Wallpaper trimmer

A wallpaper trimming tool for cutting wall coverings on outer wall corners. The tool comprises a pair of rectangular blocks secured together with a pair of cutting blades spaced from an extension of one block by an intermediate sheet of shim material, cutting edges of said blades extending co-planar with the ends of the blocks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a wallpaper trimming tool and, more particularly, 
relates to a cutting device for trimming wallpaper and the like wall 
coverings on outer wall corners. 
Hand tools for the trimming and cutting of wall coverings such as wallpaper 
are well-known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,473,551; 2,889,623; 3,500,540 and 
4,077,124 discloses various embodiments of wallpaper cutting and trimming 
hand tools. A common problem in known cutting tools is the difficulty in 
maintaining a straight cut relative to a wall corner. In addition, the 
depth of cut and recess of cut edge from a wall corner often are difficult 
to control and the completion of a cut on a wall corner from the floor to 
the ceiling often is difficult to accomplish. The cut edges of wall 
coverings such as wallpaper thus often are susceptible to damage due to 
separation and fraying necessitating the use of protective plastic wall 
corners. 
STATEMENT OF INVENTION 
The cutting tool of the present invention substantially overcomes the 
shortcomings in conventional hand tools in that it permits completion of a 
recessed cut a uniform distance from the wall corner from floor to 
ceiling. 
In its broad aspect, the cutting tool of the invention for trimming wall 
coverings on outer wall corners comprises the combination of a first block 
having a planar surface on one edge and a planar surface on one side 
thereof, said first block having opposite end walls intersecting said 
planar edge surface at an angle of not greater than 90.degree. , a cutting 
blade adjacent said first block planar side surface at each end wall each 
having a cutting edge extending beyond the plane of the planar edge 
surface, said cutting edges extending substantially coplanar with the 
respective end walls, a sheet of shim material of predetermined thickness 
abutting the planar side surface of the first block, and a second block 
having a planar surface on one side thereof for securement adjacent the 
sheet of shim material, said second block having an edge extending beyond 
the planar edge of the first block to provide a right-angled guide surface 
for slideable engagement with an outer wall corner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, the cutting tool of the invention 
generally designated by numeral 10 consists of a first block 12 having a 
planar interior surface 14 and a planar edge surface 16. Block 12 
preferably is rectangular in shape having opposite end walls 18, 20 
defining an angle with planar edge 14 of not greater than 90.degree.. The 
rear edge of block 12 has a shoulder upset 22 extending the length of 
block 12 for reasons which will become apparent as the description 
proceeds. 
A pair of cutting blades 24, 22 are seated adjacent the inner planar 
surface 14 of block 12 such that cutting edges 26, 28 extending beyond the 
plane of planar edge 16 are substantially co-planar with surface 14. 
Cutting blades 24, 26 preferably have triangular cutting edges 26, 28 such 
as provided by STANLEY (.TM.) blades No. 1992. Cutting edges 26, 28 extend 
beyond the plane of planar edge 16 a distance sufficient to sever a wall 
covering such as wallpaper while extending lengthwise of the tool 10 
substantially co-planar with end surfaces 18, 20, as shown most clearly in 
FIG. 2. 
A second block 32, preferably of rectangular shape having a length equal to 
the length of block 12, has a planar surface 34 adapted to abut a planar 
surface of a sheet of shim material 44 disposed between block 12 and block 
32. Block 32 and shim material 44 have a total thickness substantially 
equal to the thickness of shoulder 22 of block 12 such that securement of 
block 32 to block 12 by means of connecting means, such as screws 38, 
results in the external surface 40 of block 32 being substantially 
co-planar with the external surface 42 of shoulder 22. 
Shim material 44 uniformly spaces cutting edges 26, 28 laterally from 
planar surface 34 of extension 35 of block 32 and thus functions as a 
guage distance during use of the said cutting tool. 
The cutting edges 26, 28 thus sever the wall covering the predetermined 
gauge distance back from the wall corner edge to avoid separation, fraying 
or the like damage to the recessed edge of the wall covering. It will be 
understood that the gauge distance can be readily modified by varying the 
thickness of the shim or by adding an additional shim to a first shim. 
Blocks 12, 32 and sheet 30 may be formed from a plastics material, aluminum 
alloy or wood. 
In use, tool 10 is applied to an outer wall corner having a wall covering 
such as wallpaper such that right-angled planar surfaces 16, 34 receive 
the wall corner in sliding engagement. The cutting tool is moved 
longitudinally up or down the said wall corner between the ceiling and 
floor such that cutting edges 26, 28 uniformly spaced a pre-determined 
gauge distance from planar surface 34 will sever and trim said wall 
covering a recessed distance from the wall corner. Cutting blades 22, 24 
can be conveniently replaced by loosening of screws 38 and disassembly of 
block 12 from sheet material 44. 
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the 
embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein without 
departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined by the 
appended claims.