U.S. patent number 3,785,230 [Application Number 05/304,726] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-15 for automatic safety brake for rotary blade equipment.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Lokey Tool, Inc.. Invention is credited to Robert C. Lokey.
United States Patent |
3,785,230 |
Lokey |
January 15, 1974 |
AUTOMATIC SAFETY BRAKE FOR ROTARY BLADE EQUIPMENT
Abstract
An automatic safety brake for rotary blade equipment in which a
capacitance proximity sensor utilizes the spinning blade as an
antenna so that when any portion of the body of the user approaches
the blade to closely a cam brake will be instantaneously actuated
to stop the rotation of the blade before the body of the user comes
in contact with the cutting edge of the blade. In one form of the
invention cam members are applied to opposite side faces of the
blade to serve as a brake for the instanteous stopping of the
rotation of the blade. In another form of the invention a rubber
wedge is driven into the cutting edge of the blade so as to
instantaneously stop the rotation of the blade. In both forms of
the invention the sensitivity of the sensor may be adjusted to suit
the capacitance effect of the individual user of the equipment.
Inventors: |
Lokey; Robert C. (Tamal,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Lokey Tool, Inc. (San Leandro,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
23177712 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/304,726 |
Filed: |
November 8, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
30/388; 30/390;
192/129A; 192/144; 83/58; 192/130 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B27B
5/38 (20130101); F16P 3/148 (20130101); B23Q
11/0092 (20130101); B23Q 11/08 (20130101); Y10T
83/081 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B27B
5/00 (20060101); B27B 5/38 (20060101); F16P
3/14 (20060101); F16P 3/00 (20060101); B23Q
11/08 (20060101); B23Q 11/00 (20060101); B27h
019/02 (); B27h 019/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;408/710 ;82/34R
;30/390,388,391 ;83/72,544,571,860,58 ;192/129R,129A,130,131,144
;317/DIG.2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schran; Donald R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A power tool comprising a frame, a rotating cutting blade
mounted in said frame, a brake mounted in said frame for movement
into blade contacting position, a solenoid mounted in said frame
and connected to said brake for moving said brake into contact with
said blade, a capacitance proximity sensor mounted on said frame
for detecting the approach of a portion of a human body to said
blade, and means actuated by said sensor for energizing said
solenoid to instanteously stop said blade when a portion of the
human body closely approaches said blade.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 including means for adjusting the
relative senitivity of said sensor to tune said sensor to the
capacitances of the body of the user.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an audible signal is
actuated by the means for actuating said solenoid prior to the
actuation of said solenoid.
4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said brake is mounted for
rotation and includes a cam surface for binding engagment with the
side face of said saw blade.
5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said brake is mounted for
sliding movement with respect to said blade and engages the cutting
edge of said blade.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic electrically actuated
brake for the spinning blade of rotary blade equipment.
Summary of the Invention
The brake of the present invention is instanteously actuated by the
capacitance effect of a human body approaching the blade in such a
way that cutting of the body would otherwise take place.
Adjustability of the equipment permits the equipment to be tuned to
the capacitance effect of each individual user.
The primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic
brake for the rotary blade of rotary blade equipment actuated by
approach of the human body to the blade.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following
specification when considered in the light of the attached
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken
along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the
arrows;
FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical cross section, taken along the line
3--3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 4 is a transverse horizontal sectional view, taken along the
line 4--4 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line of 5--5
of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 6 is a semi-diagrammatic view of the electric circuity
involved in the invention;
FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a table saw incorporating
the invention;
FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 8--8 of
FIG. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows; and
FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 9--9 of
FIG. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference
characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the
reference numeral 10 indicates generally an automatic safety brake
for rotary saws constructed in accordance with the invention.
The brake 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 attached to an electric hand
saw 11 of the type having a blade guide 12 secured thereto and
covering the upper portion of the blade 13 mounted on the shaft 14.
The blade 13 is electrically insulated from the shaft 14 by
insulating washers W.
An amplifier 15 is connected to an antenna 16 positioned close to
the blade 13 so that the blade 13 becomes a part of the electronic
circuit. The amplifier is electrically connected to a discriminator
16 pulling an indicator 17 thereon and is in turn electrically
connected to an electronic relay 18 having an adjustment knob 19
forming a part thereof. The amplifier 15, discriminator 16 and
electronic relay 18 with its adjustment knob 19 together serve as a
capacitance proximity sensor for actuating a bell 20 and a brake
solenoid 21.
A pair of U-shaped brackets 22 are secured by bolts 23 internally
of the blade guide 12 with each having a cam brake member 24
mounted for rotary motion therein on a shaft 25. The shafts 25 are
provided respectively with crank arms 26, 27 having a slotted
connection to a pivot pin 28. The pivot pin 28 connects the crank
arms 26, 27 to the lower end of an armature 29 of a solenoid 21.
The solenoid 21 is mounted in a housing 30 connected to the blade
guide 12.
In the use an operation of the invention the operator sets the knob
19 to a position such that as his finger first approaches the blade
13 the bell 20 will ring as the indicator 17 reaches the Z and at
the brake actuating solenoid will be energized as the indicator
reaches X. The threading of the knob 19 should be such that the
solenoid 21 will operate just prior to the finger touching the
blade 13 so that the cam brake members 24 will be rotated by their
shafts 25 when rotated by movement of the armature 29 in the
solenoid 21. The movement of the brakes 24 into engagement with the
blade 13 is virtually instantaneous and the blade 13 stops prior to
even the slightest contact with the body of the user regardless of
the speed of movement of the users finger toward a contacting
position with respect to the blade 13.
In FIGS. 7 through 10 a modified form of the invention is
illustrated wherein an electronic brake for a rotary blade is
indicated generally at 110. The brake 110 is used with a table saw
indicated generally at 111 having a frame 112 carrying a saw blade
113 mounted on a shaft 114 supported on the frame 112. The blade
113 is driven from an electric motor 115 by a belt 116 controlled
by a belt tightener pulley 117. A control shaft 118 normally urges
the belt tightener pulley 117 into belt tightening position by
means of a connecting link 118 and spring 119. A link 120 is
connected to the spring 119 and is carried by a slide shaft 121
mounted in bearings 122 depending from the frame 112. An arm 123
extends upwardly through the frame 112 and is connected to a block
124 slidably mounted on the frame 112 in aligned relation to the
saw blade 113. A rubber wedge block 125 is connected to the slide
block 124 and arranged for engaging with the saw blade 113 when
moved toward the saw 113. A solenoid 126 is mounted on the frame
112 and is connected by an armature 127 to the block 124 so that
actuation of the solenoid 126 forces the block 124 toward the blade
113 and engages the rubber brake block 125 with the teeth of the
saw 113. Simultaneously the shaft 121 is moved in the direction to
compass the spring 119 and pull the belt tightener 117 out of
contact with the belt 116 to release the driving connection between
the motor 115 and the shaft 114. The solenoid 126 is actuated by an
identical amplifier, discriminator, and electronic relay as that
used with the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in
FIG. 6.
The use and operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8
and 9 is identical to that of the preferred form of the invention
illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6. It should be understood that the
rubber block 125 is of sufficient strength to prevent the teeth of
the blade 113 from cutting therethrough as the blade 113 is brought
to a stop.
Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention it
should be understood that numerous structural modifications and
adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of
the invention.
* * * * *