Abstract:
A portable batt cutter custom cuts standard width, continuous, extended length fibrous insulation blankets at a construction site to form batts with specific dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the structural framework cavities to be insulated. The portable batt cutter includes storage for retaining a fibrous insulation blanket; a feed mechanism for feeding the fibrous insulation blanket from the storage to a transverse cutter; and the transverse cutter which makes a transverse cut across the width of the fibrous insulation blanket to determine the length of the batt. The portable batt cutter may also include a cutter for making a longitudinal cut in the fibrous insulation blanket to form a batt having a width less than the width of the fibrous insulation blanket and a measuring device to measure the length of the batt prior to forming the transverse cut in the fibrous insulation blanket. The portable batt cutter has a size and weight enabling the cutter to be readily moved from construction site to construction site.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable batt cutter, and in particular, to a portable batt cutter which can cut extended lengths of standard width fibrous insulation blanket into batts sized in length and preferably both length and width to fit standard and non-standard size structural framework cavities. 
     Building structures, such as residential houses, industrial buildings, office buildings, mobile homes, prefabricated buildings, and similar structures typically include walls (both exterior and interior), ceilings, floors, and roofs which are insulated for thermal and/or acoustical purposes, especially the exterior walls and the roofs of such structures. The walls, ceilings, floors and roofs of these structures include framing members, e.g. studs, rafters, joists, beams, and similar support members, which are normally spaced-apart standard distances and, in the case of walls, form cavities having a standard length or height. Sheathing, paneling, lathing or similar construction materials are secured to the framing members to form the walls, ceilings, floors and roofs of the structures. 
     Building contractors seek to maintain the spacing between such framing members and the length or height of the framework cavities formed by such framing members at the standard widths and lengths (e.g. for the exterior wall of a residential house about fifteen inches in width by about ninety-seven inches in height) for ease of construction and installation of the insulation. However, frequently the cavities defined by the framing members in the walls, ceilings, floors and roofs of such buildings or structures have non-standard widths and lengths, e.g. the framing members are spaced apart distances less than the standard distance and/or the lengths or heights of the cavities are less or greater than a standard length or height for such cavities. Studies have shown that in a typical residential house built in the United States, it is common for 50% or more of the framing members in the exterior walls of these structures to be spaced apart at non-standard distances less than the standard spacing for such framing members and/or to define wall cavities having lengths or heights greater or less than the standard cavity height for such exterior wall cavities. 
     Thus, there has been a need to provide insulation batts at the construction site which are custom sized to fit standard width standard length cavities, non-standard width standard length cavities, non-standard width non-standard length cavities and standard width non-standard length cavities. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The portable batt cutter and method of the present invention provides a solution to the above problems by custom cutting standard width, continuous, extended length fibrous insulation blankets at a construction site to form batts with specific dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the structural framework cavities to be insulated i.e. the extended length fibrous insulation blanket can be custom cut to form batts sized to fit standard width standard length cavities, non-standard width standard length cavities, non-standard width non-standard length cavities and standard width non-standard length cavities. 
     The portable batt cutter of the present invention includes storage for retaining a fibrous insulation blanket; a feed mechanism for feeding the fibrous insulation blanket from the storage to a transverse cutter; and the transverse cutter which makes a transverse cut across the width of the fibrous insulation blanket to determine the length of the batt. The portable batt cutter may also include a cutter for making a longitudinal cut in the fibrous insulation blanket to form a batt having a width less than the width of the fibrous insulation blanket and a measuring device to measure the length of the batt prior to forming the transverse cut in the fibrous insulation blanket. The portable batt cutter has a size and weight enabling the cutter to be readily moved from construction site to construction site. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the portable batt cutter of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation view of the portable batt cutter of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic side elevation view of an alternative fibrous insulation storage station which can be used to hold Z-folded insulation in the portable batt cutter of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevation view of an alternative pull and length measuring roll assembly which can be used in the portable batt cutter of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevation view of another alternative pull and length measuring roll assembly which can be used in the portable batt cutter of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevation view of an alternative fibrous insulation blanket storage station which can be used to hold a bulk roll of insulation in the portable batt cutter of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show the portable batt cutter  20  of the present invention. The portable batt cutter  20  includes a frame (not shown to better illustrate the other components of the portable batt cutter and its operation); a storage station  22 ; a feed mechanism  24 ; a transverse cutting station  26 ; a longitudinal cutting station  28 ; and a length measuring mechanism  30 . The portable batt cutter  20  has a longitudinal centerline extending from the storage station through the longitudinal cutting station. In addition, the portable batt cutter  20  would have a weight and size (e.g. about two hundred pounds or less with a height of about thirty six inches, a width of about thirty six inches, and a length of about forty eight inches to about seventy two inches plus the length of any storage station such as those shown in FIGS. 2,  3  and  6 ) that would permit the portable batt cutter  20  to be readily moved from construction site to construction site, e.g. in the back of a pick-up truck. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the storage station  22  has a means for storing a bulk or jumbo roll  32  of standard width, continuous, extended length fibrous insulation blanket  34  which would typically have a length ranging from about thirty feet to about one hundred and fifty feet. The standard width for such fibrous insulation blankets  34  is approximately fifteen inches for wall cavities, such as but not limited to residential housing, and up to twenty four inches for other building structural framework cavities. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the means (a yoke and axle assembly  35 ) for storing the bulk roll  32  includes a pair of yokes  36  with upwardly opening channels  38  which rotatably support an axle  40  passing through the core of a bulk or jumbo roll  32  of fibrous insulation blanket  34 . However, other storage means that permit the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be easily fed from the roll  32  while maintaining the roll in place can be used, such as the open top storage bin  42  shown in FIG. 6 with its width, height and semicircular bottom wall  44  sized to accommodate the largest bulk roll  32  being used in the portable batt cutter  20  and dispense the fibrous insulation blanket  34 . The storage bin  42  has end walls  46  and may have two sidewalls, not shown, or may have only one sidewall or no sidewalls to facilitate loading a bulk roll  32  of insulation into the bin  42 . With either of the storage means shown, as the fibrous insulation blanket  34  is pulled from the storage station  22  by the feed mechanism  24 , the roll  32  rotates to supply the required amount of fibrous insulation blanket  34  from the roll. 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 shows a storage bin  142  for storing and dispensing a Z-folded continuous, extended length fibrous insulation blanket  34  which can be substituted for the yoke and axle assembly  35 , or the storage bin  44 . The storage bin  142  permits the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be easily fed from its Z-folded configuration  132  and has an open top with its width, height and bottom wall  144  sized to accommodate the largest bulk Z-folded continuous, extended length fibrous insulation blanket  34  being used in the portable batt cutter  20  and dispense the fibrous insulation blanket  34 . The storage bin  142  has end walls  146  and may have two sidewalls, not shown, or may have only one sidewall or no sidewalls to facilitate loading a bulk Z-folded continuous, extended length fibrous insulation blanket  34  into the storage bin  142 . With the storage bin  142 , as the fibrous insulation blanket  34  is pulled from the storage station  22  by the feed mechanism  24 , the layers of the fibrous insulation blanket are successively peeled off the Z-folded insulation  132  to supply the required amount of fibrous insulation blanket  34  from the storage station  22 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the feed mechanism  24  includes a pull roll  50  which extends perpendicular to the centerline of the portable batt cutter  20  and a continuous belt conveyor  52 . The pull roll  50  and the belt conveyor  52  cooperate to the pull the fibrous insulation blanket  34  from the bulk roll  32  or Z-folded insulation  132  in the storage station  22  and feed the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to the transverse cutting station  26 . Preferably, the pull roll  50  has a length and the belt conveyor  52  has a width equal to or greater than the widest fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be processed on the portable batt cutter  20 . The pull roll  50  and preferably, a drive roll  54  of the belt conveyor  52  are each powered by a conventional electric motor (not shown). The underside of the pull roll  50  and the upper surface of the belt conveyor  52  are spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  being processed on the portable batt cutter  20  so that the blanket  34  is gripped between the underside of the pull roll  50  and the upper surface of the belt conveyor  52 . Thus, as the pull roll  50  rotates and the belt conveyor  52  moves in the direction shown in FIG. 2, the pull roll and the belt conveyor cooperate to pull the fibrous insulation blanket  34  from the bulk roll  32  or the Z-folded insulation  132  and feed the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to the transverse cutting station  26 . Preferably, the pull roll  50  and the drive roll  54  of the belt conveyor  52  are mounted so that the spacing between the underside of the pull roll  50  and the upper surface of the belt conveyor  52  can be adjusted e.g. by raising or lowering the pull roll  50  relative to the drive roll  54  by conventional means (not shown), to accommodate fibrous insulation blankets  34  of various thicknesses. 
     As schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transverse cutting station  26  is located adjacent the pull roll  50  and the downstream end of the belt conveyor  52  of the feed mechanism  24  and intermediate the feed mechanism  24  and a second conveyor  56 . The transverse cutting station  26  includes a cutting mechanism  60 , such as but not limited to a conventional powered band saw or a powered circular saw, that is mounted to move back and forth across width of the portable batt cutter  20  in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the portable batt cutter for a distance equal to or greater than the width of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be processed on the portable batt cutter, e.g. for the entire width of the portable batt cutter  20 . As shown in FIG.2, the saw blade  62  of the cutting mechanism  60  extends from above the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to below the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the belt conveyor  52  so that the cutting mechanism  60  cuts through the entire thickness of the fibrous insulation blanket as it passes transversely across the width of the portable batt cutter. 
     Preferably, the second belt conveyor  56  is a continuous belt conveyor; has a width equal to or greater than the widest fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be processed on the portable batt cutter  20 ; and has a drive roll  64  which is powered by a conventional electric motor (not shown). The second conveyor  56  can be operated simultaneously with the pull roll  50  and the feed conveyor  52  to move the fibrous insulation blanket  34  through the transverse cutting station  26  prior to making a transverse cut through the fibrous insulation blanket to form an insulation batt  66  of a selected length. 
     The second belt conveyor  56  also functions to move the fibrous insulation blanket  34  through the longitudinal cutting station  28  which can be used to form the insulation batt  66  to a selected width. The longitudinal cutting station  28  includes a cutting mechanism  70 , such as but not limited to a conventional powered band saw or a powered circular saw. When making a longitudinal cut  72  in the fibrous insulation blanket to trim a portion of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  away to make the insulation batt  66  a selected width, the cutting mechanism  70  remains stationary as the fibrous insulation blanket  34  is fed through the longitudinal cutting station  28  by the belt conveyor  56 . However, the cutting mechanism  70  is mounted to be moved or adjusted back and forth across width of the portable batt cutter  20 , in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the portable batt cutter, for a distance equal to or greater than the width of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be processed on the portable batt cutter (e.g. for the entire width of the portable batt cutter  20 ) so that the cutting mechanism  70  can be located and set relative to the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to make the longitudinal cut  72  at the location required to make the insulation batt  66  a selected width. The saw blade  74  of the cutting mechanism  70  can be raised or moved laterally to an inoperative position outside of the path of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  where the saw blade  74  will not cut the fibrous insulation blanket  34 . The saw blade can also be lowered and moved laterally (circular saw blade) or just moved laterally (band saw blade) to an operating position in the path of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  where the saw blade  74  extends from above the horizontal plane of upper surface of the fibrous insulation blanket to below the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the belt conveyor belt  56  so that the cutting mechanism  70  cuts through the entire thickness of the fibrous insulation blanket  74  as the blanket passes through the longitudinal cutting station  28  and trims the fibrous insulation blanket to the desired width for the insulation batt  66 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, there is a third belt conveyor  76  downstream of the longitudinal cutting station  28 . Preferably, the third belt conveyor  76  is a continuous belt conveyor; has a width equal to or greater than the widest fibrous insulation blanket  34  to be processed on the portable batt cutter  20 ; and has a drive roll  78  which is powered by a conventional electric motor (not shown). The second conveyor  76  can be operated simultaneously with the pull roll  50  and the feed conveyor  52 , and the second belt conveyor  56  to move the fibrous insulation blanket  34  through the transverse cutting station  26  prior to making a transverse cut through the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to form an insulation batt  66  of a selected length. The third belt conveyor  76  also function to help move the fibrous insulation blanket  34  through the longitudinal cutting station  28 , especially, when the longitudinal cutting station  28  is being used to form the insulation batt  66  to a selected width. While the portable batt cutter  20  is shown in FIG. 2 with a third belt conveyor  76 , it is also contemplated that a flat sheet metal slide plate (not shown), which would lie in the same horizontal plane as the upper surface of the third belt conveyor, could be substituted for the third belt conveyor  76 . 
     Preferably, the portable batt cutter is also provided with the length measuring mechanism  30  for measuring the length of the batt  66  to be formed by making the transverse cut through the fibrous insulation blanket  34  with the transverse cutting mechanism  60 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the length measuring mechanism  30  includes a measuring roll  80  which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the portable batt cutter  20  and the fibrous insulation blanket  34  being fed from the storage station  22  to the transverse cutting station  26 . While the measuring roll  80  could be as short as one or two inches in length, as shown, the measuring roll  80  has a length equal to the length of the pull roll  50  and the belt conveyor  52 . The measuring roll  80  is rotatably mounted above the upper surface of the feed conveyor  52  a distance less than the thickness of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  being processed through the portable batt cutter  20  so that as the fibrous insulation blanket is fed past the measuring roll the linear movement of the fibrous insulation blanket causes the measuring roll  80  to rotate. The measuring roll  80  is vertically adjustable relative to the upper surface of the belt conveyor  52  and has a known circumference. Accordingly, for each revolution of the measuring roll  80 , the fibrous insulation blanket  34  has moved linearly beneath or past the measuring roll  80  a distance equal to the circumference of the measuring roll  80 . The measuring roll  80  is connected to a conventional read out device which can be reset after each transverse cut and is calibrated to provide a reading of the length of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  that has been fed from the storage station  22  to the transverse cutting station  26  so that the length of the insulation batt  66  to be formed by a transverse cut of the transverse cutting mechanism  60  can be determined. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show alternative feed and measuring roll assemblies  90  and  100  respectively. In the feed and measuring roll assembly  90  of FIG. 4, the feed roll  92  also functions as the measuring roll rather than having a separate measuring roll  80  as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. Otherwise, an embodiment of the portable batt cutter  20  using the feed and measuring roll assembly  90  is the same as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. In the feed and measuring roll assembly  100  of FIG. 5, preferably, the feed roll  102  also functions as the measuring roll rather than having a separate measuring roll  80  as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, a pull roll  104  and a sheet metal slide plate  106  are substituted for the feed conveyor  52  with the pull rolls  102  and  104  cooperating to grip and pull the fibrous insulation blanket from the storage station  22  across the slide plate  106  and feed the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to the transverse cutting station  26 . Otherwise, an embodiment of the portable batt cutter  20  using the feed and measuring roll assembly  100  is the same as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Preferably, the measuring roll  80  is electronically connected to a conventional electronic control panel  82  which can use the input from the measuring roll  80  to automatically control the portable batt cutter  20 . For example, the electronic control panel  82  could have input terminals that permit the operator to set the length, width and number of the insulation batts  66  to be produced by cutting the fibrous insulation blanket  34 . First the operator would manually feed a leading edge of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  over the belt conveyor  52  and past the measuring roll  80  and the pull roll  50  to the transverse cutting station  26  (positioning the leading edge of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  in the same transverse vertical plane as the saw blade  62  of the transverse cutting mechanism  60 ). Next the operator would input the desired length, width and number of the insulation batts  66  to be produced into the control panel  82 . If the insulation batts  66  to be produced are to have a standard width, the control panel  82  sends a signal to the longitudinal cutting mechanism  70  to raise or laterally move the saw blade  74  of the longitudinal cutting mechanism to its inoperative position. If the insulation batts  66  to be produced are to have a non-standard width less than the standard width, the control panel  82  sends a signal to the longitudinal cutting mechanism  70  to move the saw blade  74  of the longitudinal cutting mechanism to the operative position required to trim away a predetermined part of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  to form insulation batts  66  having the desired widths. Next the control panel  82  automatically sends signals to actuate the pull roll  50 , the drive roll  54  of the conveyor  52 , and the drive rolls  64  and  78   20  of the conveyors  56  and  76  to move the leading edge of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  the required distance past the saw blade  62  of the transverse cutting mechanism  60  to produce insulation batts  66  having the desired length when the transverse cuts are made by the transverse cutting mechanism  60 . At the same time the fibrous insulation blanket  34  is being moved into place for the transverse cut, the fibrous insulation blanket  34  is being fed at least part way through the longitudinal cutting mechanism  70  which is also actuated to thereby at least partially form any longitudinal cut to be formed in the fibrous insulation blanket  34  if insulation batts  66  of less than standard width are being produced. Once the fibrous insulation blanket  34  is properly located for a transverse cut, signals from the control panel  82  stop the pull roll  50 , the drive roll  54  of the feed conveyor  52  and the drive rolls  64  and  78  of conveyors  56  and  76  to hold the fibrous insulation blanket  34  stationary while the transverse cut is made and another signal from the control panel actuates the transverse cutting mechanism  60  to move the transverse cutting mechanism  60  across the entire width of the portable batt cutter  20  to completely cut through the fibrous insulation blanket and separate a section of the fibrous insulation blanket of a selected length that is to become an insulation batt  66  from the fibrous insulation blanket  34  being fed into the transverse cutting station  26 . Once the transverse cut is completed a signal from the control panel  82  stops the transverse cutting mechanism  60  and another signal from the control panel  82  actuates the drive rolls  64  and  78  of the conveyors  56  and  76  to complete the movement of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  through the longitudinal cutting station  28  and thereby complete any trimming of the fibrous insulation blanket  34  by the longitudinal cutting mechanism  70  to produce an insulation batt  66  of the desired width. The batt making cycle is then complete and another cycle can be commenced to form another insulation batt  66  having the same or different dimensions. 
     In describing the invention, certain embodiments have been used to illustrate the invention and the practices thereof. However, the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments as other embodiments and modifications within the spirit of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art on reading this specification. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.