutting blade for use with the tool of Figure 1, in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the blade of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of another alternative embodiment of a cutting blade for use with the tool of Figure 1, in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention.

And, Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the blade of Figure 8. in the various drawings, like reference numerals are used to denote like or similar parts. Additionally, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference now to Figure 1, an exploded side view of a rug or carpet cutting apparatus 10 is shown, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The apparatus 10 includes a main cutting assembly 11 that can be manually handled directly by an operator. Optionally, the apparatus 10 can be manually manipulated by a handle 12 that may be attached to the main cutting assembly 11 by a threaded extension 13 that may be received in a corresponding threaded hole 14 in the end portion 15 of the assembly 11 (see Figure 2) . The particular shape of the handle 12 shown has been arbitrarily selected; in practice, particular handle shapes

can be easily selected and substituted for the handle 12 to address the physical handling requirements presented by the particular cutting environment in which the apparatus 10 is used. The main cutting assembly 11 has a main body 16 for containing the cutter driving mechanisms, the vacuum lines, and for enabling an operator to manually manipulate the apparatus 10, if desired. The main cutting assembly 11 also has a forward extension portion 17 that contains the actual cutter blade 20, to present the cutter blade 20 in a position from which it can engage a carpet backing, or other planar surface, to be cut. Details of various exemplary embodiments the blade 20 are shown in Figures 4 - 7.

As shown, the main body 16 and forward extension portion 17 have a "D" shaped cross section, as can best be seen in Figure 2. This shape, although not essential, assists in enabling an operator to easily manipulate the apparatus 10 by grasping the rounded top side, while allowing the apparatus 10 to be easily and stably moved across a planar surface to be cut by virtue of the flat bottom surface 44, as shown particularly in Figure 3.

To enable the operator to view, in operation, the rotating cutting blade 20 and the surface to be cut (not shown) from above the apparatus 10, transparent windows 21 and 22 are provided over openings on each top side of the extension 17 through which the blade 20 can be seen by the operator. At the same time, the windows 21 and 22 serve to protect the operator from any debris that may be spun off from the blade 20, safely containing it within the hollow extension portion 17.

At the rearward end of the cutter assembly 10, a connection or hose fitting 25 is provided to attach to a hose 26 that contains two internal hose conduits, one being connected to a vacuum source 30, the other being connected to a rotary power source 31. The vacuum source 30 is connected to a tube 33 within the main cutting assembly 11 to communicate to the interior of the extension portion 17 to remove debris therefrom. The vacuum also creates a moving air flow that

cools any melted debris that is produced by the moving cutting blade 20, thereby minimizing the amount of material that may stick to the interior walls of the extension portion 17 and transparent windows 21 and 22. At the same time, the rotary power source 31 is connected to a flexible drive shaft 35 that is connected to a rotatable member 38 for rotating the blade 20 at a desired high speed. Although not shown, the portion 38 of the rotary drive mechanism within the main cutting assembly 11 may be rotatably mounted, for example by ball bearings or the like, to receive the rotational force from the flexible drive shaft 35 and to transmit the rotational force to the cutting blade 20. A nut 40 may be provided to secure the blade 20 to the member 38 to enable the blade 20 to be rotatably driven by the rotary power source 31 via the flexible drive shaft 35.

As can be seen particularly from the bottom view in Figure 3, the hand held portion 11 has a flat bottom 44, as mentioned above, that can be easily slid on a surface, such as a carpet backing or the like. Additionally, the extension portion 17 has an open window 45 through which the blade 20 extends. Since the interior of the extension 17 contains a vacuum pulled by the vacuum source 30 via the vacuum tube 33, the window 45 also serves to pick up debris caused by the cutting blade 20 as the apparatus is moved across the carpet backing to be removed from the work area by the vacuum from source 30.

The cutting blade 20 can be of any convenient configuration, in fact, can be merely a sharpened circular disk or a disk having sharpened peripheral edges, as shown by the blade 60 in Figures 4 and 5 having tapered peripheral edges 61 and an interior mounting hole 62 by which the disk 70 can be mounted to the shaft 38 (See Figs. 1 and 3) by the fastening nut 40. Other examples of suitable cutting disks are shown in Figures 6 and 7 and Figures 8 and 9. With reference next to Figures 6 and 7, a cutting disk 70 is shown. The cutting disk 70 has tapered shoulders 71 and an interior hole 72 by which the disk 70 can be mounted to the shaft 38 by the fastening nut 40. At spaced intervals around the circumference

of the cutting disk 70, a number of tapered cutting grooves 74 are provided to assist in the cutting process.

Another embodiment of a cutting disk is shown in Figures 8 and 9 to which reference is now made. As shown, a cutter disk 80 is provided, again having tapered circumference edge 81. In the cutter embodiment of Figures 8 and 9, portions of the circumferential edge of the disk have been removed to provide four cutting blades 83 - 86 thereby to assist in cutting procedures. A hole 88 again is provided in the center of the disk 80 to enable the disk 80 to be selectively mounted onto the rotatable shaft 38 and held therein in place by a nut 40, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. It will be appreciated that although two specific embodiments of cutter disks have been shown, other embodiments may also be suitable. In operation, a cutter wheel such as shown in Figures 4 and 5 or 6 and 7 or 8 and 9, or the like, is mounted onto the rotatable shaft 38 in the extension portion 17 of the cutter assembly 11. The rotary power source 31 is engaged, thereby spinning the cutter wheel 20 at a relatively high speed, for example, about 4,500 to 20,000 RPM. The vacuum source 30 is operated so that any debris that may be created by the cutter wheel 20 will be swept away from the interior portion of the extension 17 of the cutter assembly 11. The operator then can move or slide the cutter assembly 11 along the carpet backing to guide the cutter wheel 20 along the line that is desired to be cut. The operator can see the precise location of the cutter wheel 20 through the windows 21 and 22 on either side of the cutter assembly 11.

It should be noted that although the invention has been described in terms of cutting the backing of carpet, or the like, it can be equally advantageously employed to cut other materials as well. For example, it will be appreciated that the apparatus can be used to cut materials such as fabric, rug backing material, heavy material, canvas, reinforced fabric, synthetically reinforced fabric, rubberized fabric, vinyl, floor tile, VAT tile, flexible flooring materials, or the like. Because of the high speed of the cutter, it is particularly advantageous to use in cutting carpet backings or

other materials that may contain nylon or other synthetic materials in which the high speed of the cutter wheel actually causes the synthetic material to locally melt as it is being cut. Such melting causes the yarn or fabric of the carpet to bond to prevent fraying of the yarn from which the carpet backing is constructed and to hold the individual yarns themselves together. Additionally, the melting effects leaves an extremely smooth surface against which other carpet portions can be abutted and sewn or otherwise joined to produce desired carpet design effects when the carpet is seen from the top surface.

Thus, in the creation of custom carpets, such as those described above in which pieces that may contrast in color or texture are introduced into portions or areas of interest of the carpet in the creation of carpets displaying corporate logos or artistic patterns, the cutting apparatus 10 can be particularly advantageously employed, as precision cutting can be easily accomplished. Also, especially in carpets with backings containing synthetic materials that are locally melted upon cutting, smooth edges with little or no yarn fraying can be accomplished for ease in precision carpet sculpting.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.