Patent Application
20080142119
The present invention relates to a universal router guide for use with doors and door jams of different widths. In particular the router guide is adjustable for doors of 1⅜, 1¾ and 2¼ inch widths and includes a number of changeable router guide plates to match the dimensions of the plate to be recessed. The router template further includes debris ports for removal of sawdust.
When doors are installed into door frames the hardware such as hinges, striker plates and lock set typically have a plate that is reset into the door or door frame. The shape of the pockets is often variable based upon the manufacturer and the type of lock or hinge. Various types of fixtures and jigs have been designed for use with a router to cut these pockets or recesses. Some of these various fixtures have included clamping devices for holding pieces of wood. Several of the fixtures have included some form of a template for a router to follow in order to provide a surface design or to form certain cuts for an appropriate joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,368, issued on Oct. 15, 1974 to Nicholas H. Ritter discloses a routing device which has parallel guides on a guide base to position a work piece. A tool platform to position and support the tool, a tool support plate and a frame to provide angular movement of the tool, and selective indexing mechanisms which are disposed between the parallel guides and the frame, the frame and the blade, and the tool platform and the tool support plate. While this device discloses a router template the template does not allow for attachment to door or door frames of different thicknesses, or does it disclose a changeable router template or ports for debris discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,849, issued Nov. 2, 1982 to Donald L. Fredrickson discloses a Molding Curvature Template Fixture, which holds a strip of molding and provides a template for a portable router to follow the shape of the molding to make molding with a similar cross-sectional shape of the shaped side of the molding. The fixture includes a box-section frame which has a series of lateral slots and a clamping mechanism. An insert may be attached to the box section frame to provide a guiding surface for cutting molding which has a non-standard shape. While this device discloses a router template the template does not allow for attachment to door or door frames of different thicknesses, or does it disclose a changeable router template or ports for debris discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,100 issued Apr. 6, 1982 to Howard Silken discloses a Router Guide that includes an attachment to the base of a router with a central opening for passing the router bit. On the bottom, the guide plate has a series of openings spaced apart along a spiral of progressively increasing radius which has the central opening as its center. A pivot pin is selectively insertable into any one of these openings. The pivot pin has a pointed end for insertion in a work piece at the center of a circular groove which is to be cut in the work piece by the router bit as the guide plate is rotated about the pivot pin. While this device discloses a router template the template does not allow for attachment to door or door frames of different thicknesses, or does it disclose a changeable router template or ports for debris discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,615, issued Mar. 16, 1982 to Henry A. Ditmanson discloses a Router Attachment for Ornamenting a Work piece that includes a set of adjustable rails on a track which can be oriented in any given direction by placing the track on a turntable. A wheeled carriage rides to or fro on the track and carries a router. The router bit rises and falls in response to the particular profile of the rails and cuts recesses in an underlying work piece which has shapes dependent on rail contour, bit size and shape and extent of carriage travel. While this device discloses a router template the template does not allow for attachment to door or door frames of different thicknesses, or does it disclose a changeable router template or ports for debris discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,263, issued Nov. 10, 1981 to Charles D. Skinner discloses a Mechanical Router Guide. The router guide allows the router to move above the surface of a stationary piece, whereby the router is subject to a composite, and three directional movement as it is moved above the work piece. The indexing table carries a template holding frame which can be slanted at an adjustable angle in relation to the work piece in order to create designs of varying depth and width into the work piece. While this device discloses a router template the template does not allow for attachment to door or door frames of different thicknesses, or does it disclose a changeable router template or ports in the template for debris discharge.
It is an object of the universal router guide to provide a woodworking fixture which holds a portion of a door and provides a template for use with a portable router for cutting an opening for a latch face on the door or door frame. The router guide is essentially a rectangular configuration with a flat top and bottom. The guide is secured to a door or door frame with kept nails what are driven into the door or door frame to maintain the position of the guide. The elongated sides of the guide are configured to mate with the door or door frame to a fit that minimizes the movement of the guide on the frame of door.
It is another object of the universal router guide to provide a door width adjustment mechanism that adapts the router guide to three different width doors. The adjustment is accomplished using solid stops consisting of a slot with screws and spring loaded pin(s) that prevent travel beyond the screws or pins. The pins are depressed to allow the stop plate to move beyond the spring loaded pin(s). Identification is placed on the guide to indicate the width of the door that is being routed. Stops are provided on both ends of the universal router guide to maintain a parallel relationship of the guide to the door or door frame.
It is another object of the universal router guide to provide a guide with changeable routing templates. The templates are secured into the guide and match the area that needs to be routed from the door or door frame. The universal nature of the guide allows a nearly endless variety of different plates to be attached for currently available shapes as well as shapes that will be available in the future. The plates are typically secured within the guide using threaded hardware that provides a flush top surface that does not interfere with the base of a portable router.
It is still another object of the universal router guide is to provide a router guide with side ports that allow removed material to be discharged out the side of the guide. In many installations the debris remains inside the guide until the routing operation is complete. The debris discharge holes keep the area within the guide clear allowing better visibility of the area being routed.
Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.
Referring first to
The router guide 30 is removable from the template and can be changed to accommodate different size and shaped pockets that need to be routed. In this figure the router guide 30 is shaped for a rectangular opening 31. Other router guides are shown and described in more detain with
In operation the template is brought into position on the door or door frame and the removable nails are driven into the door or door frame. The recessed pocked in the door or door frame is routed and the template is removed. Both sides of the template have indicator plates 60 to adjust the template for the width of the door or doorjamb width. In the preferred embodiment the adjustment 60 is for three widths of 1⅜, 1¾ and 2¼ inch as identified with item 50. The features of the indicator plate is shown and described in more detail in
The template shown in
Both sides of the template have indicator plates 60 to adjust the template for the width of the door. In the preferred embodiment the adjustment 60 is for three widths of 1⅜, 1¾ and 2¼ inch as identified with item 50. The features of the indicator plate is shown and described in more detail in
To obtain the 1⅛ inch thick door position the screws 63 are loosened and the plate 60 is slid all the way to the right so the body of the screw prevents further travel of the plate. This places the template in a position shown with dashed line 62. To obtain the position 51 of the plate for the 1¾ inch thick door the screws 63 are loosened and the plate is slid to the left until it contacts pin 65. To obtain the 2¼ inch thick door position the pin 65 is depressed and the plate 60 is slid over the top of the depressed pin until the edge of the plate 60 stops against the right screw 63. This places the template in a position shown with dashed line 66. In operation the edge 61 is used to position the template on the side of the door frame. While the spring loaded pin allows for three different positive stop positions it is contemplated that more than one spring loaded pin can be used to provide more than three discrete stop positions.
Thus, specific embodiments of universal router template have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.
