GB2024800A - Glass-cutter - Google Patents

Abstract

In a wheeled glass-cutter comprising a handle 201 containing a socket 204 at one end and a one-piece wheel holder 206 withdrawably inserted in the socket, the technical problem of avoiding displacement of the wheel 7 or its axle 8 when excessive pressure is applied during use is solved by the slot for accommodating the wheel 7 being defined between the inserted holder 206 and a wall 203 bounding the socket 204, the wheel axle 8 projecting sideways from the holder and being engaged in a blind groove 9 of said bounding wall 203. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Glass-cutter The invention relates to a so-called wheeled glass cutter comprising a handle carrying a rotary metal wheel for manually scoring glass preparatory to parting the glass along the score line.

Several known such cutters make provision for replacing the wheel by comprising a plurality of wheels loosely mounted on individual axles on a tur ret which is screw-attached to the handle. When one wheel is worn out, the turret screw is loosened, the turret is turned to bring another wheel to an operative position and the screw is tightened again. Apart from the fact that a screwdriver is required to make the adjustment, one may not remember which wheels are blunt, all the wheels will drop off if the turret screw is accidentally unscrewed completely, and the wheels are cumbersome to assemble on the turret by the manufacturer, it is a disadvantage that in some cases there is a danger of the wheel in the operative position becoming jammed if the screw is tightenedtoo much.Further, unless the turret is of diecast aluminium alloy and has a comparatively short life, a steel turret has to be machined with the individual axles integral therewith and the special machine for this purpose is expensive.

In an endeavour to dispense with a turret altogether, we have suggested in GB-PS 1 400 773 a glass-cutter comprising a two-part plastics wheel holder which is a removable push fit in a socket provided in the handle and carries the wheel at an end projecting from the socket, an axle for the wheel being supported between the two holder parts.

When removed from the handle, the holder parts are separable to enable the wheel to be replaced with one taken from a spare wheel compartment defined between the holder parts. Although this construction avoids most of the above-mentioned disadvantages, the holder involves a two-piece moulding and, if the cutter is used incorrectly by an unskilled person who exerts more than the pressure required for efficient scoring, the holder parts have a tendency to spring apart, which can give rise to uncontrollablewheel wobble.

This invention aims to provide a wheeled glasscutter which, apart from the wheel and possible its axle, can be moulded from plastics material with a minimum number of parts and little or no tendency to distort even if misused, without having to revert to the aforementioned construction employing a metal turret.

According to the invention, a wheeled glass-cutter comprises a handle containing a socket at one end and a one-piece wheel holderwithdrawably inserted in the socket, a slot for accommodating the wheel being defined between the inserted holder and a wall bounding the socket and a wheel axle projecting sideways from the holder and being engaged in a blind groove of said bounding wall.

By means of the invention, the scoring wheel is no longer accommodated in the slot between two separable parts at the projecting end of a holder but between a one-piece holder and a wall bounding the socket in the handle in which the holder is inserted.

Similarly, the wheel axle is supported between the holder and the said bounding wail instead of bet ween two holder parts as hitherto. Consequently, there is less tendency for the wheel or its axle to become displaced by pressure exerted on the wheel during use. Such tendency will be practically non existent if the socket and the blind groove are sufficiently deep to permit substantially complete insertion of the wheel holder in the handle, with only part of the wheel circumference protruding, means being provided to facilitate withdrawal of the inserted holder to effect a wheel change. Such means may be a formation, for example knurling or fingernail slots or ribs, on a face of the holder that is accessible through an open side of the socket.

Examples of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a first embodiment of glass-cutter taken at the operative end of the handle with the wheel holder inserted; Figs. 2 to 5 are respectively a fragmentary front, side, rear and end elevation of a slightly modified cutter; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the wheel holder withdrawn and Fig. 7 and 8 are respectively fragmentary side and end elevations of the same cutter with the wheel holder withdrawn; Figs. 9 to 12 are respectively a fragmentary front, side, rear and end elevation of a second embodiment of glass-cutter taken at the operative end of the handle; Figs. 13 and 14 are respectively a front and side elevation of the wheel holder used in the Figs. 9 to 12 embodiment;; Figs. 15 to 20 are views similar to Figs. 9 to 14, respectively, of a third embodiment of glass-cutter and its wheeled holder; Figs. 21 to 24 are respectively a fragmentary partsectional front elevation, sectional side elevation, part-sectional rear elevation and an end elevation of a fourth embodiment of glass-cutter taken at the operative end of the handle; Fig. 25 is a part-sectional side elevation of the other end of the handle of the Figs. 15 to 20 glasscutter; Fig. 26 is a view similar to Fig. 25 of a modification; Fig. 27 is a part-sectional side elevation of the other end of the handle of the Figs. 1 or 2 to 8 glasscutter, and Fig. 28 is a view similar to Fig. 27 of a modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8, the glass-cutter comprises a one-piece handle 1 moulded from plastics material. The handle is bifurcated at one end (the operative end) to form two walls 2,3 (Fig. 1) or 22, 33 (Figs. 2 to 8) bounding an open-ended socket 4 receiving a wheel holder 6. The wheel is shown at 7 and is a metal cutting wheel for producing a score line in glass. The wheel 7 is freely rotatable on a fixed cantilever axle 8 which projects from one side of the holder 6 and, when the holder is inserted in the socket as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, is engaged at the bottom of a blind groove 9 in the wall 3 or 33 bounding the socket 4. The axle 8 is preferably of steel.The wheel holder 6 is pivoted to the bounding wall 3 or 22 at one end by a pin 11 on one side and by an integrally moulded part-circular pivot boss 12 on the other side, which is coaxial with the pin 11 and engages in a part-circular bearing recess 13 of the bounding wall 2 or33.

The wheel holder 6 may be a sliding or a push fit in the socket 4 and means may be provided to enable it to click into the fully inserted position, which can be limited by abutment of the holder with the base of the socket and/or engagement of the axle 8 with the bottom of the groove 9. It will be seen that the socket 4 and groove 9 are sufficiently deep to permit substantially complete insertion of the wheel holder in the handle, with only part of the wheel circumference protruding. Withdrawal of the wheel holder to its upswing position of Figs. 6 to 8 is facilitated by fingernail recesses or striations 14 at one end of the holder accessible through one open end of the socket 4. In the withdrawn position of the holder 6, the wheel 7 can be freely slid off the axle 8 and replaced.

In its inserted position, the wheel holder 6 and the grooved bounding wall 3 (Fig. 1) or 33 (Figs. 2 to 8) together define a slot 16 for accommodating the wheel 7. This slot is preferably formed by a channel moulded solely into the wheel holder and a confronting planar face of the bounding wall, as is illustrated.

The handle 1 contains an open-topped cavity 17 defining a magazine for spare cutting wheels 77. The open top of the cavity is at the level of the base of the socket 4 and is normally closed by the inserted wheel holder 6. Windows 18 formed in the handle enable the contents of the magazine 17 to be viewed and also facilitate moulding of the handle. Along one side, the handle 1 is provided with conventional slots 19 of different width to serve as pincers for nipping of narrow strips of glass.

Referring to Figs. 9 to 14, only those features of the glass-cutter will be described again that differ from the Fig. 1 embodiment or its modification of Figs. 2 to 8. Features that are similar in both embodiments are provided with the same reference numerals as used for Figs. 1 to 8. The operative end of the handle 101 is in this cac9 not bifurcated but moulded with a socket 104 of dovetail shape bounded on one side by a side wall 103 and open on the parallel opposite side. The socket substantially completely receives a wheel holder 106 in the form of a separable slide insert of trapezium cross-section. As before, the axle 8 is engaged in a blind groove 9 of the bounding wall 103. In this construction, a spare wheel magazine is not provided near the operative end of the handle.

The wheel holder may click into the inserted position. The same applies to the preferred embodiment of Figs. 15 to 20 which differs from the Figs. 9 to 14 embodiment only in the T shape of the socket 204 bounded by wall 203 at the operative end of the handle 201 and the complementary cross-sectional shape of the wheel holder 206. Again, features which are the same are provided with the same reference numerals as used for Figs. 1 to 8.

Yet another embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 21 to 24. Whereas a spare wheel magazine is not provided in Figs. 15 to 20 at the operative end of the handle, in Figs. 21 to 24 such a spare wheel magazine is provided in the wheel holder 306 which is of T-section to be a sliding fit in a socket 304 of complementary shape in the handle 301. The magazine is formed by a plurality of open circular pockets 317 which are partly closed by parts of the handle when the wheel holder is inserted therein, windows 318 being provided in the handle for viewing the contents of the pockets. Instead of individual pockets, the magazine may be formed by a continuous recess or by a recess which is compartmented by transverse ribs.

Referring to Figs. 25 to 28, these illustrate several forms that the other end of the cutter handle may take. In Fig. 25, the other end of handle 201 of the preferred cutter of Figs. 15 to 20 contains a.hole 241 forming a magazine for spare wheels 77. The hole 241 is closed by a metal plug 250 comprising a shank 251, which is a removable push fit in the hole, a shoulder 252, which limits insertion of the plug, and a knurled head 253, which not only enables the plug ta be easily grasped but has a domed end 254 useful for tapping scored glass on the face opposite to the score line and thereby helping to part the glass along the score line. The alternative version shown in Fig.

26 has a modified shape for the plug 450 and the shank451 of the plug is screw-threaded to engage a complementary screwhead of a partly tapped hole 441 in handle 401. The plug is therefore a screw fit instead of a push fit in the handle.

The other end of the handle 1 of Figs. 1 or 2 to 8 is shown in Fig. 27. Since a spare wheel magazine is already provided at the operative end of the handle, no such provision is required at the other end but a metal plug 150 with a domed end 154 is nevertheless provided in a hole in the handle for tapping the glass. The plug may be permanently inserted in the hole. Finally, Fig. 28 shows a plug 550 having a head with a shoulder 552 and domed end 554. This form of construction is suitable for glass-cutter handles in which the part of the hole 551 not occupied by the plug may again constitute a spare wheel magazine.

Claims (16)

1. A wheeled glass-cutter comprising a handle containing a socket at one end and a one-piece wheel holder withdrawably inserted in the socket, a slot for accommodating the wheel being defined between the inserted holder and a wall bounding the socket and a wheel axle projecting sideways from the holder and being engaged in a blind groove of said bounding wall.

2. A glass-cutter according to claim 1,wherein the socket and blind groove are sufficiently deep to permit substantially complete insertion of the wheel holder in the handle, with only part of the wheel circumference protruding.

3. A glass-cutter according to claim 2, including means to facilitate withdrawal of the wheel holder from the handle.

4. A glass-cutter according to claim 3, wherein one side of the socket is open and a face of the wheel holder accessible through said open socket side is formed with striations.

5. A glass-cutter according to any preceding claim, wherein the wheel holder is a slide fit in the socket and completely separable from the handle.

6. A glass-cutter according to claim 5, wherein the socket and wheel holder are T-shaped in crosssection.

7. A glass-cutter according to any preceding claim, wherein the slot is formed by a channel moulded solely in the wheel holder and a confronting planar face of the bounding wall.

8. A glass-cutter according to any preceding claim, including a magazine for spare wheels.

9. A glass-cutter according to claim 8, wherein the magazine is formed in the handle.

10. A glass-cutter according to claim 9, wherein the magazine is formed at the opposite end of the handle.

11. A glass-cutter according to claim 10, wherein the magazine is formed by a hole in the handle closed by a plug.

12. A glass-cutter according to claim 11, wherein the plug is of metal and provided with a domed head.

13. A glass-cutter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or Figs. 2 to 8 or Figs. 9 to 14 or Figs. 15 to 20 or Figs. 21 to 24 or one of Figs. 25 to 28 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A wheeled glass-cutter comprising a handle containing a socket at one end, a one-piece wheel holder retained in the socket with a slide or push fit without a screw, a slot for accommodating the wheel defined between the holder and a wall bounding the socket, a wheel axle projecting sideways from the holder and engaged in a blind groove of said bounding wall, and means facilitating withdrawal of the wheel holder from the socket to permit replacement of the wheel.

15. A glass-cutter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one side of the socket is open and a face of the wheel holder accessible through said open socket side is provided with withdrawal facilitating means in the form of striations.

16. A glass-cutter according to any preceding claim, wherein the wheel holder is completely separable from the handle.