Apparatus for shaping and cutting plastic materials

Claim 1

A HOT WIRE CUTTING ARRANGEMENT OF THE TYPE HAVING A VERTICAL HOT WIRE HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS PERMITTING THE WIRE TO BE MAINTAINED IN TAUT CONDITION AND TO BE SUPPLIED WITH ELECTRIC CURRENT FOR A POROUS PLASTIC BLOCK HAVING THE PROPERTIES OF FOAM STYRENE, HAVING A FLAT PORTABLE RECTANGULAR CARRIER CASE, ONE SIDE WALL OF SAID CASE CONSTITUTING A TABLE FOR CARRYING AND SUPPORTING THE ARRANGEMENT WHEN IN USE, AND SAID TABLE HAVING A FIXED ELEMENT CARRYING AN ADJUSTABLE TRANSVERSE GUIDE BAR MEMBER AND SAID TABLE ALSO HAVING A SWING ELEMENT HINGED TO SAID FIXED ELEMENT AND CARRYING AN ADJUSTABLE TRANSVERSE BASE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A ROTATABLE MOUTH FOR THE PLASTIC BLOCK, AND SAID MEMBERS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ELEMENTS TO GIVE THE DESIRED SHAPE AND SIZE TO THE POROUS PLASTIC UPON ROTARY AND TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE PLASTIC ACROS THE HOT WIRE AND SWINGING ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR VARYING THE LENGTH OF THE HOT WIRE AND THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF AND CONSISTING OF A SHOT CIRCUIT BAR MOUNTED ABOVE THE UPPER END OF THE HOT WIRE AND MEANS TO SWING SAID BAR INTO CONTACT WITH AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON THE HOT WIRE AND SHORT CIRCUIT THE SAME.