# US 12,109,722 B2 · Pneumatic drywall hole punch machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,722 B2 - Document ID: US12109722B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/664,496 - Filed: 2022-05-23 - Published: 2022-12-01 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-28 - Applicants: Thomas Henry Rice - Inventors: Thomas Henry Rice - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109722B2 ## CPC - B26F 1/44: Cutters therefor; Dies therefor - B26D 5/12: Fluid-pressure means - E04B 1/7069: {by ventilating (means for ventilating in floors E04B5/48, in ceilings E04B9/02, in building blocks E04C1/392, in building panels E04C2/521, in roofs E04D13/16; ventilating wall coverings E04F13/007)} - E04B 1/70: Drying or keeping dry, e.g. by air vents ({using damp-proof courses E04B1/644; using sealings, e.g. sealing masses or foils, E04B1/66}; during erection E04G21/28) - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) ## Abstract A hole punching machine for use on wet or damp drywall improves ventilation behind the drywall for drying purposes. The machine includes a base position on the floor and against the wall. A pneumatic ram in the base can be extended and retracted to cut a hole in drywall, after any baseboard is removed. The hole can then be covered when the baseboard is reinstalled. The operator can activate the ram using a switch, while standing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet rock hole punch machine for punching a ventilation hole in vertically extending dry wall, comprising: a base having a horizontal bottom plate, a vertical front plate with a hole, a top plate, a rear plate, and opposite sides forming a housing; a pneumatic cylinder mounted within the housing and having a horizontally extendable and retractable ram with a cutting tip movable in opposite forward and rearward directions through the hole in the front plate towards and away from the dry wall; a manually activated switch to actuate the pneumatic cylinder and extend the ram to force the tip horizontally through the dry wall and then retract the ram from the dry wall to form a hole with a horizontal axis in the dry wall; a leg extending upwardly from the base, and the switch being on an upper end of the leg; and an air tank operatively connected to the pneumatic cylinder; the ram having an opening for discharging a plug cut by the tip into the housing; and the housing having an opening for discharging the plug. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The machine of claim 1 further comprising a pressure relief valve operatively connected to the air tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The machine of claim 2 further comprising a regulator operatively connected to the air tank, and an on/off switch for the regulator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The machine of claim 1 further comprising a spring on the ram to retract the ram after extension. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The machine of claim 1 wherein the base includes a notch at a front lower corner adapted to fit over a carpet tack strip. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The machine of claim 1 further comprising an arm extending rearwardly from the leg and a handle extending laterally from the leg. ### Claim 7 A method of forming a hole in sheet rock panel using a pneumatic punch within a housing having a flat bottom and a flat front face, comprising; positioning the housing bottom on a floor with the front face against the sheet rock panel; manually actuating a switch to provide pressurized air to the pneumatic punch so as to extend a cutting tip on the pneumatic punch horizontally through the sheet rock panel to cut a plug from the sheet rock and form a hole therein; discharging the plug from the ram into the housing; and discharging the plug from the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the actuation is performed by a standing operator and the switch is hand operated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising regulating the pressurized air via a pressure regulator. ### Claim 10 A sheet rock hole punching tool for punching holes in sheet rock, comprising; a base formed by a housing having a flat bottom adapted to sit flush on a floor and a flat front face adapted to flushingly engage the sheet rock, and the base having a bottom front notch to accommodate a carpet tack strip; a horizontally extendable and retractable cutter within the housing; a pressurized air supply tank operatively fixed to the base to pneumatically extend the cutter horizontally to punch through the sheet rock to cut a plug and thereby form a hole therein; the cutter having an opening to discharge the plug into the housing; and the housing having an opening to remove the plug. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tool of claim 10 further comprising a manually operated switch to actuate the air supply to extend the cutter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The tool of claim 11 further comprising an upstanding leg connected to the base, and upon which the switch is mounted for control by an operator standing next to the tool. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The tool of claim 10 further comprising an air pressure regulator connected to the air source to control the air pressure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The tool of claim 10 further comprising a handle extending laterally from the leg for gripping by an operator during punching of the sheet rock.