Vacuum sander
First Claim
1. A vacuum sander comprising:
- an abrasive sheet;
a sander body including a planar support plate for said abrasive sheet, securing means for fastening said sheet to the front face of said planar support plate and a vacuum manifold forming a vacuum chamber communicating with said abrasive sheet such that air draws sanding residue into said chamber;
a tubular sleeve communicating with said vacuum manifold, said sleeve being fastened to the rear face of said support plate through connector means for allowing the angle between said sleeve and support plate to vary over a predetermined range;
an elongated tubular handle having one end communicating with, and fastened to, said sleeve, and the other end communicating with a partial vacuum such that said vacuum chamber is maintained at a reduced pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum sander including a porous abrasive sheet mounted on the front surface of a backing plate. A manifold covers the rear surface of the backing plate, and the interior of the manifold communicates with the abrasive sheet through a plurality of bores in the backing plate. The manifold is maintained at reduced pressure by a partial vacuum communicating with the manifold through a tubular handle which is secured to a hollow sleeve projecting from the rear of the manifold. The sleeve extends into the manifold through an aperture and is connected to the backing plate through a universal joint so that the handle can intersect the plate at virtually any angle. An air-impervious boot fastened between the sleeve and the manifold prevents air from leaking into the manifold through the aperture. The residue produced by using the sander is collected by the vacuum in the manifold and conveyed to the vacuum source through the tubular handle.
102 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A vacuum sander comprising:
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an abrasive sheet; a sander body including a planar support plate for said abrasive sheet, securing means for fastening said sheet to the front face of said planar support plate and a vacuum manifold forming a vacuum chamber communicating with said abrasive sheet such that air draws sanding residue into said chamber; a tubular sleeve communicating with said vacuum manifold, said sleeve being fastened to the rear face of said support plate through connector means for allowing the angle between said sleeve and support plate to vary over a predetermined range; an elongated tubular handle having one end communicating with, and fastened to, said sleeve, and the other end communicating with a partial vacuum such that said vacuum chamber is maintained at a reduced pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a vacuum sander having a backing plate for supporting an abrasive sheet, a vacuum manifold communicating with the other surface of said sheet, and a hollow, elongated handle having a first end connected to a partial vacuum and a second end, an improved coupling between said handle and manifold comprising:
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a cylindrical sleeve extending through an aperture in said manifold, said sleeve having one end connected to the second end of said handle; a universal joint connecting the second end of said sleeve to said backing plate; and an air-impervious boot extending between said sleeve and manifold to cover said aperture and enclose said universal joint such that said handle may support said sander from a wide variety of angles while maintaining said manifold at a reduced pressure. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vacuum sander comprising:
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a planar, substantially rigid backing plate having a plurality of through bores, said plate having a resilient front surface and a pair of aligned bosses extending from its rear surface; a sheet of air-permeable abrasive material secured to the front surface of said backing plate; a closed manifold covering the rear surface of said backing plate to form a vacuum chamber, said manifold having an aperature in its rear wall adjacent said bosses; a hollow, cylindrical sleeve extending through said aperture into said vacuum chamber; a universal joint connecting said sleeve to said bosses such that said sleeve may intersect said backing plate at a wide variety of angles; an air-impervious boot extending between said sleeve and the rear wall of said manifold to cover said aperture and enclose said universal joint; and a hollow, elongated handle having one end connected to a partial vacuum and the other end connected to said sleeve such that said abrasive sheet may engage a workpiece remotely positioned at a wide variety of angles with respect to said handle while dust produced from said workpiece by said abrasive sheet is collected by said vacuum chamber. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification