Abstract:
A device and method for simultaneously cutting and scoring pieces of insulation consisting of thick fiber on a foil backing, for joining pieces of insulation. A dolly is provided for carrying a fifty-pound roll of insulation so that insulation can be pulled from the roll and over an attached cutting surface. Two parallel rotary knives move together across the insulation on the cutting surface. One knife cuts through both the fiber and foil. The other knife simultaneously makes a parallel cut 1.5 inches from the first, through the fiber but not the foil, so that the fiber between the two cuts can be removed from the foil. The foil from which the fiber has been removed, can then be overlapped onto the foil of another piece of insulation to join the two pieces.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to insulation. More specifically, the present invention pertains to methods of carrying, dispensing and cutting insulation. The present invention is particularly, though not exclusively, useful for cutting lengths from rolled sheets of insulation having insulative material on a foil backing, and scoring a portion of the insulative material for removal from the foil, using dual rotary knives. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Insulation for insulating buildings may be supplied in sheet form consisting of a thick fibrous insulative layer (or “fiber”) adherent to a thin flexible backing or substrate such as foil or paper. Such sheets of insulation may be about six feet wide, and may be supplied in cylindrical rolls weighing about fifty-pounds. Such a roll may be mounted on a dispenser such that the roll may turn freely upon its cylindrical axis, so that the insulation can be easily dispensed from the roll. The dispenser may have wheels, such as a dolly, so that the roll may be ported. The dispenser may be equipped with a cutting blade or blades for cutting pieces of insulation from the roll. 
     When insulating a surface, separate pieces of insulation may be joined edge to edge to cover the surface. To join pieces having foil backing, the fiber may be removed from the foil in a strip, along the edge to be joined of one piece, wide enough to allow the foil from which the fiber has been removed, to overlap the foil of the other piece and abut the fiber of the one piece with the fiber of the other piece. The width of the strip may be around 1.5 inches. The overlapping foil is then taped to the foil of the adjoining piece so that there are no gaps in the joined foil, which gaps might reduce the effectiveness of the insulation. 
     To remove the fiber from the foil in the strip, the fiber is cut, without cutting the foil, along the perimeter of the strip. Then the fiber is peeled from the foil. Such cutting of the fiber without cutting the foil may be referred to as “scoring” the fiber. The fiber may be scored manually or otherwise, after a piece is cut from a roll. The score is often made parallel to the cut edge. However, manual scoring may produce an uneven score, making the abutment of the fibers of the two pieces uneven. Also, manual scoring may result in a score that is too deep, in which case the foil may be cut; or a score may not be deep enough, in which case the fiber may be more difficult to remove. 
     While some insulation dispensers incorporate blades for cutting pieces of insulation from a roll, there has not been a device that simultaneously cuts the insulation and scores the fiber. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that carries a roll of insulation, dispenses insulation from the roll, cuts pieces of insulation, and simultaneously scores the fiber parallel to the cut edge and at an optimal depth. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a two-wheel dolly, fashioned after dollies designed to accommodate and carry 55 gallon drums, adapted to carry a fifty-pound roll of insulation. The dolly has a carriage in the shape of a cylindrical section and sized to accept a fifty-pound roll of insulation. The dolly has wheels at one end of the carriage, and handles at the other end that double as legs for stationing the dolly for dispensing of insulation from the roll. In the bottom and sides of the carriage are rollers upon which the roll may rotate such that the insulation can be easily pulled from the roll. Alongside the carriage is a cutting plate over which the insulation can be drawn to a point to be cut and scored. Two parallel circular blades are drawn along the cutting plate. One blade cuts the insulation, and the other scores the fiber in a narrow strip along the cut edge. An advantage of this invention is that it scores the fiber simultaneously with the cutting of the piece, thus eliminating the need to score the fiber separately after cutting the piece. Another advantage is that because the blades are parallel and set at the right height, the scoring is ensured to be at the right depth, even and parallel to the cut edge. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of a preferred embodiment of the present invention taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, and showing the cutting assembly in relation to the carriage; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of a preferred embodiment of the present invention taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, similar to FIG. 2 except that FIG. 4 shows the cutting assembly in relation to insulation being cut and scored by the blades. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, a side view of the preferred embodiment of the Insulation Carrying and Cutting Device of the present invention is shown and generally designated  100 , and may be referred to herein as dolly  100 . In FIG. 1, dolly  100  includes a carriage  102 , a cutting assembly  104 , and angle braces  106 . Carriage  102  includes two elongated parallel rigid tubular members  112 , two elongated parallel rigid tubular supports  114 , rollers  116 , a flanged rib  118 , a rimmed rear plate  120 , a fore plate  122 , and two dolly wheels  124 . Carriage  102  is shaped like a hollow cylindrical section taken along a plane parallel to the cylindrical axis, with handles and wheels attached to the cylindrical section (or, the “cylindrical section”). With respect to FIG. 1, the plane of the section would be parallel to the plane of the page. The cylindrical section has an axis of symmetry (or symmetry axis)  126  which is parallel to the axis of the cylinder from which the section is taken. Symmetry axis  126  lies in the plane of the section. The cylindrical section has a fore planar end which has a linear edge collinear with a line  128  (or, the “fore planar end”); a rear planar end which has a linear edge collinear with a line  130  (or, the “rear planar end”); a curved surface, having linear edges collinear with lines  132 ,  128  and  130 , and which touches members  112  and rollers  116  (or, the “curved surface”); and a planar surface coplanar with the plane of the section, and having linear edges collinear with lines  132 ,  128  and  130  (or, the “planar surface”). With respect to the viewer of FIG. 1, the planar surface is closer to the viewer than the curved surface. The cylindrical section is sized to hold a fifty-pound roll of insulation. The cylindrical section may alternatively be sized to hold rolls of insulation greater or lesser than fifty-pounds. 
     Each of members  112  has a curved fore end  134 , a rear end  136 , and a shaft  138  parallel to symmetry axis  126 . Members  112  and much of the rest of dolly  100  can be weldable metal. Alternatively, dolly  100  can be made from any other material including but not limited to other types of metals, wood, plastic, ceramic, composite, laminate, stone, cement, etc. If material other than weldable metal is used to make dolly  100 , then where words such as “welded”, “bolted”, etc. are used in the specification to denote attachment of parts, there may be substituted words denoting modes of attachment appropriate to the material used, including but not limited to “welded”, “glued”, “nailed”, “bolted”, “bound”, “bonded”, “brazed”, “soldered”, etc. Fore end  134  of each member  112  is curved so that fore ends  134  serve the dual purposes of handles for moving dolly  100 , and of legs for stationing dolly  100 . For this latter purpose, feet  140  are welded to fore ends  134  for contact with the ground. 
     Rimmed rear plate  120  has a semi-lenticular rear plate  142 , and a rim  144  extending perpendicularly from the plane of semi-lenticular rear plate  142  towards the fore planar end of the cylindrical section. Semi-lenticular rear plate  142  coincides with the rear planar end of the cylindrical section. Rim  144  coincides with a narrow strip of the curved surface connected to the rear planar end of the cylindrical section. Rim  144  has linear rim ends  146 . Semi-lenticular rear plate  142  has linear edge  148 , arcuate edge  150  (not visible in FIG. 1, behind semi-lenticular rear plate  142 ), and corners  152  collinear with rim ends  146 . Linear edge  148  is collinear with line  130 . The rear end  136  of each member  112  is welded to a separate corner  152  and collinear rim end  146 . Rim  144  provides structural support for carriage  102 , and may provide some support for the rear end of a roll of insulation in carriage  102 . Semi-lenticular rear plate  142  keeps the rear end of a roll of insulation from passing through the rear planar end of the cylindrical section. Semi-lenticular rear plate  142  also supports some of the weight of the roll when curved fore ends  134  are picked up off the ground and dolly  100  is in mobile position. 
     Dolly wheels  124  are rotatably mounted on an axle  160  (shown in phantom line) welded to the middle of the outside of rim  144  and parallel to line  130 . Dolly wheels  124  are usually in contact with the ground. Dolly wheels  124  provide support and mobility for dolly  100 . 
     Fore plate  122  is semi-lenticular and coincides with the fore planar end of the cylindrical section. Fore plate  122  has linear edge  162 , arcuate edge  164  (not visible in FIG. 1, behind fore plate  122 ), and corners  166 . Linear edge  162  is collinear with line  128 . Each corner  166  is welded to a separate member  112  near a point between curved fore end  134  and shaft  138 , such that a distance  170  between rear plate  142  and fore plate  122  accommodates the length of an insulation roll. Fore plate  122  keeps the fore end of the insulation roll from passing through the fore planar end of the cylindrical section. 
     Flanged rib  118  has an arcuate band  172  coincident with a portion of the curved surface of the cylindrical section. Flanged rib  118  also has a semi-annular flange  174  (not visible in FIG. 1, behind flanged rib  118 ) extending from the rear edge of band  172 , perpendicularly to the surface of band  172  and away from symmetry axis  126 . Flanged rib  118  also has linear rib ends  176 . Each rib end  176  is welded to a separate member  112  at about the middle of shaft  138 . Each rib end  176  may be collinear with the line  128  adjacent to the member  112  to which that rib end  176  is welded. Alternatively, each rib end  176  may be non-collinear with line  128 . Flanged rib  118  gives structural strength to carriage  102  and provides support for supports  114 . 
     Each of supports  114  has a support fore end  182 , a support rear end  184 , and an outside diameter  186 . Each support  114  is placed parallel to symmetry axis  126 , with support fore end  182  welded to fore plate  122  adjacent arcuate edge  164 , with support rear end  184  welded to the inside of rim  144  and/or to semi-lenticular rear plate  142  adjacent arcuate edge  150 , and with its approximate middle adjacent to the inside of band  172 , so that an insulation roll placed in carriage  102  doesn&#39;t pass through the curved surface of the cylindrical section. Each support  114  may be welded to the inside of band  172  where these are adjacent, for added strength and stability. Supports  114  support most of the weight of an insulation roll when dolly  100  is substantially horizontal, with dolly wheels  124  and feet  140  on or near the ground. Supports  114  also support part of the weight of the insulation roll when dolly  100  is in diagonal position with feet  140  off the ground. While FIG. 1 shows two supports  114 , invention  100  may have one, three, or more supports  114 . At least one support  114  is needed to keep the insulation roll from passing through the curved surface of the cylindrical section. An alternative to supports  114  is one or more other ribs like rib  118 , with or without flange  174 , along the length of carriage  102 , to support the insulation roll. 
     Rollers  116  are cylinders, each of which is positioned upon a support  114 . Each roller  116  has an inside diameter (not visible in FIG. 1) a little larger than the outside diameter  186  of the support  114  upon which it is positioned, and each roller  116  has an outside diameter  192  a little larger than its inside diameter, so that each roller  116  can rotate about the support  114  upon which it is positioned. Alternatively, each roller  116  may have an axle or ball bearings or other mechanism to allow it to rotate with respect to support  114 . As shown in FIG. 1, six rollers are positioned upon each support  114 , three on either side of flanged rib  118 . Alternatively, more or fewer rollers may be placed on any support  114  on any side of flanged rib  118 . Rollers  116  assist an insulation roll in rotating within carriage  102  as insulation is pulled from the roll. 
     Cutting assembly  104  includes an elongated base  212 , a cutting plate  224 , a rail  226 , two angle brackets  228 , a cutting head  230 , and a handle  232 . Base  212  has base ends  234 . Cutting plate  224  has cutting plate ends  236 . Cutting plate  224  may be placed mostly or all on base  212 , with the length of cutting plate  224  substantially parallel to the length of base  212 . Cutting plate  224  may be attached to base  212  by placing spacer plates  242  (not visible, beneath cutting plate  224  in FIG. 1) between base  212  and cutting plate  224 , bolting cutting plate  224  to base  212  with countersunk bolts  244 , and welding together cutting plate  224 , spacer plates  242  and base  212 . Cutting plate  224  may also be bolted without welding, or welded without bolting, or attached by other appropriate means, with or without spacer plates  242 , to base  212 . Alternatively, cutting plate  224  may be integral with base  212 . Cutting plate  224  has a cutting groove  252  (not visible, beneath rail  226  in FIG. 1) and a scoring groove  254 , substantially parallel to each other. In FIG. 1, cutting groove  252  and scoring groove  254  are substantially parallel to symmetry axis  126 . Alternatively, cutting groove  252  and scoring groove  254  may be angular to symmetry axis  126 . Cutting groove  252  and scoring groove  254  are separated from each other by a distance  256  equal to the width of fiber to be removed from the edge of a cut piece of insulation. For example, if 1.5 inches of fiber is to be removed from the cut edge, then distance  256  is 1.5 inches. Alternatively, distance  256  may be greater or less than 1.5 inches. Cutting groove  252  and scoring groove  254  have length  258 . Alternatively, cutting groove  252  and scoring groove  254  may have different lengths. In FIG. 1, length  258  is greater than distance  170 , so that cutting head  230  can continue past the edge of insulation being cut and scored, to facilitate cutting and scoring. Cutting and scoring are further explained below. Alternatively, if desired, length  258  may be less than or equal to distance  170 . 
     Each angle bracket  228  has a bracket foot  272  and a bracket head  274 . For each angle bracket  228 , bracket foot  272  is bolted  276  to a separate base end  234 . Rail  226  has rail ends  282 . Each rail end  282  is bolted  284  to the bracket head  274  of a separate angle bracket  228  such that rail  226  is suspended over cutting plate  224  with the length of rail  226  substantially parallel to cutting groove  252  and to scoring groove  254  and at a distance  292  (not visible in FIG. 1) from cutting plate  224  to accommodate cutting head  230  as explained below. 
     Cutting head  230  has a head plate  312 , rail wheels  314 , a circular cutting blade  316  (not visible, beneath rail  226  in FIG.  1 ), a circular scoring blade  318 , and a pivot  320 . Head plate  312  is at least partially substantially vertically planar on two opposite sides  324  and  326 . Head plate  312  has a lower end  328  (not visible, behind head plate  312  in FIG. 1) pointed towards cutting plate  224 , and an upper end  330  pointed away from cutting plate  224 . Side  326  is adjacent to rail  226 . Head plate  312  is paraxially translatably mounted on rail  226  by means of rail wheels  314  on top and bottom of rail  226  and bolted  332  to side  326  of head plate  312 . In FIG. 1, two rail wheels are on top of rail  226 , and two more rail wheels (not visible in FIG. 1) are on bottom of rail  226 . Alternatively, more or fewer rail wheels  314  may be on top or bottom of rail  226 . With respect to FIG. 2, head plate  312  is shown at the right side of rail  226 . Alternatively, head plate  312  may be mounted on any other side of rail  226 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of a detail of a preferred embodiment of the Insulation Carrying and Cutting Device  100  of the present invention, as taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, is shown. FIG. 2 shows cutting assembly  104  with relation to a member  112  of carriage  102 . A strut plate  342  is bolted  344  to head plate  312 , and has an extension  346  which extends beyond head plate  312  in direction  348  towards cutting plate  224 . The end of extension  346  away from head plate  312  attaches to an axle housing  352  which houses an axle  354  substantially perpendicular both to scoring groove  254  and to direction  348 . Axle  354  has an axle end  356  above cutting groove  252 , and an axle end  358  above scoring groove  254 . Cutting blade  362  has a cutting edge  364  and an axle mount  366 . Cutting blade  362  is mounted on axle end  356  such that the cutting edge  364  of cutting blade  362  is received into cutting groove  252 . Scoring blade  318  has a scoring edge  368  and an axle mount  370 . Scoring blade  318  is mounted on axle end  358  such that scoring edge  368  is adjacent to scoring groove  254 . While rail  226  is shown as angular, any part of rail  226  may alternatively be rounded. FIG. 2 also shows one of angle braces  106 , which attach cutting assembly  104  to carriage  102 , and are further explained below. 
     Returning to FIG. 1, pivot  320  has a pivot body  384 , a pivot shaft  386 , and connection point  388 . Pivot shaft  386  has an axis about which pivot body  384  rotates. Pivot shaft  386  is bolted to upper end  330  of head plate  312  such that the axis of pivot shaft  386  is parallel to direction  348  (into the page of FIG.  1 ). Handle  232  has handle shaft  372 , handle end  374 , and grip  376 . Handle end  374  is connected to connection point  388  such that handle  232  can pivot about connection point  388  through a plane that contains connection point  388  and is perpendicular to direction  348 . Handle end  374  can alternatively be connected to connection point  388  such that handle  232  can pivot about connection point  388  through any other plane containing connection point  388 . Handle end  374  can be connected to connection point  388  by, for example, a bolt  390  through connection point holes  392  located in connection point  388  and through handle end holes  394  located in handle end  374 . Alternatives for connecting handle end  374  to connection point  388  include but are not limited to, receiving protrusions in handle end  374  through holes in connection point  388 , receiving protrusions in connection point  388  through holes in handle end  374 , etc. Handle  232  also pivots about pivot  320  with the rotation of pivot  320 . (FIG. 2 shows a detail of how handle end  374  may be connected to pivot  320 , by bolt  390  through connection point holes  392  (not visible in FIG. 2) and handle-end holes  394 .) 
     In FIG. 1, cutting assembly  104  is placed near carriage  102  so that a sheet of insulation can be conveniently pulled from a roll of insulation in carriage  102 , through the space between cutting plate  224  and rail  226 , to a length to be cut and scored. Cutting assembly  104  is held in place by angle braces  106  welded to the underside of base  212  and to member  112  at line  132 . Alternatively, angle braces  106  may be directly or indirectly connected to any other part of cutting assembly  104 , or any other part of carriage  102 . As yet another alternative, cutting assembly  104  may be directly attached to carriage  102  with or without angle braces  106 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, cutting head  230  can be translated along rail  226  by pushing or pulling on handle  232  in a direction  412 . As cutting head  230  moves, cutting edge  364  of cutting blade  362  rolls along cutting groove  252 , and scoring edge  368  of scoring blade  318  moves over scoring groove  254 . If insulation having fiber and foil is placed on cutting groove  252 , and cutting head  230  moves over that place, then the fiber and foil are cut there by the motion of cutting edge  364 . If insulation is on scoring groove  254 , and cutting head  230  moves over that point, then the fiber is cut (scored) there by the movement of scoring edge  368 , but the foil there is not cut. This allows the fiber between the score and the cut edge to be removed more easily from the foil. 
     To cut and score a piece of insulation, cutting head  230  is first moved to one of rail ends  282 . A roll of insulation having an outer end is placed in carriage  102  such that the outer end of the roll can be pulled from the underside of the roll at line  132 , through the space between cutting plate  224  and rail  226 , until a desired length of insulation has been pulled past cutting groove  252 . The length may be measured from the outer end of the roll to cutting groove  252 . Then, cutting head  230  is pulled or pushed, via handle  232 , from the one rail end  282  to the other rail end  282 . In the process, the insulation is cut at cutting groove  252  by cutting blade  362 , and a strip of fiber along the cut edge of the cut piece is scored at scoring groove  254  by scoring blade  318  for removal of the scored fiber from the foil backing. 
     Proceeding now to FIG. 3, a side view of a preferred embodiment of the Insulation Carrying and Cutting Device  100  of the present invention is shown. Line  512  is collinear with the part of the curved surface of the cylindrical section, farthest from symmetry axis  126 . FIG. 3 shows the curve of curved fore end  134  of members  112 , flange  174  of flanged rib  118 , spacer plates  242  between base  212  and cutting plate  224 , distance  292  between rail  226  and cutting plate  224 , rail wheels  314  on top and bottom of rail  226 , and cutting blade  362  mounted on axle end  356  with cutting edge  364  in cutting groove  252  (shown in phantom line in FIG.  3 ). 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of a preferred embodiment of the Insulation Carrying and Cutting Device  100  of the present invention, similar to FIG. 2, except that FIG. 4 shows cutting assembly  104  in relation to insulation  612  being cut and scored. Insulation  612  has fiber  614 , foil  616 , and outer end  618 . Outer end  618  is the outer end of a roll (not visible, to left of FIG. 4) of insulation  612  in carriage  102 . Outer end  618  has been pulled from the roll, through the space between cutting plate  224  and rail  226 , until a desired length  620  of insulation  612  has been pulled past cutting groove  252  on cutting plate  224 . Cutting head  230  is moved in direction  412  (into or out of the page of FIG. 4) across insulation  612 . Cutting edge  364  of cutting blade  362  cuts  632  both the fiber  614  and foil  616  of insulation  612 , at cutting groove  252 . At the same time, scoring edge  368  of scoring blade  318  cuts (scores)  634  fiber  614 , but not foil  616 , at scoring groove  254 , so that fiber  614  between cut  632  and score  634  can be removed from foil  616 . 
     While the present invention has been described in conjunction with cutting and scoring of insulation, the present invention can also be adapted and used with other types of materials to be cut and scored, including but not limited to foam padding with a backing, etc. 
     While the methods and apparatus for the Insulation Carrying and Cutting Device of the present invention as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of the method, construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.