Tool holder with breaking foot for manual tile cutting machine

Abstract

A tool holder for a manual tile cutting machine comprises: a sliding body (5) equipped with an actuation handle (6); a carving tool (V) mounted in a front lower portion of the body (5) and arranged on a longitudinal axis of the tool holder; a breaking foot (7) pivotally mounted in a rear lower portion of the body (5), where the breaking foot (7) has a visible aiming device (100, 101, 102, 103, 104) marking a central axis of the breaking foot and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tool holder, the visible sighting device comprises at least one primary marker in the shape of a rib or groove of less than 2 mm wide, preferably less than 1 mm wide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tool holder for a manual machine for engraving flat panels such as tiles, stone, glass or even other materials. In particular, the present invention relates to a tool holder equipped with an improved breaking foot. Background Art

[0002] In the field of floor installation and tile sticking, but more generally in the field of installation of flat panels, devices for cutting flat panels are commonly used. Among them, manual tile cutters are widely used, which use a carving tool carried by a tool holder device, which in turn is slidably mounted on a suitable guide and is driven by hand during the carving phase.

[0003] As is known, a manual tile cutter comprises a base from which a support column extends and to which one or more guide rails of a tool holder device are fixed. Such a tool holder device guides according to a preset linear path and allows a carving tool (e.g. a small wheel made of a hard material such as tungsten carbide-based Widthia material) to be driven accurately along the surface of a tile resting on the base, thereby carving the surface.

[0004] Since engraving is usually done at a certain distance from the reference edge of the tile and according to an axis that is orthogonal or at different angles to one side of the tile, the tile cutter is also equipped with a pivoting frame provided with a graduated bar that serves as an abutment profile. The tile is then placed on the floating plate of the base and one side of the tile is brought against the pivoting graduated bar in order to place the engraving line at the desired position.

[0005] Exemplary tile cutters equipped with a pivoting scale bar are shown in EP 608,476 or EP 1,545,849 in the name of the same applicant, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0006] After the surface has been engraved, the tile or plate is divided into two parts by simple pressure appropriately applied against the rigid ribs of the base, this pressure causing the tile to split along the engraved line. For this pressure and splitting action, a suitable member appropriately arranged integrally with the tool holder is usually used - called a breaking foot.

[0007] According to the latest technology, the breaking foot is pivotally arranged on the tool holder, as shown, for example, in IT1305649 in the name of the same applicant, which is incorporated herein by reference. The breaking foot is mounted in the lower part of the tool holder and remains raised in the original position during engraving, while the breaking foot is lowered to the operating position when splitting is performed by manual action on the tool holder.

[0008] Other known breaking feet are disclosed in WO2021 / 119777 and US2009 / 0145416, in which grooves and recesses are provided with the aim of lightening the component and making it more flexible.

[0009] When using these machines, it has been noticed that, despite the presence of the pivoting scale bar, the operator often cannot take advantage of it because he does not have the precise linear and angular measurements to correctly place the tile against it. There is thus another case in which the use of the pivoting scale bar seems inappropriate, namely when a tile must be cut from corner to corner. Ideally, the engraving should be done at 45° relative to one side of a square tile: in practice, due to the inaccuracies of the tile, there is the risk that the 45° line will not pass exactly through the two opposite corners of the tile, especially if the tile is large.

[0010] Therefore, in order to engrave according to the desired axis, the operator marks the two poles of the engraving line with a pencil or other tool, after temporarily placing the tile at the installation site and aiming at the other surrounding tiles or masonry lines to match. After this marking, the tile must be placed on the machine base so that the two marked poles coincide with the engraving line, but this operation is complicated. In fact, aiming at the marked points with the sliding guide of the tool holder becomes very inaccurate, because the guide is arranged several centimeters above the tile. Using the same engraving tool as a reference by moving the tool holder over the two marked points is inconvenient and equally inaccurate, because the tool is set below the tool holder and it is not clearly visible to the operator. In a push-type tool holder, this problem is amplified, due to the fact that the tool is in the front of the tool holder, completely hidden from the view of the operator standing in the rear position to perform the engraving.

[0011] The Applicant has already provided a solution to these problems by providing a rectilinear luminous line on the axis of engraving, as described in IT102003901132350. This patent document teaches the use of a laser source mounted in a base or tool holder, suitable for emitting a laser beam at the height of the tile plane, which illuminates a marking line corresponding to the path of the engraving tool: in this way, it is sufficient to arrange the two poles of the mark on the illuminated line and then continue engraving.

[0012] However, the use of this solution involves some disadvantages. Firstly, the laser beam emitted by a small battery-powered source maintains an acceptable quality if the line to be illuminated is of moderate length; however, if the engraved line is particularly long, as in the case of large tiles now commonly available on the market, the laser beam disperses at the far end and cannot produce a fine line, with a loss of accuracy. Furthermore, since most of the use of the tile cutter takes place near or inside a construction site, the laser device is exposed to dust, debris (such as lime, sand or cement) or fluids (such as paint, corrosive agents or glue), which may damage or partially obstruct the laser source, reducing its effectiveness and visibility. Finally, during the transportation and use of the tile cutter, any shock or drop can loosen the laser source in its housing, causing the laser beam to become unstable or even no longer aligned with the engraved line.

[0013] It should be noted that this last accuracy problem is inherent to solutions based on indirect indication, i.e. the light from the laser source indicates the theoretical trajectory that the engraving tool is expected to travel, rather than the trajectory it actually travels (excluding play due to build errors or wear).

[0014] The applicant himself has set himself the object of improving the tool holder in order to remedy the said disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tile cutter arranged so as to obtain correct alignment of the tile relative to the engraving line of the engraving tool without the need for the aid of laser illumination. In particular, it is desirable to provide an arrangement which gives a direct rather than indirect indication of the position taken by the engraving tool along the engraving path.

[0016] This object is achieved by a tool holder for a manual tile cutter having the characteristics set out in essential terms in the appended claims.

[0017] In summary, a workaround is provided to provide a tool holder in which the breaking foot is provided with special markings, thereby allowing the path of the proximal engraving tool to be visually identified and traced.

[0018] In particular, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tool holder for a manual tile cutter, the tool holder comprising:

[0019] a sliding body provided with an actuating handle extending rearwardly;

[0020] an engraving tool mounted in the front lower portion of the body and arranged on the longitudinal axis of the tool holder;

[0021] a breakaway foot pivotally mounted in a rear lower portion of the body, wherein

[0022] The breaking foot has a visible aiming device which marks the center axis of the breaking foot and is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tool holder, the visible aiming device comprising at least one main mark in the form of a rib or groove less than 2 mm wide, preferably less than 1 mm wide.

[0023] According to a preferred aspect, the visible aiming device further comprises at least one auxiliary marking element.

[0024] According to a variant, the primary marking element may comprise a groove extending on the annular periphery of the fracture foot corresponding to the central axis.

[0025] Optionally, the primary marker element further comprises a colored O-ring mounted in or co-molded in the groove.

[0026] The auxiliary marking element preferably comprises a pair of directional arrows pointing towards the central axis.

[0027] Optionally, the primary marking element is a rib in the form of a pointed protrusion, the rib being part of a symmetrical insert arranged on the central axis of the fracture foot. In this case, the symmetrical insert is made of an elastomeric material molded onto the fracture foot.

[0028] Optionally, the primary marking element is a thin stripe painted or applied as a decal on the central axis of the fracture foot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Nevertheless, other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a tile cutter according to the present invention, wherein the tool holder is in a split position;

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A stereogram of only the broken foot is shown;

[0032] Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1 , wherein the tool holder is in the engraving position;

[0033] Figures 4 to 7 yes Figure 2 Front views of different embodiments of the fracture foot; and

[0034] Figure 8 It is a photographic stereogram of another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a manual tile cutter A is shown, which in a manner known per se has a base 1 and two uprights, namely a distal upright 3a and a proximal upright (not shown) at the proximal end 3b, between which a guide rod 4 extends to support and guide a tool holder. A graduated strip 2 is also pivotally mounted on the base 1 and is suitable for use as an adjustable abutment for tiles or panels, with its axis of rotation being located near the distal upright 3a.

[0036] The tool holder has a body 5 adapted to slide precisely on the guide rod 4, which carries in the lower front part of the tool holder an engraving tool V underneath, which is usually a hard metal wheel, which can be Figure 3 As can be seen in the figure, the main body 5 is provided with a gripping handle 6 extending backward at the top, through which the operator can perform engraving actions.

[0037] In the lower part of the body 5 of the tool holder, behind the engraving tool V, there is also provided a breaking foot 7, generally in the form of a prism preferably with an L-shaped cross section. The breaking foot 7 is pivotally mounted on the body 5 of the tool holder to be able to be removed from the tool holder during the engraving phase. Figure 3 Move to the raised position shown in Figure 1 This allows it to be lowered below the engraving tool V during the tile splitting phase.

[0038] As is known, a manual tile cutter places and holds a tile on a base 1 against a graduated strip 2 previously arranged at the desired angle.

[0039] In a push-type machine such as the one shown in the figure, the operator (standing Figure 1 and Figure 2 The engraving tool V engraves the tile below (not shown).

[0040] The splitting phase takes place at the end of the engraving phase. Once the tool holder has been transferred to the front end of its travel, the tool V can be pushed over the edge of the tile into the recessed terminal area, thereby lowering it below the plane of the tile and placing the breaking foot 7 under pressure against the tile to produce the first split. The breaking foot 7 can then be lowered to Figure 1position and the tool holder gradually moves into the rear position, where further splitting pressure is applied along the engraved line until the tile is completely separated into two parts.

[0041] In many cases, the engraving position relative to the corners or sides of the tile and the engraving angle can be determined unambiguously a priori and can be set using the graduated strip 2 according to techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0042] However, as previously shown in the background art, there are cases where the angles and measurements cannot be determined precisely: therefore, the tiler simply marks two poles on the tile during the simulated laying of the tile, which represent the two ends of the straight line along which the carving must be done.

[0043] In these cases, the tile must be placed on the base 1 , lowered as far as possible so that the pole marked on the tile corresponds to the theoretical straight path of the tool V.

[0044] To this end, according to the invention, the body 5 of the tool holder is equipped with an improved breaking foot 7 provided with aiming means arranged to be perfectly aligned with the engraving tool V placed just in front of it.

[0045] exist Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 Some embodiments of the breaking foot 7 according to the invention are shown in detail in FIG.

[0046] The breaking foot device 7 has, in a manner known per se, a substantially prismatic shape, with an L-shaped or T-shaped cross-section (as shown in the figure) to define raised portions 7a and 7b arranged orthogonally to one another, and is therefore suitable for defining a splitting foot (the splitting foot abuts against the tile) in the two positions (raised and lowered) that the breaking foot 7 can adopt.

[0047] Preferably, the lateral thickness of at least the raised portions 7a and 7b narrows in the central region and widens at the end 7' so that the contact point with the tile is spaced from the central axis (to which the engraving line of the tool corresponds) and an effective bending action can be utilized, which helps to cut the underlying tile along the engraving line.

[0048] The breaking foot 7 also has a fork 9 provided with two aligned holes 9a, by means of which the breaking foot 7 is pivotally mounted on the tool holder. The hole 9a thus accommodates a pivot pin (not shown) defining a pivot axis of the breaking foot arranged crosswise to the engraving axis. An additional hole 10 may also be provided, which is suitable for hooking a resilient element (spring) known per se, which helps to keep the breaking foot 7 in the desired position (raised or lowered).

[0049] The breaking foot is usually made by molding from a plastic or elastomeric material, strong enough to withstand the splitting pressure, and with a surface finish suitable for not staining or scratching the tile surface.

[0050] According to the invention, along the central axis of the breaking foot, a viewfinder means, better described below, is provided, which is aligned with the engraving tool V mounted just in front of it on the tool holder 5. It should be noted that in this context, the central axis refers to the symmetry axis of the breaking foot 7, which is longitudinally aligned with the engraving axis defined by the engraving tool V.

[0051] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, a notch or groove 100 is formed on the central axis of the fracture foot, extending over the entire annular circumference, and a marking element 101 is accommodated in the notch or groove 100, such as a colored O-ring (e.g., red, blue or green) that is separately manufactured and mounted in the groove 100 or co-molded directly in the groove 100. In order for the groove and the corresponding O-ring to properly perform the desired function, their thickness or width (i.e., the dimension in the transverse direction relative to the longitudinal engraving axis) must be minimal, such as less than 2 mm, preferably less than 1 mm.

[0052] Since the groove 100 is formed on the central axis of the breaking foot, the marking element 101 visually identifies well the corresponding engraving plane of the engraving tool V. The marking element 101 thus serves as a sighting device and is clearly visible even to an observer standing behind the tool holder - in the engraving operating position - for any position adopted by the breaking foot 7 .

[0053] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, the fracture foot 7 also has a primary marking element (e.g. only a shallow groove 102) located on the central axis, and an auxiliary marking element (e.g. a pair of directional arrows 103 pointing to the central axis), which helps to make the primary marking element 102 more visible. The directional arrows 103 can be formed as a low relief in the thickness of the fracture foot material, or can be made as a decal or by painting.

[0054] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the aiming means are obtained by moulding a primary marking element in the form of a pointed insert 104, for example made of elastomeric material, over the fracture foot. The pointed insert 104 preferably has a symmetrical shape and ends with a pointed rib 104' arranged on the central axis of the fracture foot 7.

[0055] In any case, the extension of the pointed insert 104 relative to the pivot axis is smaller than the distance between the contact end 7' and the same pivot axis, so that no interference occurs between the pointed rib 104' and the underlying tile when the tool holder is in use.

[0056] The combination of the main marking element and the auxiliary marking element may also be different from the above, and can be combined as preferred, for example, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown.

[0057] Simplified shape of the marking element (such as Figure 8 The shape shown) can also be provided as a thin stripe 105 (less than 2 mm wide, preferably less than 1 mm wide) simply painted or decal-applied on the central axis along the annular periphery of the fracture foot. For the painted stripe, for example, a color that forms a visible contrast with the color of the fracture foot (e.g., white on red, yellow on black, or red on light blue), or a light-reflective paint can be used. Although not having a significant thickness, the painted stripe is equivalent to being considered a marking rib because it has the same function as the above-mentioned rib / groove. Near the thin central stripe, a directional arrow 106 can be provided using the same painting technique or decal application, which better focuses the user's attention on the primary marking element; as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, directional arrows 106 may preferably be provided on two orthogonal planes of the fracture foot.

[0058] As can be clearly understood from the above description, the tile cutter equipped with a breaking foot according to the present invention allows the above-mentioned objects to be perfectly achieved.

[0059] In particular, the innovative construction of the breaking foot provided with aiming means in the form of ribs or grooves (possibly assisted by auxiliary marking means such as arrows) allows the operator to visually identify the position of the engraving line without any effort. In fact, since the aiming means are located on the breaking foot, which is in the rear lower part of the tool holder, they are not only visible to the operator standing at the rear of the tool holder, but they are also very close both to the actual engraving tool and to the tile surface: thus, by aiming said aiming means with the marks previously drawn on the tile by the operator, it is possible to aim them on the desired engraving line without any difficulty.

[0060] It should also be considered that the sighting means are integral with the tool holder in the vicinity of the actual engraving tool; therefore, they provide a direct indication of the engraving line position which is not affected by any tolerances or clearances when mounting the tool holder on the tile cutting machine.

[0061] Finally, with the solution of the invention it is possible to benefit from the same advantageous results even on prior art tile cutters by simply replacing the tool holder, without requiring modifications to the base part.

[0062] It should be understood, however, that the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular embodiments described above, but that different modifications are possible within the purview of a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention itself, which is defined solely by the appended claims.

[0063] For example, the primary and secondary marking means may also have different shapes or be made of different materials while continuing to perform the primary function of making the center line or plane corresponding to the engraving line of the engraving tool visually apparent on the fracture foot.

Claims

1. A tool holder for a manual tile cutting machine, the tool holder comprising: A sliding body (5), wherein the sliding body (5) is provided with an actuating handle (6) extending backward; a carving tool (V) mounted in the front lower part of the body (5) and arranged on the longitudinal axis of the tool holder; a breakaway foot (7) pivotally mounted in the rear lower portion of the body (5), It is characterized in that The breaking foot (7) has a visible aiming device (100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106) which marks the center axis of the breaking foot and is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tool holder, the visible aiming device comprising at least one main mark in the form of a rib or groove less than 2 mm wide, preferably less than 1 mm wide.

2. The tool holder according to claim 1, wherein: The visible aiming device further comprises at least one auxiliary marking element.

3. The tool holder according to claim 2, wherein: The primary marking element comprises a groove (100, 102) extending on the annular periphery of the fracture foot corresponding to the central axis.

4. The tool holder according to claim 3, wherein: The primary marker element further comprises a colored O-ring (101) mounted in the groove (100) or co-molded in the groove (100).

5. The tool holder according to claim 2, wherein: The auxiliary marking element consists of a pair of directional arrows (103) pointing to the central axis.

6. The tool holder according to claim 2, wherein: The primary marking element is a rib (104') in the form of a pointed protrusion, which is part of a symmetrical insert (104) arranged on the central axis of the breaking foot (7).

7. The tool holder according to claim 6, wherein: The symmetrical insert (104) is made of an elastomeric material molded onto the breaking foot (7).

8. The tool holder according to claim 2, wherein: The primary marking element is a thin stripe (105) painted or applied as a decal on the central axis of the breaking foot (7).

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