This invention relates to a template for cutting and shaping elongate workpieces, particularly wooden workpieces such as fence posts.

Cutting fence pbsts accurately to the correct length on site can be difficult in the absence of any means for holding a post in position. Once a post has been erected, it may need to be trimmed down to the correct height, or shaped at its upper end, and this can be awkward without suitable guide means for a saw. Similar problems can arise with other workpieces which are too large to fit into a conventional vice or other holder.

The present invention provides a template for cutting elongate workpieces, comprising a sleeve to fit over a workpiece and means for fixing the sleeve at any desired position along the workpiece, wherein the sleeve has at least one transverse guide slot arranged to receive and guide a cutting tool through a workpiece when the sleeve is in position, to make a predetermined straight cut, and at least one pair of slots extending parallel to one another through opposite sides of the sleeve, from one end of the sleeve.

The template will typically be of square cross section, but may have any other suitable cross section according to the workpieces to be cut.

The template will typically include a transverse guide slot which is arranged to be at right angles to the workpiece. The template preferably comprises a plurality of cuts guide slots, to enable the workpiece to be cut in different planes. According to a preferred embodiment, the sleeve is of square or rectangular cross section and comprises aligned pairs of guide slots extending parallel to one another through opposite sides of the sleeve, from one end of the sleeve at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the sleeve, to enable the workpiece to be cut at an angle. This arrangement is of particular utility in cutting the ends of workpieces to various shapes.

Other embodiments of the invention include sleeves with a pair of complementary angled guide slots which can be used to make mitre joints, and sleeves with a combination of longitudinal and perpendicular slots which can be used to make a step joint.

The template is preferably made of metal, more preferably galvanised steel, making it suitably robust for outdoor use. It can be made by bending a sheet of steel or other metal such as aluminium into the desired tubular shape and welding or otherwise securing the abutting edges of the sheet. The required guide slots for the saw or other cutting implement can then be cut. Alternatively, slots can be cut in the sheet -metal before it is formed into a sleeve. The sleeve could also be made from a high-strength plastics material, for example a glass or fibre reinforced plastics, in which case the whole sleeve can be moulded. The sleeve could also be made of wood. The means for securing the sleeve in position on a fence post or other work piece may suitably comprise a screw passing through one side of the sleeve to engage the work piece.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a template according to the present invention secured in position on a fence post to allow the fence post to be cut to the desired height; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the template of Figure 1, repositioned for shaping of the top of the fence post; Figure 3 shows a top plan view of the template of Figures 1 and 2; Figures 4a and 4b show the two stages of cutting the end of the fence post, starting from the template position shown in Figure 2; Figures 5a and 5b show an alternative shape to which the top of a fence post can be cut using a different position of the template; Figures βa and 6b show a further possibility for cutting and shaping a fence post using the template of the invention; Figure 7 shows a template with a pair of complementary angled cuts which can be used to make a mitre joint; Figure 8 shows a template with a combination of cuts which can be used to make a step joint and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a multi-purpose template in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, a template generally indicated by 14 comprises a sleeve 12 of galvanised steel or the like fitted over a fence post 10 and secured in position by a screw 20, which mounted centrally in a boss 23 to pass through one side of the sleeve as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the shank 21 of screw 20 has a pointed end 27 to engage and grip the fence post.

A cutting slot 16 extends around three sides of the sleeve and is dimensioned to accommodate a saw. The width of the slot 16 is preferably in a range from 2 to 5 mm, more preferably 3 to 4 mm.

The slot 16 extends in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal edges of the sleeve, so that when the sleeve is in position the post can be cut off with a saw passing through the slot. When the cut has gone as far as the slot 16 will allow, the sleeve can be released and slid out of position to enable the final cut to be finished.

The template also has pairs of angled slots 18, 19 formed in two opposed sides 22, 24 of the sleeve, extending from triangular cutouts 15 also formed in the opposed sides 22, 24 at the upper end of the sleeve as shown in Figure 2. The slots 18, 19 are aligned with respective opposite sides of the triangular cutouts, and extend from the apex an angle to the longitudinal direction of the sleeve which is preferably between 40 and 60° and may suitably be 45°.

To cut the top end of the fence post to the shape of a pyramid, the template is inverted and positioned as shown in Figure 2, with the junction of slots 18, 19, at the apices of triangles 15, being aligned with the top end of the post 10. The pairs of slots 18, 19 are aligned in respective common planes, so that a saw can pass along the slots of each pair simultaneously.

Sawing through the respective pairs of slots, 18, 19 in turn as far as the slots will allow, then releasing and removing the sleeve to allow the cuts to be completed, gives a fence post with its top end cut to a gable shape as shown in Figure 4a. By repositioning the template in the position shown in Figure 2, but rotated through 90° about its vertical axis, enables a second pair of cuts to be made along dotted lines 30 shown in Figure 4a, to give a pyramid shape as shown in Figure 4b.

Moving the template further up from the position of Figure 2 allows a cut such as that shown in Figure 5a to be made, wherein a part of the originally cut top surface 35 remains. Making a second pair of cuts with the template at the same height but rotated through 90° gives the shape shown in Figure 5b, with a flat top 35.

Figures 6a and βb show a further shape for the top of the fence post, which can be achieved by raising the templates further from the position used to make the cuts of Figures 5a and 5b.

Further variations are envisaged. For example, the template could have a second set of opposed guide slots formed in the other pair of opposed side walls 14, 26, at different angles from the slots 18, 19. Since however this might weaken the structure somewhat, the sleeve could instead be made longer, with a second set of angled slots formed in each opposite end, again at different angles from those of slots 18, 19.

The template shown in Figure 7 comprises a sleeve 38 with two cutting slots 40, 42 set at different angles, to enable the tops of fence posts to be cut to different shapes, or to enable two workpieces to be connected end to end by means of a mitre joint.

If one of the angled slots makes an angle of 45° to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece, right angled mitre joints can be cut.

The template of Figure 8 comprises a sleeve 45 with a cutting slot 48 at right angles to the workpiece axis and extending approximately half way across the cross section of the workpiece. A second slot 50 is formed at one axial end of a side wall 52 of the sleeve, extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve from the mid point of one edge of the wall. A matching slot (not shown) is formed on the opposite side of the sleeve, to enable a longitudinal cut to be made in the workpiece. Using the template of Figure 8, a stepped joint can be made between two workpieces. First, the sleeve is positioned so that the end of the workpiece is flush with the end of the sleeve in which are formed the slot 50 and its matching slot on the opposite side, and a cut is made to the full depth of these slots. The sleeve is then positioned so that the ends of the slot 48 coincide with the ends of the first cut, and a second cut is made through slot 48 so as to cut a shoulder in the end of the workpiece. Two workpieces thus cut can then be fitted together in a stepped joint.

Referring now to Figure 9, a sleeve generally indicated by 60 has a pair of opposed openings 66 in two opposite sides, to allow the passage of an elongate workpiece such as a plank to be cut at a desired angle, for example to form mitre joints.

Screw holes 62, 64 are provided to enable the workpiece to be clamped in position in the aperture 66, the screws themselves not being omitted from this figure for clarity. Corresponding screw holes may be provided on the opposite side of the sleeve, and in other portions of the template if desired. Opposed pairs of cutting slots 70 and 72, 74 and 74, 78 and 80, and 82 and 84 are formed in two opposite side walls of the sleeve, to enable a workpiece to be cut in different places and at different angles.

It will be apparent that a workpiece could also be slid down the central opening of the sleeve of Figure 9, to be cut longitudinally using any of the four pairs of opposed slots.