Table saws with safety systems and systems to mount and index attachments

• US 10,052,786 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sawstop Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: Sawstop Holding LLC
• Inventors: Gass, Stephen F., Fulmer, J. David, Fanning, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Laura M
• Application Number:
  US13/964,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 83102, 83820, 831021, 83478, 83823, 834402, 83544, 834772, 83DIG 1, 403DIG 4, 144307, 144308, 1442511-2513, 1442781, 269229-236
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/067 the saw blade being adjustable according to depth or angle of cut
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/02 for circular saws
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/08 Accessories for keeping open the saw kerf, e.g. riving knives or wedge plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49959 Nonresilient fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2077 By kerf entering guide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/704 With work-support and means to vary relationship between tool and work support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/732 With guard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7697 Tool angularly adjustable relative to work-support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7705 Adjustable angular relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7726 By movement of the tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/773 Work-support includes passageway for tool [e.g., slotted table]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7734 With guard for tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7793 Means to rotate or oscillate tool

Abstract

Table saws and table saws designed to implement safety systems that detect contact between a person and a dangerous portion of the saw are disclosed. Table saw components, mounting systems for table saws, and table saw attachments are also disclosed. One embodiment may include a first clamp surface, a second clamp surface spaced apart from the first clamp surface so that a base portion of a riving knife or splitter can be placed between the clamp surfaces with the opposing sides of the base portion generally parallel to the first and second clamp surfaces.

Claims

1. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface, where the table includes an opening;

a generally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface through the opening;

a motor to drive the blade;

a riving knife or splitter having a base portion with opposing sides;

an elevation carriage supporting the blade and configured to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface with the blade at a specific angular orientation relative to the work surface; and

a mounting system configured to hold the riving knife or splitter adjacent the blade with the opposing sides of the base portion substantially parallel to the plane of the blade;

where the mounting system is supported to move with the elevation carriage;

where the mounting system includes a clamping structure;

where the clamping structure includes a first clamp surface and a second clamp surface, where the clamping structure is configured to accommodate the base portion between the first and second clamp surfaces with the opposing sides of the base portion generally adjacent the first and second clamp surfaces, respectively, where the clamping structure further includes a handle adapted to pivot around an axis perpendicular to the opposing sides of the base portion of the riving knife and below the work surface, where the handle is further adapted to pivot between a first position where the clamping structure does not clamp the base portion and a second position where the clamping structure clamps the base portion, and where the clamping structure includes a cam system configured to convert at least some pivotal motion of the handle into generally linear motion of at least one clamp surface toward the other clamp surface;

where the cam system includes a cam surface having a non-uniform pitch and a component adapted to move along the cam surface;

where the handle can be pivoted by hand from one of the first position and second position to the other without using tools and without having to pivot the handle more than one full revolution;

where the first and second clamp surfaces are below the work surface; and

where the handle and opening in the table are configured so that a user can access the handle by reaching a hand through the opening.

2. The table saw of claim 1, where the cam surface has a first portion at a first pitch and a second portion at a second pitch different from the first pitch.

3. The table saw of claim 2, where movement of the component along the first pitch causes at least one clamp surface to move toward the other clamp surface, and where movement of the component along the second pitch does not cause the at least one clamp surface to move toward the other clamp surface.

4. The table saw of claim 2, where movement of the component along the first pitch causes at least one clamp surface to move toward the other clamp surface, and where movement of the component along the second pitch causes the at least one clamp surface to move toward the other clamp surface less than movement of the component along the first pitch.

5. The table saw of claim 1, where the cam surface has a portion that stabilizes the clamping structure in the second position.

6. The table saw of claim 1, where the mounting system includes a pin extending out from one of the clamp surfaces, where the base portion of the riving knife or splitter includes an opening to receive the pin, and where the first and second clamp surfaces are spaced sufficiently apart with the handle in the first position for the riving knife or splitter to be moved off of the pin.

7. The table saw of claim 1, where the clamping structure further includes a bolt and a spring positioned around at least a portion of the bolt, where each of the first and second clamp surfaces includes an aperture through which the bolt passes, where the first clamp surface is part of a first plate, where the second clamp surface is part of a second plate, where the spring contacts at least one of the first and second plates, where the bolt is positioned generally along the axis around which the handle is adapted to pivot, and where the handle is generally elongate with an end section adjacent one end of the bolt.