Patent Application
20090020184
The present invention generally relates to woodworking. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable wood planing machine for the surface planing of wooden planks or boards.
Various power tools are used in woodworking in an effort to efficiently and accurately cut workpieces to desired dimensions and surface quality. As is widely known, planing machines are often used for surface planing of wooden boards. A conventional planing machine typically includes one or more rotatably mounted cutting blades attached to a vertically movable carriage assembly. Also known are jointer machines which are typically used for the edge planing of wood. In certain applications, the functions of conventional planing machines and jointers are combined within a single unit commonly referred to as a jointer/planer machine.
In a typical wood planing machine, such as a surface planer, a selectively adjustable workpiece opening is defined between a carriage assembly and a support surface. The one or more rotationally mounted blades are carried on the underside of the carriage assembly adjacent the workpiece opening. The blades are adapted to remove a predetermined amount of material from the workpiece depending on the height of the workpiece opening. The carriage assembly also usually includes one or more feed rollers which urge the workpiece through the workpiece opening during operation of the wood planing machine.
In most applications, the carriage assembly of a wood planing machine is movably mounted to a plurality of support columns for movement with respect to a workpiece support surface, such as a base or platen. Such movement of the carriage assembly adjusts the vertical dimension of the workpiece opening so as to selectively determines the amount of material to be removed from the workpiece. Alternatively, in certain applications it is desirable to fixedly mount the carriage assembly and to adjust the workpiece opening by moving the base or platen vertically with respect to the carriage assembly.
In use, a workpiece is passed through the workpiece opening and a predetermined amount of material is removed from the surface of the workpiece adjacent the carriage assembly. Multiple passes of the workpiece through the workpiece opening are often necessary to obtain the desired thickness and surface quality. As with other woodworking operations, it is desirable that a planing machine accomplish workpiece preparation with precise tolerances, high surface quality, and a significant degree of reproducible results.
In the field of woodworking it is desirable to provide a wood planing machine having a depth stop mechanism which serves to physically stop the lowering of the carriage assembly at a predetermined depth. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a wood planing machine having a depth stop adjustment which may be more adjustable and more quickly set to a desired depth as compared to prior known devices.
It is also known in the field of woodworking to provide dust collection for a wood planing machine which provides for removal of dust and debris generated from the material removal from a workpiece. While prior known devices are available for dust collection, all are associated with one or more disadvantages. To overcome the disadvantages of prior known devices, it is desirable to provide a dust collector assembly for a wood planing machine which can have a smaller outlet for evacuating the dust but still will not clog or lose capacity.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved planing machine is employed. The planing machine may include a base, at least two support columns disposed on the base, a carriage assembly carrying a cutterhead, the carriage assembly being mounted on the support columns, one of the workpiece support surface and the carriage assembly being movable vertically towards the other of the workpiece support surface and the carriage assembly. In an exemplary embodiment, the planing machine includes a depth stop adjustment mechanism which allows the operator to accurately select a minimum workpiece depth from one or more predetermined depths. In another exemplary embodiment, the planing machine includes a dust exhaust channel for removing dust and wood chips/shaving generated during the planing operation
Additional features and benefits of the present invention are described, and will be apparent from, the accompanying drawings and the detailed description below.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which make reference to the drawings of which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
The present invention provides an improved portable wood planing machine for the surface planing of a workpiece such as a wooden board or plank. As will become apparent below, the present invention more particularly relates to various features of a planing machine. Many of these various features, which are described in detail below, are shown cooperatively arranged within a single planing machine. However, it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention as it independently relates to each of the features described is not so limited. In other words, while an exemplary embodiment of a planing machine is shown and described, it will be understood that the various features may be utilized independent from one another.
With reference to
In the embodiment shown, the carriage assembly 16 is preferably slideably mounted on four support columns 14 for bidirectional vertical movement. The carriage assembly 16 may be selectively translated upwardly or downwardly along a path of travel along the support columns 14 by a user via operation of handle 20. An exemplary arrangement for translating the carriage assembly is described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,949 entitled, “Portable Wood Planing Machine” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,035 entitled, “Apparatus for Adjusting the Relative Positions of Two Components of a Power Tool”, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. The carriage assembly 16 preferably cooperates with the support platen 13 to define a workspace opening 18 into which a workpiece may be inserted.
Base assembly 12 as well as top assembly 22 may include handles 24 and 26, respectively, for enabling the user to carry the planing machine 10. Preferably, base assembly 12 includes openings 28 which allow a user to wrap his or her hand around the handle 24 and comfortably insert his or her fingers into the openings 28. With respect to handles 26, they preferably extend outwardly from top assembly 22 allowing a user to comfortably wrap his or her hand around the handle 26 without any interference from the top assembly 22.
With continued reference to
Turning now to
Looking at
With reference to
In another preferred embodiment, adjustment knob 42 may be mounted to base assembly 12 instead of carriage assembly 16 and stop rod 46 may be mounted to carriage assembly 16 instead of base assembly 12. In this preferred embodiment, a portion of base assembly 12 that is near support column 14 also includes post 56, which is at least partially threaded in a preferred embodiment, and frame 58. Frame 58 also preferably includes opening 60 and an indicator 61, which is used in conjunction with scale 48. Although adjustment knob 42 is shown to include scale 48 and frame 58 is shown to include indicator 61, in another preferred embodiment, frame 58 may include a scale and adjustment knob 42 may include an indicator. In a preferred embodiment, adjustment knob 42 is mounted to planing machine 10 by threadably attaching adjustment knob 42 to post 56 via central aperture 54. Adjustment knob 42 is preferably mounted in such a manner as to abut frame 58 when mounted to planing machine 10.
Turning back to
In an exemplary use of infinite depth stop mechanism 40, a user would first rotate adjustment knob 42 to the desired measurement or setting with the assistance of scale 48 and indicator 61. As adjustment knob 42 is rotated, cam 50 is also rotated since cam 50 is fixedly attached to adjustment knob 42. The user then locks adjustment knob 42 in place by turning locking member 44 and moving locking member 44 into further threaded engagement with post 56. In a preferred embodiment, as locking member 44 is further threaded onto post 56, locking member 44 locks adjustment knob 42 in place by a threaded friction or interference fit. Once adjustment knob 42 is locked in place, the user lowers carriage assembly 16 towards platen 13 by actuating handle 20. As carriage assembly 16 approaches the desired depth, depth stop mechanism 40 will prevent carriage assembly 16 from lowering beyond the desired depth measurement.
With reference to
Turning now to
Dust exhaust 62 is preferably removably attached to carriage assembly 16 via a plurality of fasteners. However, it is further contemplated that dust exhaust 62 may be attached to carriage assembly 16 in a number of ways including chemical bonding, welding, and molding. In a preferred embodiment, dust exhaust 62 includes shroud 64 and exhaust channel 66. Shroud 64 is preferably configured and dimensioned to attach to carriage assembly 16 in a manner to allow for airflow from the cutterhead to exhaust channel 66. As is well known in the art, a vacuum source is preferably attached to exhaust channel 66 to exhaust the dust and wood chips/shaving generated during the planing operation. The vacuum source may be attached to exhaust channel 66 in a variety of way including an interference fit, a threaded fit, or via fasteners.
Turning to
With power tools, such as planing machine 10, that generate a high volume of dust and wood chips/shavings, there is a potential for those shaving/chips to block or clog the dust exhaust channel, particularly when the dust exhaust channel diameter is smaller. The plurality of ribs 68 prevents or at least substantially prevents the clogging of exhaust channel 66 with dust and wood chips/shavings. Furthermore, ribs 68 substantially prevent the introduction of foreign objects from the environment into the carriage assembly 16 via exhaust channel 66.
In a preferred embodiment, ribs 68 are not connected across exhaust channel 66, rather ribs 68 leave center portion 70 of exhaust channel 66 substantially unobstructed. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, ribs 68 have a substantially tapered configuration where the portion of ribs 68 adjacent to wall 72 of exhaust channel 66 are longer in length and the portion of the ribs 68 near center 70 of exhaust channel 66 are shorter in length. In addition, the tapered configuration is such that the direction of taper follows in the direction opposite of the airflow from the cutterhead to the vacuum source. In other words, ribs 68 extend toward center portion of 70 increasingly in the direction from inner end 67 of exhaust channel 66, which is closest to the cutterhead, to outer end 69 of exhaust channel 66. This preferred rib pattern shed dust and shaving/chips, funneling them towards center 70 of exhaust channel 66, substantially preventing the dust and shaving/chips from building up in exhaust channel 66 eventually leading to a block or clog of exhaust channel 66.
While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment and various alternative constructions of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation, and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the present invention. In this regard, while the various features of the present invention have been shown and described in connection with a portable wood planer, it will be appreciated by those skilled in that art that many of these features are suitable in connection with other woodworking power tools. For example, many of the features may be readily modified for use with a jointer machine or a combination jointer/planer machine. Further, it will be understood that the teachings of the present invention are equally applicable for planing machines in which a portion of the base is moved relative to a stationary carriage assembly or cutting head.
