Table saws

• US 9,623,498 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sawstop Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: SD3, LLC
• Inventors: Gass, Stephen F., Fulmer, J. David, Fanning, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRONE, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US14/844,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20150375314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 83DIG 1, 83 58, 83 62, 83 621, 83 63, 83 72, 83 767, 83788, 83581, 834712, 834771, 834772, 8352212, 83526, 833971, 1441545, 144356, 144384, 144391, 144427, 1442865, 29708, 29254, 29413, 324550, 324424, 408 5, 56 109, 56 113, 192192 A, 192129 R, 192130, 1022027, 89 156, 137 6812, 137 72, 137 76, 188 5, 188 6, 188110, 188189, 169 57, 169 59, 169 42, 169DIG 3, 74 2, 403 2, 403 28, 411 2, 411 39, 411390, 335 1, 335242, 335132, 318362, 241 325, 337238, 337148, 337 1, 337 5, 337 10, 337 17, 337140, 337170, 337190, 337237, 337401, 337290, 337404, 337405, 218 2, 218154, 307639, 307328, 307115, 307326, 307142, 307117, 307126, 307131, 451409, 280806, 297480, 187 69, 187 77, 187 89, 187189, 187216, 187166, 187 723, 340679, 340680, 3406861, 340687, 3406863, 3406866, 200 5037
• 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 vibration-damping of sawing machines or devices working with circular saw blades B23D47/005
• 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

Table saws are disclosed. The table saws can include a blade, an arbor, an arbor block, an elevation carriage, and a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage. The arbor block can have a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage, and a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage. The arbor block can pivot from the first position to the second position upon the occurrence of a retraction force. The table saw can include an actuator to cause the occurrence of the retraction force, and detection electronics to detect contact between the blade and a person. Woodworking machines with detection and reaction systems are also disclosed. A reaction system can include an explosive that causes retraction of a cutting tool.

Claims

1. A table saw comprising:

a table;

a circular blade;

a rotatable arbor that supports the blade;

an arbor block that supports the arbor;

an elevation carriage that supports the arbor block;

a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage during normal use of the saw;

electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person;

an actuator triggerable upon detection of contact between the blade and a person; and

a motor to rotate the arbor and blade;

where the elevation carriage moves relative to the table to change the elevation of the blade;

where the arbor block is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage;

where the arbor block has a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage;

where the arbor block has a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage;

where the arbor block pivots from the first position to the second position upon the occurrence of a retraction force; and

where the actuator causes the retraction force to occur.

2. The table saw of claim 1, where the actuator includes stored energy that is released to cause the retraction force to occur.

3. The table saw of claim 2, where the stored energy is an explosive.

4. The table saw of claim 2, where the stored energy is a compressed spring.

5. The table saw of claim 1, where the actuator is a user-replaceable cartridge or is part of a user-replaceable cartridge.

6. The table saw of claim 1, where the actuator applies the retraction force directly to the arbor block.

7. The table saw of claim 1, where the actuator cause the retraction force to occur by decelerating the blade.

8. A table saw comprising:

a table with an opening;

a blade;

an arbor, where the blade is selectively mounted to the arbor;

a motor configured to rotate the arbor and blade;

an arbor block, where the arbor is supported by the arbor block;

an elevation carriage that moves up and down along a straight elevation line, where the arbor block is pivotally mounted to the elevation carriage, and where pivoting the arbor block causes the arbor and blade to move in an arc whereby more or less of the blade can project through the opening in the table;

a release associated with the arbor block, where the release in a first configuration engages the arbor block to restrain the arbor block from pivoting and in a second configuration does not engage the arbor block; and

a blade elevation adjustment mechanism that allows a user to selectively adjust the position of the blade through the opening in the table with the release in the first configuration by moving the elevation carriage up and down along the elevation line;

electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person; and

an actuator triggerable upon detection of contact between the blade and a person, where the actuator when triggered causes the release to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration.

9. The table saw of claim 8, where the blade elevation adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable threaded shaft, and where rotation of the threaded shaft moves the elevation carriage.

10. The table saw of claim 8, where the actuator is a user-replaceable cartridge or is part of a user-replaceable cartridge, and where the actuator generates a force through an expenditure of stored energy to cause the release to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration.

11. The table saw of claim 10, where the force is applied directly to the arbor block.

12. The table saw of claim 10, where the force is generated by decelerating the blade.

13. A table saw comprising:

a generally planar table with an opening;

a housing configured to support the table with the plane of the table being generally horizontal;

a trunnion structure pivotally mounted below the table for pivotal motion about a tilt axis generally parallel to the plane of the table;

an elevation shaft mounted to the trunnion structure, where the elevation shaft is generally perpendicular to the tilt axis;

an elevation carriage slidable on the elevation shaft;

an arbor block that supports a rotatable arbor, where the rotatable arbor is configured to have a circular blade mounted thereto, where the rotatable arbor is positioned so that the blade mounted thereto is selectively projectable through the opening in the table, where the rotatable arbor has a rotation axis, where the arbor block is mounted to the elevation carriage for pivotal motion about a retraction axis, and where the retraction axis is generally parallel to and offset from the rotation axis of the arbor;

a blade elevation adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the position of the elevation carriage relative to the trunnion structure, thereby allowing the elevation carriage and arbor block to be raised and lowered relative to the table by sliding of the elevation carriage along the elevation shaft to selectively adjust the projection of the blade through the opening in the table;

a retraction release having a first configuration in which the arbor block is restrained from pivoting about the retraction axis and a second configuration in which the arbor block is released to pivot about the retraction axis, and where the retraction release can be resettably transitioned from the first to the second configuration by application of a force tending to retract the blade;

detection electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person and generate an electrical signal indicative of detected contact; and

an electrically-triggerable actuator associated with the arbor block and connected to the detection electronics, where the actuator is triggered by the electrical signal from the detection electronics upon detection of contact between the blade and a person by the detection electronics, and where triggering the actuator results in a force sufficient to overcome the retraction release mechanism so that the arbor block pivots about the retraction axis and retracts the blade.

14. The table saw of claim 13, where the actuator includes a source of stored energy and triggering the actuator involves release of that energy.

15. The table saw of claim 13, where the retraction release is resettable by a user pivoting the arbor block about the retraction axis to an unretracted position relative to the elevation carriage.

16. The table saw of claim 13, where the actuator is user-replaceable, and where the force generated by the actuator involves an expenditure of stored energy.

17. The table saw of claim 16, where the expenditure of stored energy is initiated by thermal heating generated from electrical current.

18. The table saw of claim 13, where the force is applied directly to the arbor block.

19. The table saw of claim 13, where the force is generated by decelerating the blade.

20. The table saw of claim 13, where the retraction release includes an alignment member that contacts an alignment receptacle with the retraction release in the first configuration.

21. A table saw comprising:

a table;

a circular blade;

a rotatable arbor that supports the blade;

an arbor block that supports the arbor;

an elevation carriage that supports the arbor block;

a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage during normal use of the saw; and

a motor that rotates the arbor and blade;

where the elevation carriage moves relative to the table to change the elevation of the blade;

where the arbor block is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage;

where the arbor block has a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage;

where the arbor block has a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage; and

where the arbor block pivots from the first position to the second position to retract the blade.

22. The table saw of claim 21, where the arbor block has first and second ends, where the arbor block is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage at the first end, and where the latch connects the elevation carriage and the second end of the arbor block when the arbor block is in the first position.

23. The table saw of claim 22, where the latch includes a pin extending from the second end of the arbor block and a corner region on the elevation carriage, and where the pin fits in the corner region when the arbor block is in the first position.

24. A table saw comprising:

a work piece support surface with an opening;

a swing arm movable along a swing arm path between a first swing arm position adjacent a latch hold mechanism and a second swing arm position spaced apart from the latch hold mechanism;

a blade supported by the swing arm;

an elevation carriage connected to the swing arm and configured to adjust the position of the blade relative to the work piece support surface when the swing arm is in the first position by linearly raising and lowering the swing arm relative to the work piece support surface;

an actuating device configured to transfer a force to the swing arm when the swing arm is maintained at the first swing arm position resulting in a bias on the latch hold mechanism; and

a control system configured to control the actuating device to transfer the force to the swing arm in response to a predetermined signal.

25. The table saw of claim 24 where the elevation carriage is slidably mounted to a frame that is pivotable relative to the table, where the swing arm is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage at a first location and releasably connected to the elevation carriage at a second location by the latch hold mechanism, where the latch hold mechanism includes an alignment member and an alignment receptacle selectively interconnecting the swing arm and the elevation carriage, and where the alignment member and alignment receptacle come into contact when the swing arm is in the first swing arm position.

26. A table saw comprising:

a work piece support surface with an opening;

a swing arm movable along a swing arm path between a first swing arm position adjacent a latch hold mechanism and a second swing arm position spaced apart from the latch hold mechanism;

a blade supported by the swing arm;

an elevation carriage connected to the swing arm and configured to adjust the position of the blade relative to the work piece support surface when the swing arm is in the first position by linearly raising and lowering the swing arm relative to the work piece support surface;

a charge coupling forming a capacitor, where the charge coupling is electrically connected to the blade;

an actuating device configured to transfer a force to the swing arm when the swing arm is maintained at the first swing arm position resulting in a bias on the latch hold mechanism; and

a control system configured to control the actuating device to transfer the force to the swing arm in response to a sensed change in capacitance of the capacitor.

27. The table saw of claim 26 where the alignment member is a pin and the alignment receptacle is a corner region, and where the pin fits in the corner region when the swing arm is in the first swing arm position.