GB2358366A

GB2358366A - Laminate trimming tool

Info

Publication number: GB2358366A
Application number: GB0001421A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William George Hubbard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-01-22
Filing date: 2000-01-22
Publication date: 2001-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-22
Also published as: GB0001421D0; GB2358366B

Abstract

A hand-held laminate trimming tool relies on a cutting wheel similar to that employed in the cutting of pipes in the removal of surplus laminate material projecting at edge surfaces of chip board and the like employed in, for example, domestic, e.g. kitchen, applications. The cutting wheel is mounted in bearings in a rigid body with the wheel so disposed as, in the course of running the rigid body along an laminate covered edge surface of the chip-board, the sharp rim of the wheel is makes cutting contact with the laminate material at an edge of said edge surface, with the result that surplus laminate material is severed from the main body of the edge covering material.

Description

2358366 This invention relates to a hand-held tool for use in the trimming

of surplus laminate at edge surfaces of boards such as, for example chip boards, employed for household purposes, in the kitchen and elsewhere.

For the purposes of this specification, the term "board" is to be construed as a reference to a board at least one edge surface of which is covered with a thin laminate material, marginal portions of which project, from the longitudinal edges of said edge surface. Such marginal portions are hereinafter referred to as "surplus material". Typical of the thin laminate material may be cited such compositions as melamine faced laminate material, melamine being customarily employed as facing material for major frontal and rear surfaces of the board.

For the purposes of this specification, also, the expression Ilcutting wheel" is to be construed as a references to a wheel, commonly of a high carbon steel composition, having a sharply edged rim.

According to the invention, a hand-held laminate-trimming tool comprises:

a rigid body having: a flat first surface, and a flat second surface which:

(a) is orthogonal to said flat first surface, and (b) is spaced from said flat first surface by a longitudinally extensive gap having a width not less than the width of board edge covering laminate material covering said board edge surface; and, a cutting wheel. supported for rotation in bearings in t, p rigid body, with a disposition such that the plane containig the cutting wheel cutting edge is substantially coincident!'-Vith the plane containing said flat first surface.

In use of the tool, with said cutting edge in pressing contact with laminate material at a position at which surpli$ laminate, as aforesaid, is to be severed from the body of material, upon rotation of the wheel about the transverse bearing axis, in the course of running the tool along a li#E:

!in close proximity to an edge of the board edge surface at whch trimming is to be performed, such surplus material is causollito be bitten, at least partly through, along said line.

Characteristic of the thin laminate materials on which glp invention may be used, is the ability of the material to 01fe a substantial resistance to bending under pressure, whilst: i permitting penetration of the material under pressure of thE cutting wheel.

It may be noted here, that cutting wheels, as hereinbefoie mentioned, are essentially similar to those employed in tube-cutting apparatuses. However, it has not, to the best of Applicant's belief, been appreciated that such a wheel, wh$,-ii, employed in a tool configuration as stated in the last L preceding paragraph, is readily capable of being employed parting hard but flexible laminate material, as is required in trimming surplus such laminate material.

The foregoing and other features of a tool in accordanco with the invention are hereinafter described with referenco t,c the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig.1 shows, diagrammatically, a cross-section throught1O -3tool together with a cross-section through a board with which the tool in place preparatory to use in severing surplus material from the board; Fig.2 shows, in plan, though not to the same scale, the tool of Fig.1; Fig.3 shows, in side elevation, the cutting wheel of the tool; Fig.4 shows, in plan, the cutting wheel of Fig.3; and, completing the identification of the several parts of which the tool is to be constituted, Fig.5 represents a steel pin to form the spindle for the cutting wheel.

A hand-held laminate-trimming tool comprises: a rigid body 11 having a flat first surface 13 to be brought to contact with a major surface, as 15, of a board B, adjacent to a board edge surface 17 thereof covered by thin laminate material 19; adjacent to said flat first surface 13, a flat second surface 21 which: (a) is orthogonal to said flat first surface 13, (b) is to be brought to contact said board edge surface thin laminate material 19, and (c) is spaced from said flat first surface 13 by a longitudinally extensive gap 23 having a width not less than the thickness of laminate material 19 covering said board edge surface 17 thereby to enable surplus laminate material 25 to intrude into said gap 23; and a cutting wheel 27 supported for rotation in a bearing arrangement in the rigid body 11, the cutting wheel having a disposition such that the plane X ---- X containing the wheel cutting edge 29 is substantially coincident with the plane X ---- X containing said flat first surface 13.

In the illustrated example of a tool as above stated, rigid body 11 has first and second body parts 31, 33, respectively, which, in the example, are constituted as mouldings formed of a suitable plastic material, such, for examples, as nylon or pvc.

The cutting wheel bearing arrangement comprises a wheel spindle 35 end portions of which are received with a tight lit within first and second passages 37a, 37b, leading respectively, from the bottom surfaces 39a, 39b, respectivoly,' of opposed cavities 41a, 41b, respectively, in the first and', second body parts 31, 33.

The cutting wheel 27, which is of a high carbon steel,,4a$ central cylindrical portion 43 pierced through with an axi,l passage 45 and encompassing said cylindrical portion 43, a,. generally annular portion 47 which tapers to provide said ibse cutting edge 29.

The body parts 31, 33, are secured together by means of; screws, as 49. With the body parts 31, 33, clamped togetheX,, the bottom surfaces 39a, 39b, of the cavities 41a, 41b, have,a spacing such as to accommodate the cylindrical portion 43 (,f the cutting wheel 19. with a close, though readily rotatablle# fit therewithin, rotation of the cutting wheel 27 within the opposed cavities 41a, 41b, being about the spindle 35 which extends, as shown, through the wheel axial passage 45.

In use, the board 15 may be laid upon the flat surface c1 Ift A say, a table with the edge surface 17 to be treated displaco with respect to the edge of the table, and the tool 11 is brought to bear against the board with the flat first surf:-, 13, of the first body part 31, in contact with the flat -5upper surface of the board 15 and with the second, orthogonal, flat surface 21 of the second body part 33 in contact with the laminate covered edge surface 17 of the board 15. With the tool so positioned with respect to the board, the plane X,5--X,, containing the cutting edge of the wheel 27 is substantially coplanar with the plane XZ --- X bcontaining the flat first surface 13 on the first body part 33, that is to say, with the wheel cutting edge 29 very close to the juncture line between the surplus laminate material 25 and the upper corner edge 51 of the board 15. Surplus laminate material 25 at the lower corner board edge 51 projects, moreover, into the gap 23. Upon running the tool 11, under a certain pressure, along the flat orthogonal first and second surfaces 13, 21, it is found that the wheel cutting edge 29 forms a deep score mark in the laminate material, freeing or facilitating the ready separation of the surplus laminate from the main body of the edge surface laminate, covering material. Where, as is commonly the case, and as illustrated, the laminate edge covering material projects from the board at both edges of the covering material, inversion of the board enables a similar procedure to be performed in producing a fully trimmed laminate edge covering. In practice it is desirable to finish the corners of the laminate by a light abrasion with a suitable sand paper.

Claims

-6CLAIMS

1. A hand-held laminate-trimming tool which comprises: I I a rigid body having a flat first surface; a flat second surface which is: (a) orthogonal to said flat first surface, and (b) spaced from said flat first surface by a longitudinally extensive gap having a width not less than t1o width of board edge covering laminate material; and, a cutting wheel supported for rotation in bearings in th rigid body, with a disposition such that, the plane contaiO hg the cutting wheel cutting edge is substantially coincidentlPlith the plane containing said flat first surface.

2. A hand-held laminate-trimming tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.