Abstract:
A universal reusable template for cutting ends of cylindrical objects such as pipes, in preparation for joining the cylindrical objects to other cylindrical bodies. The template is formed as a flat flexible bendable sheet with magnetic properties allowing the sheet to be temporarily secured on a metal pipe. The front face of the sheet has reference indicia corresponding to contour lines of a desired cut to be made in the end of the cylindrical body. The cut lines represent most conventional types and sizes of lateral-type cuts, eccentric cuts and saddle-type cuts, with pipe diameters ranging from about 3″ to about 24″.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a non-provisional application based on my provisional application No. 60/594,421 filed on Apr. 6, 2005 for “J Marks Universal Template,” the full disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein and priority of which is hereby claimed. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to a device for cutting cylindrical objects, and more particularly to a template for cutting pipe ends in order to provide the pipe end of a suitable contour or profile for connecting at an angle to another pipe or surface.  
         [0003]     Pipes and pipe conduits are used in many industrial and non-industrial structures and facilities for a variety of purposes. It is often necessary to join one cylindrical component to another at a perpendicular or a non-perpendicular angle relative to one another. The angle of connection in most cases ranges from 30 to 90 degrees. Most of the metal pipes are joined by welding.  
         [0004]     When joining pipe ends together, the pattern of intersection between the pipe ends must be marked in order to allow the components to be appropriately cut and welded to ensure a secure and firm connection. The ends of the pipe are contoured or profiled to fit very close against the surface of the other cylindrical components in a secure manner. If the pipe ends do not fit close to the adjoining surfaces, an excessive deposit of weld metal will be needed to completely enjoin, which increases the cost of fabrication, time of welding and creates a possibility of weakened joints. Considering that in many cases, the pipes of various diameters are joined together, the task is made even more difficult.  
         [0005]     Various instruments exist for marking the pipe ends in order to allow the receiving components to be appropriately cut and welded together. Some devices use optical marking instruments, such as laser, others use rotary arms with a beam or adjusting instrument that is rotated to mark the cut line. Most of the conventional cutting and mechanical tools for measuring and adjusting the cut lines have a number of functional and mechanical limitations that require a certain degree of skill and experience from the cutter.  
         [0006]     As an alternative to complicated mechanical devices, many builders prefer to use standard templates for joining certain size pipes at certain angles. There is a plurality of such templates, each dedicated to a particular task, specific size of the pipes, the angle of connection, as well as the place of actual orientation of the pipe components.  
         [0007]     The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of a single universal template that can be used for marking cutting lines in a variety of situations, accommodating different type pipes and angles of connection.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a template for cutting pipe ends.  
         [0009]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a template for generating pipe cut lines for cylindrical objects of various diameters.  
         [0010]     These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through a provision of a reusable template device for forming cutting contours on a cylindrical body in preparation for securing the cylindrical body with another cylindrical body. The cylindrical bodies may be pipes. The device comprises a flat flexible bendable sheet carrying a plurality of reference indicia defined on a front surface of the sheet. The sheet has magnetic properties to allow temporary securing of the sheet on a metal cylindrical body.  
         [0011]     The reference indicia comprises cutting contour reference lines, said reference indicia differing in the dimensions and contours based on a desired angle of connection between the cylindrical bodies and diameter of the cylindrical bodies to be joined. Each reference line identifies a discreet number of marking points transferable from the sheet to the cylindrical body to be cut. The contour reference lines may have different color lines depending on a type of cut to be made on the cylindrical body and may be made with a paint substance visible in the dark.  
         [0012]     In operation, the user determines a selection criterion with respect to position of the reference line on the sheet based on the sizes of the two cylindrical bodies that are to be secured together and the relative angle of connection between the cylindrical bodies. The user then makes a plurality of marking points by making punch marks through the template sheet and forming small marking indentations in the end of the cylindrical body to be cut.  
         [0013]     The user then follows the marking indentations when performing the cut, and cuts the end of the cylindrical body following the contour lines identified by the marking points. The universal template allows making different types of cuts, including lateral-type cuts, saddle-type cuts and eccentric-type cuts, with cylindrical objects having different diameters, typically between 3″ and 24″. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation of the template device in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective partially cut away view, illustrating various types of connecting angles between adjoining pipes.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a saddle-type connection of the pipes.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating an eccentric cut for the adjoining pipes.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the device of the present invention illustrating the marking points along the cut lines for a particular type cut.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     Turning now to the drawings in more detail, numeral  10  desigantes the template device in accordance with the present invention. As can be seen in the drawings, the template  10  comprises a template body  12  having a plurality of reference indicia on a front surface thereof. The indicia comprises reference cut lines for intersecting pipes depending on the angle of intersection between trunk pipes and branch pipe, as well as the size of the joining pipes.  
         [0021]     The indicia correspond to the configuration of the pipe end that will be cut following arcuate cut lines, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter. The body  12  is formed as a flat sheet from a flexible bendable magnet material that allows the device  12  to be positioned on metal pipes and temporarily secured thereto through the magnetic force, allowing the user to use both hands when making markings on the pipe for subsequent cutting. The flat sheet of the body  12  has planar sides and edges coextensive with a perimeter of the sheet.  
         [0022]     The body  12  comprises an upper portion  14 , a first side portion  16  and second side portion  18 . A center reference line  20  extends from the upper portion  14  through the side portions  16  and  18 , graphically dividing the template body  12  into two mirror-image halves. A lower part  22  of the device  10  can be provided with measuring indicia  26  which can be in a metric or non-metric system of measurements. The measuring indicia  26  extends from a first lower corner  34  to a second lower corner  36  of the body  12 , along the bottom of the device  10 . The measuring indicia  26  is not shown in  FIG. 5  for clarity of illustrating position of reference marking points for subsequent pipe cutting.  
         [0023]     The first lower corner  34  is formed by a side  35  and a bottom edge  37 , which intersect at a right angle. The second lower corner  36  is formed by a side  39  and the bottom edge  37 , which intersect at a right angle.  
         [0024]     The side  35  terminates at an upper corner  30  formed opposite the corner  34 . The side  37  terminates at an upper corner  32 , which is formed opposite the corner  36 . A first intermediate side edge  41  is defined by an inwardly concave line, which extends between the corner  30  and a left intermediate edge  40 . A second intermediate side edge  43  is defined by an inwardly concave line, which extends between the upper corner  32  and a right intermediate edge  42 . The edges  40  and  42  are defined by outwardly convex lines. The upper portion  14  of the body  12  has a generally sinusoidal wave configuration with an apex  46 .  
         [0025]     The types of cut that are made in the end of the pipe depend on the relationship between the intersecting pipe and whether the pipes serve as conduits. Typical connections between the pipes can be classified as lateral, saddle, and eccentric. Examples of such pipe connections are shown in  FIGS. 2, 3  and  4 . When the pipe ends need to be cut for eccentric cuts, such as shown in  FIG. 2 , a 3-inch branch pipe  50  is joined with a 10-inch trunk pipe  52 . The pipes  50  and  52 , in the illustrations shown in  FIG. 2 , are on the same elevation and can be used in a variety of applications, for instance installing a grading for work on an offshore platform.  
         [0026]     Cutting lines for the eccentric cuts are schematically designated by lines “E” in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . For the example of marking a cut line for the 3-inch pipe to a 10-inch pipe connection, the user follows line E 10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . In operation, the user wraps the magnetically-charged device  10  around a pipe and allows the magnetic force to retain the template  10  in place. The user then makes a plurality of perforations  60 , about ¾″ apart along the line designated as E 10 . The perforations extend through the body of the template and make indentations in the pipe that the pipe fitter is prepared to cut and weld with the torch or other cutting implement. The user then makes a cut following the marking points made in the end of the pipe. Similarly, with the trunk pipe  52  having a diameter of 12″, the user follows line E 12 ; with the trunk pipe having 24″ diameter—line E 24 , etc.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  shows an eccentric cut for 20-inch elevation that can be required for making a walkway in an offshore location. The method of cutting the end of the 4-inch branch pipe  57  to properly join with the trunk pipe  58  is similar to the method described above. The user follows a line  59  on both sides of the centerline  20  for producing a symmetrical curve, which is then followed to make the desired cut.  
         [0028]     When the job requires that a saddle cut be performed, which is usually associated with a 90-degree connection between a trunk pipe and a branch pipe, such as shown in  FIG. 3 , the user again positions the device  10  around the pipe and allows the device  10  to be magnetically secured on the pipe. The user then makes markings  62  following the lines identified by the letter “C.” When the pipes have the same diameters, such as 3″ diameter connection of  FIG. 3 , the user selects the indicia following the line  3 - 3 C of  FIGS. 1 and 5 . Different diameter pipe ends can be cut following the outline of the cut lines  3 - 4 C or 8″C.  
         [0029]     The method of marking the pipe for a saddle joint is similar to the one described above: the user makes markings by executing perforations through the body  12 , following the cut lines “C.” A pipe cutter can then follow the small indentations in the surface of the pipe to cut the pipe end.  
         [0030]     Another typical type of a joint between the pipes is the so-called “lateral cut” connection. In such types of connections, the pipes are typically connected at 45-degree angles as shown in  FIG. 2 . In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , a 3-inch branch pipe is connected as a lateral to a trunk pipe  54  and the trunk pipe  56 . The user selects one of the indicia lines designated as “lateral” that are imprinted on the template device  10 . The connection can be designated as 3″ 45-degree lateral, 10″ 45-degree lateral, or 24″ 45-degree lateral. Of course, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other typically used pipe diameters can be defined by cut lines  55 .  
         [0031]     Similarly to the above-described examples, the user wraps the ends of the body  12  around the pipe end, with the lower portion  22  being inwardly of the cut edge. The user then makes punch marks  64  through the body of the template device  10  making small indentations in the surface of the pipe to be cut. The indentations serve as a guide for the pipe cutter to follow when making preparation for joining the pipes together.  
         [0032]     The indicia lines on the template can be made of different colors for different types of cuts to facilitate line selection for the user. If desired, the lines can be made using a compound with phosphorus or other substance to allow the lines to be seen in the dark.  
         [0033]     The universal template of the present invention allows outlining cut lines in preparation for the welding jobs for use with pipes and cuts of different types. The indicia on the template allow forming a precise curve of the cut line that can be followed by the cutter for execution of close fit between the joining pipes and other such cylindrical objects. The branch pipe can then be fitted onto the trunk pipe and welded into position with a resultant closely fitting joint without the need for the cut-and-try experiment that can produce imperfect cuts.  
         [0034]     The template device  10  of the present invention can be used many times and in place of prior size-specific cutting templates. The perforations made in the body of the template will serve again and again for making markings on the pipe ends. The template  10  provides a universal template for various geometrical forms for use on pipes and for joining cylindrical objects and conduits required in industrial applications.  
         [0035]     The use of the template is easy, accurate to a fraction of an inch. The template  10  is inexpensive to use and manufacture. The template  10  can be used for performing cuts on pipe ends having diameters from about 3″ to about 24″.  
         [0036]     Many other possible embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. I therefore pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.