Claims
- 1. In a rotary saw blade control system for use with a horizontal work support surface, a circular saw blade having a bottom horizontal tangent, a guidance system restricting saw motion to a fixed straight horizontal to and fro path over the work support surface, means for adjusting the fixed path by rotation about a fixed first vertical axis for miter angle adjustment, and the blade being rotatably mounted on a shaft driven by a motor, the improvement comprising:
- (A) a first rigid vertical motor mounting plate having a rear face fixedly attached to said motor and a planar front face;
- (B) a first rigid vertical support panel having opposed planar surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface being positioned adjacent said front face of said first mounting plate;
- (C) a support connection means for operatively connecting said first support panel to the guidance system;
- (D) a first guide pin affixed to one of said first mounting plate or said first support panel and extending horizontally to the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel, and a first guide slot means for controlling motion of said first guide pin, said first guide slot means being in the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel;
- (E) a second guide pin affixed to one of said first mounting plate or said first support panel and extending horizontally to the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel, and a second guide slot means for controlling motion of said second guide pin, said second guide slot means being in the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel;
- (F) said first and second guide slot means having a configuration of the arc of a circle whose center lies on the bottom horizontal tangent for maintaining a fixed position of said bottom horizontal tangent as the motor is tilted for a bevel cut; and
- (G) lock means for preventing the motion of said first mounting plate relative to said first support panel in a first mode of operation, and for permitting relative motion in a second mode of operation.
- 2. The system of claim 1, in which the lock means comprises an arcuate slot in said first support panel; a locking pin affixed to said first mounting plate and extending horizontally through said arcuate slot; and clamping means attached to said locking pin for forcing said first support panel and said first mounting plate frictionally together in the first mode of operation.
- 3. The system according to claim 2, in which said first guide pin and said second guide slot means are in said first mounting plate and said second guide pin and said first guide slot means are in said first support panel.
- 4. The system according to claim 1, in which said first guide pin and said second guide slot means are in said first mounting plate and said second guide pin and said first guide slot means are in said first support panel.
- 5. The system according to claim 1, in which said first and second guide pins are affixed to said first mounting plate and said first and second guide slot means are in said first support panel.
- 6. The system according to claim 5, in which said lock means comprises a separate clamping element adjustably connected to each of said guide pins.
- 7. The system according to claim 5, in which said lock means comprises a connector joining said guide pins and spring bias means for forcing said first mounting plate and said first support panel together with preset force in said first mode of operation.
- 8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising means for releasing said spring bias means in said second mode of operation, said means for releasing connected to said connector.
- 9. The system according to claim 8, in which said means for releasing comprises a solenoid.
- 10. The system of claim 5, in which the lock means comprises an arcuate slot in said support panel; a locking pin affixed to said mounting plate and extending horizontally through said arcuate slot; and clamping means attached to said locking pin for forcing said support panel and said mounting plate frictionally together in the first mode of operation.
- 11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:
- (H) a second motor mounting plate parallel to the first mounting plate and spaced apart therefrom by the motor to which it is attached;
- (I) a second supp6rt panel adjacent the second mounting plate fixedly connected to the support connection means;
- (J) a third guide pin affixed to one of said second mounting plate or said second support panel and extending horizontally to the other of said second mounting plate or said second support panel, and a third guide slot means in the other of said second mounting plate or said second support panel for controlling motion of said third guide pin;
- (K) a fourth guide pin affixed to one of said second mounting plate or said second support panel and extending horizontally to the other of said second mounting plate or said second support panel, and a fourth guide slot means in the other of said second mounting plate or said second support panel for controlling motion of said fourth guide pin; and
- (L) said third and fourth guide slot means having a configuration of the arc of a circle whose center lies on the bottom horizontal tangent for maintaining a fixed position of said bottom horizontal tangent as the motor is tilted for a bevel cut.
- 12. In a rotary saw blade control system for use with a horizontal work support surface, a circular saw blade having a bottom horizontal tangent, a guidance system restricting saw motion to a fixed straight horizontal to and fro path over the work support surface, means for adjusting the fixed path by rotation about a fixed first vertical axis for miter angle adjustment, and the blade being rotatably mounted on a shaft driven by a motor, the improvement comprising:
- a first rigid vertical motor mounting plate having a rear face fixedly attached to said motor and a planar front face having extending horizontally therefrom a first pin and a second pin spaced apart from one another, said blade being affixed to said shaft and said shaft being rotatably connected to said motor;
- a first rigid vertical support panel having opposed planar surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface being positioned adjacent the front face of the first mounting plate;
- a support connection means for operatively connecting the first support panel to the guidance system;
- an elongate rigid linkage arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally attached to the front surface of the first panel and the second end being pivotally attached to the front face of the first plate by means of the second pin;
- a first curvilinear slot means extending between the front and rear surfaces of the first support panel for permitting free movement therethrough of the second pin;
- a second curvilinear slot means extending between the front and rear surfaces of the first support panel for passage of the first pin therethrough with a close tolerance clearance to guide the movement of the first plate in cooperation with the action of the linkage arm to always maintain the bottom horizontal tangent within a plane perpendicular to the work support surface; and
- lock means for fixing the relative motion of the mounting plate relative to the support panel in a first mode of operation, and for permitting relative motion therebetween in a second mode of operation for adjustment of the bevel angle.
- 13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising power operated elevation means for adjusting the elevation of the support panel relative to the work support surface, the elevation means operatively interconnected between said guidance system and said work support surface;
- a bevel angle sensing means for sensing the shaft angle relative to the horizontal, the bevel angle sensing means operatively connected between the support panel and the motor mounting plate; and
- elevation control means interconnecting the elevation means and the bevel angle sensing means for automatically adjusting the blade elevation at any bevel angle such that the bottom horizontal tangent will always remain at a predetermined elevation regardless of bevel angle and in a predictable single line path that is constant for a particular miter angle.
- 14. The system according to claim 12, in which the guidance system comprises a jointed guide arm and a jointed support arm, the support connection means being separately connected to the guide arm and the support arm such that the support arm supports the weight of the motor and permits motion of the motor in only one defined horizontal plane and the guide arm permits motion in only one defined vertical plane.
- 15. In a rotary saw blade control system for use with a horizontal work support surface, a circular saw blade having a bottom horizontal tangent, a guidance system restricting saw motion to a fixed straight horizontal to and fro path over the work support surface, means for adjusting the fixed path by rotation about a fixed first vertical axis for miter angle adjustment, and the blade being rotatably mounted on a shaft driven by a motor, the improvement comprising:
- (A) a first rigid vertical motor mounting plate having a rear face fixedly attached to said motor and a planar front face;
- (B) a first rigid vertical support panel having opposed planar surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface being positioned adjacent said front face of said first mounting plate;
- (C) a support connection means for operatively connecting said first support panel to the guidance system;
- (D) a first guide pin affixed to one of said first mounting plate or said first support panel and extending horizontally to the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel, and a first guide slot means for controlling motion of said first guide pin, said first guide slot means being in the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel;.
- (E) a second guide pin affixed to one of said first mounting plate or said first support panel and extending horizontally to the other of said first mounting plate or said first support panel, and an arcuate slot in one of said first mounting plate or said first support panel for allowing passage of said second guide pin therethrough;
- (F) said first and second guide pins and said first guide slot means cooperating to maintain the bottom horizontal tangent within a common vertical plane at any bevel angle; and
- (G) lock means for fixing the motion of the mounting plate relative to the support panel in a first mode of operation, and for permitting relative motion therebetween in a second mode of operation for adjustment of bevel angle.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/556,433 filed Sep. 4, 1996, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/535,385 filed Aug. 28, 1995, now abandoned, incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
556433 |
Sep 1996 |
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Parent |
535385 |
Aug 1995 |
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