US3835536A

US3835536A - Sheet material cutter

Info

Publication number: US3835536A
Application number: US00328342A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Marcoux
Original assignee: E Marcoux
Current assignee: Chevron USA Inc
Priority date: 1973-01-31
Filing date: 1973-01-31
Publication date: 1974-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-17

Abstract

A cutter for sheets of paper or other material adapted to cooperate with a ruler of any usual type to produce straight lines cuts and including a slot for the passage of the sheet of material therethrough, the sheet passage slot is arranged to allow unhampered travel of sheet material of different thicknesses therethrough and to oppose the formation of folds into the material. The sheet passage slot enters into the body of the cutter through the bottom face and a side face thereof adjacent a straight edge of the same, such as to prevent hinderance of the sheet material between the guide or ruler and the straight edge of the cutter and also between the cutter and the support surface. In a preferred embodiment, the cutter is arranged to cut by displacement in either of two opposite longitudinal directions and to be guided by engagement of either of the two opposite sides with a ruler.

Description

Marcoux 14 1 Sept. 17, 1974 1 SHEET MATERIAL CUTTER [76] Inventor: Emery Marcoux, 445A Fleury Street, East, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 22 Filed: Jan. 31, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 328,342

Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters [57] ABSTRACT A cutter for sheets of paper or other material adapted to cooperate with a ruler of any usual type to produce straight lines cuts and including a slot for the passage of the sheet of material therethrough, the sheet passage slot is arranged to allow unhampered travel of sheet material of different thicknesses therethrough and to oppose the formation of folds into the material. The sheet passage slot enters into the body of the cutter through the bottom face and a side face thereof adjacent a straight edge of the same, such as to prevent hinderance of the sheet material between the guide or ruler and the straight edge of the cutter and also between the cutter and the support surface. In a preferred embodiment, the cutter is arranged to cut by displacement in either of two opposite longitudinal directions and to be guided by engagement of either of the two opposite sides with a ruler.

9 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDSEP 1 71914

sum

2 or 2 SHEET MATERIAL CUTTER This invention relates to a cutting device and, more particularly, to a cutter of the type having a fixedly carried cutting blade particularly adapted to cut sheet material by displacement along the latter.

Known cutters of the above type are adapted to open envelopes by cutting a strip along one edge thereof. Such envelope cutters are more or less restricted to that single function, since they are adapted to cut a marginal strip of definite width only. This is due to the fact that the envelopes travel into a slot which extends only a finite depth into the cutting device and the depth of the slot defines the width of the marginal strips. There are also other known cutters of the above type, which are slidably mounted onto a particular guiding support, whereby to produce straight line cuts. Such cutter with a guiding support is restricted to cut along straight lines and only in cooperation with that guiding support.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a cutting device of the above type which is not only adapted to cut along straight lines and along other lines at any distance from the edge of the material but is also adapted to run laterally against the straight side of any straight edge guide, such as the edge of a ruler, to produce straight line cuts, while avoiding interference of the sheet material between the straight side and the cutter, the latter being also operatively independent of such straight guide.

It is another object of the invention to provide a sheet material cutter wherein sheet materials of different thicknesses are allowed to travel substantially unhampered lengthwise of the cutter into a suitable sheet passage slot therein, which is arranged to oppose folding of the sheet material into the cutter.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sheet material cutter which is adapted to cut by displacement in either of two opposite directions and by engagement of either of the two sides against a guide.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to two embodiments thereof which are illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a sheet material cutter according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cutter shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view as seen along line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are front and rear views respectively of the cutter according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views as seen along lines 66 and 7-7 respectively in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of a sheet material cutter according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the sheet material cutter shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view as seen along line l010 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a transverse cross-sectional view as seen along line 11-11 in FIG. 8.

The sheet material or paper cutter according to the first embodiment of the invention will first be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 inclusive.

The cutter according to the first embodiment includes a body 1, of molded plastic or other material, formed of a single block. The body has an elongated form defining a pair of substantially parallel

opposite sides

2 and 3 respectively, each formed with a finger grip recess 4. The body 1 includes a bottom face 5 which forms a smooth planar face of reference. The side 3 forms a straight edge with the bottom face 5.

A sheet passage slot 6 enters into the body 1 through the bottom face 5 and through the straight edge side 3, extends transversely through the body and outwardly through the opposite wall 2, as best shown in FIG. 6. Thus, slot 6 is inclined downwardly at a small inclination transversely of body 1 towards straight edge side 3 to form with bottom face 5 a sharp edge 11' extending longitudinally of and adjacent straight edge side 3. The body includes an internal recess 7 adapted to hold a cutting blade 8 therein, such as a razor blade, as substantially shown in FIG. 3. The internal recess 7 is shaped to automatically hold the cutting blade 8 in a plane extending lengthwise of the body 1 intermediate the

opposite sides

2 and 3 and substantially perpendicular to bottom face 5 and such that a cutting edge 9-of the blade is inclined downwardly and rearwardly and intersects the sheet passage slot 6 and faces towards the front end of body 1.

The portion of the sheet passage slot 6 ahead of the cutting edge 9 forms an entrance portion for a sheet and extends generally across the full width of the body 1, as best shown in FIG. 6. The slot 6 is inclined downwardly forwardly and longitudinally of the body 1 towards the planar bottom face 5 to form a front sharp edge 11 continuing sharp edge 11' to pick up the sheet of paper or other material. Thus, slot 6 divides body 1 into a top portion in which blade 8 is located and a base portion defining an entrance ramp end portion 10.

A strip 12, of flexible material, is fixed into the entrance portion of the slot 6 against the upper wall thereof and has a rear lip portion hanging into that slot and being forked to extend past both sides 9, while clearing the latter, as shown in FIG. 3, or the lip portion may extend past only one side of cutting edge 9, whereby a sheet inserted into the slot 6 will be pressed down by that lip portion, whereby to oppose the formation of folds in the sheet travelling towards the cutting edge and also to allow operation of the cutter with sheets of different thicknesses. The sheet passage slot 6 divides into two distinct branches l3 and 14 behind the cutting edge 9 for the exit of the cut pieces. Branches l3 and 14 overlap each other and extend beyond the plane of blade 8. They open at the respective opposite sides of body 1 and terminate within said body to define a web 6' therebetween, which interconnects the two portions of body 1 lying above and below slot 6.

An opening 15 is formed at the top of the body 1 to allow access into the recess 7 to remove a cutting blade 8 therefrom or to insert one. A cover 16 is slidably mounted onto the body 1 and arranged to close the opening 15 and prevent a cutting blade from escaping during shipping or when the cutter is held upside down. A button 18 is provided on the cover to slide the latter. Alternately, body 1 can be made in two sections separable to uncover blade 8 and releasably connected together. Thus, opening and cover 16 can be eliminated.

A slot 19 having inclined ends extends through the planar bottom face 5 and communicates with the cutting edge 9 to allow chips of the cut material to escape and to prevent clogging of the sheet passage slot 6.

A sharp edge 19 protrudes from the front of body 1 and is in the plane of cutting blade 8 to provide an indication of the line of cut.

With the cutter above described in detail, a sheet of paper S or the like material, is cut by engaging the sharp edge 11 under the sheet of material and by displacing the cutter forwardly.

A particular advantage of the herein described cutter is that it may produce a straight line cut by running the straight edge side 3 against the edge of a ruler 20, of any usual type, such as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The cutter is then adapted, by arrangement of the slot 6, such that the sheet of material does not interfere between the ruler and the cutter and also between the cutter and the support surface or table. It is noted that, since slot 6 opens laterally along straight edge 3 as well as at bottom face 5, the body is not pressed down on the sheet of material in its portion between the ruler 20 and lateral sharp edge 11'. Due to

sharp edges

11 and 11 and to the small inclination of slot 6 longitudinally and transversely of body 1, nowhere is the part of the sheet of material extending from underneath the ruler 20 bent at more than a small angle. Also, because of the overlapping of slot branches l3 and 14, the edges of the cut sheet behind the cutting blade do not engage the bottom of these slot branches. There results a minimum of friction between the stationary sheet and the moving cutter during the cutting operation, whereby a neat cut is obtained.

A second embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 inclusive, includes a body formed of a top block-like portion 21, of elongated form molded with a cutting blade 22 in situ therein. The top portion 21 includes a pair of substantially parallel

opposite sides

23 and 24 forming each a straight edge adapted to run along a ruler 20, of any usual type. The

sides

23 and 24 each includes a fingergrip recess or cavity 25.

The cutter 22 has a pair of cutting edges 26 at opposite ends thereof, which are inclined downwardly inwardly, as shown, to enhance the cutting action.

The body also includes a bottom block-like portion 27, of plastic, which is also molded with the cutting blade 22 extending in situ therein, as shown, to be bonded thereto and supported thereby. The

portions

21 and 27 are complementarily shaped to form a sheet passage slot 28 between each other. The bottom portion 27 has a smooth planar external bottom face 29 extending transversely between but terminating short of the

opposite sides

23 and 24. The slot 28 enters into the body of the cutter through the bottom face 29 and both

sides

23 and 24 thereof adjacent each of the said

opposite sides

23 and 24 and extends into the body through substantially the full width and full length thereof. Each of the two opposite ends of the block 27 forms an entrance ramp end portion 30 tapering outwardly towards the planar bottom face 29 and forming an end sharp edge 31 and lateral sharp edges 31 with the latter. Thus, there is a continuous sharp edge at the entire periphery of bottom portion 27. Also, slot 28 is longitudinally and transversely downwardly inclined at a small inclination towards bottom face 29.

It can easily be seen that the cutter according to the second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11 inclusive may be displaced in either of the two longitudinal directions to cut a sheet of paper S while being run against the lateral edge of a ruler 20, as shown in FIG. 1 1.

l claim:

1. A sheet material cutter comprising an elongated body having a pair of opposite sides, a front end and a flat bottom face, one of said opposite sides having a lower marginal surface portion which is straight throughout the entire length of said body to be applied against a guiding ruler for guided displacement of said body along said ruler, said body having a sheet passage slot extending transversely and longitudinally thereof and opening at the front end and at each side of said body, said sheet passage slot downwardly inclined at a small inclination longitudinally forwardly of said body and transversely towards said lower marginal surface portion to form with said bottom face a thin edge at the front end and adjacent said lower marginal surface portion, and a cutting blade carried by said body in a longitudinal plane of said body intermediate said opposite sides and substantially perpendicular to said bottom face and including a cutting edge intersecting said slot and facing towards said front end, and means located rearwardly of said cutting edge interconnecting the portions of said body lying above and below said sheet passage slot.

2. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet passage slot, rearwardly of said cutting edge, is divided into two distinct branches opening at a respective opposite side of said body and terminating within said body to define a web therebetween, said web constituting said interconnecting means, the terminal portions of the respective slot branches overlapping each other and extending beyond the plane of said cutting blade transversely of the cutter.

3. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body has a rear end and that one of said slot branches adjacent said lower straight marginal surface portion opens at said rear end and said bottom face, while the other of said branches open only at said rear end.

4. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cutting edge is downwardly inclined toward the rear end of said body and further including a flexible lip fixed against the top internal side of said slot ahead of said cutting edge extending lengthwise of said slot towards said cutting edge and yieldably projecting towards the lower internal side of said slot.

5. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of said body lying above said slot has an internal recess arranged to operatively removably hold said cutting blade and an access slot giving access to said recess to allow removal and replacement of said cutting blade.

6. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of said body lying below said passage slot has an opening therethrough which opens within said sheet passage slot and at said bottom face and receiving said cutting edge and arranged to allow I escape of chips of cut material therethrough.

7. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interconnecting means consist of the cutting blade itself.

8. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 7, sides, as well as the front end and rear end of said body. wherein the portion of said body lying below said sheet passage slot has a top face which defines an internal 9. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, furside of said passage slot and which is convex both longither including a sharp edge portion protruding from the tudinally and transversely of the body and defines a 5 front end of said body and in the plane of said cutting sharp edge along its entire periphery, said sheet passage blade to provide an indication of the line of cut. slot opening at said bottom face and at both opposite

Claims

6. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of said body lying below said passage slot has an opening therethrough which opens within said sheet passage slot and at said bottom face and receiving said cutting edge and arranged to allow escape of chips of cut material therethrough.

8. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the portion of said body lying below said sheet passage slot has a top face which defines an internal side of said passage slot and which is convex both longitudinally and transversely of the body and defines a sharp edge along its entire periphery, said sheet passage slot opening at said bottom face and at both opposite sides, as well as the front end and rear end of said body.

9. A sheet material cutter as claimed in claim 1, further including a sharp edge portion protruding from the front end of said body and in the plane of said cutting blade to provide an indication of the line of cut.