US2861323A - Rotary putty removing tool - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 25, 1958 v c. J. EB EL 2,861,323

ROTARY PUTTY REMOVING TOOL Filed March 14, 1956 QA/m/czjfba ROTARY PUTTY REMOVING TOOL Clarence J. Ebel, St. Paul, Minn. Application March 14, 1956, Serial No.'571,452

6 Claims. (Cl. 29-103 The present invention relates to novel devices suitable for removing sealing putty and the like from around the edges of putty-sealed window panes. In particular, my invention pertains to a small inexpensive rotary tool, suitable for use in connection with rotary power means, for mechanically removing putty and like sealants from windows without danger of breakage of the window panes.

Most windows, particularly wood-frame windows, consist of a frame with a glass pane or panes fitted therein and retained by clips or pins driven into the frame. The window is then sealed to prevent the passage of air therethrough between the frame and the edges of the glass panes. Ordinarily a sealant in the nature of a putty composition, which initially is of a doughy consistency permitting it to be worked into place, is applied around the edges of the panes for this purpose. Gradually, the applied putty sets-up to a rather hard firm state in adherence with both the pane and window frame.

What it is necessary to replace a window pane in its frame, or when the putty composition is partially deteriorated or cracked and must be entirely replaced, the hardened putty composition must first be thoroughly removed from the frame. It is to a device for safely mechanically removing this putty with which my invention is most concerned.

Prior to the present invention, even in the present highly mechanized age, hardened putty generally has been removed from windows by crude laborious hand methods. To my knowledge no really effective mechanical method has been heretofore devised which permits removal of the putty without extreme danger of the breakage of the glass panes. Such manual methods include hand scraping the hardened putty away with a tool known as a putty knife. Sometimes the putty is first loosened by playing a flame on the putty so as to partially decompose it, rendering it more easily scraped away thereafter. Solvents are sometimes used. Disadvantages of these modes are apparent. Scraping operations are time consuming and arduous. Preliminary flaming or solvent application procedures are messy, incovenient and often cause permanent damage to the window frame.

The present invention, therefore, has for an object the elimination of these and other difliculties which reside in prior art methods. Another object of the present invention is to provide novel means which make possible the removal of putty and similar compositions from windows rapidly, with a minimum of physical effort and without danger of glass breakage. A further object is to provide a novel inexpensive rotary tool which is suitable for use in connection with power rotation means, such as a portable electric drill, in the removal of hardened putty from windows by mechanical means withoutdanger of cracking or shattering the glass panes.

In attaining these and other objects and advantages I provide a rotary body having an axially perpendicular end face at one end and a series of peripheral cutting edges extending along the body adjacent the said one end.

Means are provided for connecting the body for axial end thereof an axially 'Yet the cap 15 2,86l323 Patented Nov. 25, 1958 2 rotation with power rotation means. Afiixed to the said one end of the body are thin tough slippery shockabsorbent protective means which prevent the body and/ or or the said cutting edges from striking a pane of glass when the tool is employed in putty removal operations.

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a rotary putty removing tool of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is an exploded view in elevation illustrating one construction of my rotary putty removing tool.

Referring now toFigure 1, a cylindrically shaped body 19 formed of hardened tool steel and having at the free perpendicular end face is provided with a series of three equidistantly positioned peripheral flutes 11 which extend along the body 10 to the said one end parallel to the rotary axis of the body. The flutes 11 are separated by lands 12. Each of said flutes has an identical curved V-shaped cross-section, as shown, with one wall thereof intersecting the surface of the body It) at an acute angle so as to define a cutting edge 13. A shank 14 extends from the other end of the body 10 coaxially therewith. The unattached end of the shank i4 is adapted to fit into the chuck of a portable electric power drill. A thin protective shock-absorbent cap 15 having a peripheral shape identical with that of the free end of the body 10 is firmly affixed to the perpendicular end face in registry therewith. Said cap 15 is composed of a tough resilient slippery material to be hereinafter more specifically described.

When used in putty removing operations, the free end of the shank 14 of my rotary tool is inserted in the chuck of suitable portable power rotation means, such as a portable electric drill. With the tool rotating at high speed in the direction of the arrow, the assembly is manipulated such that the peripheral surface of the body 10 is pressed against the hardened putty to be removed from a window with the cap 15 adjacent to or in contact with the glass pane. The peripheral cutting edges 13 rapidly abrade and cut away the putty leaving a cleaned surface. As the tool lays bare the pins or clips retaining the window in place, it is momentarily moved away while the pins or clips are pulled free from the frame with pliers or other suitable instrument.

No danger of breakage of the glass panes is present when my device is used. Even if the assembly is manipulated such that the corner edges of the tool strike the pane, the shock-absorbent cap 15 effectively absorbs forces of impact and shock which would otherwise be transmitted to, and thereby crack or shatter, the glass. is sufliciently thin that the cutting edges 13 of the body 10 of the tool may be pressed close to the surface of the glass itself so as to remove any putty exist ing near the juncture of the pane and the frame. In this manner hardened putty compositions are easily, safely and quickly removed. It is seldom necessary to perform any other operations than merely wiping away the abraded material.

Although substantially any size or shape of tool may be employed, for optimum results a happy medium should be drawn between the number of cutting edges, width of lands therebetween and the diameter and length of the tool. Nor need the body 10 be exactly cylindrical.

For example, a body having a flared free end may be used. A preferred embodiment of my putty removing tool has short cylindrical body having a diameter of about one inch and a length ofabout inch. Each of the flutes have a width at the periphery of inch anda depth of about 71 inch. The acute angle between the landsurface and the flute wall defining the cutting sui' face'is about 60 degrees. Shank diameter is /1 inch, although this is relatively unimportant. The thickness of the thin shock-absorbent cap is inch. Itwill be seen from this description that the width of each land is about inch. In the interest of having a smooth running device, I prefer that the Width of land be considerably greater than the flute width.

It is not necessary that the flutes extend parallel with the body axis. They may extend spirally about the body. In fact, I find it preferable to employ a tool having flutes extending in a spiral direction opposite to that of the rotational direction where the putty being removed is still somewhat soft and pasty. The removed putty, which might ordinarily tend to stick in the flutes and clog the tool, is pushed along the spiral flutes and out the rear of the tool by the pressure or" newly removed material. Whether parallel with the axis or spiral, the flutes will, of course, always extend along the body generally in an axial direction.

Although I prefer that the cap have a peripheral configuration identical with that of the free end of the body, it is not essential that it do so. For example, it may be circular in shape. However, the cap area must be sufficient to prevent edges of the body from contacting the glass pane.

The shock-absorbent cap is composed of a material or composition which is resilient and tough. It thus effectively absorbs the stresses due to shock and impact, without rapidly wearing out, as the edges of the tool strike the glass. The surface of the cap is slippery; that is, it readily slips or slides on the surface of the glass pane when the tool is rotated thereagainst. The material is suificiently heat-resistant such that it does not unduly soften and become tacky due to frictional heat evolved during putty removal operations.

Several compositions suitably exhibit these several highly desirable characteristics. For example, caps of molded synthetic polyamide resins, fibers of which are known as nylon fibers, are highly suitable. Similarly, molded polymethylene terephthalate resins, from which Dacron and Mylar fibers and films are formed, provide especially suitable caps. In these instances the shock-absorbent caps are molded to the desired shape without any attempt to physically orient the molecular structure of the resins. Certain of the harder rubber compositions are also highly satisfactory. However, rubber compositions, in order to be sufficiently slippery should have incorporated therein a small amount of lubricating compound, such as graphite or the like. One rubber composition from which satisfactory shockabsorbent caps may be formed consists of the molded heat-cured product of 100 parts of crude rubber, 20 parts of phenol-aldehyde resin, 50 parts of zinc oxide, 45 partsof carbon black, 5 parts of graphite and 5 parts of sulfur. The composition is blended in a mogul-type mixer and added to a mold and cured therein to the desired shape for about '30 minutes at a temperature of 350 F.

The cap may be aflixed to the body by any suitable means. Figure 2 shows one preferred manner of affixing the shock-absorbent means to the body. An internally threaded recess extends into the body from the axially perpendicular end face. The shock-absorbent cap correspondingly is provided with a threaded portion 16 designed to fit into the internally threaded recess of the body 19 and is affixed the body by turning the threaded portion 16 into the recess. The cap is molded such that when the cap is turned up tight the periphery thereof is in registry with that of the free end or" the body 10. If desired, the cap may be molded with a circular periphery, the notches corresponding to 'the flutes 11 being cut out after the cap has been turned into place. Thread direction is opposite to that of the direction of rotation of .the tool in operation. Thus when used in putty removal operations the torsional forces 4 exerted upon the cap 15' tend to cause it to be tightened rather than loosened.

Other modes of aflixing the shock-absorbent cap 15 to the body 10 are also satisfactory. For example the cap may be adhered to the body by means of a suitable adhesive composition. Or a combination adhesive composition and threaded joint may be employed. One suitable adhesive is a composition containing a rubbery butadieneacrylonitrile copolymer and a heat-advancing phenol-aldehyde resin, the ratio between the copolymer and resin being about four parts of the former to one part of the. latter. Such an adhesive is most advantageously employed in the form of a viscous solution. It is first applied to the surfaces to be adhered, followed by assembly of the tool. Then, while the cap is pressed to the body under moderate pressures, such as are attained through the use of the common (t-clamp, the

. tool is heated at a sutficient temperature and for a sufficiently long time to cure or set the adhesive, a temperature of 250-300 F. for 10-20 minutes being sufficient in the instance of the adhesive composition above specified. This adhesive composition is particularly suitable where the cap consists of a rubber composition similar to that above described. It 'is also effective when the cap is formed of a polyamide resin.

My invention has been described with the aid of specific illustrative embodiments. However, it is not my intention to be limited to these. All variations and modifications within the scope of the specification and claims are contemplated, including equivalent embodiments novel over the prior art.

I claim:

1. A rotary tool suitable for use, in connection with power rotation means, in the removal of sealing putty and the like from windows, said tool comprising a rotary body having an axially perpendicular end face at the free end thereof and a series of peripheral cutting edges extending along said body adjacent said free end, means for connecting said body for axial rotation with power rotation means, and tough slippery shock-absorbent protective means affixed to said face for preventing said cutting edges from striking a pane of glass when said tool is employed in putty removal operations.

2. The rotary tool of claim 1 wherein said tough slippery shock-absorbent protective means comprises a synthetic resin composition.

3. A rotary tool suitable for use, in connection with power rotation means, in the removal of sealing putty and the like from Windows, said tool comprising a rotary body having an axially perpendicular end face at the free end thereof and a series of peripheral flutes extending along said body adjacent said free end defining peripheral cutting edges, a shank rigidly attached to and extending co-axially with said body adapted to connect with power rotation means, and thin tough slippery shock-absorbent protective means afiixed to said face for preventing said cutting edges from striking a pane of glass when said tool is employed in putty removal operations.

4. A rotary putty removing tool comprising a rotary body having an axially perpendicular end face at the free end thereof and a series of hard non-yielding periphorally acting cutting edges extending along the periphery of said body from said free end, a thin tough resilient slippery shock-absorbent protective cap concentrically affixed to and covering said end face, the surface of said cap opposite to that in c o-ntact with said body being approximately parallel with said end face, and means affixed to said body through which said body is rotated about its rotative axis upon application to said means of rotative forces.

5. The rotary tool of claim 4 wherein said thin tough resilient slippery shock-absorbent protective cap comprises a synthetic resin composition.

.6. A rotary tool .suitable .for use, in

connection with g power rotation dreams, in the removal of sealing putty and the like from windows, said tool comprising a rotary body having an axially perpendicular end face at the free end thereof and a series of peripheral flutes extending along said body adjacent said free end defining peripheral cutting edges, a shank rigidly attached to and extending coaxially with said body adapted to connect with power rotation means, and a thin tough resilient slippery shock-absorbent protective cap firmly affixed to the free end of said body, said cap having peripheral notches in registry with the flutes in said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 331,338 Squire Dec. 1, 1885 6 Krueger Sept. 4, Canode Oct. 9, Frank Sept. 9, Sieg July 15, Saunders May 22, Finn Jan. 16, Danbry July 26, Ross Nov. 15, Stanziale July 10,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 4,

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