Cutting – With product handling means – Including means to divert one portion of product from another
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-08
2002-06-18
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
With product handling means
Including means to divert one portion of product from another
C083S477200, C083S478000, C083S860000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405624
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to splitter and cutting member guard assemblies for table saws and other cutting devices including a rotating, oscillating, or otherwise driven cutting member that is at least partially surrounded by a workpiece support surface. More particularly, the present invention relates to splitter and cutting member guard assemblies wherein the cutting member guard hood may be disposed in at least two positions relative to the splitter of the assembly, and wherein the positions include a first position, in which the cutting member guard hood covers a portion of the cutting device's cutting member, and a second position, in which that portion of the cutting member is not covered by the cutting member guard hood and is accessible to an operator. The present invention finds application in any field in which it is desirable to prevent operator contact with a rotating, oscillating, or otherwise driven cutting member, but wherein certain operations, such as installation or replacement of the cutting member, require that the cutting member and its mounting point are accessible to an operator. Examples of possible fields of application of the present invention include the woodworking field as used with, for example, table saws, as well as in any field in which cutting devices of a generally similar construction are used to separate or otherwise remove a portion of a workpiece.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In several fields, devices for cutting workpieces are known that include a substantially planar, generally horizontally disposed, workpiece support surface through which a portion of a rotating or oscillating cutting member is exposed. A familiar example is an electric table saw, which typically includes a table portion having a support surface for supporting a workpiece, a frame for supporting or bracing the table portion at an appropriate elevation, and a circular saw blade that is disposed through a void in the table portion so that an operative portion of the saw blade is disposed above the workpiece support surface and may contact and cut a workpiece advanced along the support surface. The “operative portion” of the saw blade is that portion of the saw blade that is disposed above the support surface and may contact and cut a workpiece advanced along the support surface. Table saws have included a saw blade guard hood for covering the operative portion of the saw blade to prevent operator contact with the saw blade and limit the ejection of cutting debris. Table saws have also included a splitter for entering into the workpiece kerf so as to reduce the possibility of workpiece binding as the workpiece is severed by the saw blade. The saw blade guard hood may be movably connected to the splitter to provide a splitter and saw blade guard assembly. The splitter portion of the assembly is fixedly connected to some portion of the table saw such as the table portion and/or frame, and is mounted in line with the saw blade. As the workpiece contacts the forward face of the saw blade guard hood the hood moves relative to the splitter and is forced upward allowing the workpiece to advance into the rotating saw blade. As the workpiece advances along the workpiece support surface past the saw blade, the splitter enters the kerf cut in the workpiece.
The circular saw blade of a table saw typically is mounted on a rotating spindle or arbor located beneath the table portion, and the spindle may be raised or lowered to appropriately adjust the elevation of the portion of the saw blade positioned above the workpiece support surface. In order to facilitate access to the arbor through the table portion so that the saw blade may be installed or replaced, the saw blade typically extends through a void in the table portion that is substantially wider and longer than the saw blade's cross-section. A table insert is disposed in the void when the table saw is in operation, and the table insert includes an appropriately sized slot through which the saw blade passes. To access the arbor through the table portion, the saw blade guard hood is removed or moved to allow access to the portion of the saw blade disposed above the workpiece support surface, and the table insert is then removed from the void in the table portion.
The ease by which an operator may access the arbor through the table portion is influenced by the particular construction of the splitter and saw blade guard assembly. In one known construction, shown in
FIG. 6
, a splitter and saw blade guard assembly
110
is fixedly connected to a table saw
111
, shown in cross-section, along a line coincident with a longitudinal axis of the slot in the table insert, including a table portion
112
having a generally planar workpiece support surface
113
, a frame
114
for supporting the table portion
112
, and a rotating circular saw blade
116
. The assembly
110
includes a splitter
118
having two posts
120
and
122
for fixedly connecting the splitter
118
to the table portion
112
and the frame
114
, respectively. The splitter
118
is aligned with the saw blade
116
so that the splitter
118
enters the kerf of a workpiece (not shown) that has been cut by the saw blade
116
(advanced rightwardly in FIG.
6
). The saw blade
116
passes through a table insert slot, the position of which is indicated generally as
126
, and the table insert
117
is disposed in a void in the table portion
112
. The assembly
110
also includes a saw blade guard hood
128
that is movably connected to the splitter
118
by a pivot member
130
that is, in turn, rotatably connected to the hood
128
at a first rotation point
132
and that is rotatably connected to the splitter
118
at a second rotation point
134
. Suitable rotation of the pivot member
130
about on one or both rotation points
132
and
134
allows the hood
128
to assume a first position, wherein it covers the portion of the saw blade
116
disposed above the support surface
113
, and a second position, wherein that portion of the saw blade
116
is not covered by the hood
128
, and intermediate positions.
FIG. 6
shows the second position, and the general direction of movement of the hood
128
from the first position to the second position is indicated by the curved arrow. The pivot member
130
is constructed so that it may not rotate about the second rotation axis
134
in the clockwise direction as depicted in
FIG. 6
beyond the position shown in FIG.
6
. Thus, the mass of the hood
128
causes the hood
128
to fall downward in the direction opposite to the curved arrow from the second position shown in
FIG. 6
to the first position, and such movement would interfere with an operator's removal of the table insert
117
to, for example, access the arbor through the void table portion
112
to mount or replace the saw blade.
FIG. 7
depicts another existing splitter and saw blade guard assembly, generally designated as
210
, for use with a table saw
211
and generally including a saw blade guard hood
212
movably connected to a splitter
214
by pivot member
216
. As in
FIG. 6
,
FIG. 7
shows the table saw
211
in cross-section along a longitudinal line through the slot in the saw's table insert
224
. As in the assembly
110
depicted in
FIG. 6
, the pivot member
216
is rotatably connected to the hood
212
at a first rotation point
218
and to splitter
214
at a second rotation point
220
. By rotating pivot member
216
about second rotation point
220
in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in
FIG. 7
, the hood
212
may be moved from a first position, in which the hood
212
is disposed over both the portion of the saw blade
222
disposed above the workpiece support surface
213
and the table insert
224
through which the saw blade
222
is disposed, and a second position, shown in
FIG. 7
, in which the
Choi Stephen
Delta International Machinery Corp.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP
Shoap Allan N.
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