Rubber cutting apparatus

#The present invention relates generally to a rubber cutting or abrading apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a rotary tool used to remove rubber from a tire casing in the process of repairing the tire.

#A wide variety of tire repair tools are well known in the art. Such prior art tools are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,742,655; 4,843,768; and 5,239,784. Generally, these prior art devices are constructed from a unitary base element having a grit or abrasive material applied at the periphery.

#While several prior art devices have met with considerable success, they nonetheless all suffer from the disadvantage that application of the grit is a time-consuming and costly process that increases the overall cost of the device.

#The novel features which are characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the individual wheel components making up the assembly of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a side view showing a cutting wheel and a support wheel used in one preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

#As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the cutting wheel assembly of the present invention is designated generally as 20, and includes a center wheel 22 disposed between two side support wheels 24.

#The center wheel 22 is stamped and formed as a one-piece, unitary structure from relatively thin steel sheet stock, for example, 0.028 inch thick medium carbon steel. After stamping and forming, wheel 20 is heat treated to harden the wheel by conventional heat treating processes to approximately 53/54 Rockwell hardness. The support wheels 24 are similarly stamped and formed as unitary, one-piece structures, respectively, typically from a somewhat thicker sheet metal stock, for example, 0.06 inch thickness mild steel. A centrally disposed aperture 26 (or a plurality of apertures) is also formed in each of the three wheels to receive the drive shaft (not shown) of the abrading tool.

#Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cutting wheel assembly of the present invention may be fabricated in many different sizes. By way of example, the cutting wheel 22 may have a diameter of about two inches, while the diameter of the support wheels will be somewhat less, for example, one and five-eighths inches. Thus, a peripheral “cutting” or “abrading” or “working” portion 28 of the center wheel 22 will extend beyond the support wheels 24. This working portion 28 includes a series of circumferentially spaced teeth 30.