US3172417A - Edge shaping machines and work guides therefor - Google Patents

Description

March 1965 A. J. ZULKOWlTZ ETAL 3,

EDGE SHAPING MACHINES AND WORK GUIDES THEREFOR Filed Aug. 29, 1962 FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4B |3d INVENTORS Alberf J. Zulkowifz Philip Schufzman ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent 3,172,417 EDGE SHAPING MAQHINES AND WDRK GUIDES THEREFOR Albert J. Zulkowitz, 1290 Lafayette Ave., New York, N.Y., and Philip Sclrutzrnan, New York, N.Y.; said Sclrutzman assignor to said Zuikowitz Filed Aug. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 22%,319 4 Claims. (Ci. 144-134) The present invention relates to an improved edge shaping apparatus adapted to chamfer, bevel, or otherwise profile the edge of a work piece; and is more particularly concerned with an improved such apparatus adapted to profile the edges of resilient tile structures, with the apparatus being so arranged that the edges of plural work pieces can be accurately profiled into any of a plurality of desired configurations.

It is often desirable to profile the edges of square or strip structures, or similar such components, used in the fabrication of floors, ceilings, moldings therefor, etc. Such profiles may be applied to various types of workpiece materials, e.g., tiles of various composition, wood, pressed fiber structures, etc. Moreover, such profiles may take various forms, e.g., in the case of tiles, a beveling of the tile edges in a straight slope of approximately 45 to between the edge and face of the tile, cut on one, two, or more of the four edges thereof; or other configurations such as curved inside and outside coves, step bevels, or even more complex shapes which may be desired for one or another reason.

Such profiling will be described hereinafter in reference to floor tiles, wherein a beveling or chamfering of the tile edges, prior to installation, produces an ultimate floor surface having a far more interesting and ornamental effect than is possible with tiles having unprofiled edges.

At the same time, such profiling of floor tiles, comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention, lessens the number of customer complaints and call-backs which may otherwise occur in a flat tile installation.

Floor tiles at the present time are provided in various thicknesses, with the most common of these thicknesses being either 0.080 inch or 0.125 inch (or one-eighth inch tile). A highly decorative floor having a customized three-dimensional effect may be achieved by using alternate blocks or strips of these two different thicknesses. In such cases, to enhance the decorative effect, and to minimize the possibility of tripping or the like, it is highly desirable for the edges of the thicker tiles to be beveled down to the height of the intervening thinner tiles. (Since the industry often refers to a chamfer as a bevel, the term bevel as used hereinafter, and in the appended claims, is not limited to true bevels in a technical sense, but is intended to cover various different edge profiles, including chamfers.) Such edge beveling of floor tiles moreover tends to maintain the decorativeness of the floor appearance after elapse of a period of time. Thus, as is well known, an installed tile floor tends to work, with the joint line between adjacent tiles tending to open up after a period of time resulting in a floor appearance which many persons find highly objectionable. If the various tiles, either of the same or different thicknesses, are beveled or otherwise edge profiled before installation, however, the joint line itself is emphasized and becomes a feature of the overall design. Subsequent working of the floor and any joint openings which may occur, are therefore considerably less obvious when edge beveled tiles are utilized; and this in turn reduces the number of complaints to which an installing contractor may be subjected, at considerable profit to the contractor.

Certain of the foregoing considerations have in themselves been recognized heretofore by those dealing with tile floor or ceiling installations. In some cases, the pro- 3,172,417 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 filing of the tile edges has been done by hand. The resulting installation has accordingly been extremely expensive and, when the worker is something less than an exemplary artisan, sometimes irregular or uneven, and therefore unsightly. Automatic beveling machinery has been suggested to some extent; but in most cases, the machinery available for purposes of profiling the edge of a tile has been so large and unwieldy, and so expensive and complex to operate and maintain, that individual contractors have found them uneconomical and imprac tical, especially for small jobs and for on-site profiling operations. More simplified apparatuses have also been suggested; but these have been subject to still other disadvantages, e.g., they have been so arranged that tiles tend to be scratched during the profiling process with considerable resulting waste. In addition, these more simplified machine structures have not lent themselves to ready changes in tile profiles and have not been so arranged that a particular profile can be readily repeated after a change has been made to some other profile on other intervening workpieces. As a result, notwithstanding the recognized advantages of edge profiling in tile installations, installations of this general type have, due to the lack of appropriate edge profilers, been extremely expensive and less pleasing in appearance than desired.

The present invention, recognizing the foregoing situation, is accordingly concerned with an apparatus adapted to profile the edges of tiles, with said apparatus being comparatively inexpensive to purchase, operate and maintain, whereby it becomes feasible for use directly at a jobsite, and by even relatively small contractors. In this respect, the apparatus takes the form of a relatively simple table structure having a vertical spindle router mounted thereon, with the router preferably being such that any of various different cutters can be installed thereon to achieve any of various different desired edge profiles. The router and cutter construction is, moreover, particularly characterized by the fact that the cutter is maintained at a predetermined and fixed height; and changes in the dimensions of any particular profile, or the profiling of different tile thicknesses, are achieved without altering the height of the cutter. This in itself represents a marked departure from shapers suggested heretofore; for in prior shapers it has been conventional to achieve changes in profiling dimensions by altering the height of the cutter with respect to the work table. This in turn has made it practically impossible for a particular edge profile dimension, effected on one tile, to be reproduced with exactness on other tiles if the cutter has had to be changed in height between cuts.

To provide fo changes in edge shape dimensions, the apparatus of the present invention employs a simple but highly accurate novel Work guide taking the form of an elongated fence extending across the work table in the region of the cutter, with said fence being pivotally attached to the table at or adjacent to one of its ends, at a position remote from the cutter. Changes in edge pnofile dimensions are achieved by moving the fence or work guide closer to or farther away from the fixed height cutter, with the dimensions of the cut thereby being made deeper as the fence is moved farther away from said cutter, but Without altering the height of the cutter. In addition, the work table has thereon, or associated therewith, a plurality of indicia or guide lines disposed adjacent the free end of the work guide o fence, with the positioning of these indicia or guide lines being directly related to the dimensions of any particular desired cut. The work guide or fence, when moved to any particular guide line on the table, can then be clamped in place; and a tile can then have its edge shaped into the particular profile and dimension determined by the type of cutter employed and the clamped position of the '1 Q. fence. To change dimensions, the work guide or fence can be unclamped and shifted to another guide line indicative of some second desired cut, whereafter the profiling procedure may be effected on another tile or work piece. If the first cut is desired on still another piece, the fence can thereafter be returned to its first position; and the fixed position indicia or guide line on the table assures that such subsequent cuts on the work pieces will be of the same exact dimensions as were earlier achieved.

The overall structure is further associated with an im proved hold-down arrangement, particularly adapted for.

positioning resilient tiles, and preventing their buckling or distortion during a profiling operation. Said holddown further cooperates with the work guide or fence, as will be described, to provide an enclosure for the cutter thereby minimizing the possibility of injury to the operator without the need of separate guard structures.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved edge shaper or tpr-ofiler particularly adapted for the cutting of resilient tile work pieces.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of edge shaper r profiler structures, associated with an improved work guide or fence structure, so arranged that the overall apparatus is far less expensive to manufacture, operate and maintain than has been possible heretofore, thereby making the structure feasible and economical for use in even relatively small scale profiling operations.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an edge shaper characterized by a fixed height cutter associated with a movable fence adapted to be pivoted toward and away from the cutter to'alter the dimensions of cuts.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved shaper comprising a pivotally mounted fence adapted to be clamped at any of a plurality of positions relative to a cutter structure, and cooperating with fixed position indicia or guide lines, whereby any desired cut may be achieved with great accuracy and repeated with great exactness.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a work guide for use in edge shaping apparatuses so arranged that the position of the guide may be clamped at a region closely adjacent the cutter, thereby to maintain a desired position of the work guide notwithstanding pressures which may be exerted thereon during a cutting operation.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved work guide associated with a novel adjustable hold-down arranged to extend over a work piece for a considerable distance, and to maintain its position relative to the work piece throughout this distance of extension, thereby to inhibit buckling of the work piece at the point of cutting.

Anothe object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved, but simple and inexpensive,

edge shaping apparatus constructed of materials adapted to resist abrasion by work pieces thereon and adapted simultaneously to avoid scratching or marring said work pieces during a cutting operation.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an overall edge shaping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top perspective view illustrating the table, work guide, hold-down, and guide lines characterizing the present invention, as viewed from the rear of the work guide or fence;

FIGURE 3 is a side view in partial section of the present invention taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate certain typical cuts which may be made by the apparatus of FIGURES 1 through 3. I

Referring now to the several figures, like numerals of which refer to likeparts throughout, it will be seen that the apparatus of the present invention, in its preferred form, comprises a work table or supporting surface 10 mounted in a position above the floor on legs 11 which may, when portability is desired, be adapted for folding in conjuction \w'th locking hinges 12. As will be appreciated from the discussion to follow, work pieces such as a tile 13 are caused to be moved, face down, across table 1% during edge profiling or shaping thereof; and in order to minimize scratching of the tile faces or work pieces during such operation, the table 16 preferably comprises a material such as wood, pressed wood, Masonite, or tempered hard board. This latte material has been found to be especially desirable since it is sufiiciently firm, but nevertheless sufficiently soft in relation to the hardnesses of commercially available tiles to avoid scratching of tiles of all types. i

A cutting apparatus is mounted on the underside of table It and in a preferred form of the invention, said apparatus map comprise any commercially available router 14 attached to the. bottom of the table, e.g., by means of bolts 15, it being understood that appropriate vibration absorbing pads or the like may be interposed at the point of attachment. The router 14 is provided with a vertical spindle 16 having a cutter 17 mounted at its upper extremity, with said cutter extending upwardly through an aperture 18 in table It so that-the tip of its bit extends above the upper face of table It) (see, in this respect, FIGURE 3). It is customary for the height of the cutter 17 to be adjustable in commercially available routers; and adjustments of the cutter height have in fact conventionally been effected to change the dimensions in cuts in structures suggested heretofore. The adjustability feature of the cutter 17 is utilized in the present invention, however, only at the time that the equipment is first set up; and once the cutter height has been adjusted to a desired elevation-above table 10, it is thereafter locked in place and remains unchanged during all subsequent operations.

For purposes of initially adjusting the cutter height, a height. gauge 19; (see FIGURE 2) may be provided, taking the form of a block as illustrated having a central elongated notch 20 formed therein.- The height of notch 20 is preselected to correspond to the desired height of cutter 17 above table 10; and initial height adjustment of cutter 17 may accordingly be readily achieved by placing notch 20 of gauge 19 over aperture 18, with the lower surface of gauge 19 resting entirely on table 10; and by then elevating cutter 17 until it just touches the uppermost under surface of notch 20.

Cuts of particular dimensions are achieved along the edges of a tile such as 13 by sliding such a tile, face down, in a linear directionpast rotating cutter 17. The guiding of the tile during such a cutting operation is achieved by so sliding the tile along an'improved fence taking the form of an elongated guide bar 21 pivotally attached to table 10 adjacent one of its ends by any appropriate structure, e.g., a fixed stud and wing nut 22. By reason of this pivotal mounting of bar 21, at a point remote from the position of cutter 17, the said bar, Work guide, or fence 21 can be moved pivotally, e.g., as illustratecl by arrow 23. When the forwardmost edge 24 of fence 21 is disposed forwardly of cutter 17, any tile 13 which is caused to slide along edge 24 Will, of course, not. be cut by cutter 17. If fence 21 is pivoted in a slightlyrearward direction so as to just expose. cutter 17, a relatively shallow cut Will be achievedalong the edge of any tile guided inthis position of the fence; and if the fence is pivoted even farther in the direction of arrow 23 so that the forwardrnost edge 24 of fence 21, lies even farther to the rear of cutter 17, edge cuts of even greater depth will be achieved.

It will be appreciated of course that-when fence 21 is pivoted to any particular position relative to cutter 17, and is then clamped in place at that particular position, the edge of a tile guided by said fence will be cut in a predetermined configuration characteristic of that fence position, and of the cutter employed. If the fence is moved away from or closer to a given cutter 17 of any particular type, and then clamped into its new position, the dimensions of the cut will change. Accordingly, the edge shape dimensions becomes a function of the fence pivotal position alone, rather than of the cutter height; and changes in edge shape dimensions can be readily achieved by the simple expedient of pivoting the fence from one clamped position to a new and different clamped position. By the same token, since the edge dimensions are the result of fence position, any particular edge dimension can be effected with great exactness on plural tiles during widely spaced cutting operations merely by assuring that the fence position is the same during these different cutting operations.

In order to adjust the fence to a position characteristic of a particularly desired cut, and in order to further assure that this same dimension of cut will be achieved on different tiles even though intervening tiles may have been cut to some other dimension, the table is preferably associated with a plurality of indicia or guide lines such as those designated 25 and 26. The positions of guide lines 26 and 25 are, of course, fixed; and they are so arranged that the front edge 24 of fence 21 may be lined up with guide line 25 for one cut, and so that the rear edge 27 of fence 21 may be lined up with guide line 26 for a different cut. The rear edge 27 of fence 21 is provided with an inwardly extending slot 28 adapted to overlie a fixed stud 29 extending upwardly from table 10, whereby any particular pivotal position of fence 21 may be effected, with the fence thereafter being clamped in place by a wing nut 30 screwed forceably down onto the upper surface of fence 21.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the particular positions of guide lines 25 and 26 will depend upon the actual cutting operation being effected. The arrangement shown in the drawings illustrates a system employed for cutting the edges of tiles having a thickness of either 0.125 (oneeighth inch tile) or 0.080 inch; with the guide lines 25 and 26 being located so as to permit both of these tile thicknesses to be worked upon. When the front edge 24 of fence 21 is lined up with guide line 25 (marked .080), a one-eighth inch tile such as 13, moved across table 10 face downward, will have its edge chamfered (or, to use the industry nomenclature, beveled) in the manner illustrated in connection with tile 1% (FIGURE 43) so as to leave an edge height of .080 inch. The chamfered edge tile 13b may accordingly be installed in directly abutting relation with further tiles 13c of 0.080 inch in thickness. Moreover, plural tiles having like one-eighth inch thickness can have their edges beveled with the fence at its .080 position, whereafter these edge profiled tiles of like thickness can be installed in abutting relation to one another as shown at 13b and, in dotted representation at 13d.

With fence 21 having its forward edge 24 lined up on guide line 25, tiles having a thickness of .080 inch can also be edge shaped; and these thinner tiles will also have a chamfer formed on their edges, as illustrated at 13e in FIGURE 4C.

If a deeper cut is desired on one-eighth inch tile, the wing nut 30 can be loosened and the fence 21 pivoted in a rearward direction until its rear edge 27 lines up with guide line 26 (marked feather), whereafter fence 21 can be reclamped in this new position. Since the forward edge 24 of fence 21 is now positioned farther to the rear of fixed height cutter 17, a one-eighth inch tile guided along the forward edge 24 will have a deeper cut formed therein; with this cut being of the type illustrated at 13a in FIGURE 4A. As a practical matter, the edge out in this case is still not a true bevel since a small edge height of approximately 0.005 to .015 inch is permitted to remain, whereby the cut is aptly termed a feather cut. In the tile industry, however, cuts of this type are still often designated a bevel. Plural tiles having such a feather or bevel cut may also be placed in abutting relation to one another as illustrated in FIGURE 4A, thereby to achieve a tile array having pronounced inclined joint lines; and such an array is highly decorative and achieves the other advantages which have been described previously.

It will be appreciated, of course, that either shallower or deeper cuts can be achieved from those actually de scribed above. Even when working with one-eighth inch tile, it may sometimes be desirable to have a cut somewhat deeper than that achieved by the guide line 25, but not as deep as that achieved by guide line 26; and auxiliary guide lines, such as 31, may accordingly be provided at determined positions between guide lines 25 and 26 so as to achieve a cut of desired depth. Such auxiliary guide lines, e.g., 31 (which may also be located outside of lines 25 and 26 for still other workpiece thicknesses) are used in the manner already described, i.e., they are used to line up either a forward or rearward edge of fence 21, adjacent the free end of said fence, thereby to set the front edge of the fence at a particular position characteristic of a particular desired cut.

ince the tiles 13 are caused to move along the front edge 24 of fence 21 past cutter 17 during a shaping operation, it is desirable that the material of fence 21 be selected with some care to resist abrasion of the fence, and also to assure that the tiles are not scratched by the fence. Materials such as metal, while resisting abrasion, sometimes scratch tiles; and other materials which resist scratching, e.g., soft woods and plastic materials such as those marketed under the trade name Formica are sometimes abraded by the tile, thereby detracting from the exactness of the tile cuts. While such materials can of course be employed in the fence if their attendant difficulties can be tolerated, it has been found that tile scratching and fence abrasion can both be resisted if the fence 21 is fabricated of a close-grained hardwood, such as maple; and the use of such materials in fence 21 accordingly comprise a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In view of the nature of the material being cut, i.e., resilient tile compositions, it is important that the work piece or tile be held rigidly in place relative to the cutter 17 during a cutting operation to assure that the cut will be smooth and even. Resilient tiles are inherently flexible in character; and it has been found in practice that hold-down structures engaging the tile at only a point or at spaced points, e.g., leaf springs or the like, do not provide sufiicient restraining force over a sufficient distance to prevent buckling of the tile. T o avoid this difficulty, the present invention contemplates an improved holddown structure comprising an elongated block 32 supported adjacent the forward edge 24 of fence 21 in overlying relation to said forward edge 24. Block 32 is preferably also formed of a close-grained hardwood material to resist abrasion from the tile and to minimize scratching of the tile during a cutting operation; and the dimensions of the block are preferably so chosen that they extend for an appreciable distance to both sides of the cutter 17, whereby substantially all the edge portions of a tile 13 being out are vertically restrained during the cutting operation. Hold-down block 32 is adapted to be shifted vertically in position by means of a mounting and clamping structure comprising an angle iron bracket 33 bolted as at 34 to the top of fence 21 and having a vertically extending leg 35 provided with a pair of threaded studs extending horizontally through elongated slots 36 and 37 provided in the upper edge of block 32. Wing nuts 38 placed on the horizontally extending studs can then be fastened down to hold block 32 in any desired vertical position above table 10; and this vertical position may be altered, with alterations in the thicknesses of tile 7 13, by the simple expedient of loosening wing nuts 33, sliding block 32 up or down in the directions of arrow 3% and thereafter retightening wing nut 38.

As a practical matter, during initial set up, a typical tile 13 to be cut is placed under hold-down block 32 in abutting relation to the forward edge 24 of fence 21 whereafter a spacer such as a thin metal plate 40 (see FIGURE 2) may be placed on top of tile 13 and under block 32. The block 32 may then be clamped into position by wing nuts 38, and the spacer 40 thereafter removed so that clearance is provided between tile 13 and block 32 to permit ready movement of tile 13 along fence 21 and under block 32, but with this clearance being sufficiently small to inhibit buckling and distortion of the tile during the cutting operation.

The underside of fence 21 is provided with a chip clearance groove or slot 41 extending between the front and rear edges 24 and 27 of fence 21; and in a preferred embodiment of the invention, this chip clearance groove or slot is tapered as illustrated so as to define a relatively small opening adjacent the forward edge 24 of fence 21, flaring outwardly to a larger opening at the rearward edge of said fence 21. This tapered configuration tends to inhibit clogging of the slot during extended operation.

Finally, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3, it will be noted that, during a cutting operation, the cutter 1'7 is normally disposed within chip clearance groove or slot 41 adjacent the forward end thereof; and the entire cutter is effectively covered by fence 21 in conjunction with holddown block 32 overlying the forward edge of said fence 21. Under normal conditions access to the cutter when the fence is in the position shown in FIGURE 3, can only be had through the region of hold-down 32; and the height of this particular region is normally in the order of one-eighth inch, thereby rendering it substantially impossible for the operator to come into engagement with the cutter, even accidentally. Accordingly, the arrangement of fence and hold-down block described acts not only to provide very accurate edge shaping, but simultaneously acts as a guard structure preventing injury to an operator.

It will be appreciated, of course, that, notwithstanding the efficiency of the structure, it is constructed of relatively inexpensive materials and in relatively simple fashion; and accordingly, the overall apparatus may be manufactured and utilized with far less expense than has been characteristic of more complex structures suggested heretofore. By using a pre-set height cutter, fine adjustments which have typified variable height cuttters used heretofore are avoided; and the use of a pivotally mounted guide bar or fence 21 in association with fixed indicia insures that cuts of exact dimensions can be achieved and predictably repeated. This exactness of cut is further assured by the fact that the clamping structure 29-30 associated with fence'21 is disposed closely adjacent cutter 17, whereby the position of fence 21. is very accurately maintained in the region 17; and the elongated hold-down surface provided by block 32 as well as the particular materials which are chosen for hold-down block 32 and fence 21 assure that this accuracy is maintained over long periods of time.

While we have thus described a preferred embodiment of our invention, many variations will be suggested to those skilled in the art. It must therefore be emphasized that the foregoing description is meant to be illustrative only and is not limitative of our invention; and any such modifications or variations as are in accord with the principles of the present invention are meant to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. A machine for shaping the edges of resilient tiles, comprising a table having a stationary generally horizontal Work supporting surface, said surface having an aperture therein, motor means mounted on the lower surface of said table adjacent said aperture, said motor means including a generally vertical power driven spindle, a cutter mounted on said spindle and protruding through said aperture a predetermined height above said stationary supporting surface, said cutter including means for effecting a bevel of predetermined fixed angle on the edges of resilient tiles, a work guide comprising an elongated unitary fence extending continuously in a generally horizontal direction across said supporting surface adjacent and past said aperture and cutter, at least one end of said elongated fence being remote from said cutter, means for pivotally attaching said remotely located one end of said horizontally extending fence to a fixed position on said generally horizontal supporting surface whereby said elongated fence may be pivoted in a fixed horizontal plane about its said remotely located one end thereby to alter the position of an elongated forward edge of said fence relative to said cutter in said fixed horizontal plane to vary the depth of cut effected by said cutter at said fixed angle in theedges of resilient tiles Without altering the vertical height of said cutter, an elongated block attached to said fence adjacent its said elongated forward edge at a position above said aperture and cutter, first means for rigidly clamping said block at any of a plurality of different vertically fixed positions relative to said supportin" surface, said block overlying said forward edge of said fence and having a lower edge positioned at a fixed position above said supporting surface a clearance distance greater than the thickness of said resilient tiles thereby to act as a rigid holddown for tiles inserted under the lower edge of said block into abutting engagement with said elongated forward edge of said fence, said block and fence overlying and substantially enclosing said cutter to provide a guard structure for said cutter, means defining a plurality of indicia located at fixed positions relative to said stationary supporting surface adjacent the other end of said pivotally mounted fence for predefininga plurality of fence positions in said fixed horizontal plane corresponding respectively to a plurality of desired different tile edge depths of cut, and second means for fixedly clamping said pivotally mounted fence to said supporting surface at any one of said predefined plurality of fence positions.

2. A machine for beveling the edge of resilient tiles comprising in combination, a table including a stationary substantially. horizontal work supporting surface, a vertical power-driven spindle carried by said table and including a cutter located at a predetermined position above said horizontal surface, a work guide comprising an elongated straight bar extending in a fixed horizontal plane across said surface, one end of said bar being located at a position remote from said cutter'on one side of said cutter, said bar extending continuously from its said one end past said cutter, the other end of said bar being located at a position remote from said cutter on the other side of said cutter, means for pivotally attaching said one end of said bar to a fixed point on said table whereby said bar may be pivotally moved in a fixed horizontal plane about its said one end to vary the horizontal distance between a forward edge of said bar and said cutter, work hold-down means carried by said bar at a position overlying said forward'edge of said bar, releasable clamping means for rigidly clamping the lowermost surface of said hold-down means at a plurality of different fixed hold-down positions above said horizontal surface, each of said fixed hold-down positions being a clearance distance greater than the thickness of tiles to be beveled, said bar and hold-down means covering and substantially enclosing said cutter during edge beveling operations, means for clamping said bar at a plurality of different pivotal positions in said fixed horizontal plane about the said remote one end of said bar, and indicia carried by said stationary surface adjacent the said remote other end of said elongated bar for predefining different pivotal positions of said bar in said fixed horizontal plane corresponding respectively to different depths of cut to be effected in said tile edges.

3. An edge beveling machine comprising a workpiece support surface positioned in a fixed substantially hori zontal plane, said machine including a vertical spindle cutter mounted for rotation adjacent said support surface, said cutter extending a preselected fixed vertical distance above said horizontal support surface and arranged to cut a bevel of predetermined angle in the edges of workpieces moved horizontally along said surface to ward and past said cutter, a work guide overlying said cutter, said guide comprising an elongated straight fence ha"- ing a recess in a lower surface thereof in which recess said cutter is located thereby to enclose said cutter, said elongated fence extending in a fixed horizontal plane continuously across said support surface with the opposite ends of said fence being disposed in spaced relation to one another on opposite sides of said cutter respectively, means adjacent one end of said elongated fence for pivotally attaching said one end of said fence to said support surface at a fixed point remote from and to one side of said cutter whereby said fence may be pivotally moved about its said one end in a fixed horizontal plane to vary the horizontal distance between said cutter and a forward elongated edge of said fence, means located adjacent said fence at a position spaced from said cutter for fixedly clamping said forward edge of said fence relative to said support surface at a selected position in said fixed horizontal plane, said clamping means being located closer to said cutter than said fixed point of pivotal attachment and being positioned adjacent that side of said cutter at which workpieces being edge beveled approach said cutter during their movement toward and past said cutter thereby to increase the stability of said fence in the region at which said cutter first engages said workpieces, and means adjacent the other end of said fence for defining a plurality of predetermined different pivotal positions for said fence in said fixed horizontal plane corresponding respectively to predetermined different depths of cut to be made at said predetermined angle in said workpieces.

4. In an edge shaping machine, a stationary support surface positioned in a substantially horizontal plane and having a vertical spindle cutter mounted thereon with said cutter being positioned a fixed vertical distance above said support surface, an elongated continuous hardwood fence for guiding workpieces along said support surface during edge shaping operations, said fence having a slot in its undersurface extending partially through said fence in vertical directions and adapted to overlie and at least partially enclose said cutter, said hardwood fence extending in a fixed substantially horizontal plane across said support surface and having the opposing ends of said fence each remotely positioned from said cutter on opposite sides of said cutter respectively, means for pivotally attaching one of the remote ends of said fence at a fixed point adjacent said support surface and remote from said cutter whereby said fence may be pivotally moved about its said one remote end to variably position said cutter within said slot relative to a forward elongated edge of said fence, clamping means extending between said support surface and an intermediate portion of said fence at a position more closely adjacent said cutter than said point of pivotal attachment and located on the side of said cutter opposite to said point of pivotal attachment for fixedly clamping said fence at any selected pivotal position thereby to control the depth of cut effected in a workpiece during edge shaping thereof, and fixed position guide means carried by said support surface adjacent the other remote end of said fence and cooperating with at least one elongated edge of said fence for defining different pivotal positions of said fence in said fixed substantially horizontal plane corresponding respectively to different possible depths of cut which can be effected during edge shaping operations.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 935 9/38 Rogers 144-253 32,041 4/61 Bain et a1. 144-253 401,555 4/89 Green 144--134 451,233 4/91 Holt 144-253 822,636 6/06 Steer. 1,183,566 5/16 Jessrang. 1,402,667 1/22 Shaw 144-253 2,032,976 3/36 Carter 143169 2,085,235 6/37 Tautz 143168 2,314,660 3/43 Peterman. 2,315,458 3/43 Sellmeyer 143169 2,606,580 8/52 Johnson 143-469 2,696,854 12/54 Woodruff 144253 WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner.

LEON PEAR, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A MACHINE FOR SHAPING THE EDGES OF RESILIENT TILES, COMPRISING A TABLE HAVING A STATIONARY GENERALLY HORIZONTAL WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID SURFACE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN, MOTOR MEANS MOUNTED ON THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID TABLE ADJACENT SAID APERTURE, SAID MOTOR MEANS INCLUDING A GENERALLY VERTICAL POWER DRIVEN SPINDLE, A CUTTER MOUNTED ON SAID SPINDLE AND PROTRUDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT ABOVE SAID STATIONARY SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID CUTTER INCLUDING MEANS FOR EFFECTING A BEVEL OF PREDETERMINED FIXED ANGLE ON THE EDGES OF RESILIENT TILES, A WORK GUIDE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UNITARY FENCE EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION ACROSS SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE ADJACENT AND PAST SAID APERTURE AND CUTTER, AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID ELONGATED FENCE BEING REMOTE FROM SAID CUTTER, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY ATTACHING SAID REMOTELY LOCATED ONE END OF SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING FENCE TO A FIXED POSITION ON SAID GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING SURFACE WHEREBY SAID ELONGATED FENCE MAY BE PIVOTED IN A FIXED HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT ITS SAID REMOTELY LOCATED ONE END THEREBY TO ALTER THE POSITION OF AN ELONGATED FORWARD EDGE OF SAID FENCE RELATIVE TO SAID CUTTER IN SAID FIXED HORIZONTAL PLANE TO VARY THE DEPTH OF CUT EFFECTED BY SAID CUTTER AT SAID FIXED ANGLE IN THE EDGES OF RESILIENT TILES WITHOUT ALTERING THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF SAID CUTTER, AN ELONGATED BLOCK ATTACHED TO SAID FENCE ADJACENT ITS SAID ELONGATED FORWARD EDGE AT A POSITION ABOVE SAID APERTURE AND CUTTER, FIRST MEANS FOR RIGIDLY CLAMPING SAID BLOCK AT ANY OF A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT VERTICALLY FIXED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID BLOCK OVERLYING SAID FORWARD EDGE OF SAID FENCE AND HAVING A LOWER EDGE POSITIONED AT A FIXED POSITION ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE A CLEARANCE DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID RESILIENT TILES THEREBY TO ACT AS A RIGID HOLDDOWN FOR TILES INSERTED UNDER THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BLOCK INTO ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ELONGATED FORWARD EDGE OF SAID FENCE, SAID BLOCK AND FENCE OVERLYING AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING SAID CUTTER TO PROVIDE A GUARD STRUCTURE FOR SAID CUTTER, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF INDICIA LOCATED AT FIXED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID STATIONARY SUPPORTING SURFACE ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF SAID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FENCE FOR PREDEFINING A PLURALITY OF FENCE POSITIONS IN SAID FIXED HORIZONTAL PLANE CORRESPONDING RESPECTIVELY TO A PLURALITY OF DESIRED DIFFERENT TILE EDGE DEPTHS OF CUT, AND SECOND MEANS FOR FIXEDLY CLAMPING SAID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FENCE TO SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AT ANY ONE OF SAID PREDEFINED PLURALITY OF FENCE POSITIONS.

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