Coping cutting apparatus

An apparatus for cutting an end of a work piece having a work piece curved face along a curve which is substantially the mirror image of the cross-sectional curvature of said work piece curved face, comprising:

• work piece support means;
• work piece anchoring and positioning means for securing said work piece onto said support means in a position to be cut;
• a cutting means carriage structure mounted to move toward and away from said end of said work piece;
• work piece cutting means slidably mounted on said cutting means guide structure and including a work piece cutting member;
• cutting member guide means comprising a guide template having a template guide surface with a guide surface contour;
• and a guide surface following structure connected to said work piece cutting means for guiding said cutting member along a path substantially duplicating said guide surface contour;
• wherein said work piece support means comprises a platform member resting on a plurality of platform member legs;
• wherein said platform member is substantially planar and rectangular and wherein one of said plurality of leg members extends downwardly from each corner of said rectangular platform member, said platform member including a cutting means passing opening through which said cutting means extends during work piece cutting.

An apparatus for cutting an end of a work piece having a work piece curved face along a curve which is substantially the mirror image of the cross-sectional curvature of said work piece curved face, comprising:

• work piece support means;
• work piece anchoring and positioning means for securing said work piece onto said support means in a position to be cut;
• a cutting means carriage structure mounted to move toward and away from said end of said work piece;
• work piece cutting means slidably mounted on said cutting means guide structure and including a work piece cutting member;
• cutting member guide means comprising a guide template having a template guide surface with a guide surface contour;
• and a guide surface following structure connected to said work piece cutting means for guiding said cutting member along a path substantially duplicating said guide surface contour;
• wherein said work piece support means comprises a platform member resting on a plurality of platform member legs;
• wherein said platform member has a first surface and a second surface and wherein said anchoring and positioning means additionally comprises:
• two mutually parallel and laterally spaced apart work piece retaining rails secured to said platform member first surface, for retaining between said retaining rails said work piece to be cut;
• a work piece bracing plate secured across said retaining rails and placed apart from said platform member a sufficient distance to permit passage of said work piece between said bracing plate and said platform member;
• a clamping plate adjacent to said platform member and directly opposing and spaced apart from said bracing plate a sufficient distance to permit passage of said work piece between said clamping plate and said bracing plate;
• clamping plate moving means for moving said clamping plate toward said bracing plate to clamp said work piece between said clamping plate and said bracing plate and to subsequently move said clamping plate away from said bracing plate to release said work piece for removal from said apparatus.

An apparatus for cutting an end of a work piece having a work piece curved face along a curve which is substantially the mirror image of the cross-sectional curvature of said work piece curved face, comprising:

• work piece support means;
• work piece anchoring and positioning means for securing said work piece onto said support means in a position to be cut;
• a cutting means carriage structure mounted to move toward and away from said end of said work piece;
• work piece cutting means slidably mounted on said cutting means guide structure and including a work piece cutting member;
• cutting member guide means comprising a guide template having a template guide surface with a guide surface contour;
• and a guide surface following structure connected to said work piece cutting means for guiding said cutting member along a path substantially duplicating said guide surface contour;
• wherein said following structure comprises a stylus member and wherein said carriage comprises a stylus port into which said stylus member is fitted and secured, and positioned laterally adjacent to said guide template, to abut and ride along said template guide surface.

An apparatus for cutting an end of a work piece having a work piece curved face along a curve which is substantially the mirror image of the cross-sectional curvature of said work piece curved face, comprising:

• work piece support means;
• work piece anchoring and positioning means for securing said work piece onto said support means in a position to be cut;
• a cutting means carriage structure mounted to move toward and away from said end of said work piece;
• work piece cutting means slidably mounted on said cutting means guide structure and including a work piece cutting member;
• cutting member guide means comprising a guide template having a template guide surface with a guide surface contour;
• and a guide surface following structure connected to said work piece cutting means for guiding said cutting member along a path substantially duplicating said guide surface contour;
• wherein said guide template comprises a plurality of parallel and laterally abutting slats having slat guide ends, such that a work piece curved face may be placed against said slat guide ends and said slats may be slid longitudinally relative to each other to each abut said curved face and thus to describe said mirror image of said curved face, and such that said work piece may be subsequently lifted away;
• and a lateral template plate clamp for applying lateral pressure against said slats such that friction anchors said slats in the staggered arrangement such that said slat guide ends define said mirror image of said curved face;
• wherein said slat guide ends together form said guide surface along which said following structure rides to move said work piece cutting member along said path during work piece cutting.