MANUALLY ACTUATED CERAMIC CUTTER

Abstract

A manually actuated ceramic cutter includes a work table mounted on a support structure, and a tool-carrier head provided with a cutting tool and with an actuating handle, which tool-carrier head can be moved along longitudinal guide means comprising a single longitudinal guide disposed on one side of the tool-carrier head, the guide being offset from a vertical plane coinciding with the longitudinal path of the cutting tool during the scoring of the ceramic pieces and being attached by the ends thereof to respective sides of supports attached at opposite ends of the support structure. The longitudinal guide includes longitudinal tracks for moving a sliding piece, the side of which piece is provided with a horizontal shaft for rotating the tool-carrier head in a vertical plane.

Claims

1. A manually actuated ceramic cutter comprising: a work table mounted on a support structure; and a tool-carrier head movable along longitudinal guide means and provided with a cutting tool and with an actuating handle; wherein the longitudinal guide means of the tool-carrier head comprises a single longitudinal guide disposed on one side of the tool-carrier head, the guide being offset from a vertical plane coinciding with a longitudinal path of the cutting tool during scoring of ceramic pieces and being attached by the ends thereof to respective sides of supports attached at opposite ends of the support structure; and wherein the longitudinal guide comprises at least one longitudinal track for moving a sliding piece, and a side of the sliding piece is provided with a horizontal shaft for rotating the tool-carrier head in the vertical plane.

2. The ceramic cutter, according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is vertically aligned with a longitudinal median plane of the work table and with the longitudinal path of the cutting tool, and comprises at least one longitudinal profile arranged below said work table.

3. The ceramic cutter, according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal guide comprises a first longitudinal track and a second longitudinal track along which vertical rolling elements and horizontal rolling elements move, which are connected to the sliding piece by means of respective rotating shafts; and which limit a movement of said sliding piece to only a longitudinal direction.

4. The ceramic cutter, according to claim 3, wherein the first track is defined on a lateral face of the longitudinal guide facing the tool-carrier head, and the second track is defined on a lower face of said longitudinal guide.

5. The cutter, according to claim 4, wherein the sliding piece comprises a vertical flange arranged between the longitudinal guide and the tool-carrier head, and a horizontal flange arranged between the lower face of the longitudinal guide and the work table.

6. The cutter, according to claim 5, wherein the rotating shafts of the vertical rolling elements that move along the first track of the longitudinal guide and the horizontal shaft for rotating the tool-carrier head are mounted on the vertical flange of the sliding piece.

7. The cutter, according to claim 5, wherein the rotating shafts of the horizontal rolling elements that move along the second track of the longitudinal guide are mounted on the horizontal flange of the sliding piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] As a complement to the description provided herein, and for the purpose of helping to make the features of the invention more readily understandable, the present specification is accompanied by a set of drawings which, by way of illustration and not limitation, represent the following:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the manually actuated ceramic cutter according to the invention.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the ceramic cutter of the previous figure.

[0026] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an elevation view and a top plan view, respectively, of the ceramic cutter of the previous figures.

[0027] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged perspective view of one of the ends of the ceramic cutter.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a partial profile view of the cutter sectioned along a vertical plane, showing the sectioned longitudinal guide and the rolling means of the sliding piece that supports the tool-carrier head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The manually actuated ceramic cutter shown in the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 6 comprises a work table (1) for supporting the ceramic pieces to be cut and which has an adjustable set square (11) at one of its ends.

[0030] Said cutter comprises, above the work table (1), a tool-carrier head (2) provided with a cutting tool (21) for scoring a cutting line on the ceramic pieces, an actuating handle (22) of the tool-carrier head and a blank holder (23) for breaking the ceramic piece along the cutting line previously scored by the cutting tool (21).

[0031] This cutter comprises, for moving the tool-carrier head (2), a single longitudinal guide (3) disposed on one side of the tool-carrier head and moved towards one side of the work table (1), said tool-carrier head (2) being mounted on a sliding piece (4) movable along said longitudinal guide (3) by means of rolling elements.

[0032] As shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4 and 6, the arrangement of the longitudinal guide (3), moved towards one of the sides of the work table (1), means that said longitudinal guide does not constitute a hindrance to the operator's view of the cutting area.

[0033] The longitudinal guide (3) is mounted by the ends thereof on one side of supports (51) attached on the support structure (5) which, in this exemplary embodiment, is made up of a single longitudinal profile arranged below the work table (1) and vertically aligned with the tool-carrier head (2). This support structure (5) has arms (52) on its sides for the oscillating support of two halves of the work table (1) arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal path of the cutting tool (21).

[0034] One of the supports (51) attached at the ends of the support structure (5) has wheels (53) to facilitate the transport of the ceramic cutter by holding it at the opposite end.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, the longitudinal guide (3) comprises a first longitudinal track (31) defined on the lateral face of the longitudinal guide facing the tool-carrier head (2) and a second longitudinal track (32) defined on the lower face of the aforementioned longitudinal guide (3).

[0036] In the first track (31) there are at least three vertical rolling elements (42) with the possibility of longitudinal movement, offset from each other in the longitudinal direction and which act on the opposite ends, upper and lower, of the first track (31) and which are attached by means of the corresponding rotating shafts (44) to the sliding piece (4), preventing it from moving in the vertical direction.

[0037] In the second track (32) of the longitudinal guide, there are at least two horizontal rolling elements (43) which act on opposite sides of said second track (32) and which are attached by means of respective rotating shafts (45) to the sliding piece (4), preventing it from moving in the lateral direction.

[0038] The tool-carrier head (2) is mounted on a horizontal shaft (41) that starts laterally from the sliding piece (4) and that allows its vertical rotation to vertically move the cutting tool (21) closer to or further away from the ceramic piece to be cut.

[0039] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the sliding piece (4) has an L-shaped section that comprises a vertical flange (46) on which the rotating shafts (44) of the vertical rolling elements (42) and the horizontal shaft (41) for rotating the tool-carrier head (2) are mounted; and a horizontal flange (47) on which the rotating shafts (45) of the horizontal rolling elements (43) are mounted.

[0040] Said rolling means (42, 43) provide smooth and exclusively longitudinal movement of the sliding piece (4) and the tool-carrier head (2), which guarantees high precision in the definition of the cutting line of the ceramic pieces by means of the cutting tool.

[0041] Having sufficiently described the nature of the invention, in addition to a preferred exemplary embodiment, it is hereby stated for the relevant purposes that the materials, shape, size and layout of the described elements may be modified, provided that it does not imply altering the essential features of the invention claimed below.