U.S. patent application number 11/744385 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-06 for side pressure splitter.
Invention is credited to Jaime E. Garcia.
Application Number | 20070204733 11/744385 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36384765 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070204733 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Garcia; Jaime E. |
September 6, 2007 |
Side Pressure Splitter
Abstract
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for
maintaining contact between a portion of a workpiece between a kerf
intrusion device and an alignment fence. In an aspect of the
present invention, a table saw is configured with a support having
a support surface for accepting a saw blade extended through an
aperture in the support to cut a workpiece. An alignment fence is
adjustably coupled to the saw to allow for workpiece positioning
with respect to the saw blade. A kerf intrusion device such as a
back splitter is coupled to an arbor for rotating the saw blade. An
side pressure splitter is further included on the intrusion device
such that a portion of a workpiece disposed between the intrusion
device and the alignment fence is directed into contact with the
alignment fence.
Inventors: |
Garcia; Jaime E.; (Jackson,
TN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION
701 EAST JOPPA ROAD, TW199
TOWSON
MD
21286
US
|
Family ID: |
36384765 |
Appl. No.: |
11/744385 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10763994 |
Jan 23, 2004 |
7234380 |
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11744385 |
May 4, 2007 |
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60442884 |
Jan 27, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
83/102.1 ;
83/477 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B27B 5/06 20130101; Y10T
83/7722 20150401; B27B 25/06 20130101; Y10T 83/744 20150401; Y10T
83/747 20150401; Y10T 83/2083 20150401; Y10T 83/743 20150401; Y10T
83/606 20150401; Y10T 83/2077 20150401; B23D 47/04 20130101; Y10T
83/872 20150401; Y10T 83/2074 20150401; Y10T 83/773 20150401 |
Class at
Publication: |
083/102.1 ;
083/477 |
International
Class: |
B27B 5/06 20060101
B27B005/06 |
Claims
1. A table saw, comprising: a support including an aperture for
extending a circular saw blade therethrough, the support including
a workpiece support surface for supporting a workpiece to be cut;
an alignment fence adjustably mounted to the table saw, said
alignment fence being configured for positioning the workpiece to
be cut with respect to the circular saw blade; an arbor mounted to
the table saw generally opposite the workpiece support surface,
said arbor being arranged for adjustably supporting the circular
saw blade; and a kerf intrusion device coupled to the arbor such
that the kerf intrusion device is disposed in the kerf formed in a
workpiece by operation of the circular saw blade, said kerf
intrusion device including a side pressure splitter at least
partially positioned in the kerf formed in the workpiece by
operation of the circular saw blade, the side pressure splitter
being directed towards the alignment fence, wherein the kerf
intrusion device side pressure splitter is orientated such that the
side pressure splitter biases a portion of the workpiece being cut
between the kerf intrusion device and the alignment fence into
contact with the alignment fence.
2. The table saw claim 1, wherein a kerf intrusion device is at
least one of a riving knife and a backsplitter.
3. The table saw of claim 1, wherein the side pressure splitter is
a tab formed unitarily with the kerf intrusion device.
4. The table saw of claim 1, wherein the side pressure splitter is
biased by a spring.
5. The table saw of claim 1, wherein the side pressure splitter
includes a trailing edge configured to engage a workpiece to
prevent the workpiece from traveling towards the circular saw
blade.
6. The table saw of claim 1, wherein the side pressure splitter is
a flexible strip having a first and a second end, the strip being
at least partially connected to the kerf intrusion device proximate
the first end and the second end so as to act as a leaf spring.
7. The table saw of claim 1, further comprising at least one
anti-kickback pawl coupled to the kerf intrusion device, said at
least one anti-kickback pawl being formed to engage a workpiece
being directed toward the alignment fence by the side pressure
splitter, if the workpiece moves away from the workpiece support
surface.
8. The table saw of claim 1, further comprising a pair of opposing
rails mounted, substantially perpendicular to the portion of the
circular saw blade extending through the support, on opposite sides
of the support, the rails being constructed for slideably mounting
the alignment fence thereto.
9. A table saw, comprising: a support including an aperture for
extending a circular saw blade therethrough, the support including
a workpiece support surface for supporting a workpiece to be cut;
an alignment fence adjustably mounted to the table saw
substantially parallel with the circular saw blade, said alignment
fence being configured for positioning the workpiece to be cut with
respect to the circular saw blade; a beveling arbor mounted to the
table saw generally opposite the workpiece support surface, said
arbor being arranged for adjustably supporting the circular saw
blade; and a back splitter coupled to the arbor whereby the back
splitter bevels with the arbor so that the back splitter is
disposed in the kerf formed in a workpiece by operation of the
circular saw blade, said back splitter including a side pressure
splitter at least partially positioned in the kerf formed in the
workpiece by operation of the circular saw blade, the side pressure
splitter being directed towards the alignment fence, wherein the
side pressure splitter is orientated such that the side pressure
splitter biases a portion of the workpiece between the back
splitter and the alignment fence into contact with the alignment
fence.
10. The table saw of claim 9, wherein the side pressure splitter is
a tab formed unitarily with the back splitter.
11. The table saw of claim 9, wherein the side pressure splitter is
biased by a spring.
12. The table saw of claim 9, wherein the side pressure splitter
includes a trailing edge configured to engage a workpiece to
prevent the workpiece from traveling towards the circular saw
blade.
13. The table saw of claim 9, wherein the side pressure splitter is
a flexible strip having a first and a second end, the strip being
at least partially connected to the back splitter proximate the
first end and the second end so as to act as a leaf spring.
14. The table saw of claim 9, further comprising at least one
anti-kickback pawl coupled to the back splitter, said at least one
anti-kickback pawl being formed to engage a workpiece being
directed toward the alignment fence by the side pressure splitter,
if the workpiece moves away from the workpiece support surface.
15. The table saw of claim 9, further comprising a pair of opposing
rails mounted, substantially perpendicular to the portion of the
circular saw blade extending through the support, on opposite sides
of the support, the rails being constructed for slideably mounting
the alignment fence thereto.
16. A table saw, comprising: a support including an aperture for
extending a circular saw blade therethrough, the support including
a workpiece support surface for supporting a workpiece to be cut;
an alignment fence adjustably mounted to the table saw, said
alignment fence being configured for positioning the workpiece to
be cut with respect to the circular saw blade; an arbor mounted to
the table saw generally opposite the workpiece support surface,
said arbor being arranged for adjustably supporting the circular
saw blade; and means for maintaining contact between the workpiece
and the alignment fence generally opposite the cutting zone of the
circular saw blade.
17. The table saw claim 16, further comprising at least one of a
riving knife and a back splitter.
18. The table saw of claim 16, wherein said contact maintaining
means is configured to engage a workpiece to prevent the workpiece
from traveling towards the circular saw blade.
19. The table saw of claim 16, further comprising at least one
anti-kickback pawl, said at least one anti-kickback pawl being
formed and arranged so as to engage a workpiece being directed
toward the alignment fence by the side pressure splitter, if the
workpiece moves away from the workpiece support surface.
20. The table saw of claim 16, further comprising a pair of
opposing rails mounted, substantially perpendicular to the portion
of the circular saw blade extending through the support, on
opposite sides of the support, the rails being constructed for
slideably mounting the alignment fence thereto.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE
[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
60/442,884, entitled: Side Pressure Splitter, filed on Jan. 27,
2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to the field of
power tools and more particularly to a saw having a side pressure
splitter for maintaining contact between a workpiece and an
alignment fence.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A table saw is usually at the heart of any woodshop. Often a
table saw is the first woodworking tool purchased due to its
versatility. Typically, a table saw is provided with a rip fence,
or alignment fence which is orientated parallel with the saw blade.
An alignment fence allows the user to accurately, and easily
position a workpiece to insure an even, accurate cut.
[0004] One difficulty which may occur is the tendency for a
workpiece to "wander", or move away from the alignment fence. For
example, a novice user may not push the workpiece evenly, such as
by slightly angling the workpiece against the front portion of an
alignment attachment while cutting. In the previous example, this
tendency may be magnified for larger workpieces such as when
cutting a large piece of plywood. Wile experienced woodworkers
posses the knowledge and the ability to avoid these types of
problems, inexperienced woodworkers may become discouraged which
may in-turn lead to user dissatisfaction with the device.
[0005] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a side pressure
splitter for directing a workpiece into contact with an alignment
fence.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention is directed generally to
a saw including a side pressure splitter for maintaining contact
between a workpiece and an alignment fence.
[0007] In an aspect of the present invention, a table saw is
configured with a support having a support surface for accepting a
saw blade extended through an aperture in the support to cut a
workpiece. An alignment fence is adjustably coupled to the saw to
allow for workpiece positioning with respect to the saw blade. A
kerf intrusion device such as a back splitter is coupled to an
arbor for rotating the saw blade. A side pressure splitter is
included on the intrusion device such that a portion of a workpiece
disposed between the intrusion device and the alignment fence is
directed into contact with the alignment fence.
[0008] It is to be understood that both the forgoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as
claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of
the invention and together with the general description, serve to
explain the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The numerous advantages of the present invention may be
better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the
accompanying figures in which:
[0010] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a table saw including a
blade guard and a side pressure splitter in accordance with an
aspect of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 1B is an enlarged cut-away view of FIG. 1A;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a table saw including a side
pressure splitter wherein the side splitter generally forces a
portion of the workpiece toward an alignment fence;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a blade guard including a side
pressure splitter engaging a portion of a workpiece;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of a blade guard including a side
pressure splitter; and
[0015] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a blade guard including a side
pressure splitter engaging a portion of a workpiece.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the presently
preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of skill in the art
will appreciate that the apparatus of the present invention may be
implemented with various saws such as a cabinet table saw, a band
saw, panel cutting saws, and the like without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a table saw 100 in accordance
with an aspect of the present invention is disclosed. In the
present embodiment, the saw 100 is an open cabinet type saw wherein
the saw motor is mounted outside and to the rear of the base 104,
or enclosure (as may be generally observed in FIG. 1). A support
102 having a support surface 106 configured for supporting, or
positioning a workpiece 108 thereon, is included in the table saw
100. For example, a cast iron support may be included adjacent the
saw blade to reduce vibration, provide a flat support surface, and
the like. In additional examples, a side pressure splitter for
accepting a large dimension workpiece may be included. For
instance, a laminate wing is included to allow for increased
supporting area, such as for cutting a piece of plywood.
[0018] A circular saw blade 110 extends through an aperture in the
support 102 for cutting a workpiece. The saw blade 110 is mounted
to an arbor for rotating the blade The arbor may be mounted
underneath the support such as directly to a side of the support
opposite the workpiece support surface, connected to a
base/cabinet, or the like as desired. Accordingly, various
assemblies may be utilized for saw blade height adjustment,
rotating the arbor, providing beveling capability (tilting of the
saw blade with respect to the support surface), and the like.
Preferably, a removable throat plate 112 is included for supporting
a workpiece adjacent the blade 110 while permitting access to the
saw arbor to allow for blade changes such as for switching from a
cutting blade to a dado blade, and the like. Additionally, the
support 102 may include additional features such as a recessed slot
114 for receiving sliding miter gage 114, a sliding panel table
attachment, and the like.
[0019] In the current embodiment, an alignment fence 118 is mounted
to the support 102. For example, the alignment fence 118 may be
slideably mounted on a pair of opposing rails 120 positioned,
respectively, on the front and back of the support (e.g., with
respect to the rotation of the saw blade), such tat the rails 120
are generally perpendicular to the portion of the saw blade 110
extending beyond the support surface 106, thereby aligning the
fence 118 substantially parallel to the saw blade 110. In
additional embodiments, the fence/rails may be mounted to various
saw components, such as the base/cabinet. During use, a user may
position the alignment fence 118 by sliding the fence along the
rails to the selected position and then securing a clamp-type
locking mechanism 122, included on the fence 118, thereby locking
the fence in-place with respect to the saw blade 110.
[0020] With continued reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a kerf
intrusion device is coupled to the arbor so as to be disposed in
the kerf, or channel formed in a workpiece by operation of the saw
blade. For instance, a back splitter 124 may be coupled to the
arbor/arbor mounting bracket in order for the splitter to bevel
with the saw blade 110. Other suitable kerf intrusion devices
include riving knives (a splitter, or blade disposed adjacent the
trailing portion of the blade (opposite the cutting interface or
cutting zone, wherein the blade initially contacts a workpiece)),
back splitters (mounted adjacent to the edge of the support surface
106), and the like disposed in the kerf for preventing a workpiece
from binding the saw blade. For example, a riving knife may be
slightly curved so as to generally follow the curve of the saw
blade 110, and thereby closely follow the blade. Moreover, a riving
knife may be linked with the arbor/arbor mountings to adjust with
the blade height. For instance, a riving knife may be mounted to
the arbor mounting bracket in order for the knife to raise/lower
with the saw blade. As may be best seen in FIG. 2, a back splitter
may be formed with a bracket which extends to the arbor/arbor
mounting located under the support to the rear of the support. The
back splitter generally forms a plate, sized to fit in the kerf of
the blade in order to prevent the portions of the workpiece,
forming the furcation, from pinching the blade.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1B, a side pressure splitter is included
on the back splitter 124. In further embodiments, a side pressure
splitter may be included on a riving knife, or other kerf intrusion
devices in a similar manner. In the present case, the side pressure
splitter is unitarily formed with the back splitter as a tab 126
extending generally from a plane encompassing the back splitter
124. For example, a tab may be cut into the backsplitter and bent
to extend outward from the general plane of the splitter, as
indicated in FIG. 4. In further embodiments, a side pressure
splitter may be connected generally along a side to the kerf
intrusion device such as along an edge proximal to the saw blade
such that a workpiece smoothly engages with the side pressure
splitter. Preferably, the side pressure splitter is disposed
adjacent the workpiece support surface 106 such that the side
pressure splitter is at least partially positioned in the kerf for
the expected range of workpiece thicknesses expected. In further
instances, a side pressure splitter may be connected via a
mechanical connection such as a key/keyhole configuration,
connected via a fastener such as a rivet 332, a screw, or the like.
For example, a side pressure splitter may be formed as a bowed
strip (configured to act as a leaf spring) secured on a first and
second end via rivets. Additionally, a side pressure splitter may
be generally configured for easy removal, allow a user to switch
the side pressure splitter to the opposite side of the main
splitter should the fence be positioned on the opposite side of the
blade.
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, in an additional aspect, a
side pressure splitter is formed with a toothed or angled trailing
edge 330 so as to minimize or prevent a workpiece from traveling
backwards or towards the saw blade such as if the workpiece were to
bind. Alternatively, or in conjunction, a friction coating may be
included on the trailing edge so as to prevent the workpiece from
traveling backwards toward the blade. Furthermore, an anti-kickback
device may be configured so as engage a workpiece in conjunction
with the side pressure splitter. For example, a pivoting
anti-kickback pawl 434 is configured to engage a workpiece biased
by the tab 426. Additionally, the anti-kickback pawl may be
configured to engage if the workpiece should move away from the
support surface such as if the workpiece begins to "lift-up".
[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a blade guard may be
included on the table saw 100. For example a pivoting blade guard
may be mounted to the back splitter 124. Suitable guards may be
coupled via various linkages to a kerf intrusion device or may
extend as an over arm guard coupled remotely to the saw support or
the like.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, preferably, a side pressure
splitter, included on a kerf intrusion device such as a tab side
pressure splitter 526 is orientated toward an alignment fence 518
in order to generally force or direct the portion of the workpiece
between the saw blade 510 and the fence 518 into contact with the
fence. Preferably, the side pressure splitter directs the workpiece
substantially perpendicular to the saw in order for the workpiece
to follow a substantially parallel path to the saw blade. For
example, the tab 526 may generally bias or exert a spring force on
the workpiece 508 to insure contact between the workpiece 508 and
the fence 518 so as to promote an accurate, even cut. Further, the
side pressure splitter may act or tend to resist the workpiece from
angling away from a fence. Thus, a table saw employing the system
of the present invention may tend to, at least partially, resist an
angling of the workpiece away from the alignment. If, for example,
a bowed strip is utilized the strip may be connected on the side of
a kerf intrusion device directed towards the fence. In the previous
example, the bowed strip may be configured to allow for a range of
force to be applied. For instance, a slot may allow for the strip
side splitter to extend/retract towards a back splitter as the
workpiece initially contacts the side pressure splitter. Further,
at the end of the slot the strip may be resiliently positioned
against a rivet or the like such that the strip is forced to bow
towards the kerf intrusion device, thereby defining the maximum
force which may be applied against the workpiece.
[0025] It is believed that the apparatus of the present invention
and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the
forgoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent
that various changes may be made in the form, construction and
arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the
scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its
material advantages. The form herein before described being merely
an explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the
following claims to encompass and include such changes.
* * * * *