Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a fixture assembly that is capable of holding work pieces such tiles of various sizes in various positions in a manner which enables freehand cutting. Various embodiments include a main fixture having a working top surface area that includes strategically placed cylindrical openings that are configured to receive easily manipulated tile holding clamps, various dogs that can be removably secured to the fixture in order to place tiles in a desirable position to be held during a cutting operations. The fixture is light weight and is easily transportable to a jobsite and has the capability of storing the clamps, dogs, marking instruments and the like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    In the building and construction industry, ceramic and other types of tile is often used in many areas of buildings on floors as well as walls in commercial buildings, industrial installations and residences. Ceramic tile is installed by artisans who must cut the tiles to accommodate fixtures, drains and other exigencies that are encountered during a construction or rehabilitation project. Building restrooms, residential bathrooms as well as countless other projects may have ceramic tile installed in them. Such tiles can be sized from very small sizes to nearly two feet in length or width but most tiles are in the range of about 4″ to 18″. 
         [0002]    Nearly all installations require the tiles to be custom cut on the jobsite. If straight cuts are to be made, the artisan or contractor generally has a circular saw that can be used to make a straight cut through a tile as is necessary. However, when unusual cuts such as curved cuts, corner cuts, hole cuts and the like need to be made to a particular piece of tile, such saws are often incapable of making them, and artisans usually make such cuts freehand using a rotary tool with a cutting bit, such as with a side or spiral cutting bit that may be installed in a power cutting tool such as a Rotozip® or Dremel® power tool. 
         [0003]    Because artisans typically do tile work by themselves, even though there may be many of them on a job, it is important that they have the ability to make freehand cuts such as a circular opening for a drain or a toilet fixture or a corner cut of a tile, for example. It is important that the tile be supported across much of the surface area of the tile so that it will not break when stress is applied during the cutting operation. It is necessary to not only support the tile, but to hold it firmly in place while a cutting operation is performed. A fixture that is convenient and effective to use is highly desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a fixture assembly that is capable of holding work pieces such tiles of various sizes in various positions in a manner which enables freehand cutting. Various embodiments include a main fixture having a working top surface area that includes strategically placed cylindrical openings that are configured to receive easily manipulated tile holding clamps, various dogs that can be removably secured to the fixture in order to place tiles in a desirable position to be held during a cutting operations. The fixture is light weight and is easily transportable to a jobsite and has the capability of storing the clamps, dogs, marking instruments and the like. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and illustrates the fixture assembly shown together with a clamp as well as representative locking dogs that can be used to lock a tile in position to be cut; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the main fixture shown without any of the additional components; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the fixture shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4A  is a front elevation of the fixture shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4B  is a right side view of the fixture shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a support insert that can be installed in the center portion of the fixture shown in  FIGS. 2-4 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the bottom of the support insert shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the insert shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the insert shown in  FIGS. 5-7 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a knee pad component that is installed at the four corners of the fixture shown in  FIGS. 2-4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the underside of the knee pad component shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the knee pad component shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the knee pad component shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the knee pad component shown in  FIG. 12 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the bottom of a stationary corner dog; 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the top of the stationary corner dog shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the stationary corner dog shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 17  is a side view of the stationary corner dog shown in  FIGS. 14-16 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 18  is a front view of the stationary corner dog shown in  FIGS. 14-17 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the top of a rotatable corner dog; 
           [0025]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the bottom of the rotatable corner dog shown in  FIG. 19 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 21  is a top plan view of the rotatable corner dog shown in  FIGS. 19 and 20 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 22  is a rear plan view of the rotatable corner dog shown in  FIGS. 19-21 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 23  is a side plan view of the rotatable corner dog shown in  FIGS. 19-22 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 24  is a perspective view of top of a vacuum hose mount dog without a holding strap; 
           [0030]      FIG. 25  is a perspective view of the bottom of the vacuum hose mount dog shown in  FIG. 24 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 26  is a top plan view of the vacuum hose dog mount shown in  FIGS. 24 and 25 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 27  is a plan view of the front of the vacuum hose dog mount shown in  FIGS. 24-26 , showing portions of a holding strap; 
           [0033]      FIG. 28  is an end view of the vacuum hose mount dog shown in  FIGS. 24-27 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 29  is a perspective view of holding clamp; 
           [0035]      FIG. 30  is a side view of the holding clamp shown in  FIG. 29 ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 31  is a front view of the holding clamp shown in  FIGS. 29 and 30 ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 32  is a perspective view of a template for marking representative openings that may be cut in a tile; 
           [0038]      FIG. 33  is a top view of the template shown in  FIG. 32 ; 
           [0039]      FIG. 34  is a side view of the template shown in  FIGS. 32 and 33 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 35  is another template for marking two sizes of circular openings in a tile; 
           [0041]      FIG. 36  is a top plan view of the template shown in  FIG. 35 ; and 
           [0042]      FIG. 37  is a side view of the template shown in  FIGS. 35 and 36 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0043]    Various embodiments of the tile fixture assembly of the present invention are shown in the drawings and include a main fixture, indicated generally at  50 , which is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . The assembly shown in the perspective view of  FIG. 1  has assembly components attached and installed to the main fixture  50  that is shown separately in  FIGS. 2-4 . The main fixture  50  has a generally square overall configuration when viewed from above, although it should be understood that it could also be a rectangular configuration. It preferably has an approximate 24″×24″ overall size although the overall size could be increased or decreased, if desire. The 24″×24″ dimensions are preferred inasmuch as they permit an artisan to position and cut tiles within the range of approximately 4 inches to approximately 18 inches which is the size of most tiles that are presently being installed in commercial as well as residential installations. The height of the fixture  50  is approximately 4″ from a bottom surface  52  to a top surface  54  although it also could be increased or decreased. 
         [0044]    Each of the four corner portions, indicated generally at  56 , are configured so that the top corner surface  54  and a substantial volume below it is removed to enable a tile that is positioned on the top surface  54  so that a portion of it overhangs the corner portion  56  to have its corner cut away. The corner portions  56  having a lower support surface  58  configured to define corner legs  58  that defines a base for the fixture  50  and is also configured to receive a knee pad component, indicated generally at  60 , (see  FIGS. 9-13 ) which an artisan can comfortably kneel down on to hold the fixture  50  while a cutting operation is performed. The lower support surfaces  56  also have openings to receive screws, bolts or the like for mounting the fixture  50  to a surface for stability, if desired. 
         [0045]    The fixture  50  has a plurality of preferably circular openings  62  which are strategically located throughout the top surface  54  of the fixture and which are configured to receive various components that can be used to hold and clamp the tiles that are to be cut by an artisan. These holes  62  are preferably of a standard diameter which may be on the order of ½ to ¾ of an inch in diameter, but which can be larger or smaller than those of this preferred range. While they can be of different sizes, it is preferred that they be of a single size so that the components that are insertable in them can be interchangeably located in many different positions. As is evident, there are a relatively large number of openings  62  in the top surface  54  and are distributed around the outer periphery as well as near a square opening  64  that is centrally located in the fixture  50 . 
         [0046]    The openings  62  are formed so that they have a generally cylindrical inside wall  66  that extends downwardly approximately an inch although a slightly longer wall may be provided. The cylindrical wall  66  provides support for a holding clamp, indicated generally at  68 , to be inserted as well as stationary corner dogs  70  (see  FIGS. 14-18 ), rotatable corner dogs  72  (see  FIGS. 19-23 ) as well as a vacuum hose mount dog  74  (see  FIGS. 24-28 ). 
         [0047]    The holding clamp  68  has a cylindrical extension  76  that has a diameter only slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the opening wall  66  so that it snugly fits in the openings  62  and can be easily removed. The clamp  68  can be installed in any of the openings  62  and is thereby capable of holding down a tile virtually anywhere on the top surface  54 . 
         [0048]    The left and right sides of the fixture  50  have a recess  80  with a bridging portion near the bottom surface that defines a pair of handles  82  that enable the artisan to carry the fixture assembly. It is noted that the handles  82  are designed to not extend beyond the general periphery of the fixture  50  and are vertically spaced upwardly from the bottom surface  52  of the legs  58  so that an artisan can easily pick up the fixture  50  as is evident from  FIG. 4B . The handles  82  are designed with sufficient structural integrity to enable an artisan to stand or kneel on them without damaging them. As best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4B , the left side recess  80  also has a relatively small opening  84  which extends inwardly toward the square opening  64  and is configured to receive one or more of marking or writing utensils, such as a regular hexagonal cross-sectional pencil, a round pencil, a flat carpenter&#39;s pencil, or felt tipped pens or the like that can be stored in the fixture assembly. An internal spring clip (not shown) may be provided to provide a holding force on the writing instruments. 
         [0049]    Also, as is best shown in  FIG. 3 , the rightward recess  80  is provided with an extension  88  with an opening  90  therein which is configured to receive a clip of a tape measure that may be stored on the fixture  50 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4A , the fixture  50  also has a number of storage openings  92  beneath the surface  54  thereof that are aligned horizontally rather than vertically. The storage openings  92  are preferably the same size as the openings  62  on the top surface of the fixture and are available for storing the dogs  70 ,  72  and  74  as well as the holding clamp  68 . It is preferred that similar configured openings  92  also be provided at the rear of the fixture  50 . 
         [0050]    A removable support insert  94  is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  5 - 8  is also provided and it fits within the opening  64 . The support insert  94  has a relatively small circular opening  96  which is preferably sized to be the same as a shower drain which is a opening that is often cut in tile. The opening  96  is of such smaller size so that it will provide support for smaller tiles that may be cut, such as square 4″ tiles. The insert has downward extensions  98  around its perimeter and also has interior strengthening ribs  100 . The insert preferably has indicia  102  that extends through the center of the opening  96  as well as indicia  104  that are coextensive with the outer edges of the opening  96  in orthogonal directions. These indicia may be slightly raised or lowered lines formed in the top surface or may be printed in some permanent manner. 
         [0051]    When the support insert  94  is placed in the opening  64 , the indicia  102  and  104  are aligned with similar indicia on the top surface  54  of the fixture  50 , which is provided with the same reference numbers for clarity. The top surface also has indicia  106  located at the front and back edges of the top surface that define a ruler that can be used by an artisan to measure certain types of cuts. The opening  64  in the fixture  50  has an internal shoulder  110  that preferably extends completely around the periphery of the opening  64  as shown and is lower than the surface  62  by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the support insert  94  so that the upper surface of the insert  94  is coextensive with the surface  62  of the fixture  50 . This enables the tile to be supported across the entire fixture when cutting is to be accomplished. The insert thickness is also preferably ½″ although it may be thicker if desired. 
         [0052]    Many artisans may prefer to cut and insert pieces of material that provide a sacrificial surface or cutting board into the opening  64  rather than use the support insert  94 . The ½″ thickness of the support insert  94  is equivalent to the thickness of standard drywall, ½″ plywood, insulation board, sheetrock or the like. This usage enables the entire insert to be span wood material whereas the insert  94  has the circular opening  96  in it. The use of such disposable stock material enables the artisan to make routine cuts without worrying about damaging the support insert. It should also be understood that the internal shoulder  110  may be deeper than ½″, in which case the thickness of the support insert  94  may be correspondingly increased. In this regard, multiple layers of drywall may then be used, as well as lumber of various thicknesses. For example, if the thickness of the support insert  94  and depth of the internal should  110  were 1½″, then three layers of drywall or standard 2×4 stock lumber could be placed in the opening  64 . 
         [0053]    The fixture  50  is preferably made of polypropylene foam that is glass filled, although other material may be used. Such glass filled polypropylene foam is desirable because it has the necessary strength and is lightweight. Moreover, it will not damage the relatively expensive cutting tools if the artisan inadvertently cuts into the fixture itself. 
         [0054]    Because the fixture is relatively hard, the corner portions  56  are provided with the kneepad component  60  which is preferably made of a softer material such as rubber, or at least has raised surfaces  112  that are made of resilient material. The kneepad component enables an artisan to kneel down onto the corner portion while working and hold the fixture firmly in place so that it will not slide during a cutting operation. The kneepad component has a number of tangs  114  which fit into corresponding openings  116  in the fixture  50 . The kneepad component  60  is thereby designed and configured to be snap fit in place. Portions of it may extend and contact the surface on which the fixture is placed, and may provide additional friction to keep the fixture from slipping. 
         [0055]    Turning now to the holding clamp  68  shown in detail in  FIGS. 29-31 , it has the cylindrical extension  76  that fits within an opening  62  and a handle  120  that is pivotable around a pin  122 . The handle also is interconnected with a link  124  by pin  126  and the opposite end of the link  124  is pivotally connected to a lever arm  128  by pin  130 . The lever arm is pivotally attached to the cylindrical extension  76  by pin  132  and it has a clamping pad  134  at its outer end which is provided with a preferably resilient pad material  136  that equalizes the forces being applied and prevents possible scratching of the tile that is being held down. The pad  134  is enlarged and is shown to be pivotally connected around pin  138  to accommodate tiles of different thicknesses. 
         [0056]    The handle  120  has a downwardly inclined outer end portion  140  and also preferably has a tip  142  that extends downwardly to a position very close to the top surface of the lever arm  128 . This effectively prevents the cord of a cutting tool from being caught between the handle and the lever arm  128  which can be aggravating to an artisan. The tip  142  may be made of a flexible material, if desired, to minimize the possibility that an artisan would be pinched when the handle is placed in a holding position. 
         [0057]    The clamp is easily operated by placing the extension  76  into a convenient opening depending on where the tile is to be placed for cutting, pulling the handle up while placing the tile in the desired location and single handedly moving the handle downwardly to lock the clamp in place. The depth of penetration of the cylindrical extension  76  may vary depending upon the thickness of the tile, but the manipulation of the clamp can be made to provide the desired holding force by moving the handle toward the locking position. If the holding force is too great, the cylindrical extension  76  can be incrementally backed out so that the holding clamp can be locked. 
         [0058]    Turning now to the dogs  70 ,  72  and  74 , all of them have at least one mounting post, indicated generally at  150 . The mounting posts  150  are used with each of the dogs  70 ,  72  and  74  and preferably have the same design and construction. The dogs are preferably fabricated from plastic or plastic-like material that has some flexibility. The configuration of the mounting post  150  will be described in detail with regard to  FIGS. 14 and 17  and the reference numbers relating to the detailed configuration have been omitted from  FIGS. 19-28 . 
         [0059]    The stationary corner dog  70  shown in  FIGS. 14-18  has a head portion  152  and a bottom head portion surface  154 , and two mounting posts  150  which are spaced apart from one another by the same dimension as many of the openings  62  in the fixture top surface  54  are spaced apart. Thus, when the stationary corner dog  70  is installed in the top surface openings  62 , the bottom surface  154  will come in contact with the surface  54  of the fixture  50 . The mounting post  150  has a cylindrical portion  156  that extends from the bottom surface  154  to an enlarged end portion  158 . The cylindrical portion  156  is hollow in the sense that it has a finite wall thickness that provides the necessary strength, but which is somewhat flexible enabling the dog to be inserted into the opening  62 . In this regard, the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion  156  is approximately the same size and is only slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the openings  62 . The enlarged end portion  58  is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the opening  62  and there are ramp portions  160  and  162  that transition between the diameters of the cylindrical portion  156  and  158 . The ramp portion  162  facilitates insertion of the enlarged end portion  158  into the opening  62  whereas the ramp portion  160  enables the dog  70  to be removed. The length of the cylindrical portion  156  is approximately the same as the length of the cylindrical wall  66  of the openings  62 . Therefore the ramp portion  160  as well as the enlarged end  158  will extend beyond the cylindrical wall  66  and the ramp portion  160  will tend to hold the dog in place. 
         [0060]    To facilitate insertion and removal of the dog, the mounting post  150  has an axial slot  164  which extends approximately half way up the length of the post and separates the end portion  150  into two halves that can be flexed toward one another during insertion and removal of the dog. There are bevels  166  cut off of the edges of each half to eliminate sharp corners which could cut an artisan. 
         [0061]    The stationary corner dog  70  has faces  168  positioned at right angles to one another and the top surface of the head  152  also has ruler indicia  170  above each face. The indicia  170  on the dog  70  can provide a zero datum for the indicia  106  on the fixture  50 . The stationary corner dog  70  can be installed in adjacent holes at the proper angle to one another and one corner of a tile can be placed in the dog. The artisan can then set a holding clamp  68  which will hold the tile in place for a cutting operation. 
         [0062]    With regard to the rotatable corner dog  72 , it has only one mounting post  150  and is therefore loosely rotatable in an opening  62 . The rotatable corner dog  72  has a head portion  174  with orthogonal faces  176 . 
         [0063]    The vacuum hose mount dog  74  has an elongated head portion  180  that has a generally V-shaped recess  182  in the top thereof as well as a pair of slots  184  located on opposite end portions. The slots are configured to receive a strap  186  that will be secured at the opposite end portions as shown in  FIG. 27  and extend over a vacuum hose in the event that an artisan is using a vacuum system to remove dust during cutting. The strap  186  can accommodate vacuum hoses of various diameters, such as those having diameters from 1½″ to 2¼″, for example. It is apparent that the dog  74  can be positioned nearly anywhere on the surface  54  of the fixture  50   
         [0064]    Embodiments of the tile fixture assembly may include a template such as template  190  that includes a square opening  192 , a large circular opening  194  and a smaller opening  196 . Another template  198  has inside and outside diameters that are sized to fit toilet and shower cut outs. It is preferred that such templates will have standard sized openings that will enable marking of most plumbing fixture and other openings. 
         [0065]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that other modifications, substitutions and alternatives are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such modifications, substitutions and alternatives can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which should be determined from the appended claims. 
         [0066]    Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.