Powered groover with airflow fin
AssigneeCrain Cutter Company, Inc.
InventorGregory Joseph Chambers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powered vinyl groover includes a motor attached to a circular blade and a blade housing for covering the circular blade. The blade housing includes a duct to carry cuttings into a collection bag. Near an inlet hole of the duct is a fin, which may be a raised surface on any interior wall of the blade housing extending into the blade housing as close as possible to the blade. The fin causes airflow from the blade to be redirected towards the inlet hole of the duct so that more cuttings enter the duct and are carried by the duct through to an outlet hole to a collection bag mountable over the outlet hole of the duct. The fin may be integral with the blade housing or attached to it, and a fin may also be added to existing groovers.
Claims14
A powered groover for cutting a groove along a seam formed by adjacent sheet flooring materials, the groover comprising:
- a motor having a drive shaft;
- a blade mount mechanically linked to the drive shaft such that when the drive shaft is rotated by the motor, the blade mount is rotated, and such that when a circular groover blade is mounted on the blade mount, the circular groover blade is rotated;
- a blade housing coupled to the motor and adapted to cover at least a portion of the circular groover blade when mounted on the blade mount during operation of the groover;
- a plurality of guide wheels for directing the circular groover blade when mounted on the blade mount during operation of the groover along a seam formed by adjacent solid sheet flooring materials, the guide wheels including a front wheel that has a thin edge configured to run within the seam and a rear wheel that has a wide edge configured to run within a groove cut along the seam;
- a duct having an inlet and an outlet, the duct coupled to the blade housing for allowing cuttings removed by the circular groover blade when mounted on the blade mount during operation of the groover to exit the blade housing;
- and
- a fin comprising a raised surface extending from a surface on the inside of the blade housing towards the circular groover blade when mounted on the blade mount, the fin mounted to direct an airflow generated by the rotation of the circular groover blade when mounted on the blade mount during operation of the groover towards the inlet of the duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.