Elevation mechanism for table saws

• US 7,866,239 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• 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): LEE, LAURA MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US11/717,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20070175306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 834/77, 834/771, 834/772, 834/91, 835/81, 834/73, 834/78, 838/60, 834/861, 834/713, 144/286.1, 144/286.5
• US Class Current: 83/473
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/067 the saw blade being adjustable according to depth or angle of cut
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/02 for circular saws
• CPC Class Codes: B27G 19/08 Accessories for keeping open the saw kerf, e.g. riving knives or wedge plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49959 Nonresilient fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2077 By kerf entering guide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/704 With work-support and means to vary relationship between tool and work support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/732 With guard
• 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 83/7734 With guard for tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7793 Means to rotate or oscillate tool

Abstract

Elevation mechanisms for table saws are disclosed. Embodiments include mechanisms with an elevation carriage, a trunnion structure, and a shaft with a cantilevered portion. The shaft can be fixed to one of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, and the other of the elevation carriage and trunnion structure slides on the cantilevered portion.

Claims

1. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface, where the table has a front;

a substantially planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface;

a motor to spin the blade;

an elevation carriage adapted to support the blade and to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;

a trunnion structure adapted to support the elevation carriage and to move the blade between a position where the blade is perpendicular to the work surface and a position where the blade is not perpendicular to the work surface; and

an elongate shaft having two ends, a first mounting location adjacent one of the ends, a non-threaded cantilevered portion, and a second mounting location between the first mounting location and the cantilevered portion, where the shaft is fixed to the trunnion structure at one of the first and second mounting locations by a bolt engaging the shaft, where the shaft is also fixed to the trunnion structure at the other of the first and second mounting locations, where the elevation carriage is configured to slide on the shaft between the first and second mounting locations and concurrently to slide on the cantilevered portion when the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface, and where the shaft is positioned between the front of the table and the blade.

2. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

a substantially planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface;

a motor to drive the blade;

an elevation carriage adapted to support the blade and to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;

a trunnion structure adapted to support the elevation carriage and to move the blade between a position where the blade is perpendicular to the work surface and a position where the blade is not perpendicular to the work surface;

an elongate shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the shaft has a first end, a middle, a non-threaded section between the first end and the middle, and a non-threaded cantilevered portion terminating at a second end;

where the shaft interconnects the elevation carriage and trunnion structure through a first mounting location near the first end, through a second mounting location near the middle, through a first sliding engagement on the non-threaded section between the first end and the middle, and through a second sliding engagement on the cantilevered portion, so that when the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface there is concurrent sliding movement between the elevation carriage and the trunnion structure on the cantilevered portion and on the non-threaded section of the shaft between the first end and the middle; and

a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the second shaft is supported at two mounting locations, where the second shaft has a non-threaded section between the two mounting locations, where the elongate shaft and second shaft are substantially parallel, and where the second shaft is configured so that when the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface there is sliding movement between the elevation carriage and the trunnion structure on the non-threaded section.

3. The table saw of claim 2, where the elongate shaft is bolted to the trunnion structure at the first mounting location.

4. The table saw of claim 2, where the elongate shaft is bolted to the trunnion structure at the second mounting location.

5. The table saw of claim 2, where the elongate shaft is bolted to the trunnion structure at the first and second mounting locations.

6. A table saw comprising:

a table defining a work surface;

a substantially planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface;

a rotatable arbor to support the blade;

an elevation carriage adapted to support the arbor and to move up and down to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;

a motor;

a belt system interconnecting the motor and arbor;

a trunnion structure adapted to support the elevation carriage and motor and to move the blade between a position where the blade is perpendicular to the work surface and a position where the blade is not perpendicular to the work surface, where the trunnion structure includes a front trunnion bracket, a rear trunnion bracket, a front trunnion, a rear trunnion, and a trunnion brace interconnecting the front and rear trunnions, where the front trunnion bracket and front trunnion include an arcuate flange and groove, where the rear trunnion bracket and rear trunnion include an arcuate flange and groove, and where the trunnion structure further includes first and second mounting surfaces adjacent the front trunnion; and

a support shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the support shaft has first and second ends, where the support shaft is fixed to the first mounting surface in the trunnion structure near the first end, where the support shaft is also fixed to the second mounting surface in the trunnion structure near the middle of the shaft, where the portion of the shaft extending from the second mounting surface to the second end extends from the second mounting surface without further connection to the trunnion structure, where the fixing of the support shaft to the first and second mounting surfaces prevents the support shaft from rotating, and where the support shaft engages the elevation carriage between the first and second mounting surfaces and between the second mounting surface and the second end of the shaft, so that when the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface, there is concurrent sliding movement between the carriage and the trunnion structure between both the first and second mounting surfaces and between the second mounting surface and the second end of the shaft.

7. The table saw of claim 6, further comprising a second shaft interconnecting the elevation carriage and trunnion structure, where the second shaft and support shaft are substantially parallel, where the second shaft has a non-threaded portion, and where there is sliding engagement between the elevation carriage and trunnion structure on the non-threaded portion of the second shaft as the elevation carriage moves to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface.