Tubing Cutter

Abstract

A cutter, such as a tubing cutter or a swing cutter. The cutter may include a cutting wheel; a roller; a housing assembly including a first housing portion supporting the cutting wheel and a second housing portion supporting the roller; a shaft connecting the housing portions, rotation of the shaft causing relative movement of the housing portions along a shaft axis; and a knob connected to the shaft and engageable by a user to rotate the shaft, the knob having, in a plane perpendicular to the shaft axis, a non-symmetrical shape defined by opposite circular sector portions and opposite lever portions, each lever portion being engageable by a user to apply a force to the knob in a direction of rotation. The cutter may include a shaft with a radial shoulder preventing movement of the shaft from the cavity through an opening in the housing portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cutter, comprising:
 a housing assembly coupled to a cutting wheel and a roller, comprising:
 a first housing defining a threaded cavity; and 
 a second housing defining a wall surrounding an opening; 
   a shaft coupling with the threaded cavity of the first housing and passing through the opening in the wall of the second housing, wherein rotation of the shaft causes movement of the first housing relative to the second housing along the shaft axis to increase and decrease a distance between the cutting wheel and the roller, the shaft including an expanded section located on the shaft, the expanded section having a width greater than a width of the opening such that expanded section prevents the shaft from moving out of the opening; and   a knob coupled to the shaft outside the housing assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the knob is coupled to the shaft with a pin passing radially through the knob and the shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the knob is coupled to the shaft with a screw that is coaxial to the axis of the shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the knob couples to the shaft with a press fit on a first end of the shaft extending through the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The cutter of  claim 1 , further comprising a washer disposed on the shaft and placed between the knob and a wall of the housing, the washer having a surface engageable with a wall of the housing to inhibit movement of the shaft relative to the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The cutter of  claim 1 , further comprising a circlip disposed on the shaft and placed between the knob and a wall of the housing, the circlip having a surface engageable with a wall of the housing to inhibit movement of the shaft relative to the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the knob includes a surface engageable with a wall to inhibit movement of the shaft through an opening in a wall of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The cutter of  claim 1 , further comprising a receptacle within the knob to receive a spare cutting wheel, wherein a fastener retains the spare cutting wheel within the receptacle. 
     
     
         9 . The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded section is a radial shoulder disposed on the shaft and located within the housing. 
     
     
         10 . A cutter, comprising:
 a housing assembly coupled to a cutting wheel and one or more rollers, comprising:
 a first housing defining a threaded cavity; and 
 a second housing defining a wall surrounding an opening; 
   a shaft coupling with the threaded cavity of the first housing and passing through the opening in the wall of the second housing, wherein rotation of the shaft causes movement of the first housing relative to the second housing along the shaft axis, the shaft including a radial shoulder located within the housing assembly, wherein a surface of the shoulder engages a surface of the wall adjacent the opening and thereby inhibiting movement of the shaft through the opening in the wall of the second housing; and   a knob coupled to the shaft outside the housing assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The cutter of  claim 10 , wherein the radial shoulder and the shaft are a single continuous part. 
     
     
         12 . The cutter of  claim 10 , wherein the knob is configured to rotate the shaft about the shaft axis and causes movement of the first housing relative to the second housing to move the cutting wheel relative to the one or more rollers to fit different sized tubes. 
     
     
         13 . The cutter of  claim 10 , further comprising a washer disposed on the shaft between the knob and the housing assembly, the washer inhibiting movement of the shaft through the opening in the second housing. 
     
     
         14 . A cutter comprising:
 a cutting wheel;   a roller;   a housing assembly including a first housing portion supporting the cutting wheel and a second housing portion supporting the roller;   a shaft connecting the first housing portion and the second housing portion, rotation of the shaft causing relative movement of the first housing portion and the second housing portion along a shaft axis; and   a knob connected to the shaft and engageable by a user to rotate the shaft, the knob having, in a plane perpendicular to the shaft axis, a non-symmetrical shape defined by opposite circular sector portions and opposite lever portions, each lever portion extending along an imaginary tangent line from an adjacent sector portion to an associated end, another imaginary line extending perpendicular to the imaginary tangent line proximate the associated end being outside of a radius defined by an opposite sector portion, each lever portion being engageable to apply a force to the knob in a direction of rotation.   
     
     
         15 . The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein the knob has a surface facing toward the housing assembly, the surface including a flat portion and an annular projection extending from the flat portion toward the housing assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein the knob has a surface facing away from the housing assembly, a receptacle being defined in the surface and being operable to receive a cutting wheel. 
     
     
         17 . The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein each imaginary tangent line is defined by peaks of a plurality of ridges on the lever portion, wherein each ridge is formed by a rear surface generally perpendicular to the imaginary tangent line and an angled forward surface. 
     
     
         18 . The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein, on an opposite side, a concave portion is between the end and the other sector portion. 
     
     
         19 . The cutter of  claim 18 , wherein the concave portion has an approximately radial portion merging with the other sector portion. 
     
     
         20 . The cutter of  claim 18 , wherein each lever portion is engageable to apply a force to the knob in the direction of rotation to move the cutting wheel toward the roller, and wherein each concave portion is engageable to apply a force to the knob in an opposite direction of rotation to move the cutting wheel away from the roller.