Patent Abstract:
A fabric alignment, marking and/or cutting guide that allows for accurate marking, and/or cutting of fabric along the diagonal using a multiple axis fixed edge alignment and a movable triangular angle. The alignment guide has a square cutting board with right angularly positioned upstanding angular edge surfaces for material engagement. A transparent hinged triangular cutting guide plate extends from one alignment edge surface defining a true diagonal line guide edge across a material square to be marked and cut positioned on the cutting board under the triangle guide plate.

Full Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/969321, filed Mar. 24, 2014 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    This invention relates to fabric marking and cutting devices that are used in sewing, such as quilting to mark and cut specific angular orientation on the fabric. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0005]    Prior art devices of this type have provided a variety of different cutting guides; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,349,966, 5,579,670, 6,925,724 and Design Patent D374,404. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,966 is directed to an aligning guide and measuring device having a flat with a raised flange along one edge. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,670 discloses a method and system for making quilting pieces having a template and a cutting guide with a rail along one edge thereof. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,724 illustrates a square or rectangular quilting ruler with sets of equally spaced rulings running parallel thereto and at right angles so as to be visible when in associated use. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,295 claims a quilting tool having a transparent parallelogram plate and guidelines associated thereon. 
         [0010]    Finally, in Design Patent D374,404, a quilting ruler is shown having a rectangular surface with a flange inwardly of one edge. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    A fabric alignment, marking and cutting guide having a self-healing fabric placement surface on which the alignment guide with a top and side raised material engagement edge surfaces are positioned. A hinged transparent triangle guide plate extends from one raised surface for select placement over fabric positioned and aligned on the cutting surface for accurate repetitive diagonal marking and cuts there along. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fabric alignment marking and cutting guide of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view thereof shown in use by marking for cutting. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view illustrating alternate material placement on the cutting surface with guide edge engagement for cutting. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an alternate use configuration with an independent straight edge. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a fabric alignment marking and cutting guide  10  of the invention can be seen having a support base  11  with spaced oppositely disposed parallel top and bottom edges  12  and  13  and corresponding spaced parallel perimeter side edges  14  and  15  defining a square base configuration. Preferably the base material is of a self-healing configuration so that it can be effectively cut upon without permanent markings affecting future cutting as will be well known and understood by those skilled in the art. 
         [0017]    A pair of upstanding perimeter flat guide angles  16  and  17  are positioned at right angles to one another along and extend inwardly from the respective top edge  12  and the side edge  14  of the base  11 . The guide angles  16  and  17  have effacing ends  16 A and  17 A which are in spaced angular orientation to one another forming a cutting gap at  18  therebetween that aligns with the primary diagonal line D illustrated by a line indicia positioned on the base  11  and a secondary parallel line D′ for aligning to mark ¼ inch from the edge of fabrics as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
         [0018]    A right angle triangular transparent guide panel  19  is hinged along one side to the perimeter guide angle  16  by a selective hinge configuration  20 . A lifting tab  21  is formed integrally with and extends from a free side edge surface  22  adjacent the panel&#39;s defined angular edge cutting surface  23 . The hinged configuration  20  may be of any continuous (piano type) or multiple spaced hinged elements so as to assure edge orientation when selectively operated from a first flat base engagement position to an upstanding position as seen in solid and broken lines in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
         [0019]    It will be seen that the cutting guide edge surface  23  of the hinged triangular guide transparent guide panel  19  defines a “true” diagonal across a surface S of the support base  11  and is correspondingly in alignment between the hereinbefore described end gap  18  between the respective guide angles  16  and  17  which will allow for a continuous cutting action therealong as will be described in detail hereinafter. 
         [0020]    In use, the fabric alignment, marking and cutting guide  10 , as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3  of the drawings (in this example) a fabric square  24  to be cut is positioned on the support base  11 &#39;s surface S which is divided into equal portions by a cross gridline pattern  25 . The transparent guide panel  19  is raised and the fabric square  24  is placed on the grid line supporting base  11  surface S in abutting relationship to the respective perimeter guide angles  16  and  17 . The guide panel  19  is then lowered onto the fabric square  24  holding it firmly in place. It will be seen that this provides a true and accurate diagonal guide there across for marking M or cutting along the guide edge surface  23  of the guide panel  19  which in this example for cutting an illustrative rotary cutter representation  26  is shown graphically in  FIG. 3  of the drawings and is well known in the art can pass along against the guide edge surface  23  cutting the fabric panel  24  diagonally and proceed through the angle gap  18  in a single continuous action or conversely begin at the angle gap  18  and pass along the guide edge surface  23  cutting the fabric as noted. 
         [0021]    Alternate fabric square placement is possible and can be seen as illustrated in  FIG. 3  of the drawings wherein a fabric square  26  is aligned on the base  11  surface S by use of the gridline pattern  25  and a diagonal marking and a cut can be made, again by using the triangular guide panel  19  positioned thereover, as described. 
         [0022]    It will be evident from the above description that the divided grid line pattern  25  on the base  11  can also be used independently of the guide panel  19  as seen in  FIG. 4  of the drawings as follows. A fabric square  27  can therefore be positioned on the base surface S by the alignment with the gridline pattern  25  and independent straight edge  28  may be used to overlie and act as a marking guide via a marker M, in broken lines, and then a cutting edge guide for a rotary cutter representation  29  as illustrated. 
         [0023]    The support base  11  in this example, as noted, is preferably made of a self-healing cutting mat surface of a ⅛ inch thickness and divided by the right angular cross gridline pattern  25  in equal incremental increments, such as one-inch in this illustration or other dimensional aspects chosen for alternate applications as would be evident to those skilled in the art. Additionally, a secondary guide line D′ can be seen in spaced relation to the primary diagonal line D which would allow for aligning to mark ¼ inch from the edge of fabrics. 
         [0024]    It will be seen that incremental indicia measurements are marked along each of the guide angles  16  and  17 , in this example at one-inch and ⅛ inch intervals and may be of different colors for easy identification. The transparent movable guide edge panel  19  is preferably made of synthetic resin material with a non-slip bottom surface BS for engagement against the fabric to assure stability thereto while marking or cutting. 
         [0025]    It will thus be seen that a new and novel fabric alignment marking and cutting guide of the invention has been illustrated and described and will provide ability to selectively mark diagonal lines on square fabrics fast, easy and accurately. It is evident that the guide is a time saving device when marking the squares and that the straight edge corner liners will assure that the diagonal mark is accurate and the right triangle remains stationary when marking to assure the diagonal mark is also accurate. The cutting base  11  can be used as a cutting surface for rotary cutters, as described, and wherein the right angle panel  19  can be used to guide the rotary blade when cutting diagonal lines as hereinbefore described. 
         [0026]    It will thus be evident that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore I claim:

Technology Classification (CPC): 3