Patent ID: 6455812
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: E04G,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A sheet removing apparatus for removing a sheet section part of a generally continuous sheet of covering material adhesively bounded by an adhesive to a floor surface, said sheet section defining a pair of generally opposed sheet section side edges, said floor surface defining a floor surface peripheral edge; said floor surface peripheral edge being at least partially in an underlying relationship relative to an overriding structure, said overriding structure being spaced from said sheet of covering material by a sheet-to-structure spacing distance; said apparatus comprising:a heat generating means for generating a predetermined amount of thermal energy, said heat generating means including an electrically resistive heating component; a protective casing for protectively enclosing said heating component, said casing defining a casing front end, a casing rear end, a pair of generally opposed casing side ends and a casing axis extending between said front end and said rear end; said protective casing including a top wall, a base wall and a peripheral wall extending between the peripheral edges of said top and base walls, said base wall defining a base wall inner surface, a base wall outer surface, a base wall front edge, a base wall rear edge and a pair of generally opposed base wall side edges; said top, base and peripheral walls together encompassing a casing inner volume; said base wall inner surface being positioned generally adjacent said heating component so as to allow said base wall to be heated by said thermal energy generated by said heating component and to diffuse said thermal energy underneath said base wall over said sheet section when said base wall is positioned over said sheet section; a sheet cutting means for cutting said sheet of covering material adjacent said sheet section side edges, said sheet cutting means including a pair of cutting blades, each of said cutting blades extending in a blade axial direction generally perpendicular relative to said base plate, each of said cutting blades being attached to said protective casing in a laterally spaced relationship relative to the other cutting blade and adjacent a corresponding one of said casing side ends; each of said cutting blades defining a generally rectilinear cutting edge, each of said cutting edges protruding downwardly from a position generally adjacent a corresponding one of said base wall side edges and being oriented along a corresponding cutting axis that extends in a direction generally parallel to said casing axis so as to form a pair of generally parallel and laterally spaced apart incisions in said sheet of covering material when said casing is moved in the direction of said casing axis; a floor contacting and spacing means for both allowing movement of said casing along said floor surface and maintaining said base wall outer surface in a predetermined spaced relationship relative to said floor surface; whereby upon said casing being moved in the direction of said casing axis along said floor surface over said sheet section, said adhesive bounding said sheet section to said floor will be softened by the thermal energy generated by said heating component and diffused over said sheet section and, simultaneously, said cutting edges will form a pair of incisions along said sheet section side edges, said incisions being in a parallel relationship relative to each other and oriented in the direction of said casing axis so as to allow said sheet section to be subsequently pealed of said floor surface.