Abstract:
A tile cutting machine includes a tub for receiving water and a tile to be cut therein. A cutting head assembly having a motor driven blade is positioned above a tile supporting surface located in the tub and is movable with respect thereto. A laser projects a line of light from the cutting head assembly down onto the tile supporting surface to provide a visual representation of a cutting path of the blade. A scale permits measurement of a tile to be cut. The laser may be used with the scale to allow a user to quickly determine cutting widths without the need to manually mark the object to be cut. A light source, such as an LED, may be incorporated in the cutting head to illuminate an interior of the tub during operation of the tile cutting machine.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application, claims the benefit of and priority to commonly owned U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/941,941, filed Jun. 4, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to a tile cutting machine. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a tile cutting machine having a cutting head assembly movable relative to a tub containing water and a holding mat with nubs for supporting a tile to be cut, wherein a blade of the cutting head assembly is positioned at a depth that allows full penetration through the tile and into contact with water received within the tub. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Because of their durability, affordability, and aesthetic qualities, tiles are commonly used in a wide variety of finishing applications. For instance, tiles are often used for covering roofs, floors, and walls. Additionally, tiles may be used to construct countertops and tabletops. 
     At the time of installation, a tile installer must trim tiles to fit the edges of the installation site. As an example, when installing tiles as a floor covering, the installer must cut tiles along the edges of the room to fit the room&#39;s dimensions. A variety of portable tile cutting tools are available that allow the installer to cut tiles to the dimensions needed at the installation site. Simple tile cutting tools include hand tools, such as tile nibbers, for instance, which are a specialty tool shaped similar to pliers and are used to nibble away at a tile in order to cut and shape it. Another simple tile cutting tool is a tile cutter that uses a scoring wheel to score the tile along a line. The user may then snap the tile along the score line. However, cutting tiles using these simple types of cutting tools may be difficult and time-consuming. For instance, a user may find it difficult to cut tiles using these tools without breaking the tiles. Additionally, these types of cutting tools may not be suitable for cutting tiles of certain materials. 
     For larger tile installations and to save time and effort, a tile installer may use a wet tile saw to cut tiles. A wet tile saw typically uses a wide, circular blade with sand crystals or diamonds to cut a tile by grinding a channel through the tile. Water is splashed on the blade to control dust, cool the blade, and reduce friction while cutting. However, currently available wet tile saws present a number of drawbacks. For instance, wet tile saws may be difficult to operate and intimidating, especially to novice tile installers, such as do-it-yourselfers. Additionally, wet tile saws are often cumbersome and difficult to clean. Further, a water pump is typically used to draw water from a water supply and splash the blade while cutting. Splashing a blade in this manner is messy as a result of water being sprayed all over and leads to water loss. The water pump also adds an additional item that must be cleaned and maintained. Further still, the user generally must move the tile through the stationary saw blade. As the tile is being moved, it can easily shift out of alignment, resulting in a miss-cut tile. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a tile cutting machine. In one aspect, a tile cutting machine includes a tub having four walls and a bottom for receiving water. A holding mat having a number of nubs for supporting a tile to be cut is received within the tub. A cutting head assembly is movable relative to the tub and includes a blade and a motor for driving the blade. The blade is positioned at a depth that allows full penetration through the tile and into contact with water received within the tub. 
     In another aspect, an embodiment is directed to a tile cutting machine that includes a tub having four walls and a bottom for receiving water and a holding mat having a number of nubs for supporting a tile to be cut. A rail assembly that includes a cross rail system and a side rail system is coupled to the tub. A cutting head assembly including a blade and a motor for driving the blade is slidably coupled to the cross rail system facilitating positioning the cutting head assembly relative to the tile received within the tub. The cross rail system in turn is slidably coupled to the side rail system for facilitating movement of the cutting head assembly to cut the tile received within the tub. Additionally, the blade is positioned at a depth that allows full penetration through the tile and into contact with water received within the tub. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tile cutting machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 , but showing a fence and a tile received within a tub of the tile cutting machine; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 , but showing a fence received within the tub of the tile cutting machine at a location facilitating a 45-degree angle cut; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fence in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a left side elevational view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a right side elevational view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a front elevational view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a cutting head assembly with hold-down feet in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a cutting head assembly with bristle skirts in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a fragmentary cross-sectional side elevational view of a rail bearing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a tile cutting machine with a removable cross rail system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a fragmentary sectional view of a side rail bearing housing of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 1 , but showing an alternate embodiment of a holding mat with a tile placed thereon for cutting; 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 16  taken along the line  17 - 17 ; 
         FIG. 18  is an enlarged view of a portion of the holding mat of  FIG. 16  taken in the area of  18 ; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a tile cutting machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 19 , but showing the cutting head assembly rotated so the blade can produce a bevel cut; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of a tile cutting machine in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention with the cutting head assembly in a raised position; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 21 , but showing the cutting head assembly in a lowered position to make a plunge cut; 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a tile cutting machine in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 24  is a plan view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 25  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 23 , with a portion of a bearing plate cut away to reveal some roller bearings; 
         FIG. 26  is a perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 23 , illustrating the ability to remove the cutting head assembly and cross rails from the tub and side rails; 
         FIG. 27  is a fragmentary perspective view of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 25 , with a portion thereof in cross-section to illustrate the coupling between the cross rails and side rails; 
         FIG. 28  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 27 , but with the cross-section in an alternate plane to further illustrate the coupling between the cross rails and side rails; 
         FIG. 29  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a fence of the present invention; 
         FIG. 30  is a perspective view of a hold down of the present invention; 
         FIG. 31  is fragmentary right side elevational view of the cutting head assembly of the tile cutting machine of  FIG. 23  with portions omitted for clarity and a portion of the housing cut away to reveal a cutting head assembly lock; and 
         FIG. 32  is an enlarged view of the area  32  of  FIG. 31 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the different views, a tile cutting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is designated generally with the reference numeral  10 . The tile cutting machine  10  may be used to cut objects, such as tiles, pavers, and bricks, of a variety of different materials, such as, for instance, ceramic, porcelain, stone, marble, slate, travertine, and granite. The term tile, as used herein, is not to be construed in a limiting fashion, but should be interpreted broadly to encompass, in addition to the items mentioned above, any item that would generally be cut by a wet saw. The tile cutting machine  10  generally includes a tub  12  for receiving tiles to be cut, a cutting head assembly  14  for cutting tiles, and cross and side rail systems  16 ,  18  for facilitating movement of the cutting head assembly  14  relative to the tub  12 . 
     The tub  12  retains water used for tile cutting and generally includes a pair of side walls  20 , a pair of end walls  22 , and a bottom  24 . It should be readily understood that the tub  12  could be any desired shape with any number of walls (e.g., round, octagonal, etc.) and still perform the function of retaining water used during cutting of a tile. A holding mat  26  that includes a plurality of raised nubs  28  extending perpendicularly from the plane of the holding mat  26  is received within the tub  12  and supported by an elevated table  30 . The holding mat  26  and nubs  28  are generally constructed from rubber, however, any suitable material that creates a high friction, non-slip relationship with a tile surface when placed in contact therewith may be used. Preferably, the nubs  28  have a hardness and stiffness sufficient to support a tile  31  placed on the holding mat  26 , but are flexible enough such that the nubs  28  may be pushed out of the way if contacted by a cutting blade while a tile is cut. The nubs  28  provide frictional gripping on the bottom of a tile placed on the holding mat  26 , thereby facilitating cutting of the tile without requiring a user to press down on the tile with a hand. The nubs  28  also permit water to reside there between and directly under the majority of a bottom surface of the tile during the cutting operation. By elevating the table  30  and holding mat  26 , debris may drop off the holding mat  26  and into the bottom of the tub  12 . Further, sediment can settle underneath the mat and be out of sight while also not interfering with the ability of the mat to hold tiles. It should be noted that while some benefits (e.g., cleaning, replacement, etc.) have been found in having a separate holding mat  26  that is removable from the tub  12 , it is within the scope of the present invention to have a tub that has nubs  28  formed in or molded in the bottom  24 , thereby eliminating the need for a separate holding mat  26 . 
     A fence  32  may be placed in the tub  12  to facilitate aligning tiles to be cut. The fence  32  includes lower projections  34  that may be received in holes  36  in the holding mat  26  (and/or table  30 ). In various embodiments, a number of holes  36  may be provided at various locations in the holding mat  26  such that the fence  32  may be positional in the tub  12  to allow tiles to be cut at various angles to the left or right of a center line. For instance, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the fence  32  is positioned to allow a tile to be cut at a 90-degree angle. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the fence  32  may be positioned to allow a tile to be cut at a 45-degree angle. It should be understood that any of a variety of additional positions for the fence  32  may be provided within various embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, it should be understood that corresponding holes  36  may be placed in the mat  26  on the opposite side of the tub  12  (in this case, as illustrated, on the right side of the mat  26 ) such that the setup becomes ambidextrous to accommodate both left and right handed users of the tile cutting machine  10 . This arrangement allows a user to operate the cutting head assembly  14  with either their left or right hand and still maintain maximum visibility of the tile. 
     In an embodiment, the fence  32  may be provided with an arm  38  that is hingedly attached near one end of the fence  32 , allowing the arm  38  to be moved between a down position and an up position. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the arm  38  extends perpendicular to the length of the fence  32  and, in the down position, lies across the surface of the holding mat  26 . When the arm  38  is placed in the down position, a tile  31  may be placed with one side abutting the fence  32  and an adjacent side abutting the arm  38 . In this manner, the arm  38  acts as a stop to provide resistance for the tile as the tile is cut, as well as facilitate alignment of the tile. In the up position, the arm  38  does not extend past the side of the fence  32  but instead extends away from the surface of the holding mat  26  such that a continuous surface is provided by the fence  32  for aligning a tile. It may be desirable to place the arm  38  in the up position, for instance, when insufficient space would be available in the tub  12  for cutting larger tiles with the arm  38  in the down position. Additionally, the arm  38  may be coupled with the fence  32  such that it may be moved to a down position on either side of the fence  32  to accommodate use of the fence  32  on either side of the tub (i.e., to allow the fence  32  to be used with both left and right handed setups). 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, the tile cutting machine  10  may be configured to facilitate cutting specialty tile pieces. For instance, in one embodiment, a slot  40  may be provided in the holding mat  26  and table  30  for receiving a portion of corner tiles. To cut a corner tile, one side piece of the corner tile may be placed in the slot  40  such that the other side piece lies flat on the holding mat  26  and may be cut using the cutting head assembly  14 . After it has been cut, the other side piece may be placed in the slot  40  such that the one side lies flat on the holding mat  26  and may be cut. 
     To facilitate cutting oversized pieces, a door  42  may be provided on one side wall  20  of the tub  12  that may be removed to provide an opening in the tub  12 . Part of an oversized tile piece may be inserted through the opening, and the end of the oversized tile piece within the tub  12  may then be cut using the cutting head assembly  14 . It should be readily understood that the tub could be provided with multiple doors positioned at various locations around the tub (e.g., at every 90° or 45°) to accommodate longer items and/or provide for an ambidextrous setup. 
     In some embodiments, such as those illustrated in  FIGS. 16-18 , specialty tile recesses may be formed in the holding mat  26  to receive small specialty tile pieces having increased thickness or a tile of a standard size. The recesses may be specifically sized such that the standard size tiles or the specialty tile pieces fit within the recesses. For example,  FIG. 16  illustrates an embodiment of a holding mat  26 ′ having a first recessed area  102  where the nubs  28   a  are about half their normal height in an area that is, for example, four inches wide by four inches long. As a result, a standard 4″×4″ tile will fit in the first recessed area  102  and be self aligned. Additionally, the taller nubs  28  outside the first recessed area  102  act on the side of the 4″×4″ tile during the cutting procedure to assist with holding it in place as it is cut. 
     The holding mat  26 ′ also includes a second recessed area  104  where the nubs  28   b  are about three quarters their normal height in an area that is, for example, eight inches wide by eight inches long. As a result, a standard 8″×8″ tile will fit in the second recessed area  104 .  FIGS. 17 and 18  further illustrate the nubs of varying height. Accordingly, the recesses allow for an increased thickness of a specialty tile piece as well as facilitate aligning and holding a standard size tile piece in place while cutting. The holding mat  26  is removable to permit ready use of mats of different nub patterns or heights, as well as to permit easy replacement of worn or damaged mats. 
     Movable relative to the tub  12  is a cutting head assembly  14 , which provides for tile cutting. The cutting head assembly  14  generally includes a casing  44  housing a blade  46  and a motor  48  for driving the blade  46  through a drive system  50 . A blade LED (not shown) may also be provided within the casing  44 . The LED shines on the blade to allow illumination of areas which are blocked from light, thereby providing better vision of the cutting area. While an LED has been identified for providing illumination, any light source capable of illuminating the cutting area and/or under the casing  44  will suffice. 
     In an embodiment such as that shown in  FIG. 11 , the cutting head assembly  14  is provided with flexible hold-down feet  52  to assist with maintaining a tile in position while the tile is being cut. The hold-down feet  52  comprise elongated members  54  that are coupled at a first end  56  to the front end of the casing  44 . Any suitable attachment method may be used for coupling the hold-down feet  52  to the casing  44 , such as bolts, pins, rivets, and the like. The hold-down feet  52  are biased in a manner such that as the cutting head assembly  14  is moved along the length of the tub  12  to cut a tile, the hold-down feet  52  engage the top of the tile and press it downwardly. In this manner, the hold-down feet  52  work in conjunction with the nubs  28  gripping the bottom of the tile to maintain the tile in place. As such, a tile may be cut without requiring a user to press down on the tile with one hand. 
     In addition to the hold-down feet  52 , or in place thereof, rollers (not shown) may be positioned on the casing  44  for holding down a tile during the cutting operation. The rollers may be biased downwardly away from the casing  44 . During the cutting operation, the rollers would be deflected upwardly when they come into contact with a tile. This arrangement accommodates tiles of varying thickness. This arrangement also provides for the deflected roller to exert a downward pressure on the tile during the cutting operation. 
     In another embodiment, such as that shown in  FIG. 12 , bristle skirts  58  are disposed on the cutting head assembly  14  to facilitate maintaining the tile in position while the tile is being cut. The bristle skirt  58  may be coupled to the casing  44  on either side of the blade  46 . Similar to the hold-down feet  52 , the bristle skirts  58  engage the top of a tile to be cut and work in conjunction with the nubs  28  gripping the bottom of the tile to maintain the tile in place as the tile is cut. By varying the number, stiffness and density of the bristles, the downward force provided by the bristle skirts when they are deflected can be altered. In some embodiments, the bristles may be very stiff and closely packed to provide a significant downward force on the upper surface of the tile when the bristles are deflected. In addition to being biased back to a straight position, the deflected bristles can act like a feather board to resist a kick back or rearward movement of the cutting head assembly  14  during the cutting operation. Additionally, the bristle skirts  58  reduce water splash and spray as the tile is being cut, thereby helping to retain water in the tub  12 . Although the bristle skirts are shown in  FIG. 12  as being disposed on the casing  44  on either side of the blade  46 , one skilled in the art will recognize that bristle skirts may additionally or alternatively be placed on the casing  44  in front of and/or behind the blade  46 . Such an enclosure of the cutting area with bristle skirts  58  also acts to contain the dust that results from the cutting process. 
     The cutting head assembly  14  is movable relative to the tub  12  via a rail system that includes a cross rail system  16  and a side rail system  18 . The cross rail system  16  includes a pair of cross rails  76  that facilitate lateral movement of the cutting head assembly  14  relative to the tub  12  to facilitate positioning of the cutting head assembly  14  for cutting tiles. In the illustrated embodiment, the use of two cross rails  76  is shown as this provides increased stability for the cutting head assembly. Nonetheless, although two cross rails  76  are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that one or more cross rails  76  may be employed in various embodiments of the present invention. 
     The casing  44  of the cutting head assembly  14  includes rail openings  60 , allowing the passage of the cross rails  76  through the casing  44 . Cross rail bearing housings (not shown) are disposed within and secured to the casing  44 . The cross rail bearing housings include rail bearings that slidably engage the cross rails  76  to facilitate movement of the cutting head assembly  14  along the cross rails  76 . 
     A rail bearing  66  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 13 . However, it should be understood that other types of rail bearings may be used within the scope of embodiments of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 13 , four wheels or roller bearings  68  secured on axle pins  70  are disposed at 90-degree intervals about a rail opening  72  formed in a bearing housing  74 . Slots  75  are formed in the bearing housing  74  and receive the axle pins  70 . The roller bearings  68  may be constructed of plastic or other suitable material, while the pins  70  may be constructed of metal or other suitable material. 
     A cutting head assembly lock  62  is provided for locking the cutting head assembly  14  in position along the cross rails  76 . Additionally, a laser  64  is provided on the cutting head assembly  14  for aligning the cutting head assembly  14  for cutting tiles. The laser  64  projects a bright line  65  down into the tub  12  and onto the upper surface of the mat  26 . The projected line is in alignment with the plane of the blade  46 , thereby showing the location of the cutting path or a cut to be performed on a tile. Further, a scale or measuring device (not shown) may be provided on the end wall  22  of the tub. The scale may be intersected by the line projected by the laser to allow for accurate measuring of the cutting width on a tile without having to measure the tile directly with a separate measuring device or mark directly on the tile. 
     Each of the cross rails  76  include first and second distal ends  78 ,  80  that are coupled to side rail bearing housings  82  of the side rail system  18 . Any suitable attachment method may be used for coupling the first and second ends  78 ,  80  of the cross rails  76  to the side rail bearing housings  82 , such as bolts, pins, rivets, and the like. The side rail system  18  includes a pair of side rails  84  that extend along the sides of the tub  12  and terminate at first and second distal ends  86 ,  88 , which are secured to end blocks  90 . The end blocks  90  represent the four corner posts of a base  91  that supports the rail systems  16 ,  18 . The base  91  preferably includes the four end blocks  90  connected together by the side rails  84  and front and back cross rails  93 . The tub  12  is preferably sized to fit within the base  91  and is removable therefrom for ease in emptying and carrying. The side rails  84  allow front to back movement of the cross rail system  16  and cutting head assembly  14  along the length of the tub  12  to facilitate cutting tiles placed within the tub  12 . While rail systems  16 ,  18  have been disclosed as being separate from the tub and supported on the end blocks  90 , it should be noted that it is within the scope of the present invention for the base  91  to be connected to the tub  12  (as in  FIGS. 19-22 ). Similarly, it is within the scope of the present invention to eliminate the need for the corner posts  90  and the base  91  by mounting the side rail system  18  directly to sidewalls of the tub  12  (also as in  FIGS. 19-22 ). Further still, it is within the scope of the present invention to, in an economy versions of the present invention, to completely eliminate the side rails and simply have the cross rail system  16  slide along the upper edge of the opposite sidewalls. In this arrangement, the right and left sidewalls would form tracts along which the cross rail system  16  would move. 
     The side rail bearing housings  82  include rail bearings for slidably engaging the side rails  84  and facilitating movement of the cross rail system  16  and the cutting head assembly  14  along the side rails  84 . In one embodiment, rail bearings  66 , such as that shown in  FIG. 13  and discussed above, are employed. However, it should be understood that other types of rail bearings may be used within the scope of embodiments of the present invention. 
     In some embodiments, such as that shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the side rail bearing housings  82  may include separate upper and lower side rail bearing housings  92 ,  94 . As such, the upper side rail bearing housing  92  may be removed from the lower side rail bearing housing  94  to facilitate removal of the cutting head assembly  14  and allow easier storage, cleaning, maintenance, and blade changing, for instance. Additionally, separate upper and lower side rail bearing housings  92 ,  94  may allow for adjustment of the height of the cutting head assembly  14 . For instance, as shown in  FIG. 15 , in one embodiment, the lower side rail bearing housing  94  includes pegs  96  that may be received within openings  98  in the upper side rail bearing housing  92 . Additionally, a height adjustment screw  100  is provided in the upper side rail bearing housing  92 . As a user turns the height adjustment screw  100 , the upper side rail bearing housing  92  moves up or down along the height adjustment screw  100  and is guided by the pegs  96 . While a default cutting depth where the lowermost portion of the blade  46  during operation is slightly below a plane that includes the upper most tip of the nubs  28 , such that the blade would just cut all the way through a tile placed on top of the nubs  28  of the mat  26  and still come into contact with the water, providing a height adjustment feature permits the user to accommodate for blades of varying diameter (though wear or initial size difference), wear in the mat  26  (as nubs are worn down), tiles set in various recessed areas (e.g.,  102 ,  104 ), and cuts that are not intended to severe the tile into two pieces (e.g., dado and rabbit cuts). 
     While  FIGS. 14 and 15  show an embodiment where height adjustment is provided by moving the cross rail system  16  vertically toward and away from the side rail system  18 , it is within the scope of the present invention for the vertical relationship between the rail systems  16 ,  18  to be fixed and the height adjustment feature be provided in casing  44 . In this embodiment, the motor, and in turn the cutting blade  46  is moved up and down inside the casing  44  by way of a height adjustment mechanism. Similarly, the height adjustment screw  100  becomes a locking mechanism similar to the cutting head assembly lock  62  for locking the cross rail system  16  in position along the side rail system. This is accomplished by providing a bore through the lower side rail bearing housing  94  such that the tip of the height adjustment screw  100  can come in contact with the side rail  84 . By providing the bore through the lower side rail bearing housing  94  with threads, the upper and lower side rail bearing housings  92 ,  94  may be secured together. 
     In addition to providing the height adjustment mechanism in cooperation with the casing  44  of the cutting head assembly  14 , the present invention also contemplates an embodiment where the cutting head assembly  14  includes a casing  44  that selectively and releasably holds a stand alone cutting tool (e.g., an angle grinder) therein. In this embodiment, the stand alone cutting tool replaces the motor  48  and the cutting blade  46  as it provides its own self contained motor and cutting blade. When the user desires to use the stand alone cutting tool separately from the tile cutting machine  10 , such as to grind a tile already in place, the user simply uncouples the cutting tool from the casing  44  and removes it from the same. Once the user is done, the user positions the stand alone cutting tool back into the casing  44  and securely couples it back with the casing for use as part of the tile cutting machine  10 . The height adjustment mechanism in the casing  44  permits the user to use a number of different stand alone tools in connection with the casing  44  and simply adjust the cutting height of each tool to the desired cutting depth. 
     In yet another embodiment, illustrated in  FIGS. 19 and 20 , the cutting head assembly  14 ′ permits rotation of the cutting blade  46  from the vertical orientation illustrated in  FIG. 19  to the tilted or angled orientation illustrated in  FIG. 20  to allow the tile cutting machine  10  to make bevel cuts in tiles. A height adjustment mechanism in cutting head assembly  14 ′ allows for the tilted blade  46  to be lowered such that the bevel cut goes all the way through the tile being cut. The height adjustment mechanism in the cutting head assembly  14 ′ also allows for the blade  46  to be raised and lowered while in a vertical orientation, as illustrated in  FIGS. 21 and 22 , respectively, to permit the operator to make a plunge cut in a tile. 
       FIGS. 19-22  also illustrate one possible version of the above-discussed alternate embodiment were the cutting head assembly  14  is modified such that a stand alone cutting tool  106  replaces the motor  48  and the casing  44  as it provides its own self contained motor in its own housing  108 . Here, a pair of cross rail bearing housings  110  are supported on the cross rails  76  and are selectively coupled to the housing  108  of the stand alone cutting tool  106 . The stand alone cutting tool  106  is selectively uncoupleable from the cross rail bearing housings  110  to permit it to be used as a hand held power tool. 
       FIGS. 23-32  illustrate a third embodiment of a tile cutting machine in accordance with the present invention. The tub  12 ″, which may be molded from a hard plastic resin or fiberglass, is preferably formed as a single unit. The tub  12 ″ has feet  112  so that the tub  12 ″ may be placed on an uneven surface. Posts  114  are formed in the tub  12 ″ at its corners for supporting ends  86 ,  88  of the side rails  84 . Caps  116 , having a bolt  118  passing therethrough, may be used to secure the side rails  84  to the posts  114 . The back right cap  116  has been removed to provide greater detail of the arrangement. The caps  116  and bolts  118  allow the side rails  84  to be uncoupled from the tub  12 ″. 
     Received on the side rails  84  are side rail bearing housings  82 ″. As illustrated in  FIG. 25 , the side rail bearing housings  82 ″ include both forward and rearward bearing portions  120  that include roller bearings  68 . The axle pins  70  of the roller bearings  68  are maintained in their respective slots  75  by bearing plates  122  which may be secured onto the ends of the side rail bearing housings  82 ″ by screws  124 . 
     The side rail bearing housings  82 ″, as illustrated in  FIG. 26 , include a generally planar upper portion  126 . Extending upwardly from the upper portion  126  are a pair of alignment posts  128  and a hook  130 . The alignment posts  128  and the hooks  130  are received in end caps  132  of the cross rail system  16 ″. The end caps  132  receive the distal ends  78 ,  80  of the cross rails  76 . The end caps  132  include openings  133  in their bottom surface for receiving the alignment posts  128  and the hooks  130 . The end caps  132  include a latch  134  which cooperates with the hook  130  to selectively couple and uncouple the cross rail system  16 ″ with the side rail system  18 ″. The latch  134  of the end caps  132  is biased to a latching position by a spring  136  positioned within the end caps  132 , as illustrated in  FIG. 28 . 
     To uncouple the cross rail assembly  16 ″ from the side rail assembly  18 ″, as illustrated  FIG. 26 , a user grabs the two end caps  132  with their hands, pushes down on the latches  134  with their thumbs while their fingers are underneath handle portions  138  of the end caps  132 . This moves the latches  134  out of cooperation with the hooks  130 , thereby permitting the user to lift the cross rail system  16 ″ upwardly. The tub  12 ″ can now be flipped over or sprayed out without fear of getting the cutting head assembly  14 ″ wet and/or the blade  46  can be readily accessed for changing. To recouple the cross rail system  16 ″ with the side rail system  18 ″, the user simply places the end caps  132  over the side rail bearing housings  82 ″ such that the alignment posts  128  align with the openings  133  in the bottom of the end caps  132  and lowers the cross rail system  16 ″ back down onto the side rail system  18 ″ until the latches  134  catch on the hooks  130 . 
     The end cap  132  on the left side of the tile cutting machine  10 ″ includes a cord housing  140  through which electrical wires (not pictured) pass to power the motor  48  of the cutting head assembly  14 ″. A power cord  142  leads from the cord housing  140  and terminates in a plug (not shown) which may be plugged into a power outlet to power the motor  48 . The electrical wires leading from the cord housing  140  to the cutting head assembly  14 ″ are preferably enclosed in a cord tube  144 . The cord tube  144  keeps the electrical wires from becoming pinched during operation and from coming into contact with the water contained in the tub  12 ″ or that may be splashed out of the tub  12 ″ during operation. While the motor  48  of the cutting head assembly  14 ″ has been discussed and illustrated as one that gets power via a cord plugged into a power outlet (e.g., a standard 110V AC grounded outlet), a cordless version, where the motor is powered by a rechargeable battery pack (e.g., 18V or 24V DC), is within the scope of the present invention. 
     The fence  32 ″ in this embodiment, has been significantly altered. The fence  32 ″ still includes a pair of downward projections  34  which are receivable in holes  36  in the holding mat  26 . However, the fence  32 ″ has a cutout portion  146  in the middle thereof for receiving a corner of a tile  31  to be cut as described in more detail below. The cutout portion includes vertical walls  148  which are preferably at a 90° angle with respect to one another. The vertical walls  148  are joined by a recessed bridge  150 . The fence  32 ″ also has a lower mat engaging surface  152  and a side tile engaging face  154 . To accommodate the recessed bridge  150  of the fence  32 ″, the holding mat  26  is also provided with a recess  156 , preferably in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, intermediate two holes  36 . The projections  34  and the holes  36  are preferably tapered to provide for a friction fit therebetween. 
     In use, the user may place the fence  32 ″ along a left or right edge of the holding mat  26  or along a front edge of the holding mat  26 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 23 ,  24  and  26 . A straight edge of a tile  31  may then be butted up against the side tile engaging face  154  of the fence  32 ″ to perform a cut which would be perpendicular to the straight edge of the tile  31  abutting the fence  32 ″, if the fence  32 ″ is positioned along the forward edge as illustrated. Alternately, the user may place a corner of the tile  31  in the cutout portion  146  in the manner illustrated to make a cut that is at a 45° angle to the edges of the tile placed in the cutout portion  146 . The recessed bridge  150  is positioned in the recess  156  and into the holding mat  26 , thereby permitting the blade  46  to pass there over during the cutting process without cutting the fence  32 ″. A fence storage area  158  can be molded into the tub  12 ″ by providing correspondingly shaped holes and a recess therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the fence storage area  158  has been molded into an upper lip  160  of the back or end wall  22 ′ of the tub  12 ″. The lower mat engaging surface  152  rests on the tops of the nubs  28 , just like a tile  31 . 
     Instead of using the fence  32 ″, or in combination with using the fence  32 ″, the user may employ a tile hold down  162  of the type illustrated in  FIG. 30 . The tile hold down  162  has a downwardly depending post  164  of similar size and shape to the projections  34  on the fence  32 ″. The tile hold down  162  also includes a body  166 , of which a portion of a lower surface thereof engages an upper surface of a tile  31  during use. A flange  168  may be provided on an upper surface of the body  166  to permit the user to easily withdraw the tile hold down  162  from receipt in one of the holes  36  in the holding mat  26 . The tile hold downs  162  may be positioned in corresponding holes  170  formed in the upper lip  160  of tub  12 ″ for storage. The tile hold downs  162  can be used to assist with a “hands free” operation of the tile cutting machine  10  where the user does not have to hold the tile  31  down with a hand during the cutting process. A tool storage area  172  can also be formed in the tub  12 ″. As illustrated in  FIG. 24 , the upper lip  160  of the back end wall  22  of the tub  12 ″ includes a place for storing a wrench  174 , which can be used for changing the blade  46 , and an Allen wrench  176 , for tightening various screws. 
     Another difference in this embodiment include the presence of a button or switch  178  on the cutting head assembly  14 ″ for selectively activating the laser  64  and/or a light, such as an LED  180 . The laser  64  and LED  180  may be powered by a battery (not shown) housed within the casing  44 ′ of the cutting head assembly  14 ″. 
     In this embodiment, an alternate cutting head assembly lock  62 ′ is also provided. In a previous embodiment, such as that illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the cutting head assembly lock  62  took the form of a bolt having a user engageable knob thereon. To lock the position of the cutting head assembly  14  along the cross rails  76 , the user would simply turn the knob and thereby tighten the bolt until its end engaged the cross rail  76 . In this alternate embodiment, the cutting head assembly lock  62 ′, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 31 and 32 , includes a user engageable lever portion  182 . With the lever portion  182  pointed to the left, the cutting head assembly  14 ″ is free to slide back and forth from side to side along the cross rails  76 . A simple turn of the lever portion  182  to the right causes a U-shaped clamp  192  positioned within the casing  44 ′ to tighten around the front cross rail  76 , thereby preventing lateral movement of the cutting head assembly  14 ″. By tightening the clamp around the cross rail  76 , as opposed to having a bolt directly engage the cross rail as in the previous embodiment, marring of the cross rail  76  by the cutting head assembly lock  62 ′ can be avoided. 
     The U-shaped clamp  192  includes an upper section  194  and a lower section  196  that are pivotally connected by a pin  198 . Both the upper and lower sections  194 ,  196  include a pad  200  for engaging the cross rail  76 . A bolt  202  is positioned through the distal ends of the clamp sections  194 ,  196  and a nut  204  is received thereon. A spring  206  is received on the bolt  202  and is positioned intermediate the distal ends of the clamp sections  194 ,  196  to bias the U-shaped clamp  192  to an open position. Recesses  208  in the upper and lower sections  194 ,  196  of the U-shaped clamp  192  receive the spring  206 . 
     Coupled with the lever portion  182  is a body portion  210  that includes a recess  212  for receiving the nut  204 . A flange  214  on the body portion  210  is received in a groove  216  in the casing  44 ′ to couple the body portion  210  therewith. As a user rotates the lever portion  182  clockwise, the body portion  210  rotates the nut  204  against the pressure of the spring  206 , thereby moving the distal ends of the clamp sections  194 ,  196  together and clamping the cross rail  76  between the pads  200  which prevents lateral movement of the cutting head assembly  14 ″ during use of the tile cutting machine  10 . When lateral movement is desired, the user simply rotates the lever portion  182  counterclockwise, thereby loosening nut  204  and allowing the spring  206  to move the distal ends of the clamp sections  194 ,  196  away from each other until the pads  200  no longer provide sufficient clamping strength on the cross rail  76 . 
     In addition to providing the cutting head assembly lock  62 ′ that prevents lateral movement of the cutting head assembly  14 ″, the third embodiment has also been provided with a cross rail locking mechanism to prevent movement of the cross rail system  16 ″ along the side rail system  18 ″ during transportation of the tile cutting machine  10 . To provide the cross rail locking mechanism, the rear bearing plate  122 ′ of the left side rail bearing housing  82 ″ has been provided with a projection  218  that extends rearwardly therefrom and includes an eye  220  therethrough. When transportation of the tile cutting machine  10  is desired, the user may simply move the cross rail system  16 ″ all the way back to the rear of the tub  12 ″. Before the rear bearing plate  122 ′ abuts the back left post  114 , the projection  218  is received in a notch  222  in the back left cap  116  whereby a pin  224  in the cap  116  may be pushed through the eye  220  of the projection  218  to secure the cross rail system  16 ″ at the back of the tub  12 ″. 
     Other modifications can be made to the tub. For example, the bottom  24  of the tub  12 ″ has been provided with a drain plug  184  to permit a user to drain excess water and/or sediment from the tub  12 ″. Another modification in the third embodiment is the inclusion of a roll bar  186  mounted on the outside of the casing  44 ′ of the cutting head assembly  14 ″. The roll bar  186  protrudes outwardly from the casing  44 ′ in various locations to protect various elements, such as the lever portion  182  of the cutting head assembly lock  62 ′ and on/off buttons  188 , from damage should the cutting head assembly  14 ″ be dropped upside down. The casing  44 ″ is provided with a user engageable gripping portion  190  that the user may grab with their hand to pull the cutting assembly  14 ″ from the back of the tub  12 ″ towards the front of the tub  12 ″ during a cutting operation. Further, in addition to bristle skirts  58  being positioned around a bottom of the cutting head assembly  14 ″, a “mud flap”  191 , consisting of a flexible rubber piece, may be mounted to extend down from the casing  44 ′ directly behind the blade  46  to keep water from spraying out of the cutting area (i.e., the area enclosed by the bristle skirts  58 , around the blade  46 , and under the casing  44 ′) during use. 
     Turning back to the embodiment of the tile cutting machine illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in operation, a tile is placed on the raised nubs  28  with a pool of water retained in the tub  12  underneath the tile. If the user chooses to use a fence  32  for aligning the tile, the tile is placed against the fence  32 . The blade  46  on the cutting head assembly  14  is set at a depth which allows full penetration through the tile and into contact with the water to provide lubrication, cooling, and dust control. The cutting head assembly  14  is positioned for cutting the tile to a desired width by being moved laterally across the cross rails  76  and locked in position using the cutting head assembly lock  62 . The laser  64  and scale may be used to facilitate proper aligning of the cutting head assembly  14  for cutting the tile. The user then moves the cutting head assembly  14  along the side rails  84  and the length of the tub  12 , preferably from the back to the front via a pulling motion, to engage the tile and perform the cut. By having water contained in and sitting in the bottom of the tub  12 , the tile cutting machine  10  eliminates the need for a pump to spray water on the blade  46  during use. The blade  46  picks up water from the tub during use to cool the blade and lubricate the cut. A separate pump, however, may of course be added to and implemented with the present invention. 
     The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its scope. Substitutions may be made and equivalents employed herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated and within the scope of the claims.