Table saws with safety systems

• US 7,707,920 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sawstop Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: SD3, LLC
• Inventors: Fanning, David A., Gass, Stephen F., Fulmer, J. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Alie; Ghassem
• Application Number:
  US11/026,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20050139057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 835/81, 83/621, 837/81, 83D/IG.1, 834/772, 834/771, 834/73, 834/711, 834/683, 834/85, 834/89, 836/981.1, 834/91, 836/09, 835/082, 831/021, 834/713, 834/712, 838/60, 83/58, 451/454, 451/455, 409/134, 144/3.1, 144/130, 144/286.5, 144/287
• US Class Current: 83/781
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/067 the saw blade being adjustable according to depth or angle of cut
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 47/025 of tables
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 47/08 of devices for bringing the circular saw blade to the workpiece or removing same therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/001 Measuring or control devices, e.g. for automatic control of work feed pressure on band saw blade measuring in general G01; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/006 for removing or collecting chips
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 13/14 Braking devices specially designed for band sawing machines, e.g. acting after damage of the band saw blade
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 5/38 Devices for braking the circular saw blade or the saw spindle; Devices for damping vibrations of the circular saw blade, e.g. silencing B23D47/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/02 for circular saws
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/06 for band or strap saws
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/08 Accessories for keeping open the saw kerf, e.g. riving knives or wedge plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/01 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/081 With randomly actuated stopping means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/089 Responsive to tool characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/141 With means to monitor and control operation [e.g., self-regulating means]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/704 With work-support and means to vary relationship between tool and work support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7688 Plural tool elements successively actuated at same station
• 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
• 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 83/7793 : Means to rotate or oscillate tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8773 : Bevel or miter cut

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. The table saws may include an elevation mechanism, a tilt mechanism, and an adjustment system configured to adjust the parallelism between a tilt axis and a blade. The elevation mechanism may include a vertical slide that includes two shafts, and the adjustment system may include a mechanism to adjust the parallelism of the two shafts.

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;

an elevation mechanism configured to position the blade at various elevations relative to the work surface;

a tilt mechanism configured to lilt the blade at various angles relative to the work surface around a tilt axis; and

an adjustment system configured to adjust the parallelism between the tilt axis and the plane of the blade.

2. The table saw of claim 1, where the elevation mechanism includes a vertical slide.

3. 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;

an elevation mechanism configured to position the blade at various elevations relative to the work surface, where the elevation mechanism includes a vertical slide;

a tilt mechanism configured to tilt the blade at various angles relative to the work surface around a tilt axis;

end

an adjustment system configured to adjust the parallelism between the tilt axis and the plane of the blade;

where the vertical slide includes two spaced apart shafts, and where the adjustment system includes a mechanism to adjust the parallelism of the two shafts.

4. The table saw of claim 3, where the mechanism to adjust the parallelism of the two shafts includes an eccentric bushing.

5. The table saw of claim 3, where the mechanism to adjust the parallelism of the two shafts includes a bracket to constrain only one degree of freedom of one of the two shafts.

6. The table saw of claim 5, where the bracket constrains side-to-side movement of one of the two shafts.

7. The table saw of claim 5, where the bracket is substantially V-shaped.

8. 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;

an elevation mechanism configured to position the blade at various elevations relative to the work surface;

a tilt mechanism configured to tilt the blade at various angles relative to the work surface around a tilt axis; and

alignment means for adjusting the position of the blade relative to the tilt axis.

9. 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;

an elevation mechanism configured to position the blade at various elevations relative to the work surface, where the elevation mechanism includes two spaced apart shafts; and

an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the parallelism of the two shafts.

10. The table saw of claim 9, where the adjustment mechanism includes an eccentric bushing.

11. The table saw of claim 9, where the adjustment mechanism includes a bracket to constrain only one degree of freedom of one of the two shafts.

12. The table saw of claim 11, where the bracket constrains side-to-side movement of one of the two shafts.

13. The table saw of claim 11, where the bracket is substantially V-shaped.