Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26F—PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING
  • B26F1/00—Perforating; Punching; Cutting-out; Stamping-out; Apparatus therefor
  • B26F1/18—Perforating by slitting, i.e. forming cuts closed at their ends without removal of material
  • B26F1/22—Perforating by slitting, i.e. forming cuts closed at their ends without removal of material to form non-rectilinear cuts, e.g. for tabs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G27/00—Floor fabrics; Fastenings therefor
  • A47G27/02—Carpets; Stair runners; Bedside rugs; Foot mats
  • A47G27/0293—Mat modules for interlocking engagement
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G27/00—Floor fabrics; Fastenings therefor
  • A47G27/04—Carpet fasteners; Carpet-expanding devices ; Laying carpeting; Tools therefor
  • A47G27/0475—Laying carpet tiles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
  • B26D9/00—Cutting apparatus combined with punching or perforating apparatus or with dissimilar cutting apparatus
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26F—PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING
  • B26F1/00—Perforating; Punching; Cutting-out; Stamping-out; Apparatus therefor
  • B26F1/38—Cutting-out; Stamping-out
  • B26F1/3853—Cutting-out; Stamping-out cutting out frames
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26F—PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING
  • B26F1/00—Perforating; Punching; Cutting-out; Stamping-out; Apparatus therefor
  • B26F1/38—Cutting-out; Stamping-out
  • B26F1/40—Cutting-out; Stamping-out using a press, e.g. of the ram type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26F—PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING
  • B26F1/00—Perforating; Punching; Cutting-out; Stamping-out; Apparatus therefor
  • B26F1/38—Cutting-out; Stamping-out
  • B26F1/44—Cutters therefor; Dies therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
  • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
  • B26D7/01—Means for holding or positioning work
  • B26D7/02—Means for holding or positioning work with clamping means
  • B26D7/025—Means for holding or positioning work with clamping means acting upon planar surfaces
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26F—PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING
  • B26F1/00—Perforating; Punching; Cutting-out; Stamping-out; Apparatus therefor
  • B26F1/38—Cutting-out; Stamping-out
  • B26F1/44—Cutters therefor; Dies therefor
  • B26F2001/4454—Die heads carrying several moveable tools

Definitions

• This invention relates to carpet tile and, more specifically, to carpet tile with a removable cutout section, a cutter assembly for manufacturing ca ⁇ et tiles with removable cutout sections and a method for installing ca ⁇ et tiles with removable cutout sections.
• Ca ⁇ et tile is normally manufactured by producing a long web of tile material and then cutting square tiles from the web. Identical tiles installed side-by-side provide an attractive, but sometimes uninteresting, ca ⁇ eted floor surface. As a result, enormous effort has been expended to produce patterned tiles having variations in pile, color and other properties for aesthetic reasons.
• This invention consists of a ca ⁇ et tile cutting assembly, a ca ⁇ et tile and a method for installing the ca ⁇ et tile.
• the ca ⁇ et tile cutting assembly produces ca ⁇ et tiles with a discontinuous slit forming a removable cutout section having a desired shape, such as a square.
• the cutting assembly includes two sets of knives for cutting each tile and the discontinuous slit that defines the cutout section.
• the cutout section is held in place by bridge material formed by interruptions in the slit.
• the shaped cutout sections can be removed during installation by cutting the bridging material at the slit interruptions, and cutouts can be substituted for each other or quarter or half turned in place to form a pattern in the floor covering.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary ca ⁇ et tile installation of this invention
• Fig. 2 is an schematic cross-section of the ca ⁇ et taken along lines 2-2 in Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a compound cutter assembly of this invention.
• Fig. 4A is a front elevation view of a portion of the cutter assembly shown in Fig. 3 with the insert cutter and spring loaded foot assembly in the raised, disengaged position;
• Fig. 4B is the front elevation view of Fig. 3 with the insert cutter and foot assembly in the lowered, engaged position to form the cutout section when the tile perimeter is cut.
• Fig. 1 shows a layout 8 of die cut carpet tiles 10 and 1 1 with interchangeable cutout sections 13 and 15 inside border sections 12 and 16.
• Tiles 10 and 1 1 in layout 8 are of two types. For instance, tiles 10 may have high pile, while tiles 1 1 have lower pile, or tile 10 and 1 1 may be of different colors. Tiles 10 and 1 1 are laid in an alternating pattern. Each tile 10 and 1 1 is manufactured with a central section 13 and 15 defined by a cut line 19 having a generally closed form, such as a square. Gaps in the cut line 19 leave bridges 14 that attach the cutout sections 13 and 15 to the border sections 12 and 16 respectively.
• the interchangeable cutout centers 13 and 15 are removable from their respective border sections 12 and 16 by severing the bridges 14 at the installation site, for instance, with a utility knife.
• the cutout sections 13 and 15 are removed from their respective border sections 12 and 16 and swapped into another border section 16 and 12, respectively, to form a pattern.
• the pattern can be formed by varying many different aspects of the tile; for example, ca ⁇ et color, pile height, knap, orientation of the cutout, or any other aesthetic aspect of the overall carpet tile.
• Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the ca ⁇ et tiles 10 and 1 1 with swapped or rotated cutout sections 13.
• Each cutout section 13 and 15 is removed from the tiles 10 or 1 1 and placed in a dissimilar border 16 and 12, respectively.
• the ca ⁇ et tiles 10 and 1 1 can be manufactured and shipped with the cutout section secured in place by bridges 14. During installation, the installer can severe the bridges 14, with a utility knife, remove the cutout sections 13 and 15 and swap them among the tiles 10 and 1 1 or simply rotate them within the tile border 12 and 16 from which they came to form a pattern. Alternatively, tiles 10 and 1 1 can be installed without removing the cutout section.
• tiles 10 and 1 1 with the centrally located cutouts 13 and 15 of this invention can be produced by adding to the conventional knife assembly a set of knives to form the central cutouts.
• Such knives for the cutouts can be fixed in relation to the tile perimeter knives so that cutout cut lines 19 are always formed.
• the cutout forming knives can be retractable for selective use.
• FIG. 3 shows the tile cutting apparatus operating on a web 60 with low pile height; however, the cutting apparatus 20 can be used on all types of webbing.
• Fig. 3 shows a tile cutting apparatus 20 usable to cut carpet tiles 10 and 1 1 from web of carpet tile material 60 having a "machine direction" indicated by arrow 61 in Fig. 3.
• the tile cutting apparatus 20 is connected to a fixed beam 22 by die assembly press cylinders 24.
• the die assembly press cylinders 24 may be air or hydraulically actuated cylinders, but electro-mechanical or other actuators could be used to drive the assembly down to engage web 60 and up so that the web 60 can be advanced.
• tile cutting apparatus 20 moves vertically relative to the fixed beam 22 and web of tile material 60.
• the tile cutting apparatus 20 includes fixed knives 55 that always engage the web 60 when cylinders 24 are actuated to cut the web of tile material into tiles 1 1 along tile separation lines 18 (shown in Fig. 3).
• the schematically illustrated cutting apparatus 20 includes retractable inner cutting assembly 40 that make cut lines 19.
• Each retractable inner cutting assembly 40 includes knives 45 and foot assemblies 46 that can create the cutout section 13 at the same time tile 1 1 is cut out by the fixed knives 55.
• the retractable inner cutting assembly 40 can be actuated by an air cylinder 27 or by other means including manual movement between operational and retracted positions.
• the inner cutting assembly 40 moves in relation to the carpet tile cutting apparatus 20 and the outer cutting assembly 50. This upward and downward movement allows the inner cutting assembly 40 to be moved between engaged and disengaged positions. This is advantageous because ca ⁇ et tile 1 1 can be manufactured with or without an attached cutout section 13 depending upon the position of the inner cutting assembly 40.
• knives 45 can be fixed relative to knives 55 so that cut lines 19 are always formed at the same time that tile 1 1 is cut from web 60.
• a web of tile material 60 is fed under the tile cutting apparatus 20. Once the web 60 is in position, the tile cutting apparatus 20 moves downward engaging the web 60. If the inner cutting assembly 40 is in the lower, operative position, it too will engage the web 60 creating a discontinuous cut line 19 defining the cutout section 13 and bridges 14. If the inner cutting assembly 40 is in the raised, disengaged position, a conventional carpet tile 1 1 will be formed without a cutout section 13.
• Figs. 4A and 4B show a single cutting assembly 30 with an outer cutting assembly 50 and an inner cutting assembly 40 disengaged and engaged, respectively.
• the inner cutting assembly 40 includes multiple blades 45 mounted to a die plate 44.
• the knives 45 attach to a foot 43 on the end of arm 41 attached to cylinder 27 that moves knives 45 down to engage the web 60, as illustrated in Fig. 4B, or up, disengaged, as shown in Fig. 4A.
• a foot plate 46 mounted to the die plate 44 by rods 48 and springs 47 applies pressure on the web 60 as knives 45 cut the web 60 to facilitate a clean, accurately positioned cut.
• Gaps 42 in blades 45 leave bridges 14 in cutlines 19.
• the outer cutting assembly 50 include blades 55 that are attached to a perimeter die plate 54 in an arrangement that forms the perimeter of the carpet tile 1 1.
• the foot plates 51 mounted on rods 53 are forced against web 60 by springs 56 to exert pressure on the web 60 as the blades 55 cut the ca ⁇ et tile 1 1 to facilitate a clean, accurately positioned cut.
• the perimeter die plate 54 is attached to stanchions 52.
• the stanchions 52 are connected to the transverse perimeter die frames 28 (Fig. 1). The stanchions 52 secure the perimeter die 50 to the tile cutting apparatus 20.
• the carpet tiles 10 and 1 1 can be manufactured with attached cutout sections 13 and 15 in the same operation that cuts tiles 10 and 1 1 out of web 60, manufacture of ca ⁇ et tiles 10 and 1 1 with cutouts 13 and 15 incurs no additional expense apart from the equipment expense, and require no additional manufacturing steps or time and no additional handling, since the cutouts remain attached. Since the ca ⁇ et tiles 10 and 11 can be manufactured and shipped with the attached cutout sections 13 and 15, installation flexibility is available. During installation, an installer can lay the carpet tile 10 or 1 1 as shipped or he can remove the cutout sections 13 and 15, for instance, with a utility knife or other cutter by severing the bridges 14.
• the installer can swap or rotate the cutout sections 13 and 15 among the installed border sections 12 and 16 to create a pattern.
• Many aesthetic features can be used to form the pattern in the carpet tile layout 8 (Fig. 1).
• the cutout sections 13 and 15 can be formed in many shapes, including circles, squares, triangles and an infinite variety of other shapes.
• the pile height and knap can be varied to create a textural pattern.
• carpet color can be varied to form a color pattern. Any combination of the above examples or other attributes of ca ⁇ et tile can be combined to form a multi-colored, multi-shaped textural pattern.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Carpets (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
• Floor Finish (AREA)
• Nonmetal Cutting Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=22627853

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2000
  • 2000-10-03 MX MXPA02005877A patent/MXPA02005877A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-10-03 EP EP00970544A patent/EP1237685A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-10-03 AU AU79909/00A patent/AU775805B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-10-03 HU HU0302075A patent/HUP0302075A2/hu unknown
  • 2000-10-03 BR BR0016459-3A patent/BR0016459A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-03 PL PL00355373A patent/PL355373A1/xx unknown
  • 2000-10-03 JP JP2001545043A patent/JP2003516874A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-10-03 CA CA002394522A patent/CA2394522A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-10-03 WO PCT/US2000/027190 patent/WO2001043925A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2002
  • 2002-07-16 ZA ZA200205657A patent/ZA200205657B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events