Patent Description:
A self-adjusting pipe cutter is described in <CIT>. The pipe cutter comprises a cutterhead defining a mouth for engaging a pipe to be cut. The cutterhead frame defines an elongated pin-guiding channel. A pin is carried by the cutterhead frame and movable along the pin-guiding channel, carrying, a blade movably connected thereabout. A spring is provided to bias the blade towards a first direction along the elongated pin-guiding channel to force the blade to extend into the cutterhead mouth. A cutting device is described in <CIT>. The device includes a housing having separable first and second portions. The first and second portions each have an inner face and are pivotally coupled together such that the first and second portions are pivotable with respect to one another between an open position and a closed position. A bore extends between the first and second faces of the housing. The second portion of the housing has a pair of rollers mounted in the interior of the second portion. The rollers are positioned adjacent the bore such that a portion of each of the rollers extends into the bore. The first portion of the housing has a slot extending between the perimeter side wall and the inner face of the first portion of the housing. The slot also has an opening into the bore. A disk shaped cutting blade is disposed in the slot and mounted to the first portion of the housing such that a portion of the cutting blade extends into the bore. The housing has a perimeter side wall between the first and second faces. The perimeter side wall has a knurled surface.

Cutters and, more specifically, close quarters cutters, are employed for cutting thin walled cylindrical work pieces. Typically, the cutters include a housing defining an opening for receiving a work piece. The housing pivotally supports a pair of spaced rollers for supporting a work piece to be cut and a cutting wheel for cutting the work piece by rotating the housing relative to the work piece. The cutting wheel is biased by, for example, a spring member that automatically progressively advances the cutting wheel towards the rollers and into engagement with the work piece as the housing is rotated, creating a score line about the work piece that is incrementally deepened until the work piece is eventually severed into two lengths.

During cutting of the work piece, material is displaced as the score line is created. The displaced material creates an annular ridge adjacent the score line that has a greater diameter than the outer surface of the work piece. This displaced material can urge the rollers away from the outer surface and impede rotation of the cutter around the work piece.

Often the work piece that is cut is a pipe or conduit containing a fluid, such as water. The housing of the cutter is typically made of two halves that, when connected, define a cavity in which the rollers, the cutting wheel, and the spring member are at least partially contained. Once the pipe is cut, the water in the pipe may enter the cavity of the cutter. This water may remain in the cavity and cause corrosion or degradation of the rollers, the cutting wheel, the spring member, etc..

A cutter, such as a close quarters cutter, is operable to cut a work piece extending along an axis. The cutter may generally include a cutting wheel selectively engageable with and operable to cut the work piece; and a housing assembly supporting the cutting wheel for movement about the axis in a cutting direction to cut the work piece, the housing assembly having a generally cylindrical outer surface engageable by a user to pivot the cutter about the axis, a grip portion being on the outer surface and including a plurality of grip members, each grip member including, relative to the cutting direction, a trailing surface and a leading surface extending from the outer surface. The leading surface may be angled toward the cutting direction.

According to the invention, a cutter includes the features of claim <NUM>. Further embodiments are outlined in the dependent claims <NUM>-<NUM>.

A cutter may generally include a housing assembly; a cutting wheel supported by the housing assembly for movement about the axis, the cutting wheel being selectively engageable with and operable to cut the work piece; a roller selectively engageable with the work piece, the roller having a generally cylindrical roller surface and an annular groove having a concave surface extending into the roller surface.

A cutter kit may generally include a first cutter including a first cutting wheel selectively engageable with and operable to cut a first work piece, and a first housing assembly supporting the first cutting wheel for movement about an axis, the first housing assembly having a first outer surface and defining a first opening operable to receive the first work piece; a second cutter including a second cutting wheel selectively engageable with and operable to cut a second work piece, and a second housing assembly supporting the second cutting wheel for movement about an axis, the second housing assembly having a second outer surface and defining a second opening operable to receive the second work piece; and a case assembly including a first receptacle having a first wall defining a first recess to receive the first cutter and a first post positionable in the first opening, the first wall and the first post cooperating to releasably retain the first cutter, and a second receptacle having a second wall defining a second recess to receive the second cutter and a second post positionable in the second opening, the second wall and the second post cooperating to releasably retain the second cutter.

Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description, claims and accompanying drawings.

The application file contains at least one drawing executed in color.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

Use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of "consisting of" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof.

<FIG> illustrate a kit <NUM> including one or more cutter(s) 14A, 14B, 14C. 14n, cutting accessories (e.g., a reamer pen <NUM>) and/or parts (e.g., one or more replacement blade(s) <NUM>). The kit <NUM> includes a case assembly <NUM> operable to support the cutter(s) 14A. 14n, accessories and/or parts. In the illustrated construction, the kit <NUM> includes cutters 14A-14C for cutting tubing, pipes, other work pieces, etc. of various sizes (e.g., <NUM> (<NUM>"), <NUM> (¾"), <NUM> (½"), as shown in <FIG>). In other constructions (not shown), the kit <NUM> may include fewer or more cutters, cutters with different characteristics (e.g., size, material to be cut, etc.), different (in number or type) accessories and/or parts.

<FIG> illustrate one construction of the cutter 14A, such as a close quarters cutter for a <NUM> (<NUM>") work piece. <FIG> and <FIG> illustrate alternative constructions of the cutter 14B, 14C (e.g., for a <NUM> (¾") work piece and for a <NUM> (½") work piece, respectively), and common elements have the same reference number "B" and "C", respectively. <FIG> and <FIG> illustrate additional alternative constructions of a cutter 14D, 14E, and common elements have the same reference number "D" and "E", respectively.

As shown in <FIG>, each cutter <NUM> includes a cutting wheel <NUM>, one or more rollers <NUM>, and a housing assembly <NUM> supporting the cutting wheel <NUM> and the roller(s) <NUM> for movement about (see <FIG>) the axis A of a work piece W in a cutting direction D to cut the work piece W.

The housing assembly <NUM> is formed by two housing halves <NUM> (one shown in <FIG>) providing support structure for the cutting wheel <NUM> and the roller(s) <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the housing assembly <NUM> has a generally cylindrical outer wall <NUM> and side walls <NUM> defining an opening <NUM> for receiving the work piece W. An inner wall <NUM> extends between the side walls <NUM> around the opening <NUM>.

The outer wall <NUM> provides an outer surface <NUM> engageable by a user to pivot the cutter 14A about the axis A. A grip portion <NUM> is provided on (e.g., formed on) the outer surface <NUM> of the cylindrical outer wall <NUM> and includes a plurality grip members <NUM> spaced about the circumference of the cylindrical outer wall <NUM>. The illustrated grip portion <NUM> provides an indication of the cutting direction (the direction to rotate the cutter 14A) to cut the work piece W.

Each grip member <NUM> includes, relative to the cutting direction D, a trailing surface <NUM> and a leading surface <NUM> extending from the outer surface <NUM> to an outer end (e.g., a point). In the illustrated construction, the leading surface <NUM> is angled toward the cutting direction D while the trailing surface <NUM> extends substantially radially. As shown in <FIG>, an angle <NUM> is defined between the leading surface <NUM> and the trailing surface <NUM>, and, in the illustrated construction, the angle <NUM> is between approximately <NUM> degrees and approximately <NUM> degrees (e.g., approximately <NUM> degrees, as illustrated).

In other constructions, such as the cutter 14D of <FIG>, the trailing surface 62D and the leading surface 66D extend to and are connected by an intermediate surface <NUM>, which is generally tangential to the outer surface <NUM> of the cylindrical outer wall <NUM>. In such constructions, the trailing surface 62D and the leading surface 66D are substantially parallel, but in other constructions, may be angled relative to each other.

In other constructions, the grip members <NUM> may be arranged in another manner to indicate the cutting direction. For example, in some constructions, such as the cutter 14E of <FIG>, the grip members 58E of the grip portion 54E may be arranged in an "echelon" pattern. Specifically, each of the grip members 58E has two mirror portions <NUM> angled relative to each other so as to point in the cutting direction D. In the illustrated construction, the portions <NUM> form an angle between approximately <NUM> degrees and approximately <NUM> degrees (e.g., approximately <NUM> degrees, as illustrated).

As shown in <FIG>, a separate cutting direction indicator (e.g., an arrow <NUM>) and other indicators (e.g., a "<NUM>" to indicate size) may be provided. In the illustrated construction, the arrow <NUM> and other indicators are defined by raised surfaces extending outwardly from at least one of the side walls <NUM>. In other constructions (not shown), the arrow <NUM> and/or the other indicators may be recessed into or provided directly on at least one of the side walls <NUM>.

When the two housing halves <NUM> of the housing assembly <NUM> are connected, the outer wall <NUM>, the side walls <NUM>, and the inner wall <NUM> cooperate to define a cavity <NUM> in which the cutting wheel <NUM> and the roller(s) <NUM> are at least partially supported. The cutting wheel <NUM> extends through a cutting wheel opening <NUM> defined through the inner wall <NUM>, and the rollers <NUM> extend through corresponding roller openings <NUM> defined through the inner wall <NUM>. The cutting wheel opening <NUM> and the roller openings <NUM> are circumferentially spaced about the cylindrical inner wall <NUM>.

In the illustrated construction, each side wall <NUM> defines a plurality of circumferentially-spaced drain openings <NUM> communicating between the cavity <NUM> and the exterior of the cutter 14A. As shown in <FIG>, any fluid F which enters the cavity <NUM> (e.g., from inside the work piece W being cut and entering through at least one of the cutting wheel opening <NUM> and the roller openings <NUM>) will drain through the openings <NUM>.

When not in use (see <FIG>), the cutter 14A is generally positioned on its side, and the side wall openings <NUM> facilitate drainage from the housing assembly <NUM>. Each side wall <NUM> has axially-raised surfaces <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>) extending around an outer periphery of the side wall <NUM> so that the cutter 14A does not rest in any drained fluid F and so that a support surface (e.g., a work table, the case assembly, etc.) does not block the openings <NUM>. The raised surfaces <NUM> may include the arrow <NUM> and/or additional indicators to help support the side wall <NUM> away from the support surface. The openings <NUM> are positioned (see <FIG>) proximate the inner surface <NUM> of the outer wall <NUM> so that a channel is not formed between the side walls <NUM> that would retain fluid F when the cutter 14A rests on the outer wall <NUM>.

In other constructions (such as the cutter 14E of <FIG>), in addition to or as an alternative to the openings <NUM>, openings 74E are circumferentially spaced on the cylindrical outer wall 42E. In such constructions, the openings 74E are centrally located on the cylindrical outer wall 42E along the cutting axis A.

In addition or as an alternative to the direction-indicating grip members <NUM>, the openings <NUM> are shaped and/or oriented (see <FIG>) to indicate the cutting direction D. The illustrated openings <NUM> are angled in the same direction as the leading surface <NUM>. In other constructions, the openings <NUM> may be constructed and/or arranged in another manner (e.g., arrow-shaped openings 74E as shown in <FIG>) to provide an indication of the cutting direction D.

As shown in <FIG>, the cutting wheel <NUM> is oriented in a plane P transverse to the cutting axis A. Each roller <NUM> has a generally cylindrical roller surface, and an annular groove <NUM> is defined in the roller surface. The groove <NUM> has a concave surface <NUM> extending into in the roller surface. In the illustrated construction, each roller <NUM> is supported with the groove <NUM> overlapping the plane P. The groove <NUM> provides clearance for material M of the work piece W displaced during cutting, with the curve of the concave surface <NUM> being spaced from the material M. In other constructions (not shown), the roller(s) <NUM> may also define a groove spaced from the plane P, for example, configured to receive a pipe flange.

The cutting wheel <NUM> and the roller(s) <NUM> are components of a cutting mechanism <NUM> for the cutter 14A. In the illustrated construction (see <FIG>), the cutting mechanism <NUM> is similar to the mechanism described and illustrated in <CIT>. Generally, the cutting wheel <NUM> is spring-biased into engagement with the surface of the work piece W to be cut.

To cut the work piece W, the work piece W is positioned in the opening <NUM> and supported by the roller(s) <NUM>, while the cutting wheel <NUM> is pushed out of the way to accommodate the work piece W in the opening <NUM>. However, the cutting wheel <NUM> is biased into engagement with the outer surface of the work piece W by a spring member <NUM> (see <FIG>) supported by the housing assembly <NUM> and within the cavity <NUM>. The cutter 14A is pivoted about the work piece W, and the cutting wheel <NUM> cuts the outer surface. As shown in <FIG>, displaced material fits in the groove <NUM> in each roller <NUM> so that movement is not impeded or adversely affected. As the cutter 14A is rotated and the outer surface of the work piece W is cut, the cutting wheel <NUM> is forced deeper into the surface of the work piece W by the spring member <NUM>.

While not shown, the outer wall <NUM> may define a slot to receive and accommodate the cutting wheel <NUM> as it is pressed radially outwardly by the work piece W. This arrangement may, for example, reduce the outer diameter of the housing assembly <NUM> and/or increase the possible cutting range of the cutter 14A.

If there is fluid (e.g., standing water) in the work piece W (see <FIG> and <FIG>), when the outer surface of the work piece is pierced, the fluid F leaks into the housing assembly <NUM>, through the cutting wheel opening <NUM> and/or the roller openings <NUM> defined in the outer wall <NUM>. The fluid F drains from the cavity <NUM> through the openings <NUM> during cutting and when the cutter 14A is not in use.

As mentioned above, the illustrated kit <NUM> (see <FIG>) includes the cutters 14A, 14B, 14C, accessories (e.g., a reamer pen <NUM>), replacement parts (e.g., replacement blade(s) <NUM>), etc. The case assembly <NUM> supports these kit components. As shown in <FIG>, the case assembly <NUM> includes an outer case <NUM> having two halves hinged together to open and close. One or more inserts <NUM>, <NUM> (e.g., a cutter support insert <NUM> and an accessory/part support insert <NUM>) are supported by the outer case <NUM> and are constructed to support and retain the kit components. The inserts <NUM>, <NUM> include a number of component supports <NUM> (e.g., spring clips, spring arms, movable retainer members, frictional surfaces, etc.) for supporting and retaining the components provided with the kit <NUM> or in a desired configuration of the kit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the component supports <NUM> of the cutter support insert <NUM> include receptacles 103A, 103B, 103C with a series of cutter support posts or projections 104A, 104B, 104C. Each projection 104A, 104B, 104C has one or more recesses to receive the associated cutting wheel <NUM> and/or roller <NUM>. Each projection 104A, 104B, 104C may have an indicator (e.g., a recessed or raised "<NUM>", "<NUM>/<NUM>", and "<NUM>/<NUM>") to indicate which cutter 14A, 14B, 14C should be placed on the projection 104A, 104B, 104C, or for identifying and selecting a cutter 14A, 14B, 14C received on the projection 104A, 104B, 104C.

Each of the cutter support projections 104A, 104B, 104C is sized to frictionally receive the opening 50A, 50B, 50C of a corresponding one of the cutters 14A, 14B, 14C to support and retain the cutters 14A, 14B, 14C. In the illustrated construction, the outer wall of each receptacle <NUM> cooperates with the corresponding projection <NUM> to releasably retain the associated cutter <NUM> (e.g., with a friction fit). In other constructions, the outer wall of the receptacle <NUM> or the corresponding projection <NUM> may releasably retain the cutter <NUM> without cooperation from the other structure. In still other constructions (not shown), different retainer structure (e.g., a pivoting bayonet, a latch, etc.) may be provided in addition to or as an alternative to the friction fit.

A projection (e.g., the projection 104A, 104B) may also have a surface (e.g., an arcuate surface 108A, 108B) with a diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the adjacent cutter (e.g., the cutter 14B, 14C, respectively) such that, as shown in <FIG>, the cutters 14A, 14B, 14C nest when received on the projections 104A, 104B, 104C. Thus, the size of the case assembly <NUM> may be minimized.

Claim 1:
A cutter (<NUM>) operable to cut a work piece (W) extending along an axis (A), the cutter (<NUM>) comprising:
a cutting wheel (<NUM>) engageable with and operable to cut the work piece (W); and
a housing assembly (<NUM>) supporting the cutting wheel (<NUM>) for movement about the axis (A) of the work piece (W) in a cutting direction (D) to cut the work piece (W), the housing assembly (<NUM>) having a generally cylindrical outer surface (<NUM>) engageable by a user to pivot the cutter (<NUM>) about the axis (A) of the work piece (W), the housing assembly (<NUM>) further comprising a generally cylindrical outer wall (<NUM>) and side walls (<NUM>) defining an opening (<NUM>) receiving the work piece (W),
wherein the outer wall (<NUM>) and the side walls (<NUM>) cooperating to define a cavity (<NUM>) in which the cutting wheel (<NUM>) is at least partially supported;
and characterized in that a grip portion (<NUM>) being on the outer surface (<NUM>) and including a plurality of grip members (<NUM>), each grip member (<NUM>) including, relative to the cutting direction (D), a trailing surface (<NUM>) and a leading surface (<NUM>) extending from the outer surface (<NUM>), and the trailing surface (<NUM>) of one or more grip members (<NUM>) extends substantially radially from the generally cylindrical outer surface (<NUM>), and the leading surface (<NUM>) of one or more grip members (<NUM>) is angled toward the cutting direction (D); and in that
at least one of the side walls (<NUM>) defines a plurality of circumferentially-spaced openings (<NUM>) configured to provide fluid communication between the cavity (<NUM>) and an exterior of the cutter (<NUM>).