US 6,438,924 B1Granted

Slot forming tool for wall construction

AssigneesEdward N. Martin, Thomas J. Clover

InventorThomas J. Clover

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a slot-forming tool for forming a number of consistently sized and shaped slots in a channel of a wall frame. Each slot aligns and slidingly supports a vertical stud that is snap-fit in place during an intermediate stage of constructing a wall. The tool has an arm for aligning the tool against the channel and a pivotally connected arm that is stroked to form the slot in the channel. Each arm has a gripping portion, an intermediate connecting portion and a working portion. The working portion of the alignment arm includes a cutting block with a face and two spaced sidewalls that form a pair of cutting edges. The working portion of the pivoting arm includes a pair of spaced knives. Each knife has a ramp or wedge shaped blade with a cutting edge that is aligned to shearingly engage one of the cutting edges of the cutting block and slide down the sidewall of the cutting block a predetermined distance. As the pivoting arm is stroked to its closed position, the tool simultaneously cuts two parallel slits and simultaneously forms two roughly perpendicular tears in the channel to form a pair of opposed flaps. The same stroke also bends the flaps inwardly into the channel to form the slot.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A slot forming tool for constructing a wall frame having a mounting bracket and a stud, the mounting bracket having a sidewall and the stud having a predetermined width, the stud being adapted to slidingly engage the surface of the mounting bracket, said slot forming tool comprising:

a first member having a cutting portion and a coupling portion, said cutting portion having first and second spaced apart cutting edges;
a second member having a cutting portion and a coupling portion, said coupling portions movingly connecting said first and second members to allow said tool to be stroked along a path of travel between open and closed positions, said cutting portions being spaced apart in said open position to receive the sidewall of the mounting bracket, said cutting portion of said second member having spaced apart first and second ramped blades, each of said ramped blades having a cutting edge and an angled surface, said angled surface having a predetermined length and being angled to said path of travel, said cutting edge of said first blade being adapted to flushly engage said first cutting edge of said first member and said cutting edge of said second blade being adapted to flushly engage said second cutting edge of said first member;
an alignment mechanism having a spaced abutment adapted to engage one of either the sidewall or the mounting bracket and is spaced from said cutting edges, said alignment mechanism aligning said cutting portions with the sidewall of the mounting bracket;
and,
wherein stroking said tool from said open position to said closed position causes said ramped blades to engage and form opposed, spaced flaps into the sidewall of the mounting bracket, each spaced flap being bent to a desired orientation to form a slot having a predetermined width and depth to slidingly receive the stud.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.