GB2279292A - Tool for rebating or clearing putting from rebates - Google Patents

Abstract

A tool for clearing putting from window frames, in which a cutter 11 is located in a rebate 20 in one end of the tool body 10; and the body is provided with abutments such as stops 31, 32 and surfaces 23, 25, 26 and 27 to engage the window frame and/or window glass to guide the tool during removal of putty. <IMAGE>

Description

TOOL, FOR REBATING OR CLEARING PUTTY FROM REBATES This invention concerns portable tools for rebating, and, more especially, clearing old putty from the rebates of window frames.

The removal of old putty from the glazing rebate of a window frame, poses particular problems for a glazier, and considerable effort and skill is required to chisel the putty from the frame to clear the rebate properly without damaging the frame. Quite frequently, some damage arises, requiring remedial carpentry.

Remedial carpentry poses further problems, and although there are numerous different forms of rebating tools and rebating attachments for portable electric drills for machining lengths of timber held on a bench or worktable, none are suitable for re-cutting a glazing rebate in the frame of an installed window, with the result that such damage is usually concealed cosmetically with more putty.

In order to solve or at least reduce such problems the present invention provides a tool comprising an elongate body, an electric motor, and a cutter rotatable about a cutter axis; wherein the body has a rebate in one end in which the cutter is disposed so that its axis is transverse to the body.

The present invention further provides a tool comprising a body, an electric motor and a cutter rotatable about a cutter axis which extends transversely through one end of the body; wherein the body is elongate in a direction perpendicular to said axis; wherein the body has workpiece engagement means, to orientate the body relative to a surface of the workpiece, in an operational plane and wherein stop means is provided alongside the cutter to terminate in a cutting plane perpendicular to said operational plane.

In use surfaces of the rebate, or projections thereon, serve to engage the workpiece for guiding the cutter.

The cutter is preferably releasably retained so as to be interchangeable.

The motor is preferably powered by a rechargeable battery located in the body.

The body is preferably shaped to form a handle or a graspable portion and is preferably provided with lateral portions which project peripherally from the body beyond the handle or graspable portion to protect a user's hand.

The workpiece engagement means may be wholly or partly fixed, e.g. defined by a surface or surfaces of the body, but, preferably, said means is adjustable to vary the operational plane in which the tool is moved relative to the workpiece. The stop means or a supplementary stop may be adjustable.

The body is preferably provided with means, such as a port, for visually monitoring or the workpiece proximal to the cutter.

The body may provide a storage compartment for additional cutters, and means to locate or accommodate a tool for use in releasing and securing the cutter.

The motor may be powered by an external power supply, and the body may provide a compartment for storing a power supply lead.

The present invention also provides a window frame rebate clearing tool comprising a body, a cutter at one end of the body, and a motor to rotate the cutter about an axis transverse to the body; wherein first workpiece abutments are provided on one side of said axis for abutting a pane of a window in a first plane, and second workpiece abutments are provided on the opposite side of the axis for abutting the frame of the window in a second plane parallel to the first plane; and wherein a stop is located adjacent to the cutter and between said first and second planes.

The abutments and the stop may be fixed and provided by surfaces of the body, but at least one or more thereof is or are preferably mounted adjustably on the body.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein FIGURES 1 to 5 show base top, front rear, and side views of a tool of the invention; and FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are digrams showing various stages of operation of the tool for clearing and re-cutting a window rebate.

The tool comprises a body 10, a cutter 11 rotatable about a cutting axis 12 by a motor 13 via a transmission (indicated as transmission gearing 14 in broken lines in FIGURE 1) housed in the body.

The body 10 provides a rebate 20, beneath a front portion 21, in which the cutter is disposed so as to extend from adjacent the front portion to an operational plane 15 normal to the axis 12. The body has a base 22 having a surface 27 at least part of which lies in a plane closely parallel to the plane 15 and extends to the rear of said axis 12. The front portion 21 projects forwardly beyond said axis 12, and has an undersurface 23 at least part of which lies in a reference plane 18 parallel with the plane 15 and normal to said axis 12, through which surface a cutter shaft 16 extends. A lateral extension 24 of the body 10 provides a rearwardly extending surface 25 in the same reference plane as the surface 23, which extension projects from a lateral surface 26 of the base 22. The lateral surface 26 lies in a secondary cutting plane 19 tangential to a cylindrical cutting face 16A of the cutter 11. The front end 22A of the base 22 may project to provide a front stop surface in a main cutting plane 17 which is tangential to the cutting face 16A and is perpendicular to the secondary cutting plane but in this embodiment said front stop surface 28 is provided on a retractable stop member 30.

The surfaces 23, 25, 26 and 27 are arranged to serve as workpiece engagement means for abutting the workpiece for orientation of the planes 14 and 18 in relation to the workpiece.

However, in order to provide adjustment of said orientation, the workpiece engagement means in this embodiment also includes movable members including a pair of screw adjustable front stops 31 extendable to project from a nose extension 20A towards or below the reference plane 18 or the surface 23, and three adjustable base stops 32 extendable to project from the surface 27. The stops 31 and 32 are preferably plastics grub screws.

A top portion 29 of the body is shaped to be grasped e.g. to serve as a handle extending rearwards from a main motor and transmission accommodating portion 33. Two lateral portions 34 and 35 of the body project laterally beyond the top portion for protecting a user's hand. The interior of the body provides accommodation for a rechargeable battery 36 or other power supply unit, which is preferably accessible via a closure 37 at the rear of the body; accommodation for, for example, a battery charging connector 38, with optional extension lead 39; and accommodation for tools 40 in a compartment accessible via a further closure 41. The compartment may be configured to contain one or more cutters 11.

The tools 40 may include a stop actuating and cutter release key or other tool insertable into an opening 42 at the front of the body for use in releasing or securing the cutter 11 from or to a cutter drive connector forming part of the transmission. Other forms of stowage, e.g. a cutter socket 43, may be provided in the body.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the body is provided with inspection openings 44 and 45 which are intersected by the main cutting plane 17, and which are shaped to serve as visual indicators of the position of said plane 17, e.g. by means of the junctions 46 of convergent edges of the openings.

In use, for clearing putty 52 from a glazing rebate of a window frame 50 having a pane of glass 51 in situ, the base surface 27 of the tool is placed on the glass, the stop member 30 is pivotally retracted by turning the knob 47, the motor is switched "on" by means of a switch 48 and the tool is moved forwards to drive the cutter into the putty until an outer edge 53 of the frame is aligned with the indicators 46. Thereafter, the cutter is moved transversely along said edge 53 until the member 30 can be swung forwards to abut a cleared portion of the frame to provide a guide for further transverse movement of the tool. When turning a corner of the frame, the stop member 30 may be retracted until a portion of the next to be cleared run of the frame has been cleared of putting.

If the window pane is broken, the shards of glass can be taken away easily or will fall away as the putty is removed.

If, on the other hand, the pane is sound and is to be resealed with fresh putty, or if the cutter is to be kept clear of glazing pins, the operational plane 15 may be shifted slightly further away from the glass by extending the base stops 32 as shown in FIGURE 6, prior to commencement of clearing. The stops 32 preferably have glass abutting ends of a material which will not scratch, and will slide easily in contact with, the glass.

After removal of the glass, or if the glass or peripheral portions of the pane are missing prior to clearing the putty, the front stops 31 may be extended until, when in contact with an outer surface 54 of the frame, they locate the operational plane close to the base surface 55 of the rebate, as indicated in FIGURE 7, prior to commencement of clearing of the putty or of such putty as has remained in the base of the rebate.

Fragments of putty in the corners of the frame can be removed with a chisel or other implement.

If the peripheral faces 56 of the rebate require recutting, e.g. for straightening, the cutter 11 may be replaced by a fine wood milling or abrading cutter, and the long lateral surface 26 placed against the peripheral face 56 so that the cutter cuts in the second cutting plane 19 as indicated in FIGURE 8.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing example, and many variations, modifications and alternatives of and to the parts and features thereof are possible within the scope of the invention.

For example, the cutter drive connector may provide for adjustment or variation of the axial position of the cutter, and in such an embodiment the stops 31 and/or 32 may be omitted.

The front portion or nose 20A of the body may be detachable preferably at a junction in the plane 17.

The motor and/or the transmission may provide for driving the cutter in one or both rotational directions.

The invention further includes and provides a tool incorporating or provided with any novel part, feature, mode of operation or any novel combination of parts, features or modes of operation disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawings. For example, the present invention further provides a power operated tool constructed or adapted for clearing putty from window rebates. The tool may comprise a reciprocatory cutter, or a rotary cutter such as an abrasive body, or other putty removing device.

Claims (19)

1. A tool comprising an elongate body, an electric motor, and a cutter rotatable about a cutter axis; wherein the body has a rebate in one end in which the cutter is disposed so that its axis is transverse to the body.

2. A tool comprising a body, an electric motor and a cutter rotatable about a cutter axis which extends transversely through one end of the body; wherein the body is elongate in a direction perpendicular to said axis; wherein the body has workpiece engagement means, to orientate the body relative to a surface of the workpiece in an operational plane, and wherein stop means is provided alongside the cutter to terminate in a cutting plane perpendicular to said operational plane.

3. A tool as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein surfaces of the rebate or projections on the surfaces of the rebate are provided for engaging a workpiece to guide the cutter.

4. A tool as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the cutter is releasably retained so as to be interchangeable.

5. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the motor is powered by a rechargeable battery located in the body.

6. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body is shaped to form a handle or a graspable portion.

7. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body is provided with lateral portions which project peripherally from the body beyond the handle or graspable portion.

8. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim, as appended to Claim 2, wherein the workpiece engagement means is wholly or partly fixed.

9. A tool as claimed in Claim 2 or any one of Claims 3 to 7 as appended to Claim 2 wherein said workpiece engagement means is adjustable to vary the operational plane in which the tool is moved relative to the workpiece.

10. A tool as claimed in Claim 2 or any preceding claim as appended to Claim 2 wherein the stop means or a supplementary stop is adjustable.

11. A tools claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body provides a storage compartment for additional cutters, and means to locate or accommodate a tool for use in releasing and securing the cutter.

12. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body provides a compartment for storing a power supply lead.

13. A window frame rebate clearing tool comprising a body, a cutter at one end of the body, and a motor to rotate the cutter about an axis transverse to the body; wherein first workpiece abutments are provided on one side of said axis for abutting a pane of a window in a first plane, and second workpiece abutments are provided on the opposite side of the axis for abutting the frame of the window in a second plane parallel to the first plane; and wherein a stop is located adjacent to the cutter and between said first and second planes.

14. A tool as claimed in Claim 13 wherein the abutments and the stop are fixed and provided by surfaces of the body.

15. A tool as claimed as claimed in Claim 13 wherein one or more of the abutments and the stop is or are adjustably mounted on the body.

16. A power operated tool constructed or adapted for clearing putty from rebates.

17. A tool as claimed in Claim 16 provided with means to engage a frame of a window for guiding the tool during clearing of putty from a rebate in said frame.

18. A putty clearing tool arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURES 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.