CUTTING APPARATUS

• US 3,680,609 A
• Filed: 12/28/1970
• Issued: 08/01/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Burton Corporation
• Original Assignee: Donald C. Menge
• Inventors: Menge, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schran, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US05/101,843
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 143/6,6H,6G,46,46E 74/103
• US Class Current: 83/471.2
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 5/206 the saw blade being carried by a pivoted lever B27B5/208 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7693 Tool moved relative to work-support during cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7697 Tool angularly adjustable relative to work-support

Abstract

An apparatus for cutting an elongated workpiece at a selected angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. The apparatus has a power saw mounted to an upright support member which provides for horizontal movement of the power saw back and forth along a straight line across the workpiece; the upright support member being rotatable about a vertical axis to align the power saw along a desired cutting pitch angle. The upright support member has a pair of upwardly extending rocket arms rotatably mounted proximate their lower portions to the upright support, while the upper portions of the rocker arms are rotatably mounted to an upper power saw carrying member on which the power saw is, in turn, carried for pivotable movement to and away from the workpiece independent of its horizontal motion. A pivot and slot arrangement disposed intermediate the opposite rotational axes of the rocker arms cooperate with the upright support as the lower portion of the rocker arms rotate through a predetermined arcuate path so as to impart a horizontal motion to the upper power saw carrying member. A stop member is carried by one of the rocker arms and engages the other rocker arm after a predetermined amount of stroking movement to limit such horizontal movement by a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cutting an elongated workpiece comprising:

a longitudinal support frame;

a cutting station associated with said support frame;

means to support and align said elongated workpiece on said support frame relative to said cutting station, said cutting station having a first support member mounted for rotational movement about a vertical axis;

a second support member vertically displaced from said first support member;

saw means carried by said second support member;

a pair of parallel horizontally spaced rocker arms;

means for connecting an upper portion of each of said rocker arms to said second support member for relative rotational movement about a pair of horizontal axes displaced by a predetermined amount;

a pair of arm members;

means for connecting one end of each arm member to said first support member for relative rotational movement about a second pair of horizontal axes displaced by said predetermined amount;

means for respectively connecting the other ends of one of said arm members to a lower portion of one of said rocker arms for relative rotational movement, and for connecting the other end of the other of said arm members to a lower portion of the other of said rocker arms for relative rotational movement, said lower portions of said rocker arms being adapted to rotate back and forth along an arcuate path defined by the rotational movement of said arm members about said second pair of horizontal axes; and

means for pivotally mounting an intermediate portion of each of said rocker arms to said first support member, whereby said second support member is adapted for stroking movement in a horizontal plane defined by said first mentioned horizontal axes.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first support member includes an upright portion, said rocker arms being disposed on one side thereof, said arm members being rotatably mounted to the opposite side of said upright portion;

a pair of arcuate openings formed in said upright portion along the arcuate path defined by the rotational movement of said arm member about said second pair of horizontal axes;

a pair of connecting pins respectively disposed in said arcuate opening, one of said connecting pins connecting said one of said rocker arms to one of said arm members, the other of said pins connecting said other rocker arm to said other arm member for relative rotational movement.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 including a pair of pivot pins carried by said upright portion and vertically displaced respectively from said second horizontal axes;

means forming a slot in each of said rocker arms, said slots respectively engaging said pair of pivot pins for causing said pivotal movement between said rocker arm and said first support member.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the distance between said second horizontal axes and the axis of rotation between the other end of each of said arm members and said rocker arms is equal;

said arCuate openings being circular and having arcuate axes, formed about a center point coinciding with said second horizontal axes, said connecting pins being so sized with respect to said arcuate openings that said pins engage said openings in a rolling sliding engagement to support the weight of said rocker arms as said rocker arms rotate back and forth along said arcuate path.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said connecting pins are adapted for rotational movement relative to both said rocker arms and said arm members.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said slot means are elongated slots formed at each of said rocker arms, the longitudinal axis of each of said elongated slots lying in a plane defined by said first horizontal axis and the axis of rotation of said rocker arm and said arm member, said pivot pins being carried by said upright portion and being vertically displaced from said second horizontal axis by equal predetermined amounts and being horizontally displaced by an amount equal to said first mentioned predetermined amount.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a stop member carried by one of said rocker arms and extending toward the other of said rocker arms, the extended end of said stop member normally being displaced from said other rocker arm when said rocker arms are in a vertically disposed position, said other rocker arm engaging said extended end of said stop member to limit the amount of horizontal movement of said second support member after said rocker arms have been displaced from said vertical position by a predetermined amount.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the extended end of said stop member is adapted to be selectively positioned with respect to said one rocker arm so as to vary the distance between said extended end and said other rocker arm amount the mount of horizontal movement of said support rocker arms from said vertical position to an inclined position is variably adjustable thereby permitting an adjustment of the amount of horizontal movement of said second support member.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said stop member is connected to said one rocker arm at a substantially right angle.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said saw means is carried at one end of said second support member and mounted for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis, whereby said saw means may be raised and lowered about said last mentioned horizontal axis with respect to said second support member independent of the horizontal movement of said second support member.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said saw means is adapted to be pivoted from a first non-operative position to a second operative position, wherein said saw engages said workpiece for cutting said workpiece at a selected angle with respect to longitudinal axis of said workpiece;

and means biasing said saw to said first non-operative position.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said biasing means comprises a spring, one end of which is carried by said first support member, the other end of which is carried by said second support member.

13. An apparatus for supporting a member for movement in a predetermined plane, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member displaced from said first support member;

a pair of parallel, spaced rocker arms;

means for connecting one end portion of each of said rocker arms to said first support member for relative rotational movement about a pair of parallel axes displaced by a predetermined amount;

means connecting an opposite end portion of each of said rocker arms to said second support member for relative rotational movement of said opposite end portions of said rocker arms along an arcuate path, each arcuate path defined by equal radii from a second pair of parallel axes disposed on said second support member, said second pair of parallel axes being displaced by said predetermined Amount; and

means for pivotally mounting an intermediate portion of each of said rocker arms to said second support member whereby one of said support members is adapted for movement in said predetermined plane, said predetermined plane being parallel to another plane defined by one of said pair of parallel axes.

14. An apparatus for supporting a member for back and forth stroking movement in a horizontal plane, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member vertically displaced beneath said first support member;

a pair of parallel horizontally spaced rocker arms;

means for connecting an upper portion of each of said rocker arms to said first support member for relative rotational movement about a pair of horizontal axes displaced by a predetermined amount;

a pair of arm members;

means for connecting one end of each arm member to said second support member for relative rotational movement about a second pair of horizontal axes displaced by said predetermined amount;

means respectively connecting the other ends of one of said arm members to a lower portion of one of said rocker arms for relative rotational movement and for connecting the other end for the other of said arm members to a lower portion of the other of said rocker arms for relative rotational movement, said lower portions of said rocker arms being adapted to rotate back and forth along an arcuate path defined by the rotational movement of said arm members about said second pair of horizontal axes; and

means for pivotally mounting an intermediate portion of each of said rocker arms to said second support member whereby said first support member is adapted for stroking movement in a horizontal plane defined by said first mentioned horizontal axes.