Many woodworking tools, including joiners and planers, for example, create copious amounts of sawdust and airborne dust. Dust collection assemblies have been designed for woodworking to vacuum up dust particles to increase a user's respiratory comfort and allow for clear visibility of the object being worked upon. In some configurations, flexible hoses are used to direct suction capacity from a vacuum source to an end use location. In many woodworking environments, such flexible hoses have a diameter of about 4 inches.
Some woodworking dust collections assemblies are set up as a central vacuum assembly with hoses directed to each of a plurality of end use locations. Valves may be used on each of these hoses to quickly turn the suction on and off at each desired location. One configuration of a vacuum valve is a blast gate configured to connect two flexible hoses end-to-end. In one configuration, a blast gate has an interior sliding panel that is moved between an opened and closed position, as desired by a user. However, because the hoses to which the blast gate is connected are flexible, such panel movement (particularly when done manually) may cause undesirable play in the assembly, which can lead to loosened hose connections, operation difficulty, and stress on the components.
In one aspect, a blast gate assembly for connecting two hoses includes a first cylindrical section for frictionally engaging with a first flexible vacuum hose, a second cylindrical section for frictionally engaging with a second flexible vacuum hose, and a valve section disposed between the first cylindrical section and the second cylindrical section. The valve section includes a mounting bracket.
In another aspect, a blast gate assembly for connecting two hoses includes a first cylindrical section for frictionally engaging with a first flexible vacuum hose, a second cylindrical section for frictionally engaging with a second flexible vacuum hose, and a sliding gate section disposed between the first cylindrical section and the second cylindrical section. The sliding gate section includes a mounting bracket.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the claimed subject matter, and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Many other novel advantages, features, and relationships will become apparent as this description proceeds. The figures and the description that follow more particularly exemplify illustrative embodiments.
The disclosed subject matter will be further explained with reference to the attached figures, wherein like structure or system elements are referred to by like reference numerals throughout the several views.
While the above-identified figures set forth one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, other embodiments are also contemplated, as noted in the disclosure. In all cases, this disclosure presents the disclosed subject matter by way of representation and not limitation. It should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of this disclosure.
Then, blast gate 14 is inserted into slot 18 of mount 12, as depicted in
Because blast gate 14 is secured by mount 12 to structure 32, the assembly 10 does not move when a user opens and closes door 16 of blast gate 14. Mount 12 may be used as a retrofit part for mounting a separate blast gate 14; such a blast gate 14 alone would not be mountable to a structure or surface.
In another method of use, mount 12 may be used without a blast gate in order to secure a flexible hose 38 to structure 32. In that case, mount 12 is secured to structure 32. Hose clamp 36 is fed through slots 24 of mount 12. Flexible hose 38 is secured by hose clamp 36 to mount 12, thereby securing flexible hose 38 to structure 32. The same method may also to be used secure a pipe or other component to mount 12.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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