Woodworking – Planer – Rotary cylindrical cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-26
2001-08-07
Bray, W. Donald (Department: 3725)
Woodworking
Planer
Rotary cylindrical cutter
C074S491000, C074S503000, C144S130000, C144S114100, C403S374200, C403S374500, C403S309000, C403S310000, C403S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269853
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wood planing machine, more particularly to a wood planing machine which is provided with a carriage locking mechanism for releasably locking a cutter carriage thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional wood planing machine is shown to include a machine base
10
, left and right pairs of posts
11
, a cutter carriage
12
, and a carriage locking mechanism.
As illustrated, the machine base
10
has opposite mounting sides
100
spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, and opposite feed-in and take-out sides spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction. The left and right pairs of posts
11
extend upward from the machine base
10
at the mounting sides
100
. The cutter carriage
12
is disposed above the machine base
10
, and has opposite end portions mounted movably on the posts
11
for sliding movement along the left and right pairs of posts
11
. A cutter device (not shown) is mounted on the cutter carriage
12
in a known manner, and is rotatable about a horizontal axis that extends in the longitudinal direction.
Left and right threaded rods
13
are mounted rotatably on, and extend upwardly from the machine base
10
at the mounting sides
100
to pass threadedly through the opposite end portions of the cutter carriage
12
. The threaded rods
13
are interconnected in such a manner to rotate synchronously. A rotary handle
14
is provided at the top end of one of the threaded rods
13
such that rotation of the latter will cause the cutter carriage
12
to slide vertically along the left and right pairs of posts
11
so as to define a gap between the cutter carriage
12
and the machine base
10
for passage of a workpiece to be processed. A top cover
17
is fixed to the left and right pairs of posts
11
above the cutter carriage
12
.
The carriage locking mechanism includes a manually operable handle
16
, two locking linkages
15
mounted respectively on two opposite ends of the handle
16
, and four post clamps
155
(only three are shown in
FIG. 1
) carried on the cutter carriage
12
and associated with the posts
11
, respectively. Each of the locking linkages
15
includes first and second links
151
,
152
connected pivotally to each other at inner ends thereof and to the handle
16
, and further connected pivotally to an adjacent pair of the post clamps
155
at outer ends thereof. Each of the second links
152
consists of a front connecting rod
154
that is connected pivotally to a respective one of the first links
151
, a rear sliding piece
153
that is connected movably to the front connecting rod
154
and a respective one of the post clamps
155
at two ends thereof, and a compression spring
156
that interconnects the front connecting rod
154
and the rear sliding piece
153
. As such, the springs
156
bias the post clamps
155
to abut against the posts
11
, respectively, when the carriage locking mechanism is at a releasing position, as shown in FIG.
2
. When adjustment to a desired carriage height has been achieved, the handle
16
is operated to move downward against biasing action of the springs
156
so as to move the carriage locking mechanism from the releasing position to a locking position, where the post clamps
155
are forced to press against the posts
11
, respectively. At the locking position, the first and second links
151
,
152
are disposed on a straight line (not shown). Thus, the carriage
12
is locked relative to the left and right pairs of posts
11
so as to retain the same at a selected height relative to the machine base
10
.
One disadvantage that results from the use of the aforesaid conventional wood planing machine resides in that in order to release the cutter carriage
12
from the left and right pairs of posts
11
, the handle
16
must be moved upward. In this condition, the handle
16
will prop upward swiftly by virtue of biasing action of the springs
156
. As such, the hands of the operator may collide against the top cover
17
, thereby possibly injuring the operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a wood planing machine which is clear of the aforementioned drawbacks that result from the use of the conventional wood planing machine.
Accordingly, the wood planing machine of the present invention includes an elongated machine base, left and right pairs of posts, a cutter carriage, vertical left and right threaded rods, and a carriage locking mechanism. The machine base has a top surface, opposed left and right mounting sides spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, and opposed feed-in and take-out sides spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction. The left and right pairs of posts are fixed on the top surface of the machine base at the left and right mounting sides, respectively. The cutter carriage is disposed above the machine base, and has opposite end portions mounted respectively, vertically and movably on the left and right pairs of posts. The left and right threaded rods are mounted respectively and rotatably on the left and right mounting sides of the machine base such that the threaded rods are disposed respectively between the left and right pairs of posts and extend threadedly through the opposite end portions of the cutter carriage for moving the cutter carriage along the posts when the threaded rods rotate on the machine base, thereby adjusting height of the cutter carriage. The carriage locking mechanism locks the cutter carriage at a selected height relative to the machine base. The carriage locking mechanism includes an elongated mounting plate, a left locking unit, a right locking unit, a cam member, a rotary lever, a left biasing unit, and a right biasing unit. The elongated mounting plate is disposed fixedly on the cutter carriage, and extends in the longitudinal direction. The left locking unit includes a pair of left clamping claws that press respectively and releaseably against two of the left pair of posts and the left threaded rod. The right locking unit includes a pair of right clamping claws that press respectively and releaseably against two of the right pair of posts and the right threaded rod. The cam member is disposed pivotally on the mounting plate, and has left and right projections that engage respectively the left and right locking units. A pivot end of the rotary lever is mounted pivotally on the mounting plate, and is connected to the cam member so as to rotate synchronously with the cam member. The rotary lever is disposed at a locking position, and is rotatable to an unlocking position so as to remove the left and right projections of the cam member from the left and right locking units. The left biasing unit biases the left clamping claws to separate from the two of the left pair of posts and the left threaded rod when the left projection of the cam member is removed from the left locking unit. The right biasing unit biases the right clamping claws to separate from the two of the right pair of posts and the right threaded rod when the right projection of the cam member is removed from the right locking unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4979724 (1990-12-01), Williams
patent: 5829499 (1998-11-01), Liao
patent: 6085812 (2000-07-01), Chiang
patent: 6089287 (2000-07-01), Welsh
Bray W. Donald
P & F Brother Industrial Corporation
Trop Pruner & Hu P.C.
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