Dust confining and collection housing for power table saws and the like

• US 4,255,995 A
• Filed: 01/24/1980
• Issued: 03/17/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Connor J. Franklin
• Original Assignee: Connor J. Franklin
• Inventors: Connor, J. Franklin
• Primary Examiner(s): Schran, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US06/115,029
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 83/100, 83/477.2, 144/252 R, 51/273, 51/268
• US Class Current: 83/100
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/006 for removing or collecting chips
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/0046 by sucking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/207 By suction means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/773 Work-support includes passageway for tool [e.g., slotted table]

Abstract

A dust-tight housing for confining, collecting and removing sawdust created by a power table saw, whereof the circular saw blade is affixed to a rotatable shaft located below the work table. The saw blade has its upper portion protruding through a slot in the table. Its lower portion is enclosed in dust-tight relation within the housing. The housing is mounted to the understructure of the power table saw so that it is moveable angularly in harmony with the angular movements of the saw blade. The housing remains stationary during vertical movements of the saw blade. The side walls of the housing are provided with moveable elements which permit dust-tight passage of the saw blade shaft into the housing, and which provide for ease of access for removal and replacement of the saw blade. The moveable elements are automatically adjustable, upon vertical or angular movement or displacement of the saw blade, to maintain the dust-tight character of the housing at all times. The moveable elements accommodate the shaft at any selected location of the saw blade while providing a dust-tight closure about the shaft and the opening through which the shaft extends into the housing. The housing is adaptable for use with other power table tools, such as dados, sanders, grinders, shapers, etc.

Claims

1. In a power saw having a saw blade mounted on a rotatable shaft which is disposed below a slotted work table through which the saw blade protrudes upwardly to work sawing position, said saw blade and shaft being selectively displaceable vertically and angularly relative to the table and being connected for angular movement to a selectively tiltable support cradle, a dust confining and collection housing surrounding the portion of the saw blade below the table comprising

(a) a hollow enclosure having spaced side and spaced end walls, said enclosure having an open top disposed in contiguous relation to the table and an open bottom connected to a source of suction,

(b) fastening means securing the enclosure to the tiltable support cradle, whereby the housing is rendered angularly moveable in harmony with and in fixed relation to the angular movement of the saw blade and shaft,

(c) a first side wall of the enclosure having a stationary component and a slidable component moveable up or down relative to the stationary component,

(d) resilient means disposed on the enclosure for maintaining the slidable component of the first side wall in contiguous relation to the table when the saw blade, shaft and housing are displaced angularly relative to the table,

(e) a second side wall of the enclosure having an opening through which the shaft for the saw blade extends, said opening being larger than the cross section of the shaft to permit the saw blade and the shaft to be displaced vertically relative to the table and the enclosure, and

(f) shutter means disposed on the enclosure for maintaining the open portion of the opening in the second side wall closed at each location to which the saw blade and shaft are displaceable relative to the table.

2. The power saw housing of claim 1, wherein the side walls are disposed in spaced parallel relation to the saw blade.

3. The power saw housing of claim 1, wherein the end walls are disposed in spaced relation to each other transversely of the saw blade, said end walls having upper portions which are parallel to each other and lower portions which incline inwardly to a conduit connected to the source of suction.

4. The power saw housing of claim 1, wherein the first side wall of the enclosure includes

(a) an upper portion comprising a moveable slide,

(b) a stationary lower portion having guide tracks permitting the slide to move up or down relative to said lower portion and

(c) spring means connecting the slide to the stationary lower portion and operable to urge the slide upwardly to maintain the slide in contiguous relation with the table.

5. The power saw housing of claim 1, wherein the second side wall of the enclosure includes

(a) a generally vertical slot providing clearance for the saw blade shaft extending through said wall,

(b) a slidable shutter mounted on said wall, said slidable shutter having an aperture formed therein for passage of the saw blade shaft therethrough,

(c) guide tracks disposed on said side wall permitting the slidable shutter to move relative to said wall,

(d) at least one pivotal shutter mounted on said wall adjacent the slidable shutter, said pivotal shutter being moveable arcuately relative to said wall, and

(e) slot closure means disposed on said wall operative to actuate the slidable and pivotal shutters to maintain the vertical slot closed except for passage of the saw blade shaft through said slot.

6. The power saw housing of claim 5, wherein

(a) the slidable shutter comprises a generally rectangular slide adapted to be moved up and down by the saw blade shaft relative to the slot in the second side wall and

(b) the cross section of the aperture formed in the slide is of substantially the same size and shape as the cross section of the shaft to provide a close fit between the periphery of the shaft and the perimeter of the aperture,

(c) said aperture perimeter constituting the slot closure means for the slide.

7. The power saw housing of claim 6 having a pivotal shutter connected to the slide, whereby movement of the slide is transmitted to the pivotal shutter to cause said shutter to move arcuately relative to the slot in the second side wall.

8. The power saw housing of claim 7, further including connection means connecting said pivotal shutter to the slide comprising

(a) a pin mounted on the slide and

(b) a slot formed in the pivotal shutter for reception of the pin,

(c) said pin and slot constituting the slot closure means for said pivotal shutter.

9. The power saw housing of claim 5, wherein the second side wall of the enclosure includes

(a) two pivotal shutters mounted on said wall adjacent the slidable shutter, both said pivotal shutters being moveable arcuately relative to said wall, and

(b) slot closure means disposed on said wall operative to actuate all three shutters to maintain the vertical slot closed except for passage of the saw blade shaft through said slot.

10. The power saw housing of claim 6 having two pivotal shutters mounted on said second side wall wherein

(a) a first pivotal shutter is connected to the slide, whereby movement of the slide is transmitted to said first pivotal shutter to cause said shutter to move arcuately relative to the slot in the second side wall, and

(b) a second pivotal shutter is connected to resilient means affixed to the second side wall, said resilient means being operative to urge said second pivotal shutter to move arcuately relative to the slot in the second side wall.

11. The power saw housing of claim 10, wherein the resilient means connecting the second pivotal shutter to the second side wall constitutes the slot closure means for said pivotal shutter.

12. The power saw housing of claim 10, wherein

(a) the two pivotal shutters have a common pivot point and have distal ends spaced from the pivot point and

(b) an arcuate guide track is mounted on said second side wall to provide a confined passage for the distal ends of the two pivotal shutters.

13. The power saw housing of claim 10, wherein the second pivotal shutter is provided with stop means to limit the arcuate movement of said shutter to a selected arcuate distance relative to the slot.

14. The power saw housing of claim 10, wherein each of the pivotal shutters is provided with stop means to limit the angular movement of the pivotal shutters relative to the slot in the second side wall.

15. A power saw housing according to claims 5, 6 or 9, wherein

(a) the generally vertical slot formed in the second side wall is of arcuate configuration,

(b) the slidable shutter comprises a generally rectangular slide adapted to be moved both vertically and horizontally by the saw blade shaft upon movement of the saw blade and shaft relative to the table,

(c) the guide tracks disposed on the second side wall are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the slide, to provide the slide with capacity for horizontal movement relative to the arcuate slot and

(d) elongated flanges formed on the guide tracks for the slide are operative to prevent disengagement of the slide from said guide tracks.

16. In a power tool having a work cutting element mounted below a work table through which the element protrudes to work cutting position, said work cutting element being selectively displaceable vertically and angularly relative to the table and being connected for angular movement to a selectively tiltable support means, a dust confining and collection housing surrounding the portion of the work cutting element below the table comprising

(a) a hollow enclosure having spaced side and spaced end walls, said enclosure having an open top disposed in abutting relation to the table and an open bottom connected to a source of suction,

(b) fastening means securing the enclosure to the tiltable support means, whereby the housing is rendered angularly moveable in harmony with and in fixed relation to the angular movement of the work cutting element,

(c) a first side wall of the enclosure having a stationary component and a slidable component moveable up or down relative to the stationary component,

(d) resilient means disposed on the enclosure for maintaining the slidable component of the first side wall in abutting relation to the table when the work cutting element and housing are displaced angularly relative to the table,

(e) a second side wall of the enclosure having an opening through which a support for the work cutting element extends, said opening being elongated to permit the work cutting element to be displaced relative to the table and the enclosure, and

(f) shutter means disposed on the enclosure for maintaining the elongated opening in the second side wall closed at each location to which the work cutting element is displaceable relative to the table.

17. The housing of claim 16, wherein the first side wall of the enclosure includes

(a) an upper portion comprising a moveable slide,

(b) a stationary lower portion having guide tracks permitting the slide to move up or down relative to said lower portion and

(c) spring means connecting the slide to the stationary lower portion and operable to urge the slide upwardly to maintain the slide in abutting relation with the table.

18. The housing of claim 16, wherein the second side wall of the enclosure includes

(a) a slot providing clearance for the work cutting element support extending through said wall,

(b) a slidable shutter mounted on said wall, said slidable shutter having an aperture formed therein for passage of the support therethrough,

(c) guide tracks disposed on said side wall permitting the slidable shutter to move relative to said wall,

(d) at least one pivotal shutter mounted on said wall adjacent the slidable shutter, said pivotal shutter being moveable arcuately relative to said wall, and

(e) slot closure means disposed on said wall operative to actuate the slidable and pivotal shutters to maintain the slot closed except for passage of the work cutting element support through said slot.

19. The housing of claim 18, wherein the second side wall of the enclosure includes

(a) two pivotal shutters mounted on said wall adjacent the slidable shutter, both said pivotal shutters being moveable arcuately relative to said wall, and

(b) slot closure means disposed on said wall operative to actuate all three shutters to maintain the slot closed except for passage of the work cutting element support through said slot.