US3406456A - Guide for cutting paper and the like - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 22, 1968 H. N. SCHLEICH GUIDE FOR CUTTING PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed May 12, 1967 INVENTOR. HAROLD N. SCHLEICH ATTORNEY United States Patent York Filed May 12, 1967, Ser. No. 638,076 3 Claims. (Cl. 33107) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A guide for use in cutting paper, cardboard and the like consists of an extruded, elongated body having a flat bottom surface with a straight guiding edge along at least one side thereof and a flange directed upwardly from the guiding edge and presenting an outer flange surface which is inclined, at an angle of 30 to 45, away from the perpendicular to the bottom surface so that the users fingers can engage the upper surface of the body immediately in back of the flange, particularly in a shallow locating groove there provided, to securely position the guide on paper or the like as the latter is cut by a sharp tool moved along the guiding edge, while the flange protects the fingers therebehind from injury by the cutting tool jumping the guiding edge.

This invention relates to a guide or ruler for use in cutting paper, cardboard or other sheet material.

A'steel or other metal ruler is frequently used in the printing or graphic arts as a straight edge along which a sharp knife, razor blade or other cutting tool can be drawn to make a straight cut in paper, cardboard or other sheet material. However, there is always the danger that the cutting tool will jump over the guiding edge of the ruler and more or less seriously cut the users fingers by which the ruler is held in position on the material being cut. Although rulers have been provided with a handle projecting upwardly therefrom substantially midway between the longitudinal edges, for example, as disclosed in US. Patents Nos. 434,660 and 470,754, a handle of that character cannot afford protection against cutting of the fingers when using the ruler as a guide for a sharp cutting tool. If the handle is grasped by the fingers, a cutting tool jumping an edge of the ruler is not prevented from contacting, and thereby injuring those fingers disposed at the side of the handle facing toward the edge of the ruler used to the cutting tool. On the other hand, if the fingers used to position the ruler are engaged only with the upper surface of the ruler in back of the handle, that is, at the side of the handle facing away from the ruler edge used to guide the cutting tool, so that the handle acts to shield such fingers from the cutting tool in the event that the latter jumps the guiding edge, then the application of the holding pressure by the fingers is laterally remote from the guiding edge and it becomes diflicult to prevent shifting of the ruler during the cutting operation, particularly if the cutting tool is made to bear rather heavily against the guiding edge so as to accurately follow the latter even when cutting relatively thick resistant material, such as, cardboard.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a cutting guide, in the form of a straight-edge or ruler, which may be securely positioned during the movement of a cutting tool along an edge thereof and which affords effective protection to the users fingers positioning or holding the guide.

Another object is to provide a cutting guide affording protection to the users fingers holding the same against being cut by the cutting tool jumping the edge of the guide along which such tool is moved, without interfering 3,406,456 Patented Oct. 22, 196g with either the movement of the cutting tool or the users view of the line along which a cut is being made.

A further object is to provide a cutting guide having the described charcteristics and which is simple in construction so as to be susceptible to relatively low cost production, as by extrusion.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a guide for the purposes indicated comprises an elongated body which is substantially wider than it is high and has a flat bottom surface with a rectilinear edge along one side for guiding a cutting tool in movement therealong, and which further has a flange therealong directed upwardly from the guiding edge and presenting an outer flange surface which is inclined, at an acute angle preferably in the range from 30 to 45 away from a perpendicular to the flat bottom surface. Thus, the users fingers can engage the upper surface of the body immediately in back of the flange, that is, near to the guiding edge, for securely holding the guide against shifting during the cutting operation, and such fingers are effectively protected from being cut by the cutting tool. Further, by reason of the inclination of the outer flange surface, the flange does not interfere with viewing of the line along which the cut is being made nor with the free movement of the cutting tool in guiding contact with the straight edge at the bottom of the flange.

It is a further feature of the invention to provide the upper surface of the guide body with a shallow groove, preferably of arcuate cross-section, disposed immediately in back of the flange to safely locate the users fingers by which the guide is to be held during a cutting operation.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherem:

. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guide in accordance with this invention, and showing, in broken lines, a persons hands positioned for use of the guide; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of the guide.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the guide '10 embodying this invention is generally in the form of a ruler or straight-edge having an elongated body 11 which is substantially wider than it is high and formed with a flat bottom surface 12. A rectilinear edge 13 extends longitudinally along one side of bottom surface 12, and a flange 14 is directed upwardly from edge 13 along the length of body 11.

Flange 14 is shown to present an outer surface 15 thereof which is inclined at an acute angle a (FIG. 2) away from a perpendicular to the bottom surface 12. The angle a is between approximately 30 and 45 and preferably closer to the lower limit of such range of angles.

The upper surface 16 of body 11 is preferably formed with a shallow groove 17 extending therealong immediately in back of flange 14, and such groove 17 is desirably formed with a arcuate cross-section that merges smoothly into the inner or back surface of flange 14, as shown on FIG. 2.

If desired, the longitudinal edge 18 of body 11 which is remote from edge 13 may also be rectilinear and parallel to edge 13, with the upper surface of body 11 sloping downwardly to edge 18, as at 19. In order to minimize the amount of material required for guide 10, the upper surface of body 11 may be stepped downwardly, as at 20, along the inner margin of sloping surface portion 19. Suitable scales may be etched, scribed, printed or otherwise applied to outer flange surface 15 and sloping surface portion 19, as at 20 and 21 (FIG. 1). The scale 20 may be employed for measuring the lengths of cuts made along edge 13, while scale 21 may be used as a conventional measuring ruler.

In using the guide for the cutting of paper, cardboard or other sheet material, the guide is positioned on such sheet material with its edge 13 extending along the line of the desired cut. The fingers of one hand 22 are engaged with upper surface 16, particularly in groove 17 immediately in back of flange 14, as shown in broken lines on FIG. 1, and made to bear down heavily on body 11 so that bottom surface 12 is held in strong frictional engagement with the sheet material to resist shifting of the guide. With guide 10 thus positioned, a razor, knife or other sharp cutting tool 23 held by the other hand 24, also as shown in broken lines on FIG. 1, can be moved along guiding edge 13 to produce the desired cut. Since the fingers of hand 22 can engage the upper surface of body 11 immediately in back of flange 14, that is, at positions laterally close to edge 13, the pressure exerted by such fingers can effectively resist shifting of the guide during the cutting operation even when tool 23 is made to bear strongly aginst edge 13 so as to closely follow that edge in the cutting of resistant material, such as cardboard.

It will be apparent that the fingers engaging body 11 close to edge 13 nevertheless lie behind flange 14 and thus are protected from contact by cutting tool 23, as when the latter jumps edge v13. The described inclination of flange surface 15 ensures that the flange will not interfere with the movement of the cutting tool therealong in guiding contact with edge 13, and further that the view of edge 13, and hence of the line along which a cut is being made, will not be obstructed. The selection of the angle a betwen 30 and 45 ensures that while the above advantages of inclination are attained, the flange surface 15 will be sufficiently sloped to prevent riding of the cutting tool up surface 15 and over the upper edge of flange 15 into contact with the fingers of hand 22.

The guide 10 in accordance with this invention is preferably of one-piece construction, as shown, and may be conveniently and economically produced by extrusion of aluminum of suitable cross-sectional configuration, as shown on FIG. 2. Such an aluminum extrusion may be surface hardened by convenional treatments to prevent marring thereof, particularly at the guiding edge 13, by the repeated movement of a sharp cutting tool therealong.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and

that various changes and moditfications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed .is:

1. A guide for use in cutting sheet material comprising an elongated body which is substantially wider than it is high and has a flat bottom surface with a-rectilinear edge extending longitudinally along at least one side thereof for guiding a cutting tool in movement therealong, said body further having a flange directed upwardly from, and extending along said one edge, said flange extending at an acute angle away from a perpendicular to said bottom surface in a direction over said body, said flange presenting an inner flange surface which is spaced substantially from the longitudinal median of said body in the direction toward said one edge and an outer flange surface which extends to and defines a sharp corner with said bottom surface at said one edge, the upper surface of the body has a shallow groove extending therealong immediately in back of said flange to receive and locate the users fingers by which the guide is positioned, so that the upper surface of said body can be engaged by the users fingers in said groove at the side of said longitudinal median toward said one edge and immediately in back of said inner surface of the flange to securely position the guide on sheet material as the latter is being cut by a tool moved along said guiding adge without peril to such fingers from the tool jumping the edge.

2. A guide according to claim 1, in which said acute angle is in the range from to 3. A guide according to claim 1, in which said body and flange are integral parts of an extrusion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,144 7/ 1889 Wright 33107 422,701 3/1890 Benzinger et al. 33-107 1,835,364 12/1931 Woerner 33-107 X FOREIGN PATENTS 921,010 1/ 1947 France. 347,178 1/1922 Germany. 905,888 3/1954 Germany.

HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner.

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