US3233643A

US3233643A - Shingling hatchet

Info

Publication number: US3233643A
Application number: US302984A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aldor S E Reuterfors
Original assignee: Estwing Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Estwing Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1963-08-19
Filing date: 1963-08-19
Publication date: 1966-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-02-08

Description

1966 A. s. E. REUTERFORS ,643

SHINGLING HATGHET Filed Aug. 19, 1963 United States Patent 3,233,643 SHINGLING HATKJHET Aldor S. E. Reuterfors, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Estwing Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 392,934 3 Claims. (Cl. 1453) This invention relates to a shingling tool having thereon a cutter especially designed and adapted for cutting composition shingles of the kind which conventionally contain asphalt or a similar pliable binder. Such shingles can be cut by a knife and often are, and may be cut by pulling or drawing this tool to perform a slitting action on the shingle.

The cutter is preferably mounted on a specially designed tool, similar in general shape of a conventional roofers hatchet, because the weight balance and the long handle of such a hatchet conform advantageously to the desired operating characteristics of this cutting tool, and the hammer on the tool is a convenience for the roofer.

Experience has taught that an ordinary knife blade or even a curved knife blade, such as is used for cutting linoleum, is not well suited for convenient cutting along a straight line of such a material as composition roofing. Any such knife requires continuous downward pressure, as it tends to climb out of a cut that has been started and the effort to hold it in the cut often causes the knife to deviate inadvertently from the line.

I have discovered that a V-shaped cutter, such as this invention provides, can easily be drawn in a slitting action through composition roofing, requires only a horizontal pull, and does not tend to climb out of a cut that has been once started, and therefore enables the operator to devote his attention entirely to holding the cutter strictly to the desired line, whether marked or not.

I have additionally discovered that this cutter, though subject to the abrasive action of some of the materials commonly found in composition shingles, does not thereby become dulled but rather surprisingly, is sharpened and resharpened by usage, and this action continues until the protruding end of the cutter is completely Worn out.

Another advantage inherent in this V-shaped cutter is that it can be started accurately and easily to cut a straight line from a selected point, much more easily than can be accomplished with an ordinary pointed knife lade.

The general object of this invention is to provide the foregoing advantages in a cutter for composition shingles and like material.

Another object is to provide a cutter and a holder therefor adapted for convenient adjustment of the cutter for use with shingles of various thicknesses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and unique cutter which can be combined advantageously with a tool which additionally carries a hammer head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutter uniquely adapted not only for starting a cutting operation from the edge of a shingle, but which can be inserted into the shingle remotely from its edge and readily enters and remains engaged with the shingle.

Another object is to provide a cutter and a holder therefor in which an adjoining surface on the cutter may be employed as a guide for contacting a surface adjacent the area being or to be cut.

()ther objects and advantages of the invention will be mentioned hereinafter, or will become apparent in this specification.

In. the drawing, FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the shingling tool of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the tool in the act of cutting a shingle.

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view of the cutter mounted on the tool blade, viewed from the side opposite the mounting side.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the cutter alone.

FIG. 5 is an end or edge elevation of the cutter and its mounting.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the cutter, as seen from line 6-6 of MG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of FIG. 4.

In the drawing, there is shown a handle conventional for hammers and hatchets having an enlarge-d rubber composition grip ll and a steel shank 12, on which is integrally formed a hammer head 13 and a simulation 14 of a roofers hatchet blade.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the lowermost edge 15 of the blade 14 is thick, well rounded, and evidently not intended for cutting. This edge lies parallel to, in fact, in the plane of the longitudinal center line of the handle.

The forward edge portion 16 of the lower end of the hatchet blade simulation depends or extends furthest from the hammer head, while the edge 16 rearwardly thereof curves upwardly toward the handle as appears in FIG. 1. Right adjacent the forward edge portion 16 is secured flatwise to the side of the hatchet blade the cutter, generally indicated as 17. The V-shaped cutting notch has an angle greater than and, preferably about with the lower leg 18 of the notch well below the hatchet edge. The apex 19 of the notch is sufliciently below the hatchet edge that when a shingle is being cut, it will not tend to ride up on the upper leg 21 of the notch and bind against the hatchet edge, causing an unnecessary amount of drag or friction thereby.

The bottom edge 22 of the cutter may on some occasions act as a shoe, riding on some underlying surface, if any. The exposed depending portion 23 of the cutter also may act as a lateral guide during trimming a roof margin, as suggested in FIG. 2, where it is shown guiding the tool along the margin of an underlying shingle.

The sharp point 24 will have no function when a shingle cut is started at the edge of a shingle. But, if it is necessary to start the cut some distance inwardly from the edge of the shingle, this sharp point 24 may readily be inserted or punched into the shingle and, after it has entered, the inclined sharpened edge 18 will take over and cause the cutter to move downwardly into the shingle until the apex 19 becomes more or less centered between the top and bottom surfaces of the shingle.

To secure the cutter, a screw 25 may be inserted, as shown, through the slot 26 into the uppermost of three tapped holes in the hatchet blade. Another screw 27 with a knurled head may be passed through slot 26 and threaded through the lowermost tapped hole in the hatchet blade and is screwed into a knurled threaded collar 28. As eXplained later, screw 27 and its collar 28 serve also as a gauge element.

The cutter is firmly clamped fiatwise to the hatchet blade, and may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly, as desired to accommodate shingles of various thicknesses. As is apparent, this cutter is shaped identically at both ends, so that when one end is worn out, it may be reversed and the other end used.

The combination of the large screw 27 and its attached collar 28 serves also as a convenient measure from the top of hammer 13 (usually 5 inches) for spacing the lower edges of overlapping shingles. Preferably, the three tapped holes are one-half inch apart. When the lower screw 27 is located as shown, the distance from the hammer top to the screw 27 is five inches. By moving screw 27 up to the intermediate tapped hole 29 the measure is reduced to four and one-half inches, while it may be reduced to four inches by placing screw 27 in the top hole.

As said before, this cutter does not become dull. 6 indicates that the cutting edge within the notches is ground at equal angles from a median plane centrally of the thickness of the blade. This not only contributes to the self sharpening effect, but also helps the cutter to travel in a straight line when that is desired and to follow the handle, which preferably is of about conventional length for hammers, that is, about 11 inches, although such length is not critical.

In the operation of the device, when it is desired to cut a shingle, starting from an edge thereof, the operator first engages the curved edge lid with the top surface of the shingle and, as he draws the cutter toward the edge to be cut, he may rock the tool on its curved edge 16 until the apex of the cutting notch preferably is aligned to contact the edge of the shingle. Absolute preliminary accuracy in this matter is not essential, however, as the cutter will naturally line up that same way with the shingle, if the operator does not prevent it from doing so, as the notch will tend to center on the shingle.

To start a cut inwardly from the edge of a shingle, the operator merely inserts the sharp point 24- of the cutter into the shingle and pulls on the handle as the notched cutter moves into the shingle.

The cutter, being vertically adjustable on the hatchet, the operator may raise or lower it as desired, to accommodate shingles of different thickness.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention herein, it should be recognized that some modifications and variations of the invention may be devised without departing, however, from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shingling tool comprising, an elongated handle having a rear hand grip portion and a blade portion extending laterally from the forward end thereof and disposed in a plane parallel to the plane through the longitudinal centerline of the handle, the blade portion having a forward edge and a rear edge and a noncutting end edge at the outer end thereof remote from the handle, a cutter member attached to said blade portion and having a thin fiat end portion extending outwardly from said end edge of the blade portion, said flat end portion of said cutter member being disposed generally parallel to said plane through the centerline of the handle and having a forward edge and a rear edge and a V-shaped notch in its rear edge facing rearwardly toward the handle portion, the rear edge of said end portion of the cutter member being spaced forwardly a substantial distance from the rear edge of said blade portion and the apex of said notch being spaced outwardly from said noncutting edge, said notch defining an angle of substantially greaterthan 90 and having a first sharpened edge inclined outwardly from said non-cutting edge in a direcr tion toward the forward edge of the cutter member to urge a shingle being cut away from the non-cutting edge of the blade portion toward the apex of the notch and a second sharpened edge extending from the apex of the notch outwardly to said rear edge of the end portion of the cutter member in a direction to guide a shingle being cut inwardly of said end portion toward the apex of the notch.

2. A shinglin tool comprising, an elongated handle having a rear hand grip portion and a blade portion extending laterally from the forward end thereof and disposed in a plane parallel to the plane through the iongitudinal centerline of the handle, the blade portion having a forward edge and a rear edge and a non-cutting end edge at the outer end thereof remote from the handle, a cutter member attached to said blade portion and having a thin flat end portion extending outwardly from said end edge of the blade portion, said flat end portion of said cutter member being disposed generally parallel to said plane through the centerline of the handle and having a forward edge and a rear edge and a V-shaped notch in its rear edge facing rearwardly toward the handle portion, the rear edge of said end portion of the cutter member being spaced forwardly a substantial distance from the rear edge of said blade portion and the apex of said notch being spaced outwardly from said non-cutting edge, said notch defining an angle of about and having a first sharpened edge inclined outwardly from said non-cutting edge in a direction toward the forward edge of the cutter member to urge a shingle being cut away from the non-cutting edge of the blade portion toward the apex of the notch and a second sharpened edge extending from the apex of the notch outwardly to said rear edge of the end portion of the cutter member in a direction to guide a shingle being cut inwardly of said end portion toward the apex of the notch.

3. In a shingling tool comprising, an elongated handle having a rear hand grip portion and a support portion extending laterally from the forward end thereof, sai support portion having a forward edge and a rear edge and end edge laterally offset a substantial distance to one side of the handle, a cutter member attached to said support portion and having a thin flat end portion extending outwardly from said end edge of the support portion, said flat end portion of said cutter member being disposed in a plane generally parallel to a plane through the centerline of the handle and having a forward edge and a rear edge, said rear edge of the cutter member being spaced forwardly from said rear edge of said support portion and having a rearwardly facing V-shaped notch in its rear edge, the apex of the notch spaced outwardly from said end edge of the support member, said notch having an included angle of about 120, the line that bisects that angle extending generally parallel to the lengthwise axis of the handle, the edges of the notch being sharpened for cutting.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 832,962 10/1906 Fellows. 1,195,822 8/1916 Kintzel 30317 X 2,500,629 3/1950 Crookston -3 2,589,128 3/1952 Podjaski.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,218,889 12/1959 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEI-IR, Examiner.

Claims

1. A SHINGLING TOOL COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED HANDLE HAVING A REAR HAND GRIP PORTION AND A BLADE PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE FORWARD END THEREOF AND DISPOSED IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE THROUGH THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF THE HANDLE, THE BLADE PORTION HAVING A FORWARD EDGE AND A REAR EDGE AND A NON-CUTTING END EDGE AT THE OUTER END THEREOF REMOTE FROM THE HANDLE, A CUTTER MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID BLADE PORTION AND HAVING A THIN FLAT END PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID END EDGE OF THE BLADE PORTION, SAID FLAT END PORTION OF SAID CUTTER MEMBER BEING DISPOSED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID PLANE THROUGH THE CENTERLINE OF THE HANDLE AND HAVING A FORWARD EDGE AND A REAR EDGE AND A V-SHAPED NOTCH IN ITS REAR EDGE FACING REARWARDLY TOWARD THE HANDLE PORTION, THE REAR EDGE OF SAID END PORTION OF THE CUTTER MEMBER BEING SPACED FORWARDLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM THE REAR EDGE OF SAID BLADE PORTION AND THE APEX OF SAID NOTCH BEING SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID NONCUTTING EDGE, SAID NOTCH DEFINING AN ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN 90* AND HAVING A FIRST SHARPENED EDGE INCLINED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID NON-CUTTING EDGE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE CUTTER MEMBER TO URGE A SHINGLE BEING CUT AWAY FROM THE NON-CUTTING EDGE OF THE BLADE PORTION TOWARD THE APEX OF THE NOTCH AND A SECOND SHARPENED EDGE EXTENDING FROM THE APEX OF THE NOTCH OUTWARDLY TO SAID REAR EDGE OF THE END PORTION OF THE CUTTER MEMBER IN A DIRECTION TO GUIDE A SHINGLE BEING CUT INWARDLY OF SAID END PORTION TOWARD THE APEX OF THE NOTCH.