GB2363353A

GB2363353A - Weld seam cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2363353A
Application number: GB0014786A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul David Moll
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-16
Filing date: 2000-06-16
Publication date: 2001-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 2020-06-16
Also published as: GB0014786D0; GB2363353B

Abstract

The manually operable tool (1) is particularly adapted to clean a window frame of extruded PVC. A blade (5) is translationally moveable across the faces and mounted to a carriage (6) that is constrained to move within an elongate track (3), pivotably mounted to the frame (2) of the tool (1). A bolt (7) is mounted to the carriage (6) and is provided with at least one locating pin (8) co-operating with a respective shaped guide slot (9). When the bolt (7) is moved by means of a lever (11), the locating pin (8) moves within the guide slot (9), so constraining the motion of the assembly of bolt (7), carriage (6) and blade (5) that the blade (5) follows the profile (15) of the seam, removing a welding bead therefrom. Alternative shapes of guide slot (9) may be provided for use in conjunction with alternative window frame profiles.

Description

1 2363353 WELD SEAM CLEANER The present invention relates to a device for

use in the fabrication of PVC window frames. More particularly it relates to tools for cleaning up weld seams between components of PVC window frames.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) window and door frames (hereinafter referred to as window frames) are usually fabricated by cutting components to size from extruded PVC sections and welding these components together. The majority of joints between components are configured as mitre joints.

Welding two PVC components together generally leaves a "bead" of formerly molten PVC material standing proud along a seam between the components. Such a bead may be cut off a seam running across a plane surface, for example, using a knife or a razor blade. However, where two such faces meet at a mitre joint, the seam formed by welding the two components 2 is positioned inside a re-entrant angle and cutting off the bead of excess PVC along the seam becomes difficult, especially if the operation is to be carried out mechanically.

At present, this bead may be removed manually using a chisel, or similar implement, though this is a time consuming operation, and there is always a risk that the chisel may slip, Z:1 damaging the window frame. Alternatively, a "CNU machine may be used, which may zn perform the operation efficiently, but the cost of such machines puts their use outside the reach of all but the largest manufacturers.

The problem has become more acute with the introduction of extruded PVC sections provided with more complicated bevelled faces. For example, a double chamfer or double bevel moulding has two bevelled faces at different angles, and an ovolo or scotia moulding has curved faces. The difficulty of cleaning up a weld seam where two such faces meet is even greater than in the case of two simple single-angled bevels.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool to clean beads from weld seams on PVC window frames which can be operated accurately and rapidly on complicated profiles.

According to the present invention, there is provided a manually operable tool, adapted to clean a weld seam between two profiled faces of a window frame, comprising blade means translationally movable across the faces, guide means shaped to correspond with the profile of said faces, and means co-operating with said guide means and connected to said blade means to control the position of said blade means during translational movement thereof in dependence on the shape of said guide means.

Preferably, the blade means comprises a blade mounted to a carriage constrained to move within elongate track means, said track means being mounted to be pivotably movable.

Advantageously, said guide means comprises at least one elongate slot and the means to control position comprises locating pin means adapted to engage in said at least one slot.

Said locating pin means may be connected to the blade means by means of a bolt mounted to or integral with said carriage.

Holding means may be provided to locate removably said tool to said window frame adjacent said weld seam.

Preferably, said tool is provided with movable lever means so pivotably attached, optionally by means of a connecting member, to said bolt, that manual operation of said lever means moves the carriage and bolt within their respective constraints.

Advantageously, stop means are provided to limit movement of said carriage and bolt and thereby avoid damage to such delicate components as said locating pin means when disposed at either end of the slot.

Preferably, said bolt is provided with two locating pins, each on an opposite face of said bolt, each co-operating with a respective slot.

4 The or each slot may be provided within a respective plate, attached detachably to said tool. The or each plate may be adapted to be easily exchangeable for alternative plates, each alternative plate having a slot adapted to a different profile.

Alternatively, the or each plate may be attached permanently to the tool, in which case a separate tool may then be dedicated to each different weld seam profile.

The tool may be provided with guide means having a linear profile, and may then be used to clean weld seams between simple single bevel faces.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure I is a side view of a tool embodying the present invention, ready for operation, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tool of Figure 1, taken along a plane parallel to and behind the near face of the tool as shown, Figure 3 shows in cross-sectional view, the tool part way through operation, and n I Figure 4 shows in cross-sectional view, the tool at completion of operation.

Referring now to the figures, and to Figures I and 2 in particular, tool I comprises a I framework 2 with two substantially parallel faces 2' and 2'. A track member 3 is attached to the framework 2 at a pivot 4, which allows it to pivot in a vertical plane as shown. A blade 5 is mounted to a carriage 6, which is constrained to move along the longitudinal axis of the track member 3. A bolt 7 fixed to OF integral with the carriage 6, passes through an aperture in the top of the track member 3 and carries at its remote end two locating pins 8, disposed one on each face of the bolt. A pair of plates 101, 1011 are detachably attached to the respective faces 21, 211 of the framework 2, and are provided with respective shaped guide slots 91, 911 adapted to constrain the motion of the pins and thereby the bolt 7.

A lever 11 is mounted to the framework 2 about pivot 12, and is also pivotably attached to a connecting member 13, which is in turn pivotably attached to the bolt 7, such that movement of the lever 11 is transmitted to the bolt 7 and the carriage 6. A stop 14 is provided to prevent the bolt 7 being moved rearwardly too far, to avoid risking damage to the locating pins 8.

Means are provided (not shown) to locate the tool 1 on a PVC window or door frame 15, such that the blade 5 is accurately presented up to a weld seam which is to be cleaned of excess material in the form of a bead 16. The profile of the guide slots 9', 911 is selected to correspond with the profile of the weld seam. A handle 17 may be held while locating the tool 1 on the window frame 15, and to stabilise the tool 1 while operating the lever 11.

The operation of the tool will now be described, with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 in particular. Figure 2 shows the tool prior to operation, with the lever 11 so disposed forwardly towards the handle 17 that a rear edge of the bolt 7 is in contact with the stop 14. The locating pins 8 are disposed at a rear end of the guide slots 91, 911, and the carriage 6 is disposed such that the blade 5 is not quite in contact with the weld bead 16. The tool is located accurately on the window frame 15.

To operate the tool, the lever 11 is moved rearwardly, which moves the bolt 7, carriage 6 and blade 5 forwardly, towards the weld bead 16. The locating pins 8 move horizontally as 6 shown along the guide slots 9', 911, until they reach position 17, at which point the blade 5 meets the weld bead 16. The locating pins 8 are then constrained to travel at an upwards angle towards position 18, thereby causing the bolt 7 and the carriage 6 to move similarly and move the blade 5 to follow a similar path which corresponds to a first part of the profile of the weld seam, Figure 33 shows the tool I part way through its operation, with the locating pins 8 disposed at an apex 18 of the guide slots 91, 9' 1. This diversion of the pins causes the bolt 7 and thus the carriage 6 bearing the blade 5 to pivot at a slight angle, relative to their initial disposition with respect to pivot 4, such that the blade 5 is disposed at the apex 19 of the weld seam- The track member 3, pivoting about pivot 4, conforms to the angle of the carriage 6, and continues so to constrain the motion of the carriage 6 that it may only move translationally along the longitudinal axis of the track member 3.

Figure 4 shows the tool I at completion of its operation. The locating pins 8 are disposed at the right hand forward end, as shown, of the guide slots 9 1, 911, The lever I I is disposed in contact with the stop 14, thereby preventing further forward motion of the bolt 7 and the locating pins 8. The bolt 7 and carriage 6 are again disposed horizontally as shown, and the track member 3, conforming thereto, is also disposed horizontally. The blade 5 is disposed at the end of the weld seam which is now clean of excess bead material 16. The tool may now be returned to its original configuration, as shown in Figure 2, by moving the lever I I back in a forward direction.

The tool may thus be employed to clean excess material, such as a welding bead 16 from a weld seam, with a single stroke of the lever, whatever the shape of the seam. The profile of 7 the guide slots 9 may be chosen so to constrain the path of the blades that it follows the profile of the weld seam between any of the profiles of extruded PVC sections currently available. Should alternative profiles become available, replacement plates 10, having appropriately shaped slots 9, may be substituted.

Claims

I A manually operable tool to clean a weld seam between two profiled faces of a window frame comprising blade means translationally movable across the faces, guide means shaped to cor-respond with the profile of said faces, and means co operating with said guide means and connected to said blade means to control the L- position of said blade means during translational movement thereof in dependence on the shape of said goulde means.
2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade means comprises a blade mounted to a carriage constrained to move within elongate track means.
3. A tool as claimed in claim 22, wherein the track means is pivotably mounted to the tool.

4. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said guide means comprises at least one elongate slot and the means to control position comprises locating pin means adapted to crioage in said at least one slot.
4--
5. A tool as clairried in claim 4, wherein said locating pin rneans is connected to the blade means by means of a bolt mounted to or integral with said carriage.

tn
6. A tool as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tool is provided with pivotably movable lever means so attached to said bolt that manual operation of said lever means moves the carriage and bolt within their respective constraints.
7. A tool as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6, wherein stop means are provided to limit movement of said carriage and bolt and thereby avoid damage to said locating pin means when disposed at either end of the slot.
8. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said bolt is provided with two locating pins, each on an opposite face of said bolt, each co-operating with a respective slot.
9. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the or each slot is provided within a respective plate, mounted detachably to said tool.
10. A tool as claimed in claim 9, wherein the or each plate may be adapted to be easily exchangeable for alternative plates, each alternative plate having a slot of a different profile.
11. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tool is provided with guide means having a linear profile, and is usable to clean weld seams between simple single bevel faces.

12- A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein holding means is provided to locate removably said tool to said window frame adjacent said weld seam.

1 3).A manually operable tool to clean a weld scam between two profiled laces substantially as described licrein with reference to the Figures of the accompanylli(I drawings.