Abstract:
A handsaw capable of cutting a glass bottle includes a band-like handsaw substrate which is obtained by cutting a steel strip at a predetermined length, a blade portion of hard abrasive applied, by deposition, to at least one edge of the band-like handsaw substrate in the width direction, and a grip portion which allows the band-like handsaw substrate to be manually held. A method for manufacturing a handsaw capable of cutting a glass bottle, and a method for reusing empty wine bottles are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a handsaw which can be used to cut glass, such as a glass bottle, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method for re-using an empty wine bottle. 
     2. Description of the related Art 
     Wine bottles, come in various colors and designs, having stylish labels, which enhances enjoyment in drinking the wine contained therein. However, since such wine bottles are formed from colored glass provided in a various range of colors, it is difficult to re-use empty wine bottles. As a result, society has to deal with the mounting piles of empty wine bottles which exist at present. 
     The Life Products Division of the Life Industry Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry have proposed recycling empty wine bottles by melting the same to produce ‘ecology bottles’ wherein various colors of the wine bottles to be recycled do not matter, and also converting the wine bottles into construction material such as roadbed material for roads. However, the fact that there is no guarantee (agreement) that drink/beverage manufacturers will utilize such ‘ecology bottles’ poses a major problem, and the construction material made from wine bottles is still at the testing and research stage so that it will take a long time before such construction material can be put into practical use. On the other hand, if the bottom portion of a bottle such as a wine bottle, a “sake” bottle, or a cola bottle can be manually cut, as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project, the cut bottle can be reused as a flowerpot, for example, wherein the cut bottle is turned upside-down. However, a diamond cutter which is commonly used by a glazier to cut plate glass cannot be used to cut a glass bottle. 
     A file-type cutter and a wire-type cutter are also known in the art as a handy glass cutter as an alternative to a diamond cutter. In either cutter, hard abrasive such as diamond abrasive is used. In the file-type cutter, diamond abrasive is applied to a surface of a substrate having a wedge-shaped cross section. In the wire-type cutter, diamond abrasive is applied to a stainless wire. However, in the file-type cutter, it is impossible to deeply cut glass because of the wedge-shaped section (i.e., it is impossible to cut thick glassware, such as a glass bottle), and in the wire-type cutter, it is difficult for a user to exert a strong force on the cutter because the wire is flexible, or it is difficult to cut an object along a straight line. Moreover, the wire of the wire-type is easily broken. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a handsaw which can be conveniently and easily used to cut glassware of various shapes, such as a glass bottle. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing such a handsaw. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a utilizing method for reusing empty wine bottles without melting the same, and for utilizing the same as a wine bottle planter (e.g., a flower pot). 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a handsaw capable of cutting a glass bottle is provided, including a band-like handsaw substrate which is obtained by cutting a steel strip at a predetermined length, a blade portion of hard abrasive applied, by deposition, to at least one edge of the band-like handsaw substrate in the width direction, and a grip portion which allows the band-like handsaw substrate to be manually held. 
     In an embodiment, the grip portion includes a grip body which covers one end of the band-like handsaw substrate in the length direction thereof, and which is secured to the band-like handsaw substrate. 
     In an embodiment, the handsaw substrate is provided, on the grip side thereof, with at least two holes, the grip body being split into two halves with respect to a center plane of the thickness of the band-like handsaw substrate, one of the two halves being provided with projections which can be fitted in the corresponding the holes of the band-like handsaw substrate. 
     In an embodiment, the grip portion is a hacksaw frame to which the ends of the band-like handsaw substrate in the length direction are secured. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a handsaw capable of cutting a glass bottle is provided, including cutting a steel strip at a predetermined length to form a band-like handsaw substrate; masking the portion of the band-like handsaw substrate other than a cutter blade forming portion formed on at least one edge of the handsaw substrate in the width direction; applying hard abrasive on the portion of the handsaw substrate other than the masked portion thereof; and dipping the band-like handsaw substrate, to which the hard abrasive has been applied, in an electrolytic solution tank to deposit a metal layer in which the hard abrasive is embedded. 
     In an embodiment, the method for manufacturing a handsaw further includes securing a grip body to one end of the band-like handsaw substrate in the length direction, upon the band-like handsaw substrate being subjected to the electrolytic deposition. 
     In an embodiment, the band-like handsaw substrate is provided, on opposite ends thereof, with holes which are adapted to secure the hand saw to a hacksaw frame. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for reusing empty wine bottles is provided, the method including cutting a bottom portion of an empty wine bottle, and turning the cut the empty wine bottle upside-down so as to be utilized as a wine bottle planter. 
     The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-308833  (filed on Oct. 10, 2000) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be discussed below in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing manufacturing processes of a handsaw having a grip body before electrolytic deposition, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing electrolytic deposition of diamond abrasive; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a cutter blade forming portion upon electrolytic deposition of diamond abrasive being completed; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a band-like handsaw substrate and a grip portion in a disassembled state, wherein the electrolytic deposition is completed; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembled handsaw being used to cut a glass bottle; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a cut glass bottle which is turned upside-down and is reused as a flowerpot; and 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a hacksaw-type handsaw according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of a handsaw capable of cutting a glass bottle and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described below. FIGS. 1 through 5 show an embodiment of a handsaw which is provided at one end thereof with a grip body as a holding portion. A band-like handsaw substrate  11  is obtained by cutting a stainless steel strip  10  shown in FIG. 1 at a predetermined length. The ends of the band-like handsaw substrate  11  in the longitudinal direction are preferably rounded or arch-shaped (chamfered). The band-like handsaw substrate  11  is provided on one end thereof with two securing holes  12  which are spaced at an appropriate distance. The stainless steel strip  10  is selected so that the handsaw substrate obtained by cutting the stainless steel strip  10  exhibits appropriate flexibility and hardness as a handsaw. 
     The portion of the substrate  11  other than the cutter blade forming portion  11   a , formed at one side of the substrate in the width direction, is masked with a non-conductive masking tape  13 . The end portion of the substrate  11  on the grip side on which the holes  12  are formed is also masked with the non-conductive masking tape. Namely, the substrate  11  is fully masked, with exception to the blade forming portion  11   a  which is exposed. 
     After the band-like handsaw substrate  11  is masked with the non-conductive masking tape  13 , diamond abrasive  14  is provisionally applied to the cutter blade portion  11   a . The provisionally applied diamond abrasive is spread along the edge surface of the cutter blade forming portion  11   a  and along portions of the front and rear surfaces of the substrate  11  within the cutter blade forming portion  11   a . The provisional application of the diamond abrasive can be carried out, for example, by electrolytic plating. The particle size of the diamond abrasive  14  is preferably in the range of approximately 80 to 200 meshes. 
     The band-like handsaw substrate  11 , of which the diamond abrasive is provisionally applied to the cutter blade forming portion  11   a , is thereafter dipped in an electrolytic deposition tank (plating tank)  15 , as shown in FIG.  2 . The electrolytic deposition tank  15  is filled with electrolytic solution (solution of nickel compound such as nickel sulfate)  16 . In the electrolytic solution  16 , a cathode connected to an external DC power source  17  is connected to the band-like handsaw substrate  11  and an anode is connected to a nickel plate  18 . In this state, when electricity is supplied from the DC power source  17 , oxidation and reduction occur at the cathode and anode, respectively. Consequently, nickel is electrolytically deposited (plated) on the cutter blade forming portion  11   a  connected to the cathode. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, a nickel deposition layer (metal deposition layer)  19  is formed. The formation of the nickel deposition layer  19  causes the diamond abrasive  14  to be firmly embedded in the nickel deposition layer  19 . As a result, a blade portion  9  of hard abrasive is deposited in the form of generally u, onto the blade forming portion  11   a  of the band-like handsaw  11 . The electrolytic deposition can be carried out at one time for a number of band-like handsaw substrates  11 . 
     A grip body  20  shown in FIG. 4 is formed (or machined) independently of the electrolytic deposition of the band-like handsaw substrate  11 . The grip body  20  is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is constructed from two halves  21  and  22  which are split with respect to a center plane of the thickness of the handsaw substrate  11 . The grip half  21  is provided with two securing projections  21   a  which are fitted in the two holes  12  of the handsaw substrate  11 . The other grip half  22  is provided with two receptacles  22   a  corresponding to the securing projections  21   a . The grip halves  21  and  22  are provided, on the peripheral edges thereof, with inter-engageable projections and recesses  21   b  and  22   b , respectively. When the projections  21   b  and the recesses  22   b  are engaged, a space is formed between the grip halves in which the end of the handsaw substrate  11  is held. The blade portion  9  of hard abrasive is not provided on the portion of the handsaw substrate  11  that is covered by the grip body  20 . The blade portion  9  of hard abrasive may be provided on both edges of the handsaw substrate  11  with respect to the width direction thereof. 
     The end of the handsaw substrate  11 , which has been subjected to the electrolytic deposition, adjacent to the holes  12  is covered by the grip halves  21  and  22  and the projections  21   a  are fitted in the holes  12 . Thereafter, the grip halves  21  and  22  are connected through the inter-engageable projections and recesses  21   b  and  22   b . As a result, a handsaw  100  capable of cutting a glass bottle, having the grip body  20  at one end can be obtained. 
     FIG. 5 shows a cutting operation of a bottom portion of a glass bottle  200  (wine bottle) using the handsaw  100  thus obtained. As shown in FIG. 6, the glass bottle  200  whose bottom has been cut off, can be turned upside-down and be reused, for example, as a flowerpot. 
     FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a handsaw  300  having a body frame in the form of a hacksaw frame  30 . As is well known in the art, the hacksaw frame  30  is generally in the form of a U-shape. The open end of the hacksaw frame is provided with a stationary pin  31  and a movable pin  32 . The movable pin  32  is rotatably supported by the front end of a screw rod  33 . When the screw rod  33  is moved in the axial direction through a knob  34 , the distance between the stationary pin  31  and the movable pin  32  is varied. The handsaw substrate  11 ′ is provided, on its opposite ends in the length direction, with holes  15  in which the stationary pin  31  and the movable pin  32  are fitted. The handsaw substrate  11 ′ is also provided, on one side thereof in the width direction, with a blade portion  9  of hard abrasive, which is formed by electrolytic deposition of diamond abrasive  14  as in the above-described embodiment. The blade portion  9  can be obtained in the same way as that shown in FIG.  2 . In the hacksaw, the stationary pin  31  and the movable pin  32  are fitted in the pin holes  15  of the handsaw substrate  11 ′. Thereafter, when the screw rod  33  is moved in the axial direction, the handsaw substrate  11 ′ is secured to the hacksaw frame  30 . Thus, the hacksaw can be used as a handsaw in the same way as the grip-type saw in order to cut, for example, a glass bottle. 
     Although the metal to be electrolytically deposited on the band-like handsaw substrate  11  is nickel in the illustrated embodiments, it is possible to use other metals, such as copper. Moreover, the electrolytic deposition can be replaced with electroless plating, etc. The diamond abrasive can be replaced with cubic boron nitride (CBN) abrasive, etc. 
     According to the present invention, not only can the handsaw cut a glass bottle  200  as described above, the handsaw can also be used to cut other objects other than the glass bottle. 
     As may be understood from the foregoing, according to the present invention, a handsaw capable of cutting a glass bottle for domestic use can be obtained. 
     Obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the present invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed. It is indicated that all matter contained herein is illustrative and does not limit the scope of the present invention.