FIRTH, Robert (GMC Design, Regent HouseRegent Street,Pocklington, York YO42 2QN, GB)
| Claims
1 . A powered cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base onto which a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blade, a guard for the same, and drive mean s fo t: rotating said blade when switched on, said cutting unit mounted on and to one side of the guide means such that the blade is spaced from the guide means and wherein a locking assembly is provided to allow the operation of the apparatus in a firs t mode in which the cutting unit is movable along the guide means when the locking assembly is released and in a second mod e when the locking assembly is locked in which the cutting uni t" is fixed in position on the guide means and the workpiece is moved pas t: the same.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guard which at l eas t partially encloses the blade, said guard capable of being held in a fixed, safety position by an interlock assembly.
3 A ppara tus according to claim 2 wherein the interlock assembly is biased towards the fixed guard position.
4 Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the interlock assembly and h ence guard can be released from the fixed position by an operator manually when the apparatus is in the first mode of operation .
5 A pparatus according to claim 2 wherein the interlock assembly and hence guard can be released from the fixed position by the said locking as sembly when in position to allow operation of the apparatus in the second mode o f operation. 6 A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the blade is positioned with at least a lower portion thereof received within a slot in the base tunning parallel to at least one slide member and along which s uj i., the said blade moves when the cutting unit is moved alon ' rtu: the slide. .
7. A pparatus according to claim 6 wherein the cutting unit can be held in a fixed position by the locking assembly and access gained to the blade to allow the same to be changed by releasing the blade from the cutting unit and passing it through the slot to rhc underside of the base and the new blade can be in trod uced to the cutting unit through the slot.
8. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein two slides are p rovided , said slides running parallel to one another.
9. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cutting unit is mo u nted on the at least one slide via at least one bearing assembly.
1.0. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein control means to allow the operation of the apparatus are positioned on the cutting unit so as to lie intermediate the blade and the handle assembly o f the apparatus .
1 1 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base is s upported at its corners by feet.
1 2. A pparatus according to claim 11 wherein the feet are pro vided to resist movement of the apparatus across a support sur face in use of the apparatus.
1. 3. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base is used as s Io rage means for components which are not in use, said components including any or any combination of, one or more fences and /or a pushing device.
14. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cutting unit is provided to be slidably movable along the at least one slide member in a first mode to cut through a stationary workpiece to form a cross cut and in the second mode is located in a fixed position with respect to the at least one slide member and the work piece is moved past the blade to perform the cutting action ro form a rip cut.
15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the locking assembly is manually moved into position to ensure that the cutting unit and handle assembly are located and maintained in the fixed position with regard to the slide member.
16. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a first fence which is slidably movable, with the contact face of rhe fence substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the slide members and is movable between positions intermediate rhe curring blade and the slides so as to provide a contact face against which an edge of the work piece can be placed.
17 Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the fence can be locked in a selected position using one or more locking means such as threaded bolts or screws and/or a cam assembly.
18. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the fence assembly is used in contact with an edge of the workpiece in a first mode of operation.
19. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a fence assembly is provided which is rotatably positionable so as to allow angular adjustment of an edge face of the same against which the work piece can be positioned to allow an angular cut to be created -alo ng- rhe work piece.
20. A pparatus according to claim 19 wherein the fence a ssembly incorporates a clamp which passes through the base and has a portion which can be tightened onto the work piece to clamp the same in position.
21 Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the fence assembly is pivotally movable within a predetermined range and / o r to predetermined locations and the contact face is used to contact an edge of the workpiece when performing a cross cut in t he second mode of operation.
22. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the handle assembly i s located on and or formed as part of the bearing assembly .
23 A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the drive means is i n rhe fo rm of an electric motor which is mounted with its l ongitudinal axis in a substantially horizontal plane, perpendicular to the axis of rotation o f the blade.
24. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the handle assembly includes a grip portion, which, with respect to the po si tio n o f user of the apparatus, is angled from a raised location at its furthest point from the user's position when using rhe apparatus, to its lowest height closest to the user.
25. A p paratus according to claim 1 wherein the axis of ro tati on o f the blade, is located at a fixed height with respect to I he base.
26. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a guard is provided which encloses the majority of the cutting blade perip hery and is movable with respect to the cutting blade so as IO aiiow a sufficient portion of the Made to be exposed to cut through rhe workpiece.
27. Apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the guard has a leading edge which abuts with a leading edge of the work piece ;ιnό which raises upwardly to move along the top surface of the workpiece and allow the blade to be exposed to cut the workpiece.
28 Apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the guard, on at leas t one side of the blade includes a recess portion, offset from the leading edge o f the same, which allows the guard to move Toward s rhe base once the trailing edge of the workpiece passes t he same.
29 A pparatus according to claim 26 wherein the guard is substantially transparent so as to allow the blade and/or workpiece is viewable externally thereof.
30 A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus incl udes an adjustable cutting guide mounted in advance of the blade o f t he apparatus.
31 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a dust and debris removal means is included in the apparatus.
32 A pparatus according to claim 31 wherein the removal means u tilise rhe airflow created by the rotation of the blade to draw d us r a nd debris from the cut area, through a blade guard to exit from rhe same at a location remote from the cut area.
33. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the blade rotates such rliar, when cutting, the teeth pass from the base of the workpiece to the top of the workpiece.
34 A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guard position is biased towards the base.
35 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one slid e is mounted with respect to the base via mounting brackets, one p rovided at at least one end, or at, or adjacent to, each end thereby leaving a slot along the remaining length of the slides between the base and the underside of the slide said slot of a depth to allow the workpiece to pass through the said slot.
36 A powered cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base onto which a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member and at least one bearing assembly located on said guide means for selective movement there along, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blade and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, said cutting unit mounted on and to one side of the bearing assembly and wherein the cutting unit includes a guard for the blade which is pivotally movable between a first position and a second posi tion in which the blade is sufficiently exposed to perform a cutting action, and said movement of the guard to the second position is achieved by contact with and relative movemen t between the workpiece and the leading edge of the guard .
37 A pparatus according to claim 36 wherein the guard is biased toward s the first position and the contact and movement of the wo rkp iece acts against the biasing means. 38 A powered cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base onto which a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member and at least one bea ri ng assembly located on said slide member for selective movement there along, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blade and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, said apparatus further including a handle portion mounted adjacent said at least one bearing assembly and/or intermediate said a t least one bearing assembly and cutting unit.
39 Apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the cutting unit and handle are disposed to the same side of said at least one slide member.
40 A powered cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base on to which a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member and at least one bea ring assembly located on said guide means for selective movement there along, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blade, a guard for the same, and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, said cutting unit mounted to one side of the guide means such that the blade is spaced from the guide means and wherein a locking assembly is provided to allow the operation o f the apparatus in a first mode in which the cutting uni t is movable along the guide means with the locking assembly released and operation of the locking assembly allows operation o f the apparatus in a second mode in which the cutting unit is fixed on the guide means and the workpiece is moved past the same.
4 1 A powered cutting apparatus, for cutting a substantially pl a ner workpiece via a cutting unit having a blade driven to be rotated , wherein said apparatus is selectively operable in a first mode in which the cutting unit is movable with respect to the woirkpiece Co cross cut the same and in a second mode in which t he cutting unit position is fixed and the workpiece is moved pas t ( he same for a rip cut to be performed. |
The i nvention to which this application relates is to apparatus which can be used to perform cutting actions on one or more work pieces such as, but not exclusively, work pieces in the form o f sheet material such as, for example, wooden and/or laminate
With any form of work piece which is required to be fitted into a particular type of area, there is often a need for the same to be cut to suit particular area dimensions and area edges and very o ften a need for different cuts to be used such as rip cuts and cross cuts. For example, when fitting laminate flooring in a room, at least certain of the strips of laminate will be required to be cut to a particular length or width where the same are to be located at or adjacent to walls of the room or other structures within the building. Conventionally, this can be done manually by using a saw but, often the accuracy and quality of cut which can be achieved, is unsuitable and can lead to the finished floor having a poor appearance and/or not fitting correctly. A further problem is that the manual cutting of the laminate sheet material can be tiring for the person and therefore on occasion, they may attempt to perform the cutting action using other power tools which may not be suitable for the particular purpose and can therefore be dangerous to use and there fo re may not perform a particularly attractive finish.
I t is also known to provide apparatus which is of a size and scale which can accept the dimension of the sheet material to cut the same but that apparatus tends to be of a form which is located i n a work shop or other permanent location and t here fore can not be used on site to perform the cutting operatio n on the sheet material. This form of apparatus is there fo re o f little use to a person who may be fitting the
laminate flooring in a particular room or confined or restricted space as , in many cases , the dimensions o f the area in which the s heet material, such as wood floor, composite wood laminates, s kirting boards, door casings , floor panels, panelling, and the like, is to be fitted are not known and therefore not all of the i tems o f s heet material can be cut to size prior to transporting the same to site for fitting and therefore cutting on site is required to be p erformed.
An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide apparatus o f a form which can be used to perform a cutting action on a work piece such as laminate flooring, flooring panels or the like and to allow the cutting action to be performed on site and in an accurate and safe manner.
T n a firs t aspect o f the invention, there is provided a powered cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base onto which a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blade, a guard for the same, and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, said cutting unit mounted on and to one side o f the guide means such that the blade is spaced from the guide means and wherein a locking assembly is provided to allow the operation of the apparatus in a first mode in which the cutting unit is movable along the guide means when the locking assem bly is released and in a second mode when the locking assembly is locked in which the cutting unit is fixed in position on the guide means and the workpiece is moved past the same.
Typ ical ly, in the first mode the workpiece is held in a stationary positio n with the cutting unit moved to cut through the workpiece and form a cross cut and in the second mode of operatio n rhe workpiece is moved past the s tationary cutting
t
he rotating blade therein cuts the workpiece
Typical ly there is provided a guard which at least partial encloses the blade in operation, said guard capable of being he i n a fixed, safety position by an interlock assembly. Typically tl interlock assembly is biased towards the fixed guard positio and can be released by an operator with their hand when tl apparatus is in the first mode of operation, and is released 1 movement of the said locking assembly to allow the secoi mode o f operation. In the second mode of operation the gua: i s fi:ee to move to a raised position to travel along the tc s urface o f the workpiece when contacting the workpiece, as tl interlock assembly is released.
Typically, when released in either mode the leading edge of tl guard is capable of rising up the front edge of the workpiece ai along the top surface of the workpiece being cut. It is safe f< the guard to be held in the raised position when in the secor mode of operation because the cutting unit is fixed ar therefore the user's hands do not need to be located on tl cutting unit when the blade is rotating and instead are located a remote location on the workpiece to move the same and/ι using a pushing tool to push the workpiece.
Tn one embodiment, the blade is positioned such that at least l ower portion thereof, is received within a slot in the base, sa slot running parallel to at least one slide member and aloi which slot, the said blade moves when the cutting and hand assembly are moved along the slide.
I n one embodiment the cutting unit can be held in a fixe posi t ion by the operation o f the locking assembly and acce gained to the blade to allow the same to be changed when wor
O i: a d ifferent type o f blade is required to be used. In this case when the blade is released from the cutting unit the same can be removed by passing it through the slot to the underside of the base and the new blade can be introduced to the cutting unit thro ugh the slo t. i n o n e embodiment, two slides are provided, said slides running p arallel to one another and, in one embodiment, located so as to be o ne above the other. The slides are typically provided in a fixed location on the base and, in one embodiment, a first bearing assembly is provided to locate on the lower slide and second and third bearing assemblies are provided to locate on the upper slide. It should be appreciated that while this is a preferred embodiment, other slide numbers and configurations can be used and are incorporated herein.
Typically control means to allow the operation of the apparatus are positioned on the cutting unit so as to lie intermediate the blade and the handle assembly of the apparatus.
I n on e embodiment, the base is substantially planar and rigid and can be manufactured of a wood or wood based material or metal o r metal alloy and supported on the support surface by feer which are provided to resist movement of the apparatus across a support surface when using the apparatus. In one embodiment, and where necessary, load spreading washers can be u sed to secure components to the base to spread load and avoid problems caused by base degradation or corrosion. A lte rnatively a s tand can be provided to allow the apparatus to be raised from the support surface.
Tn one embodiment, the base can be used as storage means for components which are not in use, said components including any o ι: any combination of, one or more fences against which the
work piece abuts, and /or a pushing device which can be used by rhc usei: of the apparatus to contact with the wotk piece to be cur and push said work piece into position and/or move the work piece ρa-st- the blade so as to perform the cutting operation.
If rcqui reef carrying ' means such as a strap, handle or the like can be provided on or attached to the apparatus. Typically the apparatus is portable and can therefore be transported for use at rhe location at which the workpiece which is to be cut is to be fitted in place for use. This therefore means that persons such us joiners, carpenters or the like can cut the workpiece to the desired size and shape and therefore do not need to leave the site every time they require cuts to be made, and/or do not need to take accurate measurements and then go off site to do the work and/or do not need to invest in relatively expensive machinery and/or to pay other parties to perform the cutting operations.
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a fence for use in the second mode of operation in performing a cut called a rip cut when the workpiece is moved with respect to the cutting unit, with the contact face of the fence, substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the slide members. The fence is preferably movable between positions intermediate the cutting blade and the slides so as to provide a contact face at a required location and against which an edge of the work piece can be placed to ensure accurate cutting, and therefore ensure that the cut in the workpiece is parallel with the edge of the workpiece in contact with the fence.
In one embodiment, the positioning of the fence can be selected and locked using one or more locking means such as threaded bolts or screws and/or a cam assembly. Typically the fence
assemb ly i s l ocated with one or more slots on a baseplate which receive locking means which are secured to the base, the length o f said s lots de fining the extent o f variation in the position of the co n tact face and guiding the movement or the fence to ensure that the contact face of the fence against which the work p iece is located is maintained in a substantially parallel rel atio nship with the cutting plane of the blade.
Tn one embodiment, a fence assembly is provided for use when perfo rming a cross cut on the workpiece in the first mode of operation, said fence assembly ro tatably positionable within a p redefined range so as to allow angular adjustment of an edge face o f the same against which the work piece can be positioned to allow an angular cut to be created along the work piece.
I n o ne embodiment, the said fence assembly incorporates a clamp which passes through the base and has a portion which can be tightened onto the work piece to clamp the same in position.
En one embodiment, the said fence assembly is pivotally movable within a predefined range such as ± 10° and/or movable to p redefined angle locations.
Typically, the handle assembly is located on and/or formed as part o f the bearing assembly such that the force applied by the user ro s lid ably move the cutting unit along the slide members, wh ich to rce will also typically include a downward component, is l oca t ed close to the slide members thereby ensuring that the s l iding movement exerted on the cutting unit, is accurately con trolled.
Typically , the drive means is in the form of an electric motor which is mounted with its longitudinal axis in a substantially
horizontal plane, perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the' blade.
The blade is preferably driven so as to rotate with respect to the workpiece such that the teeth pass through the workpiece from the face closest to the base to the opposing face, thus performing an upcutting action. This prevents the workpiece from being "driven" by the action of the blade in a direction past the cutting head and hence prevents possible injury to the user of the apparatus by uncontrolled movement of the workpiece when being cut.
fn one embodiment, the handle assembly includes a grip portion, which, with respect to the position of user of the apparatus, is angled from a raised location at its furthest point from the user, to irs lowest height closest to the user.
In one embodiment, the axis of rotation of the blade, is located at a fixed height with respect to the base. The guard is typically provided to enclose the majority of the cutting blade and typically said guard is formed as one piece and is slidingly and/or pivotally movable with respect to the cutting blade so as to allow a sufficient portion of the blade to be exposed to cut through the workpiece. It is preferred that at least a portion of the guard is formed of a transparent material so as to allow the interior of the guard, including the blade and workpiece, to be viewable.
In one embodiment, the guard has a leading edge which in use, when rhere is relative movement between the cutting head and work piece to bring the same together, abuts with a leading edge of the work piece and then raises upwardly to the height of the top surface of the workpiece to allow the blade to be exposed
ro rhe workpiece and for the blade to then cut through the same upon, further relative movement.
T In one embodiment, the guard includes an adjustable cutting guide mounted at the leading face and said guard can include a laser or LED line generator provided as part thereof or mounted adjaccnr thereto.
Typically the position of the generator is adjustable so as to allow the guideline to be aligned with the line of cut, or both or either sides of the kerf of the blade.
In one embodiment a guide is provided to be movable so as to lie on and move along the top surface of the workpiece being cut, thereby allowing the user to maintain the guide on the workpiece in alignment with a guide line formed on the workpiece. In one embodiment a further guide may also be pro, vide d.
The guard and/or apparatus may include an illumination means which allows illumination of the area of the work piece at which the cutting action is being performed. In one embodiment the lare.ra.1 movement of the guide is prevented or minimised so as to ensure the accuracy of the use of the guide.
The apparatus may also include a dust and debris collection means which allows dust and debris on the work piece which is created by the cutting action to be removed from the interior of the guard. In one embodiment, the direction of rotation of the blade is used to create an airflow which collects the dust and debris from the cut area and moves the same through the guard to exit at a location remote from the cut area.
In one embodiment;, the guard is pivotally and/or slidingly movable with respect to the remainder of the cutting unit, about a position on the cutting head which is offset to the cutting blade. In one εrnbodirneiU this movement is about a pivot axis oι: alternatively the movement of the guide is guided by at least one pin slidably movable along a slot or aperture. Typically, the movement of the guard upwardly is such that the base of the leading- edge of the guard passes along and in contact with the top face of the work piece being cut.
Typically the guard, on at least one side of the blade includes a ixcess portion, offset from the leading edge of the same, which allows the guard to move back towards the base once the trailing edge of the workpiece passes the recess or step. This recess or step allows the rear or trailing edge of the workpiece to be held against the step and hence prevents the ongoing rotational movement of the blade from causing a "kick back" effect on the piece of material which has been cut from the workpiece. The term kick back describes the possibility of the off cut piece being driven back towards the operator of the apparatus at speed by the blade rotation and hence prevents the risk of injury.
The guard is typically biased towards a position downwardly towards the base thereby minimising the opportunity for a user to f pi-a'in access to the blade as it rotates.
In one embodiment, a biasing force is exerted on the guard. In one embodiment the force is in the region of 10Nm. This p re ven rs ot minimises the risk of the user unwittingly inserting then: finger under the guard and into the path of the blade.
In one embodiment, the work piece which is cut is in the form of planar or sheet material of a maximum depth of 18mm.
I n o ne embodiment, the sheet material is laminate flooring or wooden composite boards or wooden boards for flooring.
Typica lly, the at least one slide is mounted with respect to the ba se, via mounting brackets, one provided at each end of the .slid es , o r alternatively a bracket is provided at one end only so as to mount the slide, thereby leaving a slot along the remaining length o f the slide between the base and the underside of the slid e. This allows sheet material which is being cross cut, to be passed through the slot if required so as to allow the line to be cu t o n the workpiece to be positioned accurately with the blade o f rh e cu tting unit. This arrangement of the slides and brackets therefore ensures that there are a minimum number of obs tructions on the base, thereby maximising the length and possible positioning o f the sheet material which can be cut using the apparatus in accordance with the invention. In. one embod iment a workpiece o f a dimension of up to 430mm can be placed th rough the slot.
Al though mainly envisaged to be operated on a support surface in a horizontal plane, in one embodiment, the apparatus can be adap ted to be supported with the top face of the base in another plane, s uch as a vertical plane, with the apparatus attached to a supported wall or other structure.
In a yet further aspect o f the invention there is provided a po wered catting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base o n to wh ich a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member and at least one bea ring assembly located on said guide means for selective movemen t there along, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable bla d e and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, .sai d cu tti ng unit mounted on and to one side o f the bearing
assembly and wherein the cutting unit includes a guard for the bl ade which is pivotally movable between a first position and a seco n d position in which the blade is sufficiently exposed to p er form :•! cutting action, and said movement o f the guard to the seco n d position is achieved by contact with and relative movemenr between the workpiece and the leading edge of the .
Typically the guard is biased towards the first position and the con tact and movement of the workpiece acts against the biasing means. Typically the guard is held in the second position while rhe workpiece is positioned between the underside of the guard an d t h e base and, thereafter, the guard returns to the first po s i rion.
I n a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a powered cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising a base o n I o wh ich a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means including at least one slide member and at least one bearing assembly located on said slide member for selective movement there along, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blad e and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, said cutting unit supported on the bearing and said apparatus further including a handle portion mounted adjacent said at least one bearing assembly and/ or intermediate said at least one bearing assembly and cutting unit.
I n o ne embodiment the cutting unit and handle are disposed to I he same s ide of said at least one slide member.
I n a ye!" further aspect o f the invention there is provided a powe red cutting apparatus , said apparatus comprising a base o n ro wh ich a work piece to be cut can be placed, and guide means i ncluding at leas t one slide member and at least one
bearing assembly located on said guide means for selective movement there along, a cutting unit comprising a rotatable blad e, a guard for the same, and drive means for rotating said blade when switched on, said cutting unit mo unted to one side o f the guide means such that the blade is spaced from the guide mean s and wherein a locking assembly is provided to allow the ope ra tion o f the apparatus in a first mode in which the cutting un ir i s movable along the guide means with the locking assembly released and operation of the locking assembly allows operation o f the apparatus in a second mode in which the cutting unit is fixed on the guide means and the workpiece is moved past the same.
I n a yet further aspect of the invention, there is provided a powered cu tting apparatus, for cutting a substantially planer workpiece λάa a cutting unit having a blade driven to be rotated, wherei n said apparatus is selectively operable in a first mode in which the cutting unit is movable with respect to the workpiece t o cross cut the same and in a second mode in which the cutting unit pos ition is fixed and the workpiece is moved past the same fo r a rip cu t to be performed.
Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;
Figure 1 illus trates a perspective view o f apparatus in acco rdance with one embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 ill ustrates a side view o f apparatus o f figure 1 ;
Figu re 3 i llus trates an opposing side view o f the apparatus of figure 1 ;
Figure 4 illustrates a detailed perspective view of the leading edge o f the guard with sight guides attached;
Figure b illustrates a plan view of the base ;
Figure 6 i l l us trates detailed view of the locking assembly forth e cutting unit;
Figure 7 illustrates a cross sectional view along line AA of Figure 3 ; and
Figures 8a and b illustrate an elevation and end elevation of a blade gu ard in accordance with the invention.
Re ferring to the drawings, there is illustrated apparatus 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.' The apparatus comprises a base 3 which can, in one embodiment, be formed o f wood or ply wood material and which is provided wi th s upporting feet 4 at the corners thereof. The feet are typically formed o f a compliant anti-slip material so as to prevent the base from sliding along a support surface when in use. T t should be appreciated that although the base is shown to be o f a rectangular plan, the shape can be altered to suit specific req uirements . The base can also receive stops or other location means which can be positioned to define a particular location fo i: repeated cutting at the same cut line position o f successive workpieces .
A slo t 6 is formed along a substantially central longitudinal axis o f the base and the slo t 6 is provided to receive a portion of a cu i: ting bl ad e 9 as shown in Figure 7, which is provided as part o f a cu tting unit 10. The blade is provided to rotate about the axis o f ro tation 12 which is permanently spaced from the base so as t o allow the lowest portion 1 1 o f the blade to enter into or
be p ositioned adjacent to the slot 6 in the base 3 and which, w hen ro tated, performs a cutting operation on a work piece 103 s hown in Figure 4.
' L'he work piece to be cut is typically relatively thin sheet ma terial and is positioned on the base 3 at a selected location. The location can be selected with regard to a fence assembly 34 when in a first mode o f operation when the cutting unit is mov able, o ι: a fence assembly 16 when in a second mode of o peration with the cutting unit held in a fixed position.
Th e fence assembly 16 incorporates a contact face 14 against which an edge o f the . sheet material is positioned to position the same correctly for the rip cut cutting operation to be performed. Depending from the face is provided a support plate 18 which, in this embodiment, includes a slotted aperture 20 which receives a threaded pin or bolt 24, which is received, in turn, in a threaded aperture in the base. Further guides can be provided to en sure that the fence contact face 14 is maintained s u bstantially parallel with the blade 6 and hence the cutting line on the workpiece.
T f req uired., although not shown, an alternative fence assembly may be fixed in position, using the same mounting plate arrangement in which the face against which the edge of the wo rk piece is positioned, lies perpendicular to the blade in the base.
The fence assembly 34 is also provided on the base 3 and this fence assembly can be selectively used for a cross cut in the first mode o f operation to allow a cross cut to be achieved, typically across th e width o f the workpiece and in this case, the fence assem bly 34 includes a face 36 agains t which an edge of the s hee t material is to be positioned and this face is pivotally
movable about pivot location 32, typically within substantially plus 10 and substantially minus 10 degrees of a centre datum line. Once the angular adjustment is achieved, the threaded screw or bolt 40 which sits in the slot 42 can be tightened. It will be no red that there is a further slot 38 in which a rod 37, connected to the base sits. The extent of length of the slot 38, determines the angular degree of adjustment which is possible. In one use, the cut can be directly across at 90 degrees or a range of predetermined angular positions such as macro angles 15", 20", 30", 45 fl to be achieved are defined and location means are provided to allow the fence to be selectively retained in a particular angular location.
A clamp device 50 is provided which includes a threaded rod 52 with a foot 54, which foot can be formed so as to prevent damage to the work piece against which the same is clamped. This clamp is therefore used to maintain the work piece in a position on the base.
In order to perform the cutting operations, the cutting unit 10 is provided in connection with drive means 56 which are mounted, in this example with its longitudinal axis in a substantially horizontal plane and can be connected to a suitable power supply 58. Also provided, typically inline with the drive means, are switches 60 which allow the selective operation and rotation of the blade to perform the cutting operation.
It: should be appreciated that the drive means used, and the connection means between the drive means and the blade may be alretcd depending on the scale of the apparatus. For example, different versions of the apparatus may be provided of different sizes such that for example, a larger version may require a drive connection between the drive means and the blade to be
achieved using a drive belt, whereas other versions may require drive con nections using a suitable gear assembly.
The cu tting unit including the drive means, are mounted with respect to a bearing assembly 64 which is also provided with a handle assembly 66. As shown, the cutting unit and handle are o ffset to one side of first and second guide means in the form of slide members 68, 70. The bearing assembly is connected to the slides, in this case with a first bearing 78 mounted on the lower slide 70 and second and third bearings 72, 74 mounted on the upper slide 68 at spaced locations thereon. In one embodiment, the bearings are self lubricating and may be detailed with inherent resilience to take into account and mitigate any tolerance which there may be in the surfaces of the slide ' members. Other forms of slide arrangements could be used such as linear bearings, profiled tubes for the slides and/or plain bearings.
The slide members are held in the spaced position by first and seco nd mounting brackets 76, 80 which are secured to the base 3 and which, preferably, are secured to the base at each end of the slides t hereby leaving a slot 82 between the base 3 and the underside of the lower slide 70. This slot can be used to allow the accommodation of a work piece which is being cross cut and which may be required to be slid through the slot so as to be able i:o position the same appropriately with regard to the blade.
The handle assembly 66 typically includes a gripping portion 84 wh ich is sloped so as to have its highest portion 86 furthest from l he location 88 of the person when using the apparatus and a lower po rtion 90 closest to the user.
The a pparatus can typically be used in two modes of operation, Ά fi rs t mode in which the cutting unit can be moved along the
slides and a second mode in which the cutting unit 10, is held stationery with respect to the slide members 68, 70. In this seco nd mode the work piece is moved towards the cutting blade y i n ι:he d irection of arrow 91 and continued to be moved past th e cu tting blade until the cut in the work piece has been comp leted . In this case a side edge of the workpiece abuts with an d moves along the contact surface 14 of the fence assembly 16.
A n in terlock assembly 94 is provided and shown in Figure 6. The i n terlock assembly is biased to hold the guard 96 in a fixed lowered, position. The interlock assembly, can be released by an operator with their hand when gripping the cutting head handle 66 wh en the apparatus is in the first mode o f operation, and is released and held in that position by movement , of the . said locking assembly 95 when in the second mode of operation. The i n terlock as sembly is shown in the released position in Figure 6 and i t also shows how the same pivots about axis 151 as i ndicated by arrow 153. When released in either mode the leading edge of the guard is capable of rising up the front edge of the workpiece and along the top surface of the workpiece being cut so as to expose sufficient o f the blade to cut through the workpiece.
I n the seco nd mode of operation the guard 96 is held in an open position by the movement o f the locking assembly pin 95 i nto the slide 68, typically into an aperture on the slide to hold the cu tting unit in the fixed position. At the same time the movement of the pin engages a latch 97 of the interlock assem bly 94 s uch that the interlock assembly pivots about axis 1 5 1 a n d the engagement between the interlock assembly 94 and the gu ard pro trusion 99 is released such that the guard is free to move up and along the workpiece. The bearing assembly 64 is locked wi th the slide via pin 95 either by the same acting as a
b ra ke or passing into an aperture located on at least one of the slides which serves to lock the cutting unit in position for this operation mode.
Typically the interlock assembly 94 is biased towards a guard fi xed posi tion so as to ensure that the guard will stay in a lowered sa fety position.
I n the first mode of operation a cross cut can be performed and in rhis case an edge of the workpiece is placed against the co n tact face 36 of the fence assembly 34. In this mode the work piece is held stationery and, with the locking assembly pin 95 released from the slide, the cutting unit including the bearing assembly and handle assembly are slidably movable along the s lid e members as indicated by arrow 92 so as to move , the ro tating blade along and through the work piece to perform the cros s cu tting operation. However the guard is in the default cl own position unless the operator operates the interlock latch 97 to release the interlock 94 from the guard protrusion 99. The req ui rement to operate the latch to free the guard for movement can be achieved by the users hand when gripping the handle 66 and means that it can be ensured that the user's hands are only at the cu tting unit handle and hence well removed from the bl ade and therefore provide an important safety feature. When rhc cu tting unit is in the fixed locked position the unit is in a safe position to allow the blade change to be performed.
Th e b lad e o f the cutting unit is almos t entirely enclosed within t he guard 96, which guard is typically transparent as shown in L' ' igu..i:c I where the blade 9 is visible. The guard can be pivotally movabl e and /or slidably movable about axis 98.
The guard is formed as a one piece unit and can be moved between a first position shown in Figure 2 in which the lower
edge 102 is in contact with or adjacent to the base 3 thereby enclosing rhc blade, and a second position in which the lower edge 102 is raised to lie on the top surface of the workpiece positioned on the base so that the blade is sufficiently exposed Io cur the workpiece and the workpiece can pass between the lower edge of the guard and the top surface of the base. To achieve this movement the guard is provided with a leading face oi: edge 100 which is angled 108 such that when the front edge of Hie work piece 103 which is to be cut, contacts with the leading face 107 of the workpiece 103 as shown in broken lines in Ki g u re 2, in either mode of operation, then continued relative movement causes the angled leading edge or face 100 of the guard to ride up and over the leading face 107 of the workpiece, and so the guard is encouraged to move upwardly about the pivor axle 98 to a sufficient extent such that the lower edge 102 of rhc guard moves to the second position to contact and slide along the top face 105 of the work piece 103. This means that there is sufficient clearance between the guard and the base for the work piece to come into contact with the blade and be cut by rhc same as the blade rotates. The clearance is kept to the thickness of the workpiece thereby minimising access to the blade whilst moving. The blade is rotated in a direction indicated by arrow 113 in Figure 2 so as to provide an upcutting action with the teeth of the blade positioned and formed so as to perform a cutting action from the base towards the surface 105 of the workpiece.
As shown in Figures 8a and b, which show the guard, the side (109) of rhe guard which is adjacent the "cut off" portion of the workpiece 103 is recessed at point 111 to allow the guard to drop down as indicated by arrow 121 when the trailing edge 123 of the cut off piece 119 of the workpiece 103 has passed the same in the direction of arrow 125. At this stage the cut off piece is separated from the workpiece and can be removed. The
provision of the recess or step contacts with the trailing edge when the guard drops down, as shown, and hence prevents the cur off piece from kicking back and moving in direction 127 under the influence of the rotation ot the blade within the guard wirh which the cut off piece may still be in contact. It also prevents the cut off piece becoming stuck and maintaining the guard in a potentially unsafe raised position, once the workpiece cut has in fact been performed.
Also provided at the front face of the. guard, can be a guide means such as a laser generator 104 with the leading face being formed so as to ensure that there is a free path for the guideline which is generated. Alternatively, Or in addition other i 1.1 u mi nation means may be provided to illuminate the portion of the work piece adjacent to the blade at any given time. It should be appreciated that the guard as herein described may be used to advantage on other designs and uses of cutting apparatus and is not confined to use with the apparatus herein described.
In addition or alternatively one or more sight guides 107,109 can be provided on the guard as. shown in Figure 4. The first guide 107 is mounted to move in a pendulum manner as indicated by arrows 115 about location 111 which allows the same to be moved by the contact with the leading edge of the workpiece 1.03 and then contact with the top surface 105 of the same. The same can be aligned with a guideline 113 applied to or generated on the top surface 105 of the workpiece 103. The second guide can be an edge of the guard which can be aligned with the blade edge and so the two guides can be used to aid accurate cutting using the apparatus.
The guard can also be provided with, or have attached, a dust collection channel 106 through which dust or debris created during the cutting operation of the blade, can be removed from
rhc vi cini ty and hence allow the dust and debris to be collected, perhaps by a bag connected to the channel or by other vacuum appa ratus . Typically the dust and debris is collected from the cur a I: ea by r.he airflow created by rotation o f the blade, and carried u p wardly and around the guard as indicated by arrow 117 by rh c airflow to an exit aperture, typically located at a tangent ro the airflow above the blade.
The base 3 o f the apparatus can also be used to allow other comp onents to be stored therewith and in this case, a push member 1 1 8 is shown in a storage position via slotted apertures 120 which are received on first and second fixing means 122 attached to the base. The push member is provided for use when the apparatus is in the operating mode in which the cutting unit is stationery and the work piece is required to be pus hed towards the blade. In one embodiment the base may be p rovid ed with side and length extensions to support the workpiece beyond the periphery of the base.
Th ere is therefore provided apparatus which allows work pieces to be cu t e ffectively and efficiently and also to allow the same to be cu r o n site using the apparatus as herein described.
There is therefore provided a compact and efficient cutting apparatus which is operable in two modes thereby allowing the workp iece to be inserted width wise across the cutting plane so as to be bis ected without being obstructed by the product s tru ctu re and also allow angular cuts to be achieved.
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