GB2326836A

GB2326836A - Adjustable cutting aid for fitting carpets

Info

Publication number: GB2326836A
Application number: GB9713618A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy James Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-06-30
Filing date: 1997-06-30
Publication date: 1999-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-30
Also published as: GB2326836B; GB9713618D0

Description

ADJUSTABLE CUTTING AID FOR FITTED CARPETS This invention relates to an adjustable cutting aid for fitted carpets.

Devices are available to assist with the cutting of fitted carpets where such devices are of a kind which provide a guide to position and direct a hand held cutting tool when the device is placed beneath the carpet and with the rear of the device abutting the floor boundary,for example a skirting board, with which the carpet must adjoin after cutting.The guide is usually located on a profiled surface and is so positioned that the distance from the front edge of the device over the profiled surface to the guide is fixed and substantially equal to the distance from the front edge of the device to that rear part of the device which abuts the surface with which the carpet must adjoin after cutting. An important requirement of such devices is that the aforementioned rear part of the device must be so arranged that it is not obstructed by the floor mounted carpet retaining fixtures used with fitted carpets and which are normally positioned in the proximity of the floor boundary. Additionally, such devices are usually provided with means whereby that part of the carpet which will ultimately be removed as surplus is supported during the cutting operation.

However, devices such as are currently available may result in the carpet being cut to the wrong size if the nature and/or thickness of the carpet material is such that the natural dimensions of the carpet are temporarily altered during the cutting process.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable device to aid the cutting of fitted carpets which is a cutting board, of such design as to give clearance to carpet retaining fixtures, incorporating a profiled surface and in which surface is provided a guide in the form of a relief to position and direct a hand held cutting tool, means being provided to support the carpet during the cutting process, the cutting board being equipped with means whereby the distance from the leading edge of the cutting board to that part of the cutting board which abuts the floor boundary can be varied such as to be greater, equal or less than the distance from the leading edge of the cutting board over the profiled surface to the guide, thereby allowing the relative position of the guide to be varied to suit the carpet material being used.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing which shows a part section through the cutting board assembly, the carpet and a pusher, the cutting board and pusher having substantially the same overall length. A representation of the carpet retaining fixture and the floor boundary are also shown.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, the cutting board is comprised of two components, a front component 10, and a rear component 12. The rear component is provided with a circular projection 14, which engages a circular relief 16 in the front component to form a hinge. Additionally, the rear component is provided with a projection 18 in the form of an arc which adjoins a similar projection 20 on the front component, the centre of each arc being located at the centre of the circular projection 14. The rear component terminates at its base with a foot 22 which is of such shape and dimensions as to be accommodated within the confines created by the carpet retaining fixture 24 and the floor boundary 26. The upper portion 28 of the rear component is of such shape and dimensions that a substantially continuous surface is created with the face 30 of the front component when the two components are assembled.

Towards each end of the assembly, at some nominal distance from each end face, there is provided a screw 32 which engages a nut 34 and where said screw passes through an elongated hole in projection 20 and a circular hole in projection 18, the whole being arranged such that the front component can be rotated relative to the rear component using the aforementioned hinge and where the extent of the rotation is determined at its extremities by the length of the elongated hole and at intermediate positions by the clamping action afforded by the screws and nuts.

The assembly of the two cutting board components creates a channel 36, of such proportions as to accommodate the blade of a hand held cutting knife, the channel being positioned such that the distance from the leading edge 38 of the front component, following the curved surface 40 of the front component, to the channel is substantially equal to the distance from the leading edge of the front component to the rear face of the foot on the rear component when the angular displacement between the two components is at an approximately midway position.

A pusher 42, having a surface profile substantially the same as the front component, is used to maintain the carpet 44 in contact with the cutting board during the cutting process.

Claims

1. According to the present invention there is provided a portable device to aid the cutting of fitted carpets which is a cutting board, of such design as to give clearance to carpet retaining fixtures, incorporating a profiled surface and in which surface is provided a guide in the form of a relief to position and direct a hand held cutting tool, means being provided to support the carpet during the cutting process, the cutting board being equipped with means whereby the distance from the leading edge of the cutting board to that part of the cutting board which abuts the floor boundary can be varied such as to be greater, equal or less than the distance from the leading edge of the cutting board over the profiled surface to the guide, thereby allowing the relative position of the guide to be varied to suit the carpet material being used.

2. A portable device as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a pusher to maintain the carpet in close contact with the cutting board during the cutting process.

3. A portable device substantially as described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.