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

• US 20050166736A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sawstop Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: SD3, LLC
• Inventors: Fanning, David A., Gass, Stephen F., Fulmer, J. David
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/477.200
• 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

Improved 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.

Claims

1. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;

a motor to drive the blade; and

a mounting system configured to hold an accessory adjacent the blade;

where the mounting system includes a clamping structure adapted to open to receive at least part of the accessory and to clamp at least part of the accessory when closed;

where the clamping structure is adapted so that it may be opened and closed by hand without using tools; and

where the saw has a standard feed direction for cutting the workpiece and where the clamping structure is positioned downstream of the blade relative to the standard feed direction.

2. The table saw of claim 1 where the clamping structure includes a handle moveable by a user to open and close the clamping structure.

3. The table saw of claim 2, further comprising at least one cam surface, and where movement of the handle causes movement of the cam surface.

4. The table saw of claim 2, further comprising at least two corresponding cam surfaces, where movement of the handle causes movement of at least one of the cam surfaces.

5. The table saw of claim 2 where the clamping structure includes a bolt with a head, and where the handle includes an aperture configured to fit around the head of the bolt.

6. The table saw of claim 5 where the clamping structure includes a clamping surface, a plate, and a spring biasing the plate away from a clamping surface, where the bolt holds the plate adjacent the clamping surface, and where the bolt may be turned to adjust the position of the plate relative to the clamping surface.

7. The table saw of claim 1, further comprising a mounting plate secured in the saw, a positioning plate mounted to the mounting plate, and a clamping plate associated with the positioning plate.

8. The table saw of claim 1 where the position of the mounting plate in the saw is adjustable.

9. The table saw of claim 1 where the position of the positioning plate relative to the mounting plate is adjustable.

10. The table saw of claim 1 where the clamping structure includes a positioning plate, and where the positioning plate includes structure to position the accessory in the clamping structure.

11. The table saw of claim 1 where the accessory is a riving knife.

12. The table saw of claim 1 where the accessory is a splitter.

13. The table saw of claim 1 where the accessory is a splitter/blade guard assembly.

14. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;

a motor to drive the blade; and

a mounting system configured to hold an accessory adjacent the blade;

where the mounting system includes clamping means for clamping at least part of the accessory in the mounting system.

15. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;

a motor to drive the blade; and

a mounting system configured to hold an accessory adjacent the blade;

where the mounting system includes a clamping structure adapted to open to receive at least part of the accessory and to clamp at least part of the accessory when closed;

where the clamping structure is configured to align the accessory relative to the blade when the clamping structure clamps at least part of the accessory.

16. The table saw of claim 15 where the clamping structure includes a positioning plate, and where the positioning plate includes location structure to position the accessory in the clamping structure.

17. The table saw of claim 16 where the location structure includes at least one pin.

18. The table saw of claim 17 where the accessory includes at least one aperture configured to correspond to the at least one pin.

19. The table saw of claim 16 where the location structure includes at least one shoulder.

20. The table saw of claim 19 where the accessory includes at least one shoulder configured to abut the at least one shoulder of the location structure.