Abstract:
A hand-operated honing device providing engagements of a blade of a tool by a honing stone at pre-selected angles to the blade is disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/793,375, filed on Apr. 20, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
         [0002]    This application incorporates by reference commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/392,445. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to the field of hand tools and, more specifically, to hand-operated honing devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is recognized that there is a difficulty in honing or re-sharpening blades using hand tools. In particular, retention of the correct angular position of a blade relative to an abrasive medium (for example, honing stone) or facilitation of repetitive smooth passes of the blade or the abrasive medium represent challenging tasks for a user of average skills. 
         [0005]    Various devices have been suggested to overcome problems associated with sharpening of blades using hand-operated tools, however, despite the considerable effort in the art, further improvements would be desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One aspect of the invention is a hand-operated honing device having a roller module adapted to slide a blade being honed at a pre-selected angle to a working surface of a honing stone. The honing device includes an arm movably secured to the roller module and defining the pre-selected angle and a clamping mechanism rotateably secured to the arm. The clamping mechanism is adapted to receive, grip, and release the blade and, in operation, rotateably aligns the blade to the working surface of the honing stone. 
         [0007]    Various aspects and embodiments of the invention are described in further detail below. 
         [0008]    The Summary is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present invention, which these and additional aspects will become more readily apparent from the detailed description, particularly when taken together with the appended drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows an angled front view of a honing device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 2-4  show exploded perspective ( FIGS. 2-3 ) and side ( FIG. 4 ) views of portions of the honing device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
       [0011]    To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. The images in the drawings are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. 
         [0012]    The appended drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, as such, should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention that may admit to other equally effective embodiments. It is contemplated that features or steps of one embodiment may beneficially be incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    Referring to the figures,  FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a honing device  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and  FIGS. 2-4  depict exploded perspective ( FIGS. 2-3 ) and side ( FIG. 4 ) views of portions of the device  100 . 
         [0014]    The honing device  100  generally comprises a roller module  110 , an arm  120 , and a clamping mechanism  130 . The arm  120  is movably secured to the roller module  110 , and the clamping mechanism  130  is rotateably coupled to the arm  120 . The clamping mechanism  130  is adapted to receive, grip, and release a tool  101 , which blade  117  is honed, using the device  100 , by a honing stone  160 . In operation, the tool  101  (for example, plane iron (as shown), chisel, knife, and the like) is gripped by jaws of the clamping mechanism  130 . 
         [0015]    Components of the honing device  100  may be fabricated from metals, plastics, and other suitable materials using conventional design considerations known to those skilled in the art of hand tools. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, the roller module  110  comprises a frame unit  102  having a horizontal plate  104  and vertical members  106 , a cylindrical roller  108 , a handle  112 , a locking bolt  114 , and a knob  116 . The vertical members  106  and handle  112  are detachably secured to the plate  104  using, for example, hardware  103  and  105 , respectively. In alternate embodiments, the plate  104  and at least one vertical member  106  may be fabricated as a single structural element. 
         [0017]    The roller  108  is a cylindrical member adapted for rolling upon a substantially flat surface, thus engaging the tool  100  in a plane motion. In one embodiment, the roller  108  includes coaxial axles  107  disposed in axially aligned openings  109  that are formed in the vertical members  106  and provide a clearance fit to the axles  107 . In an alternate embodiment (not shown), at least one axle  107  may be substituted with a blind threaded opening formed in a face of the roller  108  and a cylindrical stud secured in such an opening. 
         [0018]    The plate  104  may contain a means adapted for moveably guiding the arm  120 , such as a transverse recess  118  shown in the depicted embodiment, and the like. In one embodiment, the arm  120  comprises a groove (or, alternatively, an elongated opening)  122  adapted for movably housing the locking bolt  114 . 
         [0019]    Using the knob  116  and locking bolt  114 , the arm  120  may be moveably secured in the transverse recess  118 . In the depicted embodiment, using a squared neck  113 , the locking bolt  114  is rotateably arrested in the groove  122 . In one embodiment, the arm  120  includes a scale  126  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) that allows securing the clamping mechanism  130  at a pre-selected distance from the roller module  110 , thus controlling an angle  164  at which the blade  117  of the tool  101  engages a working surface  162  of the honing stone  160 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the clamping mechanism  130  generally includes a jaw assembly  132 , an elbow module  134  (as depicted, right-angle elbow module), a coupling nut  136 , and an optional fixed limiter  138  and/or an optional flipping limiter  150 . In operation, the clamping mechanism  130  is adapted for rotateably aligning the blade  117  to the surface  162  of the honing stone  160 . 
         [0021]    The jaw assembly  132  comprises a lower jaw  140 , an upper jaw  144 , pressure screws  142 , and wing (or, alternatively, castle) nuts  148  helically mating the screws  142 . The blade  117  may be secured between the jaws  140  and  144  by tightening the nuts  148 . In an alternate embodiment, the pressure screws  142  may be substituted with threaded studs affixed to the lower jaw  140 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the upper jaw  144  includes a bracket  145  transversely affixed to the upper jaw  144  and a bushing  154  secured to the bracket  145  or to the upper jaw  144  using, for example, a welding, brazing, or soldering process. Alternatively (not shown), conventional hardware may be used to affix the bracket  145  or the bushing  154  to the upper jaw  144 . 
         [0023]    In the depicted embodiment, the elbow module  134  includes threaded studs  131  and  133 , a joint  135 , and an alignment nut  137 . The studs  131 ,  133  form rotateable threaded connections with the coupling and alignment nuts  136  and  137  (stud  131 ) and the bushing  154  (stud  133 ). Using the coupling nut  136  screwed onto a portion of the stud  131  protruding though a clear opening  143  in the arm  120 , the jaw assembly  132  and a fixed limiter  138  are secured to the arm  120 . 
         [0024]    In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the stud  133  may be a shaft forming a captive rotateable coupling with the bushing  154 . Such stud  133  may be terminated at a far end of the bushing  154  using, for example, a check nut or a lock washer. 
         [0025]    Longitudinal axes of the studs  131  and  133  are substantially orthogonal to one another and disposed in the same plane. Such studs may be welded, brazed, or soldered to the joint  135  or otherwise permanently coupled (for example, helically coupled) to the joint  135 . Alternatively, the elbow module  134  may be fabricated as a single structural member. 
         [0026]    The alignment nut  137  is controllably positioned on the stud  131 . Location of the alignment nut  137  determines a value of a gap  141  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) established between the arm  120  and the bracket  145 . In one embodiment, after being positioned on the stud  131 , the alignment nut  137  is rotationally immobilized to preserve a particular pre-selected width of the gap  141 . In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the alignment nut  137  is disposed in a recess  124  formed in the arm  120 , and the recess  124  rotationally arrests the alignment nut  137 . 
         [0027]    A combination of a rotateable connection between the stud  133  and bushing  154  and the gap  141  allows for a swinging (or pivotal) motion of the jaw assembly  132  about a longitudinal axis of the stud  133  (or bushing  154 ), as illustrated with an arrow  111  (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ). An angular range of the swinging motion of the jaw assembly  132  is defined by a value of the gap  141  and a length  149  of the bracket  145 . In operation, such rotational degree of freedom of the jaw assembly  132  provides self-aligning of the blade  117  to the working surface  162  of the honing stone  160 . 
         [0028]    Optionally, the swinging motion of the jaw assembly  132  may be arrested using a slide  147  movably (shown with an arrow  165 ) (shown in  FIG. 3 ) secured to the arm  120 . In operation, to immobilize rotationally the jaw assembly  132 , the coupling nut  136  is momentarily loosened, the slide  147  is moved in a position between the bracket  145  and the arm  120 , and then the coupling nut  136  is re-tightened. 
         [0029]    In the depicted embodiment, the fixed limiter  138  is immovably secured to the arm  120  and, in operation, allows to pre-set a length  119  (i.e., blade depth distance) (shown in  FIG. 1 ) of a portion  101 A of the blade  117  that extends through the jaws  140 ,  144 . More specifically, prior to securing the blade  117  in the jaw assembly  132 , the honing device  100  is vertically placed (not shown) onto a surface  139  of the fixed limiter  138  disposed on a flat surface, for example, surface of a desktop. Then, the blade  117  extends though the opened jaws  140  and  144  until the blade reaches said flat surface and, in that position, using the wing nuts  148 , the blade  117  is secured between the jaws. In an alternate embodiment, the fixed limiter  138  may be a portion of the arm  120 . 
         [0030]    In a further embodiment, the length  119  may be controlled using a flipping limiter  150 . In one embodiment, the flipping limiter  150  comprises a flipper module  156  and cylindrical housings  158  having angled entry ports  155 . The flipper module  156  includes a wire spring  151  and a blade stopper  153  permanently (as shown) or movably secured to the wire spring  151 . 
         [0031]    Using the angled entry ports  155 , the flipper module  156  may rotateably be secured in opposing horizontal positions  157  and  159 . When the flipper module  156  is in the position  157 , the blade  117  may be aligned against the blade stopper  153  to define the extension (i.e., length  119 ) of the blade and then secured between the jaws  140  and  144 . 
         [0032]    The honing device  100  may be provided with replaceable fixed limiters  138 , flipper modules  156 , or blade stoppers  153  that are selectively adapted for pre-setting a particular value of the length  119 . 
         [0033]    In operation, a user disposes and secures the blade  117  in the jaw assembly  132 . The user may adjust the position of the blade using one of the limiters  138  or  150 , as discussed above. Then, by adjusting the position of the arm  120  with respect to the roller module  110 , the user selects the angle  164  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) at which the blade  117  engages the honing stone  160  and, using the knob  116 , secures the arm  120  in that position. During a honing process, by utilizing the swinging motion of the jaw assembly  132 , the honing device  100  self-aligns the blade  117  to the working surface  162  of the honing stone  160 . Optionally, by using the slide  147 , the jaw assembly  132  may be immobilized. When engaged via the handle  112 , the device  100  is adapted for sliding the blade  117  along the working surface  162  of the honing stone  160  at the pre-selected angle  164  to the surface  162 . 
         [0034]    Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. Therefore numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.