Patent Application
20140318341
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to power hand tools, and more particularly to power hand tools with platforms for securing a workpiece.
Portable power saws, such as chop and cutoff saws, are cutting machines that typically include a saw attached to a base. The saw is mounted on a hinge or an arm and swings, or otherwise moves, in an up-and-down manner relative to the base. Such saws allow a user to consistently make vertical cuts in a workpiece. Many chop and cutoff saws are provided with at most a fence or clamp on one side of the saw blade plane. So, in a typical application, a user may secure a workpiece at one end, and cut the workpiece to a desired length. The unsecured portion of the workpiece then falls away from the secured portion. A user must also measure the workpiece before making each cut.
In the world of saws, there are several different kinds of saws. A miter saw is a saw that would typically be used for carpentry. It has a fence against which to place a workpiece, and a rotating saw blade that drops through a slot in the deck to cut a workpiece, such as a 2″×4″. The deck and fence extend on both sides of the saw blade. The saw blade may rotate to make angled cuts.
Another type of saw is a cold saw. This is a saw made to cut lighter grades of metal. It is not portable, because it uses a liquid coolant and has a system for recovering the coolant. The cold saw rotates for different angled cuts, and the fences don't swivel on the deck. The cold saw can be undesireable for metal which is to be welded, because the coolant has to be cleaned off before welding.
Another type of saw is a portable metal cutting saw. This type of saw is designed to cut the hardest metal. To do this it has a high horsepower motor, and because it is high horsepower the motor and blade are fixed in position and do not rotate. To make an angled cut there is a fence on the left side of the blade, but not the right side. Because the stock to be cut might be a round bar, there is a vice that presses the workpiece against the fence. Because the workpiece can be round, and the motor is powerful, a person would not hold the round workpiece with his hand or his hand could be pinched if the workpiece rotates. This type of saw has a deck with a saw blade slot to the far edge of the deck, so the cut off part of the workpiece falls away from the blade. If the workpiece were left laying adjacent to the blade if might be caught by the blade and thrown into the user.
A shortcoming of the design of the portable metal cutting saw is that if multiple cuts of the same length of a workpiece need to be cut, the piece has to be measured once for every cut. If the workpiece could be secured on a longer deck against a fence to the right of the blade, with the workpiece secured so it would not be thrown off, a measuring device could speed the making of cuts for the same length of cut.
Disclosed is a portable metal cutting power saw assembly with a base that comprises a base, a motor with attached saw blade, and a slot in the base for the saw blade to pass through. On one side of the saw blade is a first fence that may be tilted at an angle, and a vice or clamp for securing a workpiece against the first fence. The saw includes a detachable second deck typically on the right of the saw blade, with a second fence which may be tilted at an angle, and a second vice or clamp for pressing and holding the workpiece against the second fence. The saw also has a stop for providing additional guidance and/or support for making repeated cuts of a workpiece to a measured length. The disclosed technology is particularly adaptable for a user making repeated cuts of multiple pieces of stock to the same length.
In accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the assembly is provided with a plurality of fences and clamps, at least one on either side of the cutting plane of a saw. Also provided is a stop connected to at least one fence, with the stop allowing a user to measure once, set the stop, and then make repeated cuts of stock to the same length. In this way, the user need not measure repeatedly before cutting each workpiece of a run. The plurality of clamps secures the workpiece or workpieces both before and after a cut is made.
In accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the assembly is provided with an articuable stop. The stop is movable in three or more dimensions, including up to 6 dimensions, which allows a user considerable latitude in positioning the stop to secure a workpiece or workpieces for a variety of different cuts. Further, the articuable nature of the stop allows a user to make repeated cuts of a common angle without having to make repeated measurements of the angle.
In accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the a base extension is provided, which allows a user to add a fence, clamp, and stop to a power saw assembly that is not otherwise equipped with fences and clamps on both sides of the cutting plane.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed concepts. It will, however, be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed concepts may be practiced without these specific details. Well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
A first clamp 28 and a second clamp 30 are shown, which clamps are positioned, respectively, on the first side of the base 16 and second side of the base 18. The clamps are suitable for holding a workpiece to be cut by the saw 12. The second fence 26 and second clamp 30 may be referred to collectively as a side vice. The clamps 28 and 30 could comprise any clamp or vice known in the art to be suitable for holding workpieces in a power tool application. In a preferred embodiment, clamps 28 and 30 are screw-type vices, each with a quick release, which are capable of tightening against a workpiece by operating the handles 31 of the clamps. The assembly 10 is also equipped with an articuable stop 32. The stop 32 is physically connected to the fence 26 and is adjustable in three dimensions to create a surface against which workpieces may be placed so a user of the assembly 10 may make repeated cuts of stock, the length of which cuts are designated by the stop.
In
The stop 32 shown in
The clamps 28 and 30 are pivotable independent of one another, thus providing a user flexibility in securing a workpiece or workpieces. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the saw 12 is capable of fitting between the fence 24 and 26, thus allowing one to completely cut a workpiece.
The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. The illustrative discussion above, however, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed concepts to any particular form. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosed concepts in order to enable others skilled in the art.
