US2495971A - Tool for perforating glass tile - Google Patents

Description

Jam.. 3l, 1950 .1. F. ISEMN @49,9%

TOOL FOR PERFRATING GLASS TILE Filed Oct. 18, 1946 IMI. a YYYYYY INVENTOR. f/EQHN F ISELIN,

TTFNEK Patented Jan. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

Workers in structural glass, commonly known as glass tile, have, for many years, been confronted With the problem of forming openings through such tile without otherwise damaging the tile. The material in question is used primarily as a wall covering, though not exclusively so; and perforations must be formed therein to permit the passage of `pipes and other plumbing fittings, electric Wiring, and fittings and xtures of various characteristics. Usually, though not invariably, the necessary perforations are produced in an individual tile by the glazier, just before he applies the tile to the position which it is to occupy on the wall. The necessary perforations will, of course, vary in size and shape to accommodate the particular elements which must be passed therethrough.

It has been customary to form such perforations by drilling a preliminary hole with a glass cutting drill, that hole being of small diameter, since a drilling operation upon the glass is an extremely delicate one and is always accompanied by the risk of breaking or cracking the whole tile. After the preliminary hole is formed, the glazier enlarges it to the desired size and shape by chipping out the edge thereof with a chipping tool and hammer. It will readily be appreciated that this, too, is an extremely delicate operation which frequently results in damage and consequent loss of the piece of tile upon which the work is being performed.

I have devised a new tool, operating in an entirely novel fashion, for forming perforations through glass tile, or the like; the object of my invention being to produce a mechanical device capable of operation to form perforations of the character here under consideration substantially completely without danger of damaging the glass tile or the like being treated. A further object of the invention is to provide a device capable of delivering a sharp blow to a piece of glass tile or the like in a fashion such as to break out of the tile a conical piece whose tip will be almost truly circular and of predetermined diameter. A further object of the invention is to produce such a tool capable of delivering not only the sharp, heavy blow above suggested, but also light chipping blows whereby the diameter of the hole in the iront surface of the tile may be enlarged, and whereby the shape of said hole may be modied. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and includes the steps described and illustrated, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific constructions illustrated and in the steps described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. l is a. perspective view of a tool constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, parts being shown in section, with the tool ready to deliver the breaking blow;

Fig. 3 is a similar elevation, showing the tool as it delivers that blow;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a modied form of tool; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a further modication.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated a tool com prising a base Ill whose bottom surface is preferably provided with a pad Il of felt or similar material. Supported upon the base in a transverse position, intermediate the ends thereof, is a bracket I2 provided with laterally spaced upturned ears I3 and I4 between which is supported a journal element I5. Journalled upon the element l5 for swinging movement about `the axis thereof is an arm i6; and a coiled spring l1 is wrapped about the journal element, on opposite sides of the arms I6, the intermediate portion of said spring being formed into a hoop I8 bearing upon the arm I6, and the opposite ends I9 and 20 of said spring being extended rearwardly and anchored upon the base HJ at 2| and 22.

Supported upon the forward end of the base l0 and in the .path of the arm It, is a yieldable buffer element 23 whose function will appear hereinafter. The free end of the arm I6 carries a hammer or striker element 24 whose depending end 25 may preferably be somewhat tapered, as shown. The parts are so proportioned and designed that, when the arm I6 is at rest against the upper end of the buffer element 23, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the end 25 of the striker element 24 will be positioned beyond the forward end of the base l0 and in va plane parallel with the planes of the top and bottom surfaces of the base, and intermediate the same. The buffer element, however, is yieldable, as stated. so that, when the arm I6 is fully retracted to the yposition of Fig. 2 and then released, it will strike the buffer, under the influence of the spring I1, with sucient force to permit the end 25 of the striker 24 to descend considerably below the plane of if the arm I6 is retracted in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and then released, the end 25 of the striker will deliver a blow of such character as to break out of the glass tile a substantially conical section, producing a substantially circular hole 32 of almost precisely the diameter of the striker 2li, in the upper surface of the tile 3|, and a substantially conical iiaring cavity 33 in the body of the tile.

The buffer 23 acts, almost instantaneously after the blow is struck, to return the arm i to the position of Fig. 1, thus withdrawing the striker from the cavity 33 and hole 32 and returning its end to a position intermediate the planes of the top and bottom surfaces of the base l0.

Now, preferably, the tile 3l will be lifted and the glass fragments driven out of the cavity will be removed from beneath the tile. erator will then shift the base l sufficiently to bring the striker 24 into registry with an edge of the hole 32, and will lift the arm lf3 only a short distance away from the buffer 23, and then release it. The end 25 of the striker 2li will thus be caused, under the influence of the spring Il, to strike a sharp, chipping blow against the edge of the hole 32, which results in chipping away a very small section of that edge. The

operator continues this operation, moving theY base slightly, then lifting and releasing the arm I5, and the hammer, upon each downward movement of the arm I6, chips away a small piece of the edge of the hole, and then is retracted from the hole by the buffer 23. The base it may be thus moved about on the surface of the tile without scratching the tile because of the provision of pad Il.

Obviously, if a very large opening is required,

the operator will strike several hard blows against the tile with the tool, at points suitably spaced, and then will chip away the edges of the holes so produced to join all of such holes.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of tool .in which the rubber block 23 is replaced by a `to the base to take the place of the buiTer 23 or the coiled spring 28.

In actual use, I have found my tool to be extremely eiicient, and to save enormous amounts of time. In addition, satisfactory work of the character under `consideration can be done by relatively unskilled labor through the use of Imy tool, whereas a high degree of skill has al- -ways been required heretofore in order to avoid The op- 5 breakage of the tile. Furthermore, my tool is admirably adapted to form openings in glass tile, or the like, even after the elements to be perforated have been installed on a wall. In this connection, the tool is particularly useful, since breakage of a tile, after installation, may cause irreparable damage. For instance, if a new plumbing or electrical outlet is to be provided in a wall built a number of years earlier, it may be impossible to match the elements of that wall in case one element is broken. Perforating such an element by means heretofore known is extremely likely to break the element; whereas I have found that, through the use of my tool, the desired perforation can be made substantially without any danger of breakage of the tile.

I claim as my invention:

l. A glaziers tool comprising a base adapted to rest on the work and to be readily shifted from point to point on the work, an element supported upon said base for movement relative thereto, means resiliently urging said element `toward movement in one direction relative to said base, yieldable buffer means carried on said base in the path of said element for yieldably limiting the movement of said element in said one direc tion, and striker means carried by saidy element and projecting ahead of said element in said one direction, said buffer means normally supporting said element with the projecting end of its striker means disposed above that surface of said base resting on the work but yielding, in response to movement of said element under the iniiuence of said resilient means, to permit momentary projection of said striker means below said surface.

2. A glaziers tool comprising a having a i'lrst surface and a second surface, an element supported upon s zd second su'face for movement through a nited path assed entirely on one side of second surface, means resiliently urging said element toward one end of its path adjacent said second surface, yieldable buffer means carried on base and disposed in the path oi said element and near said end thereof, striker means carried by said element and projecting ahead thereof as said ele-' ment moves toward said path end, buifer means yielding, when struck by said element, to permit said striker to vproject past said first surface, and then necovering promptly to return said striker to a position spaced from said first surface in the direction of said second surfe. e.

3. A glaziers tool comprising a base having a bottom surface and a top surface, journal means supported above the top surface of base, an arm supported on journal means and swingH able thereabout, a yieldable buier projecting above the top surface of said base in the path of said arm, spring means biasing said arm to ward engagement with said buffer, and a striker carried by said arm, the free end of said striker being positioned, when said arm is normally supported on said buffer, beyond the limits of said base and in a plane parallel with said bottom and top base surfaces and disposed between said surfaces.

4. A glaziers tool comprising a se having a bottom surface and a top surface, ,io nalrneans supported above the top surface of base, an arm supported on said journal means and swing able thereabout, a yieldable buffer projecting above the top surface vof said base in the path of said arm, spring means biasing said arm toward engagement with said buffer, and a striker carried by said arm, the free end of said striker being positioned, when said arm is normally supported on said buffer, beyond the limits of said base and in a plane parallel with said bottom and top base surfaces and disposed between said surfaces, said buier means being distortable, under the effect of a blow struck against it by said arm moving under the inuence of said spring, to permit said striker end to move beyond the plane of said bottom surface.

JOHN F. ISELIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Number Name Date Carr Feb. 21, 1882 Rylands Aug. 17, 1886 Watson Aug. 25, 1891 Doane is Jan. 23, 1906 True Feb. 20, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Nov. 20, 1884 France Oct. 27, 1554

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