Patent Abstract:
A multiple receptacle blade holder tool including an elongated rectangular cross section main body with one end being rounded and having multiple rectangular receptacles for blades. The blade holder also has top and bottom surfaces parallel to the blade receptacles and a relief channel forming independent legs that clamp one or more blades in the holder.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is common practice to cover a surface or structure with sheet material for decoration, protection or reinforcement. A few examples of these applications include wallpapering and covering models of planes, boats, cars and such with a sheet material. When covering models the sheet material can be used to form a surface over a series of spaced planar ribs or bulkheads arranged to form a particular shape or contour. It is also used to cover an already existing surface of any shape or contour. 
     With such applications it is most desirable to trim sheet material at a uniform predetermined distance from an inside or outside line of intersection of two surfaces. This uniform line of overlap helps to ensure a lasting and aesthetically pleasing application. 
     At present, few tools are available for such cutting operations and they have very little adjustability. As a result, many modelers resort to gluing individual hobby blades to rectangular balsawood sticks of a certain thickness to achieve the desired overlap. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a sheet material cutting tool including a body defining a bottom guide surface; a front surface; a channel extending transversely to the bottom guide surface and intersecting the front surface; and a first leg and a second leg straddling the channel and each forming a portion of the bottom guide surface. The body also includes at least one slot defined by the first and second legs and transversely intersecting the channel, the slot being parallel to the bottom guide surface and shaped to receive the shank of a blade; and a closure actuatable to produce a force clamping the shank between the legs. 
     According to certain features of the invention, the front surface is convex and, radially intersected by the slot; the front surface is symmetrical around the slot; and the body has a top guide surface parallel to the bottom surface. These features facilitate desired material trimming with the tool. 
     According to other features of the invention, the first and second legs define a rectangular cavity for receiving the shank and the slot includes a rear portion extending rearwardly of the cavity; and the closure includes a tightening mechanism extending between the first and second legs and through the rear portion of the slot which further includes a fan-shaped portion extending between the cavity and the front surface and a transversely enlarged opening terminating an inner end of the rear portion and extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. These features further facilitate desired use of the tool. 
     According to an important feature of the invention, the tool includes a plurality of the slots. The plural slots greatly increase the functional flexibility of the tool. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a right hand isometric view of the blade holder tool invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a left hand isometric view of the blade holder tool invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded partial longitudinal cross section taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1 exposing a typical receptacle slot; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial longitudinal cross section identical to FIG. 3, but shown fully assembled; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal cross section identical to FIG. 4 but with the blade shown in the “clamped” position; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial isometric view similar to FIG. 1 with the blade shown installed in a right hand position; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial isometric view similar to FIG. 6, but with the blade shown in a left hand position; 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the blade holder illustrating an important feature of the invention&#39;s design: 
     FIG. 9 is a front elevation illustrating the arrangement of the slots and their spatial relationship to the guiding surfaces; 
     FIG. 10A is a top view of the invention during a cutting operation illustrating one type of “on the fly” adjustability; 
     FIG. 10B is a view similar to FIG. 10A illustrating a second type of “on the fly” adjustability; 
     FIG. 11 is a side elevation illustrating a cutting operation at an “outside” edge whereby sheet material is severed precisely at a uniform predetermined distance from the line of intersection of two surfaces; 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevation illustrating a cutting operation at an “inside” edge whereby sheet material is severed precisely at a uniform predetermined distance from the line of intersection of two surfaces; 
     FIG. 13 is a side elevation illustrating a cutting operation performed by slidingly guiding the tool tangentially on a rounded corner of a structure severing sheet material precisely at a uniform predetermined distance of overlap; 
     FIG. 14 is a side elevation illustrating the tool being used to cut “pinstripes” with the aid of a straightedge; 
     FIG. 15 is an isometric view of the blade holder tool being used to cut freehand or non-linear “pin-striping”; and 
     FIG. 16 is an isometric view illustrating the blade holder tool being used to cut a shape with a uniform width or border. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a multi-receptacle blade holder tool  1  consisting of a body  10  generally rectangular in cross section, having a handle portion  12  and a rounded multi-receptacle end  14 . The end  14  includes a clamping means  16  comprised of a relief channel  18  which bifurcates end  14  into two portions or legs  16   a  and  16   b  which generally form clamping means  16 . The end  14  also includes a plurality of receptacle slots  20  arranged in a stacked configuration for receiving and clamping in place typical # 11  hobby blades  34 . As seen in FIG. 3, the slots  20  consist of an opening  20   a,  a wide slot portion  22  to accommodate blade shoulder  36 , and a narrow slot portion  24  to accommodate blade shank  38  and end wall  24   c  which limits the insertion of blade  34  to a predetermined distance. The slots  20  are further defined by upper and lower surfaces  26   a  and  26   b,  respectively, which are spaced in tight tolerance to blade  34 &#39;s thickness to ensure a secure fit when a blade is clamped into position. The slots  20  which are also bifurcated by channel  18  include two opposing clamping surfaces  24   a  and  24   b  at the narrow portion  24  of slot  20 . Leg  16   a  has a counter-sunk threaded bore  28   a  while leg  16   b  has a non-threaded bore  28   b . A flat head machine screw  30   a  is threaded into bore  28   a  until it is fully tightened and flush with outer surface  16   c  of leg  16   a.  It passes through bore  28   b  of leg  16   b  with no engagement and protrudes perpendicularly from surface  16   d  of leg  16   b.  A thumbnut  30   b  is threaded onto the protruding threads of screw  30   a  until it contacts surface  16   d  of leg  16   b.  To use the blade holder  1 , a blade  34  is then inserted into receptacle slot  20  until the end of blade shank  38   c  contacts end wall  24   c  of slot  20 . When thumbnut  30   b  is tightened further, shown as force arrow A, it begins to pinch legs  16   a  and  16   b  together, shown as force arrows B, as they flex at areas  18   a  and  18   b  facilitated by relief channel  18  and relief bore  19 . When this flexing occurs, blade  34  is clamped between surfaces  24   a  and  24   b  at edges  38   a  and  38   b  of blade shank  38 . This clamping method is capable of holding a single blade or multiple blades in any number of positions to achieve many different desired tool configurations. The blade holder  1  is purposefully designed to have smooth friction free surfaces and radius edges for a comfortable feel and more importantly to protect any adjacent surfaces, structures or materials from damage when blade holder  1  is in use. 
     As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the blade holder  1  is purposefully designed to be symmetrical and to be able to hold blades  34  in either a right or left handed configuration. This combined symmetry allows the blade holder  1  to be used by right and left handed users without sacrificing functionality or ergonomics. It also allows the blade holder  1  to perform opposite or symmetrical cutting operations by simply loosening thumbnut  30   b,  flipping blade  34  over, and re-tightening thumbnut  30   b.    
     Illustrated in FIG. 8 the blade holder  1  has two smooth guiding surfaces  32   a  and  32   b  which are parallel with slots  20 . This parallel orientation of the slots  20  and the guiding surfaces  32   a  and  32   b  allows the blade  34  to be maintained at a predetermined precise distance D from surface  40   a  of structure  40 . This distance remains constant even when the holder is slid about the surface  40   a  of structure  40 . 
     FIG. 9 shows that the receptacle slots  20  are arranged in a stacked configuration and evenly spaced at relatively small increments to facilitate a high degree of distance adjustability d 1 -dn between the blade  34  (not shown) and the guiding surfaces  32   a  and  32   b.    
     As can be demonstrated in FIG. 10A the purposefully designed exposure of the entire sharp edge  34   b  of blade  34  allows the user to skillfully manipulate the depth that the blade  34  penetrates sheet material  44 . This on the fly adjustability allows the user to utilize the entire sharp edge  34   b  of blade  34  while performing a cutting operation enabling the use of a sharper less used portion of blade edge  34   b  if difficulties due to dulling of a particular area of blade edge  34   b  are encountered during a cutting operation. 
     Another feature demonstrated in FIG. 10B is how the purposefully designed rounded receptacle end  14  of blade holder  1  along with the exposure of the entire sharp edge  34   b  of blade  34  allows the user to greatly vary the angle of attack of blade  34 . without interference that would be encountered with a square ended trimmer. when severing sheet material  44 . This feature is especially important when structure surface  40   a  is short or shallow. as shown in FIG. 10B, allowing only the small end portion of guiding surface  32   a  or  32   b  to be utilized during a cutting operation. This ability to vary the angle of attack of blade  34  also allows the user to precisely trim into corners and around obstacles in circumstances such as illustrated in FIG.  10 B. 
     In both circumstances illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the ability to utilize the entire sharp edge  34   b  greatly increases the usable life of blade  34 , compared to trimmer tools that only utilize the sharp point  34   c  of blade  34 , which dulls very quickly. 
     Shown in FIG. 11 the blade holder  1  is being used to sever sheet material  44  at a precise predetermined overlap distance D from the outside intersection  41  of two surfaces  40   a  and  40   b  of structure  40 . Blade holder  1  is slidingly guided along surface  40   a  of structure  40  trimming sheet material  44  which extends from surface  40   b  past the line of intersection  41  extending relatively perpendicular in relation to surface  40   a,  guiding surfaces  32   a  and  32   b , and cutting plane of blade  34 . Once trimmed, the sheet material  44  can be finally applied to surface  40   a  to provide an aesthetic and functional uniform line of overlap. 
     Shown in FIG. 12 the blade holder  1  is being used to sever sheet material  44  at a predetermined distance D from the inside intersection  42  of two surfaces  40   c  and  40   d  of structure  40 . This is achieved by slidingly guiding the blade holder  1  using one of the guiding surfaces  32   a  or  32   b  along structure surface  40   c  allowing tip  34   c  of blade  34  to pierce and sever sheet material  44  taking care not to penetrate too deeply into structure surface  40   d . Once trimmed, the sheet material  44  can be finally applied to surface  40   d  to provide an aesthetic and functional uniform line of overlap. 
     A similar cutting operation is depicted in FIG. 13 where blade holder  1  can be slidingly guided tangentially on curved or rounded corner of structure  40 , trimming sheet material  44  at a precise predetermined distance D of overlap. Once trimmed, the sheet material  44  can be finally applied to corner  40   c  to provide an aesthetic and functional uniform line of overlap. 
     Some other cutting operations are illustrated in FIGS. 14-16. Pin-striping can be cut from sheet material  44  with blade holder  1  in any number of ways by selectively configuring blades  34  to cut the desired width and number of stripes  50 . By using a suitable cutting surface  48 , these stripes  50  can be made linear such as with a straightedge  46 , or as shown in FIG. 15, more organic freehand curves  52 . This multiple blade configuration could also be used, with or without the use of a template (not shown), to cut designs, letters, numbers or shapes  54 , for example, from sheet material  44  with a uniform width or border as illustrated in FIG.  16 . 
     Blade holder  1  can also be used simply to hold a single blade  34 , as shown in FIG. 1, to perform any variety of cutting tasks. 
     Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been explained in detail, hereinabove, the present invention should not be limited to this embodiment alone, but various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1