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US 4,998,349 AGranted
Key-cutting device
AssigneeCurtis Industries LLC
InventorGregory J. Killeen
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCurtis Industries LLC
InventorGregory J. Killeen
Estimating the term…
A key-cutting device includes a holder which holds the key blank. The holder is movable between initial and cutting positions. When the holder is in a cutting position, a cutter is moved to cut one or more notches in the key blank. An actuator is connected with the base to move the holder from the initial position to the cutting position. The actuator includes an improved saddle assembly in which a leaf spring is connected with a force transmitting member. A body of polymeric material is disposed between the leaf spring and the force transmitting member. Force is applied to a free end of the leaf spring to move the holder from the initial position to the cutting position. Upon continued operation of the actuator, the leaf spring is deflected about a fulcrum which is at least partially formed by the body of polymeric material. As the leaf spring is deflected, the body of polymeric material is resiliently compressed. The fulcrum extends across the width of the leaf spring to enable force to be transmitted between the fulcrum and the leaf spring across substantially the entire width of the leaf spring.
A key-cutting device for use in cutting one or more notches in a key blank, said key-cutting device comprising a base, holder means for holding a key blank in which one or more notches are to be cut, said holder means being movable relative to said base between initial and cutting positions, cutter means movable relative to said base to cut one or more notches in a key blank held by said holder means when said holder means is in a cutting position, and actuator means connected with said base for moving said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position, said acutator means including a movable force transmitting member, a leaf spring connected with said force transmitting member, a body of polymeric material disposed between said leaf spring and said force transmitting member, and means for applying force to said leaf spring to move said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position by moving said force transmitting member and leaf spring relative to said base and to deflect said leaf spring relative to said force transmitting member about a fulcrum which is at least partially formed by said body of polymeric material upon continued operation of said actuator means after said holder means has moved from the initial position to the cutting position.
A key-cutting device for use in cutting one or more notches in a key blank, said key-cutting device comprising a base, holder means for holding a key blank in which one or more notches are to be cut, said holder means being movable relative to said base between initial and cutting positions, cutter means movable relative to said base to cut one or more notches in a key blank held by said holder means when said holder means is in a cutting position, and actuator means connected with said base for moving said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position, said actuator means including a movable force transmitting member, a leaf spring connected with said force transmitting member, a body of polymeric material disposed between said leaf spring and said force transmitting member, said body of polymeric material having an extent transverse to a longitudinal central axis of said leaf spring which is at least substantially as great as the extent of said leaf spring in a direction transverse to the longitudinal central axis of said leaf spring and parallel to a major side surface of said leaf spring, and means for applying force to said leaf spring to move said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position by moving said force transmitting member and leaf spring relative to said base and to deflect said leaf spring relative to said force transmitting member about a fulcrum which is at least partially formed by said body of polymeric material upon continued operation of said actuator means after said holder means has moved from the initial position to the cutting position, said body of polymeric material being resiliently compressed by said leaf spring upon operation of said actuator means and having an area of engagement with said leaf spring which increases during operation of said actuator means and compression of said body of polymeric material.
A saddle assembly for use in a key-cutting device in which a cutter is movable relative to a base to cut one or more notches in a key blank held by a holder assembly after the holder assembly has been moved from an initial position to a cutting position by operation of an actuator assembly, said saddle assembly comprising a force transmitting member having a first end portion with means for transmitting force from said force transmitting member to the holder assembly to move the holder assembly between the initial and cutting positions, a leaf spring having a first end portion fixedly connected to said force transmitting member and second end portion movable by the actuator assembly, and a body of polymeric material disposed between said leaf spring and said force transmitting member to form a fulcrum about which said leaf spring is deflected under the influence of force applied to the second end portion of said leaf spring by the actuator assembly upon continued operation of the actuator assembly and movement of the second end portion of said leaf spring relative to said force transmitting member after the holder assembly has moved from the initial position to a cutting position.
A key-cutting device for use in cutting one or more notches in a key blank, said key-cutting device comprising a base, holder means for holding a key blank in which one or more notches are to be cut, said holder means being movable relative to said base between initial and cutting positions, cutter means movable relative to said base to cut one or more notches in a key blank held by said holder means when said holder means is in a cutting position, and actuator means connected with said base for moving said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position, said acutator means including a movable force transmitting member, a spring connected with said force transmitting member, a body of resiliently compressible material disposed between said spring and said force transmitting member, and means for applying force to said spring to move said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position by moving said force transmitting member, body of material, and spring together relative to said base, said actuator means being operable to move said spring relative to said force transmitting member to resiliently deflect said spring and to resiliently compress said body of material upon continued operation of said actuator means after said holder means has moved from the initial position to the cutting position.
A key-cutting for use in cutting one or more notches in a key blank, said key-cutting device comprising a base, holder means for holding a key blank in which one or more notches are to be cut, said holder means being movable relative to said base between initial and cutting positions, cutting means movable relative to said base to cut one or more notches in a key blank held by said holder means when said holder means is in a cutting position, and actuator means connected with said base for moving said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position, said actuator means including a movable force transmitting member, a leaf spring connected with said force transmitting member, a fulcrum dispose between said leaf spring and said force transmitting member, and means for applying force to said leaf spring to move said holder means from the initial position to a cutting position by moving said force transmitting member and leaf spring relative to said base and to deflect said leaf spring about said fulcrum upon continued operation of said actuator means after said holder means has moved from the initial position to the cutting position, said fulcrum having an extent transverse to a longitudinal central axis of said leaf spring which is at least substantially as great as the extent of said leaf spring in a direction transverse to the longitudinal central axis of said leaf spring and parallel to a major side surface of said leaf spring said fulcrum being at least partially formed by a body of polymeric material which is compressed upon operation of said actuator means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.