Insulation cutter

Claim 1

A cutting apparatus for cutting thick, fibrous insulation type material fed from a substantially long continuous supply roll into pieces of predetermined and variable widths and length comprising: a. a work table having a supporting frame and a table surface; b. a roll support extending across the end of said table opposite said table surface and rotatably mounting a continuous supply roll of said material; c. a pair of upper and lower opposed rollers mounted adjacent and forward of said roll support and proximate said table surface and extending across said table, the upper of said rollers being an idler roller and being adjustably spring loaded towards said lower roller, the lower of said rollers having handle operator means and a frictional surface for gripping the width of said material, said rollers being adapted to withdraw a predetermined length of said material from said roll and force such length onto said table surface; d. a plurality of slitting blade arrangements adjustably mounted on a rod extending across and above said table surface and being adjacent and forward of said rollers, each said slitting blade arrangement including: 1. bracket means adjustably secured to said mounting rod and providing below said rod a vertically and laterally adjustable slitting blade mount; 2. a thin slitting disc blade rotatably positioned on said slitting blade mount at a selected lateral position and height above said table corresponding to a preset width and material thickness and adapted to slit said thickness to such preset width as said material is pUshed by said rollers against the cutting edge of said slitting blade, the longitudinal spacing between said rollers and slitting blade being minimal to minimize buckling of said material as it approaches said blade; and 3. presser foot means providing a pair of surfaces for slidably engaging the top of the material immediately adjacent the sides of said blade at some predetermined upward limiting position at the point of slitting; e. an auxiliary material pulling arrangement including an auxiliary shaft extending across said table surface immediately beneath said slitting blade arrangements, and rotatably supported by said frame, said shaft having a plurality of frictional surfaced collar members, one for each said slitting blade arrangement, adjustably mounted thereon and arranged for being driven by said auxiliary shaft at locations corresponding to the selected lateral positions of said slitting blade arrangements, each said collar member having a groove for receiving a respective said slitting blade therein such that the bottom surface of said material during slitting is engaged on either side of said blade by a respective collar member peripheral surface and its upper surface by a said slitting blade edge; f. belt and pulley drive means connecting said lower roller and said auxiliary shaft member such that rotation of said lower roller by said handle means in turn causes said shaft member and said collar members to rotate, to allow said supply material as it passes said slitting arrangements to simultaneously contact said collar members and to be pulled through said slitting blades to supplement the pushing effort of said rollers during slitting of the material, and subsequent to slitting said collar members being effective to push said material forward of said auxiliary shaft; g. cut-off blade means positioned between said rollers and slitting blade means including a support rail extending across said table adjacent said rollers, a wheel bracket arrangement providing a set of wheels adapted to ride said rail and a bracket supported by said wheels providing a vertically adjustable cut-off blade mount, and a cut-off disc blade rotatably mounted on said cut-off blade mount, said cut-off blade means being adapted when adjusted to a vertical position corresponding to said material thickness and pushed across said table to cut said material to a preset length corresponding to the length of said material drawn onto the said table past said rail; and h. a horizontal handle bar mounted for rotation about a vertical axis above and on said wheel bracket arrangement and having upright hand grip means at the ends thereof, said handle bar being adapted to move said cut-off blade across said material from either side of said table and when not in use said handle being adapted to being rotated and releasably held in a horizontal plane to a position substantially perpendicular to said rail while said cut-off blade remains positioned at one side of said table thereby leaving aisle space on both sides of said table free of the obstruction of said handle and the central area of said table free of the obstruction of said cutoff blade.