Abstract:
The present invention provides a fully rotatable swivel attachment tip for a cutting torch over a broad radius range. The tip comprises two selectable fixed angle members that, in combination allow orientation of the cutting tip precisely where the operator desires. In addition to the variability of the first and second angles of the first and second angle members, the length of the attachment between the first and second selectable angles may be variable and selectable by the operator to facilitate orientation of the cutting tip and the cutting flame supported and directed thereon. Thus, the cutting tip is thus rotatable along two axes and in two dimensions and is capable of circumscribing a partial sphere of varying diameter.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is directed to a swivel tip attachment for a cutting torch, wherein the swivel tip is freely rotatable, without limitation, and wherein the tip may be provided at a plurality of angles to the cutting torch body. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   The oxyfuel cutting torch is a common device, well known in virtually all areas, including manufacturing, maintenance, automotive repair, railroad, farming, mining and the like. The cutting torch may be used to, among other things, score, gouge, bevel or cut completely through metal. Generally, oxyfuel gas cutting torch&#39;s are used to cut iron base alloys. The most common type of oxyfuel gas cutting torch is the oxyacetylene hand cutting torch. 
   Several common oxyfuel cutting torch methods and arrangements are well known in the industry. Hand-controlled, manual cutting is commonly done in short-run production and one-of-a-kind fabrication settings, as well as in demolition and scrapping operations. Manual cutting may also be used in the field for steel construction. Mechanized or automatic cutting is widely used in production work where a large number of identical cuts are made over and over, or where very precise cuts are required. Mechanized or automatic cutting torches may be amenable to addition of more than one cutting head, allowing for several cuts to be made simultaneously. 
   Known cutting tips provide attachments to the hand cutting torch that allows for fixed angle of either 75 or 90 degrees relative to the cutting torch body. Additional choices of angles would be desirable. In addition, known tips allow for rotation, but the rotation is limited and do not allow for a full 360 degree rotation. Full rotation would be desirable. The combination of angle selection and full rotation would allow the operator to work in, e.g., confined work spaces, easily reaching work areas not otherwise readily accessible. 
   The present invention addresses these needs. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a fully rotatable swivel attachment tip for a cutting torch over a broad radius range. The tip comprises two selectable fixed angle members that, in combination allow orientation of the cutting tip precisely where the operator desires. In addition to the variability of the first and second angles of the first and second angle members, the length of the attachment between the first and second selectable angles may be variable and selectable by the operator to facilitate orientation of the cutting tip. Thus, the cutting tip is thus rotatable in two dimensions and is capable of circumscribing a partial sphere of varying diameter. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a cutting torch tip that may be used in a narrow space. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting torch tip that comprises a variably orienting and fully rotatable cutting tip. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting torch tip with variable angular orientation and full rotation around two rotational axes in two dimensions so that a partial sphere may be circumscribed of varying diameter. 
   The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these and other embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are as follows. 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a prior art cutting torch tip. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of a prior art cutting torch tip. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a prior art cutting torch tip. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the rotatability of the tip in one dimension in phantom. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the rotatability of the tip in a second dimension in phantom. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , a cutting torch  10  is illustrated having a handle  20 , actuating lever  25  for the required gases disposed thereon. The handle  20  is attached to a support member  30 . Support member  30  is actually a conduit for the gas lines (not shown) required to initiate the cutting flame, comprising a lumen (not shown) therethrough. 
   With particular reference now to  FIG. 1 , a prior art cutting tip  40 A is fixedly attached to the support member  30 . As illustrated, the prior art cutting tip  40 A is fixed at a 90 degree angle to the support member and handle. The prior art cutting tip  40 A shown in  FIG. 1  lacks an axis of rotation and, as a result, is not rotatable in either any dimension relative to the support member and handle. Alternate prior art cutting tips of this type may also commonly have a fixed 75 degree angle. 
   Turning to  FIG. 2 , a second prior art cutting tip  40 B is illustrated attached to the support member by virtue of a rotating mechanism. This cutting tip  40 B is, however, capable only of one-dimensional rotation with one axis of rotation AR; rotating in a plane that is parallel with the support member  30 . However, since the cutting tip  40 B occupies, and rotates upon, the same plane as is occupied by the support member  300 , this prior art device&#39;s one-dimensional rotation cannot comprise a full 360 degree turn. As a further consequence of this prior art one-dimensional rotational design, the cutting flame emitted from the cutting torch tip  40 B will necessarily be on the same horizontal plane as the support member  300 . Such a tip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,188,069 to Walsh. Thus, this prior art device may circumscribe a cutting arc that is coplanar with the support member  30 . 
     FIG. 3  provides a third prior art cutting tip  40 C attached to the support member  30 . This prior art cutting tip  40 C has a single axis of rotation. Thus, this device is rotatable in a single dimension, but in the illustrated case, the rotation is parallel to the support member  30 . Such a tip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,789 to Dieterich. This prior art device may circumscribe a cutting arc that is parallel with the support member  30 . 
   Turning now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , one embodiment of the present inventive cutting tip attachment  100  is provided disposed on a cutting torch  10 . The handle  200  is shown having a distal end  210 . The support member  300  has a proximal end  310  that is fixedly attached to the distal end  210  of the handle  200 . The support member&#39;s distal end  320  is removably and rotatably attached to the cutting tip attachment  100 . 
   The cutting tip attachment  100  is comprised of a first angled member  110  and a second angled member  150 . The first angled member  110  comprises a proximal section  120 —which is removably and rotatably attached to the support member  300  by methods well known to those skilled in the art—an angled middle section  130 , having exemplary angle α, and a distal section  140 . The support member  300 , proximal section  120 , angled middle section  130  and distal section  140  further comprise a lumen (not shown) through which the gases necessary to support and sustain the cutting flame can travel. The support member  300  further comprises a longitudinal axis A 1 , generally disposed along the center of the lumen and which is the axis of rotation for the first angled member  110 . The distal section  140  of the first angled member further comprises an attachment and rotation mechanism well known to those skilled in the art whereby the second angled member  150  may be removably attached and rotated. The length of the proximal section  120  and the distal section  140  may be varied according to the requirements of the particular job as may the angle α. 
   The second angled member  150  comprises a proximal attachment section  160  to which the distal section  140  of the first angled member  110  is removably and rotatably attached as discussed above. Moreover, the second angled member  150  further comprises an angled middle section  170  having exemplary angle β, and a distal cutting tip section  180  with a cutting tip  185 . The proximal attachment  160 , angled middle  170  and distal cutting tip  180  sections further comprise a lumen (not shown), in fluid communication with the lumen of the first angled member  110  and support member  300 , as discussed above, to support gas flow therethrough for flamed cutting at cutting tip  185 . Longitudinal axis A 2  generally though the proximal attachment section  160  lumen serves as the rotational axis for the second angled member  150 . Cutting tip  185  further comprises a lumen (not shown) and a longitudinal axis A 3  therethrough. Angle β is thus defined as the angle between longitudinal axis A 2  and axis A 3 . 
   As discussed above, the proximal attachment section  120  of the first angled member  110  is removably and rotatably attached to the support member  300 , allowing the first angled member  110  to rotate about the proximal attachment section&#39;s longitudinal axis A 1 , in one dimension relative to the support member  300 , with a fixed radius r 1 . This is best illustrated in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the first angled member  110  rotates about the longitudinal axis of the support member A 1  with fixed radius r 1 . The rotation of the first angled member  110  is not limited in any respect in this embodiment. As a result, a full 360 degree rotation about the support member&#39;s longitudinal axis A 1  may be achieved by the first angled member  110 . The length of r 1  may be modified by increasing or decreasing the length of the first angled member&#39;s distal section  140  and/or the length of the second angled member&#39;s proximal attachment section  160 . In turn, this increases the translational distance between the distal cutting tip  185  of the second angled member  150  and the support member  300  and its longitudinal axis A 1 . 
   As discussed above, the distal section  140  of the first angled member  110  is removably and rotatably attached to the proximal attachment section  160  of the second angled member  150 , allowing the second angled member  150  to rotate about a second rotational axis A 2  and in a second dimension relative to the support member&#39;s longitudinal axis A 1  and to the rotation of the first angled member  110 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the rotation of the second angled member  150  causes the second angled member  150  and, in turn, the distal cutting tip  185 , to rotate about the proximal attachment section&#39;s longitudinal axis A 2  with fixed radius r 2 . The rotation of the second angled member  150 , and thus of the distal cutting tip  185 , is not limited in any respect as a result of sufficient translational distance, i.e., r 1 , allowing the distal cutting tip  185  to clear the support member  300 . As a result, a full 360 degree rotation may be achieved by the second angled member  150  in the illustrated embodiment. The length of r 2  may be modified by increasing or decreasing the length of the distal cutting tip section  180   
   Thus, the length of the second angled member&#39;s proximal attachment section  160  and/or the first angled member&#39;s distal section  140  may vary depending upon the requirements of the specific job at hand. By way of example, without limitation, the effect of increasing the length of the proximal attachment section  160  and/or the first angled member&#39;s distal section  140  is to increase the distance or translation of the cutting tip, illustrated as fixed radius r 1 , from the support member  300  and its longitudinal axis A 1 . 
   Thus, the individual and collective lengths of the distal section  140  of the first angled member  110  and the proximal attachment section  160  of the second angled member  150  may be variably engineered to obtain the desired radius of rotation r 1  for the cutting tip attachment  100  and the cutting tip  185  around the support member&#39;s longitudinal axis A 1 . 
   The length of radius r 1  as well as the spatial orientation of the cutting tip  185  may be further manipulated. In the illustrated embodiment and as discussed above, the first angled member  110  comprises an angled section  130  of α, e.g., approximately 90, degrees relative to the support member&#39;s longitudinal axis A 1 . The second angled member comprises an angled section of β, e.g., approximately 90, degrees relative to the proximal attachment section&#39;s longitudinal axis A 2 . In this embodiment, the cutting tip  185  is thus oriented at approximately 180 degrees, i.e., parallel, relative to the support member&#39;s longitudinal axis A 1 , but translated away from longitudinal axis A 1  by distance r 1  as discussed above. The skilled artisan will readily recognize that angles μ and β may be greater than or less than the exemplary 90 degrees, depending upon the needs of the particular job. By proper selection of the angles μ and β, the operator may spatially orient the cutting tip  185  as needed. Modification of angles μ and β may ultimately modify radii r 1  and r 2 . By way of example, increasing μ and/or β beyond 90 degrees will increase the distance of radius r 1  and may, depending upon the angles selected, decrease the distance of radius r 2 . 
   Thus, the operator may readily manipulate the cutting tip  185  into desired orientations by making proper selections regarding angles μ and β and radii r 1  and r 2 . As will be understood by those skilled in the art, r 1  is a function of r 2  and the angles μ and β. The skilled artisan will recognize the many potential orientations made possible by the present invention. The combination of rotation along two axes of rotation and in two dimensions, combined with variable manipulability of radii r 1  and r 2  theoretically enables an operator to circumscribe a sphere with the cutting tip  185  that is nearly complete. The partial sphere is incomplete only because the operator cannot circumscribe the portion of the sphere using the present invention occupied by the support member  300  and/or cutting handle  200 . Thus, the fixed angle design requires the operator to cut an arc along the sphere coinciding with a particular cutting tip attachment  100 , then remove either the first angled member  110  and/or the second angled member  150  and replace the removed member or members with a configuration required to cut the next arc along the sphere. Moreover, because the distal cutting tip  185  is variably orientable and the radii r 1  and r 2  may be varied, the sphere that may be circumscribed by the present invention is of varying radius and diameter. 
   The present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification.