Conduit cutting assembly

Abstract

A conduit cutting assembly is comprised of a conduit cutting surface, a drive shaft, a top shield and a bottom guide. The conduit cutting assembly is inserted into a rotary device which provides a torque to rotate the conduit cutting assembly. The shield glides along the top surface of the conduit preventing deeper penetration of the cutting surface and deflecting dust as conduit is cut. The guide is positioned on the internal side of the conduit and prevents the cutting surface from contacting encased wiring. The distance between the bottom surface of the shield and the top surface of the guide is closely aligned to the conduit wall thickness. Conduit cutting assemblies can be customized for conduit material and conduit wall thickness. The conduit cutting assembly safely cuts through conduit without damaging encased wiring, limits incidental contact with the cutting surface, and limits contact with dust generated through the cutting procedure.

Claims

1. A device to cut conduit, comprising: a drive shaft having a first end configured to be attached to a rotary tool; a conduit cutting portion provided proximate a second end of the drive shaft; a safety tip provided at a distal end of the conduit cutting portion, the safety tip being configured to prevent the conduit cutting portion from contacting wiring inside the conduit during a conduit cutting operation; and a safety top provided proximate a proximal end of the conduit cutting portion, the safety top being configured to be located proximate an outer surface of the conduit during the conduit cutting operation; wherein the conduit cutting portion has one or more cutting edges arranged substantially in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the conduit cutting portion is configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis shared by the conduit cutting portion and the drive shaft.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the safety top has a larger diameter than the drive shaft.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the safety tip has a larger diameter than the conduit cutting portion.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the safety tip is configured to move along a surface of the wiring inside the conduit, and the safety top is configured to move along an outer surface of the conduit, during the conduit cutting operation.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive shaft and conduit cutting portion are configured such that the axis of rotation of the conduit cutting portion extends radially from the conduit during a conduit cutting operation.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the conduit cutting portion is formed integrally with the drive shaft.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the safety top is configured to be selectively positioned to correspond to a thickness of the conduit.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first end of the drive shaft is configured to be received by a chuck of a power drill.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an illustration depicting a front perspective view of a conduit cutting assembly.

(2) FIG. 2 is an illustration depicting a front perspective view of the conduit cutting assembly as the conduit cutting assembly would be used in relation to a cross section of the conduit with encased wiring, in accordance with certain example embodiments.

(3) FIG. 3 is an illustration depicting the conduit cutting assembly affixed to a rotary device in use to cut a strip from a conduit section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) Reference will be made to example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and illustrations. The example embodiments described herein are presented in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.

(5) FIG. 1 is an illustration depicting a front perspective view of a conduit cutting assembly 100. A drive shaft 101 is shown with a safety top 102 and a safety tip 103. The safety top 102 and the safety tip 103 are separated by a longitudinal distance 104. The conduit cutting assembly 100 can be attached to a rotary tool 301, which will be described in reference to FIG. 3, by inserting drive shaft 101 into the rotary tool 301.

(6) In an example embodiment, the drive shaft 101 can have dimensions of ¼″ diameter and 1″ height. The safety top 102 can have dimensions of 1/32″ thickness and 9/16″ diameter. The safety tip can have dimensions of 1/16″ thickness and ⅜″ diameter. The longitudinal distance 104 can be 5/16″ tapering to ¼″. The tapering will be further illustrated in reference to FIG. 2.

(7) FIG. 2 is an illustration depicting a front perspective view of the conduit cutting assembly 100. FIG. 2 illustrates a tapering 201 of safety top 102 and a tapering 202 of safety tip 103. FIG. 2 illustrates a conduit cutting surface 203. In an example embodiment, the longitudinal distance 104 can be 5/16″ tapering to ¼″ as illustrated by tapering 201 and tapering 202. The height of conduit cutting surface 203 can be ¼″.

(8) FIG. 2 illustrates conduit cutting assembly 100 in a front perspective view in relation to a cross sectional view of conduit 204. Conduit 204 has a conduit wall thickness 205 and a spacing 206 between the inside surface of conduit 204 and encased wiring 207.

(9) FIG. 3 is an illustration depicting the conduit cutting assembly 100 affixed to a rotary device 301. Rotary device 301 can have a power supply 302. Power supply 302 can be a 120-volt alternating current motor assembly, a rechargeable battery powered direct current motor assembly, or other suitable power supply.

(10) Rotary device 301 can have a chuck 303. Drive shaft 101 can be inserted into chuck 303, wherein chuck 303 can be tightened to affix conduit cutting assembly 100 to rotary device 301. In an alternate embodiment, an extension 304 can be inserted into chuck 303 and affixed to rotary device 301. Conduit cutting assembly 100 can be affixed to extension 304 through a male-female coupling system or other suitable assembly method.

(11) FIG. 3 illustrates a strip 305 being removed from conduit 204 through the use of conduit cutting assembly 100 as configured with rotary device 301, extension 304, and chuck 303.

(12) While the present general inventive concept has been illustrated by description of several example embodiments, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the inventive concept to such descriptions and illustrations. Instead the descriptions, drawings, and claims herein are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive, and additional embodiments will readily appear to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description and reviewing the drawings.