Elevation mechanism for table saws

• US 20070175306A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sawstop Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: SD3, LLC
• Inventors: Fanning, David, Fulmer, J., Gass, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,866,239 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

Elevation mechanisms for table saws are disclosed. Embodiments include mechanisms with an elevation carriage, a trunnion structure, and a shaft with a cantilevered portion. The shaft can be fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, and the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure slides on the cantilevered portion.

Claims

1. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

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

a motor to drive the blade;

an elevation carriage adapted to support the blade and to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;

a trunnion structure adapted to support the elevation carriage and to move the blade between a position where the blade is perpendicular to the work surface and a position where the blade is not perpendicular to the work surface; and

an elongate shaft fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the shaft has a cantilevered portion, and where the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure is configured to slide on the cantilevered portion along the length of the shaft when the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface.

2. The table saw of claim 1, where the shaft is positioned to extend in a plane generally perpendicular to the work surface.

3. The table saw of claim 1, where the shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure and the elevation carriage is configured to slide on the cantilevered portion.

4. The table saw of claim 1, where the shaft is fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at two locations.

5. The table saw of claim 1, where the shaft is fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at two locations, and where the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure is configured to slide on the shaft between the two locations and on the cantilevered portion.

6. The table saw of claim 1, where the shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure at two locations, and where the elevation carriage is configured to slide on the shaft between the two locations and on the cantilevered portion.

7. The table saw of claim 1, further comprising a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the two shafts are parallel.

8. The table saw of claim 1, further comprising a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the two shafts are parallel, where the second shaft is held by one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at two locations, and where the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure is configured to slide on the second shaft between the two locations

9. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

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

a motor to drive the blade;

an elevation carriage adapted to support the blade and to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;

a trunnion structure adapted to support the elevation carriage and to move the blade between a position where the blade is perpendicular to the work surface and a position where the blade is not perpendicular to the work surface; and

an elongate shaft fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at a mounting location, where the shaft extends generally vertically relative to the work surface when the blade is perpendicular to the work surface, where the shaft includes a free portion that extends from the mounting location to an unsupported end of the shaft without any further support for the shaft between the mounting location and the unsupported end, and where the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure is configured to slide on the free portion when the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface.

10. The table saw of claim 9, where the shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure and the elevation carriage is configured to slide on the free portion of the shaft.

11. The table saw of claim 9, where the shaft is fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at two mounting locations.

12. The table saw of claim 9, where the shaft is fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at a first mounting location and at a second mounting location between the first mounting location and the free portion, and where the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure is configured to slide on the shaft between the first and second mounting locations and on the free portion.

13. The table saw of claim 9, where the shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure at a first mounting location and at a second mounting location between the first mounting location and the free portion, and where the elevation carriage is configured to slide on the shaft between the first and second mounting locations and on the free portion.

14. The table saw of claim 9, further comprising a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the two shafts are parallel.

15. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

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

a rotatable arbor to support the blade;

an elevation carriage adapted to support the arbor and to move up and down to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;

a motor;

a belt system interconnecting the motor and arbor;

a trunnion structure adapted to support the elevation carriage and motor and to move the blade between a position where the blade is perpendicular to the work surface and a position where the blade is not perpendicular to the work surface; and

a support shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the support shaft has first and second ends, where the support shaft is fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at a first mounting location generally near the first end, where the support shaft is also fixed to the same one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at a second mounting location generally near the middle of the shaft, where the portion of the shaft from the second mounting location to the second end is not fixed to the same one of the elevation carriage or trunnion structure, and where the support shaft engages the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure between the first and second mounting locations and between the second mounting location and the second end of the shaft.

16. The table saw of claim 15, where one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure is configured to slide on the support shaft as the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface.

17. The table saw of claim 15, where the support shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure.

18. The table saw of claim 15, where the support shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure and where the elevation carriage engages the support shaft.

19. The table saw of claim 15, further comprising a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the second shaft and support shaft are parallel.

20. The table saw of claim 15, further comprising a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the second shaft is held by one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure at two locations, and where the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure engages the second shaft between the two locations.