Pipe cutter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302402-B2
Application number	US-201213617147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Mar 15, 2007
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A pipe cutter for cutting a pipe includes a cutting head assembly having a first carriage and a second carriage spaced apart to define a cutting area. The first carriage supports a cutting mechanism, and the second carriage is configured to support a pipe within the cutting area. The carriages have a locked state and an unlocked state such that when the carriages are in the unlocked state, the carriages are movable relative to each other and biased into the cutting area. The pipe cutter also includes a drive assembly configured to rotate the cutting head assembly and a locking mechanism configured for changing the carriages from the unlocked state to the locked state and for holding the carriages in the locked state. The locking mechanism includes an actuation member rotatably coupled to the first carriage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe cutter for cutting a pipe, the pipe cutter comprising:
a housing having a cutting head portion and a handle portion;
a cutting head assembly contained within the cutting head portion of the housing, the cutting head assembly including a first carriage and a second carriage spaced apart to define a cutting area, the first carriage supporting a cutting mechanism and including a biasing arm having a first portion supporting the cutting mechanism and a second portion, and the second carriage including a support surface,
wherein the cutting mechanism and the support surface define an over-center position for the pipe;
wherein the carriages have an unlocked state and a locked state,
wherein when the carriages are in the unlocked state, the carriages are movable relative to each other and biased into the cutting area;
a spring biasing the second carriage into the cutting area;
a drive assembly configured to rotate the cutting head assembly;
a cam member rotatably coupled to the second portion of the biasing arm, wherein rotation of the cutting head assembly causes rotation of the cam member relative to the first carriage;
a locking member configured for engagement with the first carriage and the second carriage upon rotation of the cam member, wherein engagement of the locking member with the carriages holds the carriages in the locked state; and
an actuator member fixed relative to the cutting head assembly, wherein the actuator member engages the cam member as the cutting head assembly rotates to rotate the cam member.

2. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , wherein the cam member comprises a cam shaft, a lever extending from the cam shaft, and a post positioned at a free end of the lever.

3. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , further comprising a support member coupled to the second carriage, wherein the locking member engages the support member upon rotation of the cam member to hold the carriages in the locked state.

4. The pipe cutter of claim 3 , wherein the locking member comprises,
a lift member selectively engageable with the cam member for movement relative to the support member as the actuation member rotates; and
a locking plate for engaging the support member and the first carriage, wherein the lift member moves the locking plate into engagement with the support member and the first carriage.

5. The pipe cutter of claim 4 , wherein the support member includes a plurality of notches, the locking plate engaging one of the plurality of notches when the locking mechanism is in the locked state, and each notch corresponding to a position of the carriages in the locked state.

6. The pipe cutter of claim 5 , wherein each of the positions of the carriages corresponds to a pipe diameter.

7. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , wherein the cutting head portion of the housing includes a window located in a wall of the housing for viewing the cutting area through the housing.

8. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , further comprising a water-tight seal located between the cutting head portion of the housing and the handle portion of the housing.

9. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , wherein upon rotation of the cutting head assembly the cam member rotates relative to the first carriage and deflects the biasing arm toward the second carriage such that the first carriage is in the locked state and a force acts on the cutting mechanism to cut the pipe.

10. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , wherein the cutting head assembly rotates in a first direction to change the carriages to the locked state and the cutting head assembly rotates in a second direction to release the carriages to the unlocked state.

11. The pipe cutter of claim 10 , further comprising a release mechanism for releasing the carriages to the unlocked state, the release mechanism including a lever pivotally coupled to a housing of the pipe cutter proximate the cutting head assembly, wherein during rotating of the cutting head assembly in the second direction the cam member contacts the lever to release the locking member from engagement with the first carriage and the second carriage.

12. The pipe cutter of claim 11 , wherein the release mechanism includes a stop boss extending from an outer surface of the cutting head assembly, wherein during rotation of the cutting head assembly in the second direction the stop boss contacts the lever to stop rotation of the cutting head assembly.

13. The pipe cutter of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a first hand grip on the handle portion of the housing;
a second hand grip on the handle portion of the housing; and
a switch assembly positioned on the handle portion between the first hand grip and the second hand grip.

Assignees

• Thorson Troy C
• Alberti Daniel J
• Bednar Thomas R
• Scott John S
• Anderson Scott
• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Thorson Troy C
• Alberti Daniel J
• Bednar Thomas R
• Scott John S
• Anderson Scott

Classifications

• Y10T82/16541

  Resilient means for tool actuation · CPC title

• B26D3/169 Primary

  Hand held tube cutters · CPC title

• B23D21/04 Primary

  Tube-severing machines with rotating tool-carrier · CPC title

• Y10T82/16918

  Spring urged · CPC title

• B23D21/08

  with cutting wheels · CPC title