US3052977A

US3052977A - Carton cutter

Info

Publication number: US3052977A
Application number: US54940A
Authority: US
Inventors: Glenn E Wise
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-09-09
Filing date: 1960-09-09
Publication date: 1962-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1979-09-11

Description

Sept. 11, 1962 G. E. WISE CARTON CUTTER Filed Sept. 9, 1960 United States Patent D 3,052,977 CARTON CUTTER Glenn E. Wise, 591 13th St, Vashington 4, D.C. Filed Sept. 9, 1964), Ser. No. 54,940 6 Claims. (Cl. 302) This invention relates to a cutting device, and, more particularly, to a carton cutter or slitter having a blade and means for guiding the blade along a desired cutting path. Further, the guiding means is retractable against spring pressure so that it may be disabled when desired. Also, when the guiding means is in its guiding position, as it is when the cutter is not in use, the guiding means cooperates with other portions of the cutter to house the blade sufi'iciently to substantially prevent the blade from damaging persons or property.

One object of the invention is to provide a device for opening paper, cardboard or corrugated board type cartons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton cutter which is simple to use, and one in which the cutting blade is substantially prevented from performing unwanted cutting, scoring or scratching of persons or property.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton cutter with means for guiding the cutter along a desired path.

Other objects will be apparent from the remainder of the specification and from the drawings.

In the drawings which form a part of this application:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the invention, and shown in phantom lines are portions of a carton in a position to be cut and opened;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation taken from the left-hand side of the invention as seen in FIGURE 2, and showing, in phantom lines, how the guiding means would appear when retracted;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation taken from the right-hand side of the invention as seen in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1, but with the bladeaholding screw shown in full;

FIGURE 6 is sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 4; and,

FIGURE 7 is a three-dimensional showing of the cutting blade employed in the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my cutter includes a body, designated generally as 1, a guide, designated generally as 2, and a blade, designated generally as 3.

Body 1, more particularly, is preferably a unitary casting and consists of a base portion 4, a spring and pivot housing 5, an upturned lip 6, a handle portion 7 and a blade mounting portion 8. The handle portion 7 is substantially L-shaped, and the end of the short leg of the L extends upward from the rear center of upper surface of base portion 4. The longer leg of the L-shaped portion 7 extends forwardly from the short leg, and joins near the front of the cutter with the top of mounting portion 8.

Mounting portion 8, as best seen in FIGURES 1 to 4, lies parallel to the front end of my cutter, and lateral to the 'handle portion 7. In the outboard face 9 of portion 8 is formed a vertically oriented blade-receiving groove 10, and through the base of groove 10 and in portion 8 is formed a horizontally disposed internally threaded hole 11 which is designed to receive the threaded shank of blade-holding screw 12, best seen in FIGURE 5.

Aligned with the bottom of groove 10 is a vertically disposed rectangular aperture 13 in base portion 4.

3,052,977 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 Through this aperture 13 passes blade 3 as will be described.

Rearwardly of mounting portion 8 and parallel thereto, on base portion 4, is located a substantially circular horizontally disposed spring and pivot housing 5. Extending through the length of housing 5 and thence into and through a major portion of the diameter of the bottom end of the short leg of handle portion 7 is a bore 14, and aligned with the axis of bore 14, but extending on through the unbored portibn of the aforementioned end of the handles short leg is a journal forming aperture 15, for receiving a guide pivot on guide 2, as to be described. Directly below and parallel to aperture 15 is formed a smaller aperture 16 for receiving a spring tang.

Guide 2, more particularly, includes an elongated guide portion 17 which is disposed along and perpendicular to the edge of the blade side of base portion 4. Guide por tion :17 carries at its rear end an integral substantially circular pivot carrying portion 18. The diameter of portion 18 is equal to the outside diameter of housing 5. Extending inwardly from portion 18, and concentric to the central axis thereof, is an integral circular outboard guide pivot 19, which, as seen in FIGURES 3 and 6, is journalled in the outboard end of bore 14. Extending inwardly from the inboard face of pivot 19, and concentric to the central axis thereof, is an integral circular inboard guide pivot 20, the free end of which passes through and is journalled in aperture 15 and is peened over as at 21 to, thus, pivotally mount guide 2 relative to body 1.

Located within bore 14 and surrounding pivot 20 is a spring 32 having

opposite tangs

22 and 23. Tang 22, in my assembled cutter, is received and held in aperture 16, and tang 23, after the spring has been stressed so as to continually urge the guide 2 clockwise as seen in FIGURE 3,'is placed into a notch 24 for-med in the inboard periphery of pivot 19.

In order to limit the angular rotation of guide 2 to the extent desired, an inwardly extending tab 25 is bent from the top of guide portion 17. This tab prevents portion 17 from swinging downwardly farther than the full line position seen in FIGURE 3 due to engagement of tab 25 against the top side of base portion 4. The normal swing of guide 2 is thus quite limited and lies be tween the full and phantom positions seen in FIGURE 2.

The blade which I prefer to employ is designated 3 and includes an elongated body 26 in which is formed a longitudinal adjusting slot 27 and at one end of which is formed an inclined sharpened cutting edge 28. When the blade 3 is installed in the cutter, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 5, the cutting edge 28 faces rearwardly. By means of screw :12 the extent of protrusion of blade 3 below portion 4, and, thus, the depth of cut may be varied.

C in FIGURE 2 denotes generally and in phantom lines a portion of a cardboard, or the like, carton. Numeral 29 represents part of the cartons top and numeral 30 represents a portion of one of the sides of carton C integral with but perpendicular to top 29.

In using my cutter, if a user desired to sever the top portion 29 from side portion 30 as closely adjacent side portion 30 as practicable, he would position the cutter as seen in FIGURE 2 wherein the inboard vertical side of guide portion 17 is in engagement with the outboard vertical side of portion 30, and wherein blade 3 penetrates down through portion 29 and lies just inside of side 30. Pulling rearwardly on the cutter While maintaining guide portion 117 in full engagement with portion 29 will now neatly sever 29 from 30.

Alternately, if the user prefers, for some reason, to form a slit in top portion 29 some distance inwardly from side portion 30, he would place the blade above the location on portion 30 where he desired to make a slit.

He would then push down on handle 7 and, as he did so, the front end of guide portion :17 would swing upwardly against spring 32s biasing action allowing blade 3 to penetrate through portion 30. A rearward pull on the cutter would now form the desired slit. The rear lower curved faces of housing 5 and lip 6 prevent the rear edge of the cutter body portion .4 from digging into a surface being cut during rearward movement of the cutter.

When the cutter is not in use, it can be laid upon a flat surface without danger of the blades damaging the said surface. This follows because guide portion 17 will be biased toits down-ward limit and the portion of blade 3 which is protruding below base portion 4 will be extending harmlessly into the inverted valley formed by the bottom of base portion 4 and the inboard face of guide portion 17. Such partial housing of blade 3 also serves to substantially protect a user from coming into harmful contact with the cutting edge 28 of blade 3.

It is obvious that many changes might be made in the illustrated embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, other blade types might be employed, and other guide biasing means might be employed.

Having now described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is:

l. A carton cutter of the type described comprising: a base plate; a handle extending upwardly from said base plate; ablade; means for adjustably mounting said blade relative to said plate; a guide; stop means on said guide adapted to contact the top of said plate; and spring-biased pivot means joining said guide to said plate whereby said guide is normally urged into a position wherein said stop means contacts said plate as mentioned.

2. A carton cutter of the character described comprising: a :base plate having a bottom side and a top side; a handle rigidly attached to said top side and extending upwardly. therefrom; means for adjustably mounting a blade relative to said plate; a guide; means rotatably mounting said guide relative to said plate; and biasing means for urging said guide in one direction of rotation.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said bottom side of said plate is smooth and including stop means on said guide for limiting rotation thereof.

4. A carton cutter comprising: a base plate having a bottom side; a handle rigidly attached to said base plate; a blade; means mounting said blade for adjustment relative to said plate; a guide; means mounting said guide for movement relative to said plate; biasing means for urging said guide in one direction of movement; and stop means for limiting movement of said guide.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said plate includes an aperture, said blade extending through said aperture and protruding below said bottom side of said base plate.

6. A carton cutter of the character described comprising: a base portion including a substantially horizontal bottom, a top, a front end, a rear end, and at least one substantially straight elongated lateral side; an elongated guide including a front end, a rear end and a substantially vertically oriented guiding face, said face confronting and lying closely adjacent said substantially straight side of said base portion; means pivotally mounting the rear end of said guide to the rear end of said base portion in such manner that said guide is mounted for swinging movement in a first plane which lies substantially perpendicular to said bottom; biasing means for urging the front end of said guide downwardly relative to said base portion; stop means for limiting downward movement of the front end of said guide; a handle attached to said base portion and extending upwardly therefrom; a blade including a cutting edge; and means mounting said blade relative to said base portion in such manner that said blade lies in a plane substantially parallel to said first plane and at least a portion of said cutting edge faces the rear end of said base portion and lies below said bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,363,579 Feltz Dec. 28, 1920