Abstract:
A marble and granite nipping tool that includes a pair of blade support plates as blade mounting ends whereto nipping blades having opposing nipping edges are releasably mounted and provides for setting a selected opposing nipping edge spacing to allow a use of the tool on different widths or thicknesses of marble and granite slabs, for removing or nipping off edge sections thereof. The tool includes a linkage consisting of lever arms secured at lever arm ends to the blade support plates undersurfaces that connect, in turn, through a pivot coupling to scissoring arms that and operated to provide a mechanical advantage to multiply a closure force directed through the scissoring arms and linkage and into the blade support plates for facilitating the removal of marble and granite edge sections. Which scissoring arms can, in one embodiment, be manually closed by an operator moving ends of the arms together, and, in another embodiment, by operation of a an automated scissoring arm closure arrangement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to tools for use in is removal of chips or sections of an edge of a granite or marble counter or sink top for providing a decorative edge surface.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    Nipping tools for use in shaping an edge of a section of tile, or the like, are, of course, well known and examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Patents to: Jencks U.S. Pat. No. 298,587 and to Yang Yu U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,915, with other nipping tools shown in U.S. Patents to Uhlmann U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,938 and Herckelbout, U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,177, that are for, respectively, nipping animal hooves and as cutting pliers. None of which tools provide, as does the invention, for adjustable positioning of the jaws of the tool relative to opposing cutting edges for controlling the spacing between which cutting edges.  
           [0005]    Additional to providing a capability for adjustment of the spacing distance between the edges of the opposing blades, the invention includes lever arms that provide a mechanical advantage to an operator to close the blades together. Such lever arm arrangements for closing blades together, have been employed for cutting through objects such as nails, bolts or the like, but have not been applied to nipping tools. Some examples of such cutting tools where the handles thereof are arranged to afford an operator with a mechanical advantage to move the tool handles together are shown in U.S. Design Patent to Porter, U.S. Design Pat. No. 50,029 and in U.S. Utility Patents to Handy, U.S. Pat. No. 63,721; to Carolus, U.S. Pat. No. 710,182; to King, U.S. Pat. No. 157,610; to Porter, U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,480; to Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,870; to Deville, U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,998 and to Jansson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,874, and an example of a bolt cutter that, in lieu of manually operated scissoring arms, employs a pneumatic or hydraulic operated piston arrangement operated to urge scissor arms together to close tool jaws, is shown in a U.S. Patent to Helwig, U.S. Pat. No. 596,066.  
           [0006]    Where, per the above cited art, scissoring arms that are closed together for closing opposing jaws for cutting a bolt, rod, or the like, are well know, as are nippers with fixed cutting edges to cutting tile, or the like. None of the art, however, show a granite or marble edge nipping tool with movable opposing jaws for pinching or nipping off sections of different thicknesses of marble or granite sink and counter tops. Nor does the earlier art show nipping or chipping devices where the opposing cutting edges spacing distance is adjustable and which set distance can be maintained in place for nipping or chipping a selected width of granite or marble counter or sink top to provide a desired finished decorative edge surface.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a nipping and chipping tool that is suitable for removing edge sections of a granite or marble sink or counter top, providing a decorative edge surface.  
           [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a nipping and chipping tool that is suitable for use with granite or marble counter or sink tops of different widths.  
           [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a nipping and chipping tool that takes the place of what has formerly been a manual operation involving an operator working with a hammer and chisel to chip off sections of an edge of a section of marble or granite, for forming a decorative edge.  
           [0010]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a chipping and nipping tool that includes scissoring arms that are linked to opposing jaws such that, when the arms are manually or mechanically operated to close together, the opposing jaws will also be closed together.  
           [0011]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a linkage between the scissoring arms and opposing jaws where a mechanical advantage exists such that a force of closing the scissoring arms together is increased at the opposing jaws, closing the jaws together.  
           [0012]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a nipping and chipping tool that is easily and efficiently operated to provide a controlled removal of sections of a granite or marble counter or sink top edge.  
           [0013]    The invention in a nipping and cutting tool that is for chipping or nipping off sections of a marble or granite counter top edge to provide a decorative surface thereto, and is an improvement over earlier practices an operator, using a hammer and chisel, chips off sections of a marble or granite counter top edge.  
           [0014]    The invention provides a pair of opposing blade support plates that each receive a blade fitted thereto that if formed to allow for individual blade movement relative to one another for altering blade edge spacing distance. The selected blade edge spacing to provide a nipping action to a particular thickness of granite or marble edge, allowing the tool to be used on different widths or thicknesses of marble or granite counter top, producing a desired decorative edge. Further, the opposing blades are operated through a linkage and include scissoring arms whereby, an operator, manually or with a pneumatic or hydraulic arrangement, urges a pair of scissoring arms together. With which scissoring arm together movement provides a mechanical advantage to the applied force to urge the blades together at a sufficient force to penetrate the granite or marble counter top edge and bottom surfaces, nipping a section therefrom. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    In the drawings that illustrate that which is presently regarded as the best mode for carrying out the invention:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a top elevation perspective view taken from a forward end of a manually operated marble and granite nipping and chipping tool of the invention showing tool scissoring arms spread apart and are connected through a linkage such that, when the scissoring arms are closed towards one another, the opposing nipping and chipping blades are also closed together, nipping or shearing off portions of an edge of a section of marble or granite;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the tool of FIG. 1, a rear elevation view being a mirror image thereof;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3A is a side elevation view of a forward section of the tool of FIG. 2;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3B is a view like that of FIG. 3A except the sections of the scissoring arms are shown as having been closed together, also closing together the opposing edges of the nipping and chipping blades;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tool of FIG. 1, a bottom plan view being a mirror image thereof;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a forward end view of the tool of FIG. 2 showing the opposing blades opened apart;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a rear end view of the tool of FIG. 2 showing the scissoring arms ends spread apart  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view taken from the side and behind a jaw end at the top or forward end of the tool of FIG. 1;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7A is an exploded view of one of the blade support plates of the jaw end showing the blade and blade mounting nut and bolt exploded therefrom;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the blades of FIG. 7 shown being closed together to nip or chip off a portion of an edge of a section of a granite or marble counter top;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 shows a side elevation view of a mechanically operated marble and granite nipping and chipping tool of the invention, showing a pneumatically operated piston arrangement that is controlled by a trigger to pass air under pressure into a cylinder, extending a piston rod out of one cylinder end, to urge tool scissoring arms apart and connect through pivots to nipping blade support plates that include spaced apart nipping blades shown fitted over an edge of a section of marble or granite; and  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 shows the tool of FIG. 9 after air under pressure has been passed into the cylinder by operation of the tool trigger, that air flow acting against the piston to extend a rod to spread apart the scissoring arms and urge the nipping blade edges into contact, nipping through the edge of the section of marble or granite, as shown in FIG. 9. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]    Heretofore, marble or granite counter and sink top edges have been manually chipped, as by a skilled operator using a hammer and chisel, to form a decorative rough or chipped counter or sink top edge. In such operation, even by a skilled operator, a significant amount of time is required and mistakes are often made by such operator who chips or chisels off a greater section or chip off of an edge, have often resulted in damage that is difficult or cannot be repaired. The invention shown herein is in a tool for use by even a marginally trained worked who, with careful blade edge positioning, can remove only a desired amount of marble or granite edge. Which edge section removal is thereby carefully controlled and can be accomplished in a much shorter period of time than was possible by an operator using a hammer and chisel.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1 shows a top elevation perspective view of a marble and granite nipping tool  10  that is for manual operation by an operator who, with their hands gripping individual grip ends  12   a  and  12   b  that are fitted onto lower ends of scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b,  moves the arm lower ends together. Which together movement of scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  grips  12   a  and  12   b  is transferred through a linkage  13  to close together opposing blade edges  15   a  and  15   b  of nipping blades  14   a  and  14   b,  as set out below.  
         [0030]    Shown in FIGS. 1 through 7, and best in FIG. 7, the linkage  13  includes upper end caps  16   a  and  16   b  that are fitted over top ends of each of the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b,  that each connect to a pair of parallel leverage bars  17   a  and  17   b  and  18   a  and  18   b,  respectively. The leverage bars  17   a  and  17   b  and  18   a  and  18   b  align with one another and each includes a blade stop, with blade stops  19   a  and  19   b  extending inwardly from leverage bars  17   b  and  18   b,  respectively. The respective blade stops engage, at their outer edges, to block travel together of the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b,  with, it should be understood, the leverage bars  17   a  and  18   a  also including like opposing blade stops forward from the leverage bars  17   a  and  17   b  and  18   a  and  18   b  ends. The leverage bars  17   b  and  18   a  forward ends are, formed, respectively, into cranks or levers  20   a  and  20   b,  and the crank or lever  20   a  includes a first pivot hole that aligns with the axis of the scissoring arm  11   a  and a second pivot hole is centered between the arms  11   a  and  11   b.  The crank or lever  20   b  includes a first pivot hole that is aligned with the axis of the scissoring arm  11   b  and with a second pivot hole centered between the arms  11   a  and  11   b.  The respective second pivot holes of cranks or levers  20   a  and  20   b  are fitted with a pivot bolt  21  that allows the cranks or levers  20   a  and  20   b  second pivot holes to move up and down as the scissoring arms are moved together and apart. The leverage bars  17   a  and  18   b  forward ends are formed, respectively, into pivot ends  22   a  and  22   b  that each align with first pivot hole of the cranks or levers  20   a  and  20   b  and received coupling pivot bolts  23   a  and  23   b,  respectively, fitted therethrough, that bolt through and couple to stem ends  25   a  and  25   b  of nipping lever arms  24   a  and  24   b,  respectively. So arranged, with the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  spread apart, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  3 A and  7 , the crank or levers  20   a  and  20   b  second pivot holes wherethrough the pivot bolt  21  is fitted are at a lowest point relative to the scissoring arms. With, as the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  are moved together, shown in FIGS. 3B, the pivot bolt  21  is elevated, moving the leverage bars  17   a  and  18   b  first pivot holes wherethrough bolts  23   a  and  23   b  are fitted, apart to, in turn spread the stem ends  25   a  and  25   b  of the nipping lever arms  24   a  and  24   b  apart.  
         [0031]    The nipping lever arms  24   a  and  24   b,  at their upper portions, include front and rear straps  26   a  and  26   b,  respectively, that extend across and are linked to the respective nipping lever arms  24   a  and  24   b  by bolts  27   a  and  27   b  that have nuts  28   a  and  28   b  turned over threaded ends thereof after passage through aligned holes formed through mid-sections of the nipper lever arms, forming pivot couplings. So arranged, closure of the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  is transmitted through the leverage bars  17   a  and  18   b  and through pivots  27   a  and  27   b  to close jaw mounting ends  29   a  and  29   b  of which leverage bars together, as set out below.  
         [0032]    As set out above, closure together of the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  is ultimately transferred through the leverage bars  17   b  and  18   a  into the crank ends  20   a  and  20   b  that connect, respectively, to stem ends  25   a  and  25   b  at first pivot holes that receive pivot bolts  23   a  and  23   b  fitted therethrough. So arranged, a mechanical advantage is provided to an operator closing together the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  by the distance between the arms grips  12   a  and  12   b  and the pivot bolts, greatly increasing the force the operator can apply to close the scissoring arms together that is, in turn, transferred into the crank ends  20   a  and  20   b  and thence into the crank second pivot holes that receive the pivot bolt  21 . The pivot bolt  21  and crank ends wherethrough the second pivot holes are formed thereby moves axially from the attitude shown in FIG. 3A, where the scissoring arms  11   a  and  11   b  are spread apart, upwardly towards the jaw mounting ends  29   a  and  29   b.  With that pivot forward travel, in turn, spreading apart the stem ends  25   a  and  25   b  of the nipper lever arms  24   a  and  24   b,  to, and acts through, pivots  27   a  and  27   b  that are fitted through straps  26   a  and  26   b  and the nipper lever arms  24   a  and  24   b  sandwiched therebetween. The upper portions of the nipper lever arms  24   a  and  24   b  are thereby closed together, also closing together the jaw mounting ends  29   a  and  29   b.    
         [0033]    The jaw mounting ends  29   a  and  29   b,  as shown best in FIG. 8, are secured, preferably by welding, across the undersurface of each of a pair of blade support plates  30   a  and  30   b  at their mid-sections, such that the blade plates form a T with the jaw mounting ends. The blade plates  30   a  and  30   b  are identical and, as shown in the exploded view of FIG.7A, each blade plate includes one of a pair of like holes  36   a  that are each spaced apart equidistantly from the welded junction with the jaw mounting ends  29   a  and  29   b  and individually receive a threaded end of a bolt  32   a  that is first past through one of a pair of transverse slots  31   a  formed through the blade  14   a,  with the bolt end show aligned to receive a washer  35   a  and a lock washer  34   a  fitted thereover, with anut  33   a  turned thereon, locking the blade onto a top surface of the blade plate  30   a.  So arranged, as shown in FIG. 8, the blades  14   a  and  14   b  can each be moved transversely across the top of blade support plates  30   a  and  30   b  for positioning the blades opposing edges  15   a  at an appropriate spacing distance therebetween. In practice, such spacing distance is selected for the particular edge width or thickness of a section of marble or granite  30 . Each blade  14   a  is slid across the top face of blade plate, shown as support blade plate  30   a  in FIG. 7A, to where, with the tool jaws spread apart, as shown in FIG. 7, to a proper spacing distance between the opposing blade edges  15   a  and  15   b.  The blade edges  15   a  and  15   b  positioning is then maintained by the bolts  32   a  that are fitted through blade slots  31   a  and passed through the holes  36   a  to receive washers  35   a  and  34   a  fitted over and nuts  33   a  turned onto the bolts  32   a  threaded ends. The allow for positioning of the blades  14   a  and  14   b  to where their edges  15   a  and  15   b  are spaced appropriately apart to allow for passage of an edge of a section of marble or granite  39  between the opposing blade edges, as shown in FIG. 8. Whereafter, with closure together of the handles  11   a  and  11   b  ends  12   a  and  12   b,  the blade edges  15   a  and  15   b  close together, biting into the top and bottom marble or granite edge surfaces, and nipping off sections of marble or granite. In practice, the ability to select blade edges  15   a  and  15   b  spacing allows the tool to be used to nip or shear off sections or chips of marble or granite from a wide variety of thicknesses of marble and granite. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2  3 A  3 B,  5 ,  6  and  8 , the blades  14   a  and  14   b  each preferably include like blade edges  15   a  and  15   b,  respectively, that are formed to extend outwardly from along the blade parallel longitudinal edges. Which pair of blade edges  15   a  and  15   b  on each blade allows an operator, when the blade edge becomes dull, to dismount, turn and re-mount the blade  14   a  or  14   b  onto a blade plate  30   a  or  30   b  to position a sharp blade edge in opposition to the other blade edge.  
         [0034]    Where the above described marble and granite nipping tool  10  is shown to be manually operated, a marble and granite nipping tool  40  that is power driven is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The marble and granite nipping tool  40  includes a same nipping end as that shown above for the marble and granite nipping tool  10 , including: the double edge blades  41   a  and  41   b  having parallel edges  42   a  and  42   b;  blade plates  43   a  and  43   b;  blade support plates  30   a  and  30   b  that each include the center hole  36   a  and  36   b  that receive bolts  44   a  and  44   b  as have passed through each of spaced lateral slots holes formed through blades  42   a  and  42   b.  Which bolts  44   a  and  44   b  are also each passed through a washer  45   a  or  45   b,  a lock washer  46   a  or  46   b  and receive a nut  47   a  or  47   b  turned over a threaded end thereof. Similarly, nipper lever arms  48   a  and  48   b  are secured, as by welding, at their top ends  49   a  and  49   b  across the lateral centers of the undersurface of each blade plate  43   a  and  43   b,  forming right angles therewith. Which nipper lever arms  48   a  and  48   b  are pivotally connected, in spaced relationship, between straps  50  by bolts  51   a  and  51   b  that are fitted therethrough and through aligned holes to receive nuts turned thereover. Similarly, like the nipper lever arms  24   a  and  24   b  of the marble and granite nipping tool  10 , the nipper lever arms  48   a  and  48   b  rear portions or sections connect onto, respectively, upper and lower pneumatically driven extension arms  55  and  56 , by bolts  57   a  and  57   b  and  58   a  and  58   b,  respectively, with bolt  58   a  shown as having been secured also through a forward handle  59  that has a hand grip  60 . So arranged, the nipper lever arms  48   a  and  48   b,  that are individually secured to extension arms  55  and  56 , are each free to pivot on bolts  51   a  and  51   b,  respectively, closing the opposing blades  41   a  and  41   b  together as the extension arms  55  and  56  are moved apart.  
         [0035]    To provide which extension arms  55  and  56  outward movement, closing the opposing blades  41   a  and  41   b  together, and nipping off an edge of a section of marble or granite  85 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, is provided by a piston rod  60 . The piston rod  60  is connected by a pivot  61  at its end  60   a  to an end  55   a  of the extension arm  55 .  
         [0036]    The piston rod  60  is extended outwardly from a top surface  62   a  of a cylinder  62 , the piston rod traveling from the attitude shown in FIG. 9 to that shown in FIG. 10. As shown, the cylinder  62  includes a manifold  63  secured to its bottom surface  62   b  and is connected by a pivot bolt  64  to an end  56   a  of the extension arm  56 , and receives a pneumatic hose  65  fitting  66  turned therein. Which pneumatic hose  65  passes air under pressure through the fitting  66  and into the bottom cavity of the cylinder  62 , below a piston, that acts upon to elevate the piston that the piston rod  60 . So arranged, passage of air under pressure elevates the piston rod  60  and spreads the extension arms  55  and  56  apart to, in turn, close the opposing blades  41   a  and  42   b  together, nipping off an edge section of the section of marble or granite  59 , as shown in FIG. 10. For controlling air passage into a valve is included in the manifold  63  having a cylinder  67  that extends outwardly from the manifold and includes a pressure fitting  67   a  on the end thereof that is fitted with a seal  67   b  and receives a trigger rod  68  longitudinally fitted therein. The trigger rod  68  is to travel back and forth to open the manifold valve to pass air under pressure into the cylinder  62  when the trigger piston  68  is urged into the cylinder  67 , extending the piston rod  60 , as shown in FIG. 10. Air flow is closed off when the trigger piston  68  is retracted to the attitude shown in FIG. 9. Which trigger piston  68  travel is provided by a trigger  70  having a trigger end  70   a  that is connected by a pivot pin  71  to a trigger  68  end  68   a  and, spaced therefrom, is a trigger pivot arm  72  that includes a trigger pivot pin  73 . The trigger pivot pin  73  is fitted through the trigger  70  and provides a fulcrum to the trigger whereby, when the trigger is pulled towards a handle  74 , the lower trigger end  70   a  pivots the trigger end  68   a  of the connected trigger piston  68  into the cylinder  67 , opening the pressure valve within the manifold  63 . To guide trigger  70  movement, the upper trigger end  70   b  is fitted to travel in a slot  75  formed in an upper handle mounting bracket  76 . Which handle mounting bracket  76  connects, at one end  76   a,  by bolts  77   a  and  77   b  onto top surface  62   a  of cylinder  62 , and is mounted by a bolt  78 , at its opposite end  76   b,  onto a handle  74  end  74   a.  The opposite handle  74  end  74   b  is secured to an end  79   b  of a lower bracket  79  by a bolt  80 , with the other lower bracket end  79   a  maintained to the manifold  63  lower surface by a bolt  81 . So arranged, an operator gripping in one hand the grip  60  of forward handle  59 , and holds the handle  74  in their other hand, and with their finger on trigger  70 , can pull on that trigger to pass air under pressure through line  65  that acts of the piston within cylinder  62  to extend the piston rod  60 , as shown in FIG. 10. The blades  41   a  and  41   b  are thereby closed together, nipping off an edge portion of a section of granite or marble  85 . With release of trigger  70 , an air flow into cylinder  62  is cut off, allowing the piston rod  60  to retract into the cylinder  62 . Which piston rod  60  retraction is encouraged by a coil spring  86  that is secured at its hook ends  86   a  and  86   b,  respectively, to posts  87   a  and  87   b  that extend, respectively out from the faces of the extension arms  55  and  56 , and is stretched when the extension arms are spread apart. Upon removal of air pressure from the piston within the cylinder  62 , the stretched coil spring  86  retracts, drawing its coils together, and returns the extension arms  55  and  56  back to the attitude shown in FIG. 9. In operation, an operator needs only to appropriately position the opposing blades  41   a  and  41   b  over the marble or granite  85  edges, shown in FIG. 9, and pulls the trigger  70 . The opposing blades are then closed together, nipping off a section of the granite or marble section  85 , as shown in FIG. 10. With, upon release of the trigger  70 , the coil spring  86  pulls the extension arms  55  and  56  back to their attitude shown in FIG. 9. Whereat, the opposing blades  41   a  and  41   b  can be reposition over a marble or granite section edge.  
         [0037]    In practice, while the opposing blades  14   a  and  14   b  and  41   a  and  41   b  of both embodiments  10  and  40  can be positioned onto the opposing flat surfaces at a section of marble or granite edge and the blades closed together as described to nip off a portion of the edge, an operator may scribe aligned grooves or slots is the opposite marble or granite faces, proximate to the edge, to facilitate blade  41   a  and  41   b  positioning, within the scope of this disclosure. Also, while manual and pneumatical operated handle arrangements have been shown herein, it should be under stood that other closing arm arrangements could be so employed, within the scope of this disclosure.  
         [0038]    While preferred embodiments of my invention in marble and granite edge nipping tool have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes are possible without departing from the subject matter and reasonable equivalency thereof coming within the scope of the following claims, which claims I regard as my invention.