Internal pipe cutter

A pipe cutter for cutting a pipe from the inside through insertion of the pipe cutter through an open end of the pipe, the pipe cutter including in combination:

• an elongated shaft having first and second ends, with the first end adapted for connection to a source of rotational power;
• a pipe pressing housing located between the first and second ends of the elongated shaft and having a diameter less than the diameter of the inside of a pipe to be cut;
• a rotary saw blade connected to the second end of the elongated shaft;
• and a mechanism in the pressing housing coupling the shaft and the housing to move the shaft from an initial position with the saw blade out of contact with the pipe radially outwardly in the pressing housing to cause the saw blade to engage and cut the pipe, further including an elongated hollow sleeve having first and second ends and having a length less than the length of the elongated shaft, where the elongated shaft extends through the hollow sleeve for free rotation therein, and wherein the pipe centering housing is coupled with the hollow sleeve adjacent the second end thereof, with the second end of the elongated shaft extending beyond the second end of the hollow sleeve.

A pipe cutter for use in cutting a pipe from the inside by insertion of the pipe cutter through an open end of the pipe, the cutter including in combination:

• an elongated hollow sleeve having a predetermined length and having first and second ends;
• an elongated shaft rotatably mounted inside the hollow sleeve with a length greater than the predetermined length and having first and second ends extending beyond the first and second ends, respectively, of the hollow sleeve, with the first end of the elongated shaft adapted for connection to a source of rotational power;
• a centering housing located between the first and second ends of the hollow sleeve and having a diameter less than the diameter of the inside of a pipe to be cut;
• a rotary saw blade connected to the second end of the elongated shaft wherein the pressing housing includes a mechanism to cause the hollow sleeve to move from an initial position with the saw blade out of contact with the pipe to a position radially outward from the central axis of the pipe to cause the saw blade to engage and cut the pipe.