Hand-held oval cutting device

A hand-held device for forming an elliptical shape in a sheet of material, comprising:

• a first plate member adapted for placement on the sheet material, the first plate member having a first pivot point that is movable along a first axis;
• a second plate member having a second pivot point that is movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis;
• said first and second plate members being operably connected to each other at said first and second pivot points;
• a forming member operably connected to said second plate member for forming the elliptical shape in the sheet of material;
• wherein rotation of said second plate member with respect to said first plate member about said movable pivot points causes said forming member to move in an elliptical path;
• and
• only one knob connected to one of said first and second pivot points, said knob being adapted for grasping by one hand such that rotation of said knob about said one pivot point causes said forming member to move in the elliptical path.

A hand-held device for cutting an elliptical shape in a sheet of material, comprising:

• an elliptical base plate having major and minor axes, said base plate including upper and lower surfaces with an elongate slot extending along one of said axes between said upper and lower surfaces, and a channel formed in said upper surface, said channel extending along the other of said axes;
• a plurality of resilient feet attached to the lower surface of said base plate for contacting the sheet of material;
• an adjusting plate having upper and lower surfaces with an elongate slot extending therebetween, the lower surface of said adjusting plate comprising at least one linear matrix of bores extending generally parallel to said elongate slot in said adjusting plate;
• a spacer block located between said base plate and adjusting plate, said spacer block including a registration pin projecting from an upper surface thereof, said registration pin being installed in one of said bores when said plates and block are connected together;
• an elongate fastener having a head portion and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending through the slot in said base plate, an aperture in said spacer block and said slot in said adjusting plate, with the head portion of said fastener being adjacent said base plate lower surface;
• a knob threaded onto a distal end of said shaft portion for holding said base plate, said spacer block and said adjusting plate together, said adjusting plate and spacer block being rotatable about a first movable pivot point defined by a longitudinal axis of said elongate fastener, said adjusting plate together with said spacer, elongate fastener and knob being translatable along said slot in said base plate;
• a slider block located in said channel of said base plate and pivotally attached to said spacer block to define a second movable pivot point that is translatable along said channel;
• and
• a blade holder connected to an outer end portion of said adjusting plate for receiving a cutting blade, said blade holder having a lower end portion with a depression formed therein, said depression being shaped to receive a substantial portion of the cutting blade, a depth of said depression being at least equal to a thickness of the cutting blade, first and second fasteners mounted to said holder, each of said fasteners having a head portion, with the head portion of said first fastener being partially located in the depression such that a space for receiving the cutting blade is formed between said head portion and a bottom surface of said depression, and the head portion of said second fastener being entirely located in the depression such that the cutting blade can be securely held between the head portion of said second fastener and the bottom surface of said depression;
• said knob being adapted for grasping by one hand and rotated about said elongate fastener;
• such rotation causing said adjusting plate to rotate about and translate with said first and second pivot points to thereby move said cutting blade along said elliptical path, the size of the elliptical path being selectively adjustable by positioning the at least one registration pin in different bores of said matrix of bores.