Board cutter for cutting vertical or horizontal positioned boards

Abstract

A portable board dimensioning cutting system which enables cutting or routing of boards 15 whilst they are stood vertically or laid horizontally. Preferably, the system allows a leaned vertical stack

Description

This invention relates to a portable device to cut or router sheet material in the vertical and horizontal position. Board materials such as plywood, mdf, chipboard, melamine, plasterboard or insulation boards etc. are generally available in 8x4 (2440mmxl220mm) sheets, sometimes even larger sheets may be used, these sheets can be quite heavy (a standard 8x4 18mm thick mrmdf board weighs 36kg) and due to their size cumbersome. The normal practice of cutting these boards (excluding plasterboard) to production sizes in a small professional or home workshop, a diy setting or indeed on a construction site is to lay the board horizontally on trestles with adequate supports so that as the cutting proceeds pieces stay supported. As pieces are cut they are removed and often the board on the trestles needs repositioning over the supports so that another cut can be made in a safe manner. This takes up quite a bit of floor area as access around the board is required, the process also needs two men and as each board must be individually measured and cut diligence must be kept to prevent errors in measuring. Because of the nature of certain board materials and when working with thin sheets binding of the cutting blade can be a real issue and unless great care is taken often a cut piece can unexpectedly drop or even fall onto the floor because of inadequate support risking material damage or personal injury. Sometimes the person assisting but not operating the saw may be required to support the offcut of material this can put his hands into the danger zone near the blade or worse still a single worker may try and support the offcut and operate the saw simultaneously. Another issue can be the cable or / and dust extraction hose gets snagged upon the edge of the board or the trestle or supports as it is pulled along with the saw along long cuts. This can result in a sudden pull back of the saw resulting in potential material and personal damage. To overcome these problems the present invention allows one man to cut boards whilst they are leaned against a wall, stacked up in the vertical position taking the invention to each sheet one at a time and working through the stack of boards. Consisting of three sections, left member, middle member, and right member. The members are placed behind the first / front board. The left and right members have a sliding lockable measuring scale each and on the rear removable position stops to abutt the board behind, these stops may be built in perhaps using a push spring to activate, or be hinged. The left and right members make a pair and incorporate adjustable guide supports enabling a guiderail for a saw, ideally the type commonly used with track or plunge saws but may be another type of suitable straight edge to be rested. A saw is then ran along the guide rail and a cut made. All members feature sacrificial front pieces which can be replaced as needed. The middle member is mainly as an additional support to ensure board straightness, flimsly or very thin boards may require additional supports. The left and right members also feature repeat stops enabling multiple boards to be cut to size yet only having measured once. All the members feature 20mm holes at 96mm centres, this configuration is the same as mft tops for additional features. The holes allow with the aid of a dowel / dog, support for smaller size boards to be placed upon to aid further cutting. The holes also allow temporary support for the guide rail and cramps whilst the adjustable guide supports are moved. Other supports may be used instead such as retractible supports or hinged sections. The members also feature side slots to allow a track style cramp to be inserted enabling the holding of the offcut piece, other holding devices may be considered such as a gravity clamp. The left and right members also have an additional row of 20mm holes to fascilitate material stop dowels / dogs. The present invention is designed to tilt back approx 10 degrees as to be coplaner with the stacked sheets that should also be at approx 10 degrees tilt. The feet are removable and are so shaped to slightly tilt the left and right members inwards at the top when viewed from the front towards the middle member, this is to ensure that even on floors that are not perfectly level or flat the left and right members will hold snugly upto the board behind keeping it tight against the back stops thus ensuring rigidity and trueness. When cutting the last sheet or if only one in number or if present invention is used in a fashion where boards are taken to it rather than main intention then incline to the middle of the left and right member may be undesirable so the removable feet can be reversed to give a standard plumb position. An alternative arrangement may have built in feet that slide in and out of desired positions. The present invention all but eliminates the problem of the lead and / or hose getting caught on trestles as all the long cuts are performed while boards are vertical and the lead and hose merely drape downwards and drag along floor. The present invention negates the need for two men, thus saving on labour. Also the dramatically reduced floor area now needed saves valuable space particularly in small work areas. So far the present invention has been used in the vertical to rip boards along the length to desired width. The present invention can also be used horizontally to cut ripped boards to crosscut size to give finished length by width pieces. Placed on trestles with perhaps the addition of supports underneath the members are laid down and should be securely held in a squared and paralell orientation to allow properly squared cuts, or laid down onto a suitably supported mft top and utilizing the 20mm holes at 96mm centres in the members with suitable dowels / dogs cojoining, ensuring squareness of cuts. Again repeatable cuts are achieved using the adjustable scale, guide rail supports and repeat stops. As boards have now been ripped into more manageable sizes and weights one man can still comfortably continue unaided and the floor area required is much less than if working on full size boards. The members feet do not have to be removed and can stay on for horizontal operation if deemed ok. Figure 1 shows the present invention with a board in front and a guide rail resting on adjustable guide supports. figure 2 shows front elevation of right member. figure 3 shows front and side elevation of left member. figure 4 shows pictoral of left and middle member. figure 5 shows horizontal pictoral view of present invention enabling cross cutting of ripped boards. Figure 6 shows an alternative cramping option. In figure 1 the left member 1, the middle member 2, and the right member 3 are placed behind the board 15 as it is leaned vertically against a wall. The adjustable guide supports 6 are so placed that when the guide rail 14 is rested upon them a first reference cut / clean edge can be made. This cut may be so minor that the cramps 16 for holding the cut piece may not be needed. Once this first cut is made then desired sizes can be cut whilst being securely held by cramps, on very rough work a first clean edge cut may not be needed. In figure 2 the angled side slots 5 show how a cramp 16 can when placed within them slide up or down to give enhanced cramping coverage. The multiple 20mm dowel / dog holes 4 offer many board height options. The second row of dowel / dog holes 17 can be used as board stops when the present invention is in the horizontal orientation, this helps ensure square cuts. The removable foot 7 is reversible, because of the angle of the foots top this gives two stance options, one true vertical and the other slightly inclined towards the middle member when viewed from the front, this oddly helps keep the member vertical as it pushes removable back stops tight against board behind aiding rigidity. Only the left and right members feature feet that offer inclined stance. In figure 3 the adjustable measuring scale 9 allows positional measuring , there may be alternative scales such as shorter and longer ones or different measuring systems to best suit user requirements . The adjustable postion stops 11 enable repeat cutting as the adjustable guide supports 6 can be moved for a cut and then moved back abutting the stop 11 ensuring accuracy. The second row of 20mm dowels / dog holes 17 may not go all the way through the member. The removable back stop 12 ensures the member is held upright tight against the board behind, in practice this helps give the present invention added stability, though being removable, member can lay flat when used in horizontal orientation. The track 8 allows free movement and removal of all adjustable components. In figure 4 the middle member 2 is shown having just one row of 20mm dowel / dog holes 4. The angled side slots 5 are also in the middle member for cramping options, though in practice cramping with just the left member 1 and the right member 2 is usually adequate. During use as the saw blade will be set to protrude through board by approx 1.5mm the front of members will end up with lots of cuts in them, after extensive use this may become undesirable, though highly unlikely to affect performance, sacrificial front sections 18 are fitted to all members and can therfore be replaced as required. In figure 5 the left member 1 and the right member 3 are shown laid horizontally upon trestles 13 for the cross cutting of the ripped boards. The middle member 2 may also be used as extra support for the board. The present invention can also be laid upon an mft top upon trestles and the 20mm dowel / dog holes 4 used to cojoin them accurately and squarely. An mft top is a precision cnc machined board with multiple 20mm holes at 96mm centres. In figure 6 a side section of the right member 3 is shown with an alternative cramping option. With the use of a track on the inside edge of member a self adjusting gravity clamp can be slid up or down and fixed at desired location clamping onto board. The clamp securely holds the piece of board being cut and can be disengaged once cut complete to allow board to drop just the approximately 2mm saw blade thickness onto board piece below.

Claims

1. A board dimensioning cutting apparatus which enables cutting or routing of boards whilst they are stood vertically or laid horizontally, comprising:at least two separate members, which are stood behind a vertical, leaned board, one of the members placed behind is at one end of the board and another member placed behind is at the other end of the board but neither are fully hidden by the board, giving access to the moving components including measuring scales and adjustable guide supports that these two members each possess, these components have separate, independent and continual linear movement along the members length; andthe adjustable guide supports can protrude beyond the face of the board and are positioned where required with reference to the measuring scale, a guide can be placed upon the adjustable guide supports, a cutting tool run along, and a cut made; andat least two of the members have a clamping system used for holding the cut or uppermost piece of board, preventing it from dropping and binding the cutting tool blade; andwhen apparatus is used horizontally the board is placed on top of said members, again by utilising the said components cuts can be made.

2. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two members with the adjustable guide supports and the measuring scales make a mirrored pair, that are hereon referred to as the left member and the right member.

3. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising sacrificial and replacable front sections on all said members.

4. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring scales can move along a track and be secured where desired.

5. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable guide supports can move along a track and be secured where desired.

6. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising angled slots along the length in the side of each of the members, clamps including guide rail style clamps can slide into the angled slots to firmly hold the board as the cut proceeds.

7. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the members each has a foot that can be disengaged or removed for when the apparatus is used horizontally, for vertical use of apparatus the members can lean back approximately 10 degrees from true vertical, so as to be coplaner with the vertical board being cut which is also to be leaned back approximately 10 degrees from true vertical for operation of apparatus.

8. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the left and right members have back stops on their rear faces with these having two options that being protruding or flush.

9. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the left and right members have an additional row of holes within their face to accommodate stops for the abutting of a board edge mainly for when apparatus is used horizontally.

10. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the said left and right members each has a foot to give different upright positions, one offering a slightly inclined inwards stance when viewed from the front, this when used with the back stops firmly abutted against the edge of the board behind the one being cut fea vertical stack of boards aids stability in use and another position is a more upright stance when viewed from the front for using the apparatus independently of a stack or for the cutting of the last board.

11. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus has an alternative clamping system whereby the left and right members each has a clamp with linear movement along a track, along the members length, offering multiple clamping positions.

12. A board cutting apparatus according to all preceding claims, wherein all the members have 20mm holes at 96mm centres running within the face along their length, these are so dowels / dogs can be inserted to offer different board height positions with the board (probably an offcut) being rested thereon, also the 20mm holes can be used to affix the members to an mft style top to guarantee parallel and square cuts when used horizontally.

13. A board cutting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein alternative supports for boards comprising pivotting or retractable supports may be used.

14. A method of cutting boards whilst they are stood vertically or laid hoizontally, using the board dimensioning cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising; the placing of at least two separate members behind a vertical, leaned board, one of the members placed behind is at one end of the board and another member placed behind is at the other end of the board but neither are fully hidden by the board, giving access to components including adjustable guide supports and adjustable measuring scales which these two members possess, so that with reference to the adjustable measuring scales the adjustable guide supports are positioned where required and a guide rested upon them, a saw run along the guide and a cut made, because of a clamping mechanism within at least two of the members the piece of board being cut does not drop and bind the blade as the cut proceeds, for horizontal cutting the members can be placed on trestles or an mft top and the board placed on top of them and by using the measuring scales and the adjustable guide supports a desired cut can be made with a saw running along a rail resting against the adjustable guide supports, furthermore repeat cutting utilising repeat stops is possible both vertically and horizontally.

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