AU706189B3

AU706189B3 - Tile profiling device

Info

Publication number: AU706189B3
Application number: AU18342/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William Moncrieff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Moncreiff Lois
Priority date: 1999-02-19
Filing date: 1999-02-19
Publication date: 1999-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2005-02-19

Description

TITLE: TILE PROFILING

DEVICE

THIS INVENTION relates to a device to assist in the cutting, mitrering, chamfering and similar operations of ceramic tiles and like items. In particular, it is directed to a device which can be readily attached, and subsequently removed from, a cutting implement such as an angle grinder or a circular- or jig-saw.

When tiling floor or wall areas, rarely are the surfaces to be covered an exact multiple of the length of the individual tiles used; some cutting of the tiles is }0 almost always required. Further, when tiles meet at comers, it is necessary to mitre the edges of the adjacent tiles to ensure that only the finished, often glazed outer surface is visible.

Prior art technology to perform these cuts or mitre joints necessitates the use of a bench cutter or grinder. They usually include some form of purpose-built cutting implement supported on a table or stand. Integral with the table or stand is a guiding mechanism to guide the tile relative to the cutting implement to achieve the cut at the required location and angle. Such devices are relatively large and thus weighty, cumbersome and expensive. Also, they usually have to be dismantled for transport and then reassembled on site before use. In addition, for a tiler tradesman, the only use for such a device is indeed for the cutting, mitrering, chamfering, etc. of tiles.

There thus remains a need for a device which can perform the cutting tasks necessary for a tiler tradesman, but not require the inconvenience of a bench mounted device.

It is thus a general object of the present invention to overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more of the above problems and to provide a device to assist in the cutting, mitrering, chamfering and similar operations on ceramic tiles and like items.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for removable attachment to a cutting implement such as an angle grinder, circular- orjig-saw or similar implement, to enable said cutting implement to cut, mitre, chamfer or perform a similar operation on an item at a required angle, said device including: a positioning means for placing said device in a required position; a slot in said positioning means through which a cutting blade of said cutting implement can protrude to enable said blade to cut, mitre, chamfer or perform a similar operation on said item; and iW an attachment means fixed to said positioning means to enable removable attachment of said device to said cutting implement.

Preferably, said cutting implement is an angle grinder.

More preferably, said angle grinder is a hand-held angle grinder.

Preferably, said positioning means is an elongate member of L-shaped crosssection, one arm of which can rest on an upper surface of said item to be cut, mitred, chamfered or have a similar operation performed thereon, the other arm providing the required guide for the tile relative to the cutting implement to achieve the cut at the required location.

Preferably, said attachment means is a pair of rigid straps, wherein one end of each of said Straps is fixed to said positioning means, and wherein the other end of one of said straps is removably fixed to one side of said cutting implement and the corresponding other end of the second strap is removably fixed to the other side of said cutting implement.

The invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment which is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG.1 is a perspective sketch of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention; 1 FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the device of FIG. 1 attached to an angle grinder; FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 attached to an angle grinder; and FIG 4 is a bottom perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 attached to an angle grinder.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device of the invention includes an elongate L-shaped member Approximately mid-length of the member there is a slot A first shaped rigid arm is fixed at one of its ends to one end of the elongate member The arm can be affixed by any means suitable known in the art; in FIG. rivets are used. Near the other end of the arm there is a hole A second shaped rigid arm is fixed at one of its ends (10) to the other end (11) of the elongate member Once again, the arm can be affixed by any means suitable known in the art; in FIG. rivets (12) are again used. Near the other end (13) of the arm there is a hole (14).

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the device is affixed to a hand held angle grinder by the arms and the arm being attached to one side of the casing of the angle grinder (15) by a casing bolt (16) passing through the hole and the arm being attached to the other side of the casing of the angle grinder (15) by a casing bolt (17) passing through the hole The blade (18) of the angle grinder (15) passes through the slot in the elongate member such that, in use, as depicted in FIG. 2, the blade chamfers the edge of a ceramic tile When not required, the device can readily be removed from the angle grinder enabling the grinder to be used for other purposes.

It will be appreciated that the above described embodiments are only exemplification of the various aspects of the present invention and that modifications and alterations can be made thereto. For example, specific reference has been to the use of present invention to cut or chamfer ceramic Stiles usually found in the floor and wall areas of homes. Of course, the present invention could be used, for example, to cut other tiles, such as paving tiles, which could be manufactured from slate or other non-ceramic material.

These and other modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the inventive concept as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A device for removable attachment to a cutting implement such as an angle grinder, circular- or jig-saw or similar implement, to enable said cutting implement to cut, mitre, chamfer or perform a similar operation on an item at a required angle, said device including: a positioning means for placing said device in a required position; a slot in said positioning means through which a cutting blade of said 0 cutting implement can protrude to enable said blade to cut, mitre, chamfer or perform a similar operation on said item; and an attachment means fixed to said positioning means to enable removable attachment of said device to said cutting implement.

2. A device as defined in Claim 1, wherein said positioning means is an elongate member of L-shaped cross-section, one arm of which can rest on an upper surface of said item to be cut, mitred, chamfered or have a similar operation performed thereon, the other arm providing the required guide for said item relative to said cutting implement to achieve said cut, mitre, chamfer or similar operation at a required location.

3. A device as defined in Claim1 or Claim 2, wherein said attachment means is a pair of rigid straps, wherein one end of each of said straps is fixed to said positioning means, and wherein the other end of one of said straps is removably fixed to one side of said cutting implement and the corresponding other end of the second strap is removably fixed to the other side of said cutting implement.