GB2063149A - Pressure-applying hand tool for severing a scored ceramic tile - Google Patents

Abstract

A pair of jaws (2, 5) are movable towards each other, one jaw (2) having an edge (21) and the other jaw (5) having preferably two side parts (13) at opposite sides of the edge (21). In use, the tile is positioned between the jaws with a score line superimposed over the jaw edge (21) and facing towards the opposite jaw (5), and the jaws are then moved together to clamp the tile and cause it to break along the score line. Movement of the jaws is effected by manual operation of a control member (32), such as by rotation of a handle, acting via a mechanism (26), particularly a screw mechanism, which enables the positions of the jaws to be adjusted in a controlled manner. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pressure-applying hand tool This invention relates to a pressure-applying hand tool, particularly although not exclusively, for use in severing ceramic tiles along scored iines.

A known hand tool for severing scored tiles has a pair of jaws carried by pivotally interconnected handles. In use, a scored tile is positioned between the jaws and pressure is applied by gripping the handles and squeezing same towards each other.

With this tool, in order to ensure satisfactory results it is necessary to exert a carefully controlled squeezing action and an unskilled person may have difficulty in achieving this. Also, the tool, in so far as it is assembled from a number of separate component parts, may be complicated and expensive to manufacture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool which can be manufactured in a simple and inexpensive manner and with which satisfactory severing of scored tiles can be achieved even when the tool is used by an unskilled person.

According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided a hand tool, for applying pressure to an article such as a scored tile, comprising a pair of opposed jaws which are movable towards each other and between which such article can be placed, one jaw having an edge for longitudinal engagement with one surface of such article positioned between the jaws, and the other jaw having at least one side part offset transversely relative to said edge for engagement with an opposite surface of the article, and a control member connected to said jaws and movable by hand to effect said movement of the jaws towards each other, characterised in that, the control member is linked to the jaws via a mechanism which converts movement of the control member into controlled adjustment of the spacing of the jaws and is capable of maintaining an adjusted such spacing when movement of the control member ceases.

With this arrangement it will be appreciated that the application of pressure to an article can be controlled as a consequence of the action of the said mechanism whereby little or no skill need be exercised by a person using the device.

Also, since operational control is derived principally from the said mechanism, it is possible for other parts of the device, in particular the jaws and the control member two be constructed and assembled in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Most preferably, the jaws are mounted so as to be movable linearly relative to each other. In this case, most conveniently one jaw (preferably the jaw having the said edge) is slidable along a channel or groove in a body structure which carries the other jaw. Such slidable jaw may be constructed in one piece, for example, as a metal casting, and the other jaw and the body structure may also be constructed in one piece also possibly as a metal casting.

With regard to the said mechanism this may take any suitable form preferably having an appreciable mechanical advantage to facilitate application of large forces and having the requisite degree of frictional resistance, high gearing or the like to ensure ready maintenance of an adjusted position thereof. Most conveniently the mechanism compris es a screw mechanism having for example a rotat able threaded screw member engaging a captive nut operated by rotation of said control member; although if desired any other equivalent mechanism involving gears, cams or the like may be utilised.

The control member may be a handle which may be rod-shaped or of any other suitable construction.

Whilst the invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular field of application, it is anticipated that the device of the invention will be especially useful in the severing of scored ceramic tiles, the offset arrangement of said side part of one jaw relative to the said edge of the other jaw being particularly suitable for this purpose. For such application, the jaw confronting the said edge may have two said side parts with an elongate groove therebetween, the groove being parallel to and in aiignment with the said edge.Thus, and in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of severing a scored tile by hand utilizing the tool as described above wherein the scored tile is positioned between the jaws of the tool with a score line on the tile parallel to, in super-imposed relationship with and facing away from the said edge, the tool being held in one hand of a user and the control member being operated by the user's other hand to effect movement of the jaws towards each other.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of a hand tool according to the invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the tool; and Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

The tool is for use in severing scored ceramic tiles and has a body structure 1 and a movable jaw piece 2 respectively formed as one-piece metal castings.

The body structure 1 has an elongate tapered back wall 3 with a forwardly projecting support part 4 at its narrow end and a forwardly projecting jaw arrangement 5 at its wider end. The support part 4 and jaw arrangement 5 also project slightly rearwardly and terminate at the rear side of the body structure 1 level with each other and with rearwardly projecting longitudinal side walls 6 of the body structure.

The support part 4 is a narrow, hollow structure having a hole 7 (Figure 3) in the side wall 8 thereof which faces away from the jaw arrangement 4 and a slot 9 which is open to the rear of the structure 1 in the opposite wall 10.

The jaw arrangement 5 is also a narrow, hollow structure and the side wall 11 (Figure 3) thereof which faces the support part 4 has a concavely curved central groove 12 therein extending perpendicularlyto the wall, and two side faces 13 one on each side of the groove 12 which are slightly inclined towards each other. The opposite side wall 14 of the jaw arrangement has two inclined side faces 15 which merge with each other via a convexly curved edge 16.

The elongate wall 3 has a central longitudinally extending slot 17 therein. At one end, the slot 17 has a main part 18 which terminates level with the jaw arrangement 5 and at its other end the slot 17 meets the slot 9 in the support part 4. Adjacent the latter end the slot 17 has an enlarged portion 19 and between such enlarged portion and the slot 9 there is a narrow part 20 ofthe slot 17.

The jaw piece 2 is in the form of an elongate block which tapers at one side to an elongate slightly rounded edge 21, and which has a head part 22 and a foot part 23 which are separated from each other by a neck part 24 defined by side grooves in the block (as shown in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3). The side of the block 2 opposite the edge 21 has a longitudinally extending channel 25 running partly along same from the foot part 23. The jaw piece 2 fits on the body structure 1 with the foot part 23 behind the walls 3, the head part 22 in front of the wall 3 and the neck part 24 passed through the main part 18 of the slot 17. In such position, the jaw piece 2 is retained relative to the body structure 1 but can slide along the slot 17.

The hand tool also has a screw mechanism 26 which comprises a threaded rod 27 passed through the hole 7 and slot 9 of the support part 4 and engaging a nut 28 held captive between the walls 8, 10 of such part 4. The rod 27 extends parallel to the slot 17 and one end 29 thereof projects into and is retained within the channel 25 in the block 2 by means of a circlip 30 which fits on the rod end 29 and engages grooves 31 in the block 2 around the channel 25. The other end of the rod 27 projects freely from the body structure 1 and has a cranked handle end 32 which is not threaded.

The tool is a small portable tool, say of the order of 10 cm greatest length, and can be easily held in the palm of one hand.

The tool is formed from five component parts, namely the body structure 1, the jaw piece 2, the threaded rod 27, the circlip 30 and the nut 28; and is assembled by: inserting the nut 28 in the support part 4, positioning the circlip 30 on the rod 29, screwing the threaded rod 27 through the nut 28 until the end 29 is adjacent the enlarged portion 19 of the slot 17, engaging the jaw piece 2 with the end 29 of the rod 27 and pushing the foot part 23 through the enlarged portion 19, and then rotating the rod 27 with the handle 32 until the jaw piece 2 is moved into engagement with the main part 18 of the slot 17. The assembled tool can therefore be manufactured in a particularly simple and inexpensive manner.

In use, a scored tile 33 is positioned between the jaw piece 2 and the jaw arrangement 5 as indicated in Figure 3 with the score line extending parallel to the edge 21 and facing the groove 12. A centre line 34 is marked on the jaw arrangement 5 to facilitate this positioning. The handle 32 is then rotated by hand until the jaw piece 2 is moved to a position at which the edge 31 presses against the underside of the tile 33 and the top scored surface of the tile bears againstthe side faces 13. Increasing pressure can then be applied in a gradual and carefully controlled manner to the tile 33 by further rotation of the handle 32 until the tile severs along the score line. The inclination of the side faces 13 and the curvature of the groove 12 facilitate easy separation of the tile parts without undesired damage thereto.

It will be appreciated that the action of the screw mechanism 26 is such that large forces can be easily applied to the tile without requiring large forces to be exerted by the user on the handle 32, and such forces can be increased or decreased as required in a gradual and carefully controlled manner. Further, the positions of the jaws 2, 5 are reliably maintained when the handle is not rotated such that, for example, the tile 33 can in a convenient manner be held securely clamped between the jaws 2,5 prior to severing thereof, and as the tile severs there is little tendency for the jaws 2, 5 to deflect or move rapidly.

Satisfactory results can therefore be reliably ensured even in the case where the tool is used by an unskilled person.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Claims (13)

1. A hand tool, for applying pressure to an article such as a scored tile, comprising a pair of opposed jaws which are movable towards each other and between which such article can be placed, one jaw having an edge for longitudinal engagement with one surface of such article positioned between the jaws, and the other jaw having at least one side part offset transversely relative to said edge for engagemenu with an opposite surface of the article, and a control member connected to said jaws and movable by hand to effect said movement of the jaws towards each other, characterised in that, the control member is linked to the jaws via a mechanism which converts movement of the control member into controlled adjustment of the spacing of the jaws and is capable of maintaining an adjusted such spacing when movement of the control member ceases.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the jaws are mounted so as to be movable linearly relative to each other.

3. A tool according to claim 2, wherein one jaw is slidable along a channel or slot in a body structure which carries the other jaw.

4. A tool according to claim 3, wherein the slidable jaw is the jaw having the said edge.

5. A tool according to claim 3 to 4, wherein the slidable jaw is formed in one piece.

6. A tool according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the body structure and the other jaw carried thereby are formed in one piece.

7. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said mechanism comprises a screw mechanism orthe equivalent operated by rotation of said control member.

8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein a screw mechanism is used having a threaded rod engaging a captive nut.

9. Atool according to claim 8, wherein the threaded rod has a cranked end defining the said control member.

10. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the jaw confronting said edge has two said side parts with an elongate groove therebetween, the groove being parallel, to and in alignment with the said edge.

11. A tool according to claim 3 or any claims dependent on claim 3, wherein the body structure contains a slot which has a main part along which in use the slidable jaw can move, and a communicating enlarged portion via which the slidable jaw can be moved into co-operable engagement with said main part of the slot on assembly of the tool.

12. A tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of severing a scored tile by hand utilising the tool of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the scored tile is positioned between the jaws of the tool with a score line on the tile parallel to, in superimposed relationship with and facing away from the said edge, the tool being held in one hand of a user and the control member being operated by the user's other hand to effect movement of the jaws towards each other.