Cutlery – Cutting tools – Sweep cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-27
2001-09-11
Payer, Hwel-Slu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Cutting tools
Sweep cutter
C030S286000, C033S027031, C033S030600, C083S879000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286216
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cutting tools, and more specifically to a hand tool for cutting circular blanks of material from a larger sheet. The present tool does not penetrate or damage the center of the blank, and is particularly well suited for cutting patches of material for quilting or other purposes where it is essential that the blank not be damaged in any way.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Certain types of quilting involve the assembly of a series of circular components to form a completed quilt. These circular patches or sections of material are stitched together at adjacent points about their circumferences where they are in contact with one another at final assembly. These circular blanks or components must be cut from a larger sheet of material, in order to supply the required materials for forming such a quilt. While it is possible to cut such blanks by hand using scissors, the work is tedious considering the continuous curved cuts which must be made, and the number of such cuts which are required to provide the large number of circular cutouts necessary for the construction of a quilt.
While devices for making circular cuts have been developed in the past (e. g., fly cutters and the like, etc.), such devices generally form a pilot hole through the material being cut, in order to center the cutter precisely in the material being cut. If the blank is to be discarded, with the purpose of the circular cut being only to provide a circular hole in a sheet of material, then the forming of a pilot hole through the discarded material is of no consequence. However, the forming of a pilot hole through the circular blank is unacceptable in the construction of a quilt, and in various other circular articles which may be needed in other fields as well.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a hand tool for making circular cuts in fabric and/or other relatively light sheet materials (thin plastic, paper, etc.), without requiring the formation of a pilot hole through the center of the circular blank being cut. The present tool is also adjustable to provide a relatively wide range of diameters for circular blanks being cut therewith, as well as other advantages over earlier tools for making circular cuts. While the present tool is particularly adapted for cutting unbroken circular blanks from fabric material for quilting, it is also readily adaptable for cutting unbroken circular blanks from other materials and for other purposes, as well.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
Essentially, the related art of which the present inventor is aware may be divided into two broad categories, with one category comprising tools and devices which do not penetrate the material being cut, and another category comprising devices which centrally penetrate the material being cut in order to provide a pilot hole for guidance of the tool. Such centrally penetrating tools are relatively far removed from the present circular cutting tool, and are only listed further below with no further discussion of their differences and distinctions from the present invention.
The other category of circular cutting tools includes those tools which do not centrally penetrate the subject material being cut, so that the cut circle of material remains unbroken across its surface and may be used for various purposes (patches, covers, etc.). The tools of this class which are known to the present inventor are described in the following patents and publications:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,574 issued on Nov. 23, 1971 to Gerald F. Yanke et al., titled “Photographic Print Circle Cutter,” describes a circular cutter in which the disc shaped body of the device has a centrally disposed arm extending therefrom. The arm rotates relative to the body of the device, unlike the present circular cutting tool in which the body and arm both rotate as a unit. In the present tool, the cutting blade mounting bracket is the only component of the arm which is radially adjustable, whereas in the Yanke et al. tool, the arm comprises two relatively telescoping components, with the outer portion being adjustably extendible relative to the pivotally mounted inner portion. Moreover, Yanke et al. utilize an injector type razor blade for their cutting element, rather than a rotary blade as used in the present circular cutting tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,781 issued on Jan. 24, 1984 to Fred Kufrin, titled “Cutter For Making Paper Discs,” describes a device having two concentric discs, with a cutting element adjustably disposed within the inner disc. The outer disc remains stationary during cutting operations to bear against the material being cut, while the inner disc rotates with the cutting element; no separate adjustable radial arm is provided by Kufrin, as provided in the present circular cutting tool. Moreover, Kufrin provides only two blade positions to cut only two different diameters of circles with his cutter, while the present tool provides essentially infinite adjustment between its innermost and outermost limits. Kufrin uses a planar blade as a cutting element, while the present tool utilizes a rotary cutting blade. In addition, the interior of the Kufrin tool is open, while the center of the present tool includes a pad which bears against the material being cut to hold it in place during the cutting operation, while the disc, arm, and cutting blade assembly rotate relative to the central pad and material being held in place by the pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,467 issued on Jun. 10, 1986 to Tibor Safar, titled “Circular Cutter,” describes a machine tool (not a hand tool, as in the present circular cutter) for cutting washers, discs, etc. using a drill press, milling machine, or other suitable power tool to drive the device. The Safar tool essentially comprises a generally enclosed housing with an upper central passage just large enough for passage of a rotary shaft therethrough for rotating the arm with its cutting elements. The bottom of the housing comprises a removably attached disc with a central opening therein for clearing the rotating cutting blades. Safar states that it is preferable to provide a series of different lower discs with different opening diameters, so a disc may be selected which fits closely about the diameter of the cutting circle. This entails removing the disc each time the cutting circle diameter is to be changed, as the cutting arm is internal within the housing, rather than being exposed atop a pressure disc, as in the present cutting tool invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,436 issued on May 14, 1991 to Vincent T. Kozyrski et al., titled “Circle Cutting System,” describes a glass cutter having a stationary center component for bearing against the glass, with a relatively rotary arm extending therefrom. No central rotary disc is provided by Kozyrski et al. for bearing against the material being cut, as provided in the present invention. Moreover, the Kozyrski et al. cutting elements are disposed externally at the end of the rotary arm, whereas the single cutting element of the present invention is internally disposed in the adjustable arm channel of the disc, and concealed beneath the adjustable arm. Thus, the cutting element of the present tool is not exposed and cannot make contact with anything or anyone other than the material disposed therebelow for cutting, unlike the exposed cutting elements of the Kozyrski et al. device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,217 issued on Jan. 19, 1999 to the present inventor, titled “Material Circle Cutter,” describes a circular cutter having a plurality of radially disposed rotary cutting blades. In one embodiment, the blades are circumferentially disposed and are not radially adjustable to cut different sizes of circular areas. In another embodiment, the rotary blades are disposed through slots in a base, and may be lifted from the slots for placement in different slots of different diameters in order to provide f
Litman Richard C.
Payer Hwel-Slu
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