AU717096B2 - Power tool guide and work centre - Google Patents

Description

-1-

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: ALAN B.H. CAMERON Actual Inventor: Address of Service: Alan B.H. CAMERON SHELSTON WATERS MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 Invention Title: "POWER TOOL GUIDE WORK CENTRE" Details of Associated Provisional Application No. P01475 dated 7th August 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- The present invention relates to a work station for use with power tools.

The invention has been developed primarily for cutting accurate angles with circular saws and the like, and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this field of use.

There exists a number of prior art work stations and work benches for use with powered tools. Typically, a generally planar work surface is provided, bounded along at least one edge by a raised longitudinal stop against which an article may be steadied.

The work station may also include guide means for guiding a powered tool along a predetermined path with respect to the work surface, thereby allowing accurate working of the article with the power tool.

°One particular type of work bench is specifically designed to provide a straight .i cutting guide for a circular saw or router. This work bench includes a generally planar :rectangular work area, bounded along one edge by a longitudinal stop, and along an opposite edge by a track. A carriage is mounted on the track for selective sliding movement, and includes an upwardly extending post. Guide rails are pivotally mounted to an upper end of the post, and extend to a fixed pivot point on the opposite side of the work area. In use, by sliding the carriage along the track to a preselected position, the ooo* angle of the guide rails with respect to the work surface can be altered to suit the job at *20 hand.

A problem with such work benches, though, is that they are relatively bulky, which adds to production costs and makes them generally less appealing to prospective purchasers. Part of the bulk arises from the requirement that "left hand" and "right Il -3hand" angled cuts be performed on opposite sides of the fixed pivot point. In effect, only about half of the area of the work bench is used at any one time.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art.

Accordingly, the invention provides a work station for use with a power tool, the work station including: a generally planar work surface; a first track and a second track, mounted in spaced apart relationship adjacent opposite sides of the work surface; a first carriage and a second carriage mounted for reciprocal sliding movement along the first and second tracks respectively; and guide means for guiding a powered tool with respect to the work surface, the guide means extending between, and being respectively pivotally mounted to, the first and .°second carriages; 15 wherein the first and second carriages may selectively and independently be positioned on their respective tracks, thereby permitting corresponding adjustment of an angle of the guide means with respect to the work surface, within a plane substantially parallel with the work surface.

Preferably, each carriage includes a base to engage a corresponding track; and a o 20 post member extending upwardly from the base portion. In this configuration, the guide ro00 means are pivotally connected to a distal end of each post member respectively.

Preferably the tracks are parallel to each other. Preferably also, each track includes a channel, and the base includes a track engaging portion. It is further preferred that the -4track engaging portion and channel are substantially complementary in cross section. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the channel is defined by a pair of opposing sidewalls and a lower surface, and the sidewalls are angled inwardly at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface, such that the base portion is captively retained within the tracks whilst being slidable with respect thereto.

Desirably, each of the carriages includes selectively operable locking means to retain the carriage at a preselected point on its respective track. Preferably, the locking means are manually operable. In a preferred embodiment, the locking means comprises a threaded shaft passing through a correspondingly threaded bore within each carriage.

The shaft includes a handle allowing it manually to be rotated, thereby to drive the shaft through the bore and into frictional engagement with the track.

Preferably, the guide means includes at least one guide rail configured to guide the S" power tool with respect to the work surface. Preferably, also the guide means comprises first and second generally parallel guide rails. In a preferred embodiment, the guide rails include longitudinal horizontal portions to support the power tool above the work surface, and longitudinal vertical portions to guide the power tool. In a particularly o°•S° preferred embodiment, the guides are generally 'L'-shaped in cross section, the arms of the forming the horizontal and vertical portions respectively.

It is desirable that the distance between the guide rails be adjustable to suit

SS...

20 different power tools.

5S55 In one embodiment, the carriage includes a support post spaced from the post member, the first guide rail being disposed generally above, and pivotally connected to, the post member, and the second guide rail being disposed generally above, and supported by, the support post.

Preferably, a distance of the work surface from the guide means is selectively adjustable.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work station for a power tool according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the work station of Figure 1, with guide means configured to achieve a straight cut with the power tool; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the work station shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of the work station shown in Figure 1, with the guide 9*oo to 0. means configured to provide a 450 angled cut; Figure 5 is a plan view of the work station shown in Figure 4, with the guide 15 means configured to allow a 450 cut in the opposite direction to that shown in Figure 4; •Figure 6 is a right hand elevation of the work station shown in Figure 1, with the guide means configured for a straight cut; °Figure 7 is a perspective view of subcomponents of the work station shown in Figure 1; o.r 20 Figure 8 is a sectional exploded view of the post member within the channel; 9*99 Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of locking arrangements associated with the work station of Figure 1; -6- Figures 10 to 13 are cross sectional profiles of a number of alternative rail sections; and Figure 14 is a perspective view of an adaptor plate for use with the work station of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a work station 1 for use with a power tool (not shown) includes a generally planar work surface 3. A first track 4 and a second track 6 are mounted parallel to each other adjacent opposite sides of the work surface 3. A longitudinal stop 5 extends along edge of the work surface adjacent the first track 4. A first carriage 8 and a second carriage 10 are mounted for reciprocal sliding movement along the first and second tracks 4 and 6 respectively. Guide means 12 for guiding the power tool with respect to the work surface 3 are pivotally mounted to the first and second carriages 8 and Each of the first and second carriages 8 and 10 includes a base 14 to engage a corresponding track, and a post member 16 extending upwardly from the base portion S S 15 14. The guide means 12 are pivotally connected to a distal end of each post member 16 respectively. In the preferred form, apertures in the guide means engage complementary pegs extending upwardly from the post member, although any suitable pivot mechanism ""may be used. Each of the carriages 8 and 10 also includes a support post 18 spaced from the respective post member 16. An extension piece 17 slides onto an upper end of the support post 18 to define a support surface 19.

The base 14 includes a track engaging portion 20. Each of the tracks 4 and 6 includes a channel 21, defined by a pair of opposing sidewalls 22 and 24 and a lower surface 26. The sidewalls 22 and 24 are angled inwardly at an acute angle with respect -7to the lower surface 26 to form a keyway, such that the base 14 is captively retained within the channel whilst being slidable with respect thereto.

Each of the carriages 8 and 10 further include selectively operable locking means 28 to retain each of the carriages at a preselected point on its respective track. The locking means is manually operable and comprises a threaded shaft 30 passing through a correspondingly threaded bore within the respective carriage. The shaft 30 includes a handle 32 allowing it manually to be rotated, thereby to drive the shaft through the bore and into frictional engagement with the corresponding track.

The guide means includes a first guide rail 34 and a second guide rail 36, the guide rails being disposed generally parallel to each other. As best shown in Figure 9, the guide rails 34 and 36 are generally 'L'-shaped in cross section. A longitudinal horizontal portion 38 defined by one arm of the defines a horizontal portion to o**o 0 0c.* support a power tool above the work surface, whilst the other arm of the defines a •0 vertical portion to guide the power tool.

o 15 Lateral connecting members 42 join the guide rails 34 and 36 and maintain them a preselected distance apart. The guide rails and respective connecting member 42 include slot and locking bolt arrangements 43 which enable the distance between the guide rails .•34 and 36 to be adjusted for different power tools.

o*a* The first guide rail 34 is pivotally attached to a distal end of the post member 16, 20 whilst the second guide rail simply rests on and is supported by the support post 18.

The work station 1 further includes linking means joining the tracks rigidly together beneath the work surface. Axles 46 extend beneath the work surface between the rails, each axle 46 including a pair of cranks 48. A proximal end of each crank is -8rigidly attached to its respective axle, whilst a distal end is pivotally connected to a lower side of the work surface via a bush (not shown). One of the axles also includes an adjustment lever 49 for selective manual rotation of the axle, the lever selectively being retainable at a number of discrete rotational positions.

The guide rails may also be adjusted in a direction parallel with their longitudinal direction. This is achieved by loosening additional handle 27, repositioning the guide rails, then tightening the additional shafts again.

In use, each of the carriages is positioned on its respective track such that the guide means 12 are positioned at a preselected angle with respect to the work surface 3. An article to be worked upon is placed on the work surface in abutment with the stop 5. A power tool such as a circular saw, router or the like is placed on the guide means, resting on the first arms 38. By sliding the power tool along the first and second guide rails 34 and 36, a straight cut at a precise angle may be formed in the article.

As best shown in Figure 4, by positioning the carriages at opposite ends of their respective tracks, the article may be cut at an angle of 450 or even greater depending upon the particular configuration. By loosening the locking means 28 associated with the carriages and sliding them to the opposite end of their respective tracks as shown in Figure 5, an oppositely angled cut may be made. Compared with prior art work stations, "°-allowing both ends of the guide means to be moved along separate tracks allows the 5555 necessary work surface to be reduced by approximately half. This amounts to a substantial saving in material costs, whilst making the product considerably more attractive to the domestic consumer who may have only a limited amount of space.

-9- The distance of the work surface from the guide means is adjustable by manually rotating the adjustment lever to any one of a number of discrete rotational positions, although other mechanisms could easily allow a continuum of positions. Rotation of the adjustment lever causes the distal ends of the cranks to rotate within the mounting bushes on a lower side of the work surface, which in turn raises the work surface towards the guide means. In this way, the depth of cut may be adjusted for a particular article, enabling consistent rebate depths for articles of different sizes. However, where such adjustment is not necessary, the tracks may be simply be attached directly to the work surface, resulting in a less expensive work station.

It will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the cross sectional profiles of the tracks and guide rails are not critical, and may vary from those shown. For example, the guide rails may be shaped as shown in Figures 10 to 13, or any other suitable shape. Similarly, any suitable locking arrangement such as spring loaded friction members, grub screws, or overcentring clamps or clips may be used, depending upon the requirements of the particular configuration.

aAnother option involves the use of an adaptor plate 50, as best shown in Figure 14.

-The adaptor plate includes a lip 52 to retain one end of a base plate associated with a o•°router, circular saw or the like. A retaining tab 54 having a slot and bolt arrangement adjustably retains a rear portion of the power tool's base plate. The adaptor plate and power tool may then be lowered into position on the guide rails for use with the work station. The adaptor plate 50 is particularly useful for power tools with small or oddly shaped base plates.

Another optional piece, shown in Figure 1, is a mitre guide 55 which attaches to holes 56 formed in the work surface. This mitre guide acts as an angled stop for quick cutting of 45° ends, without having to move the guide rails from a straight cut position.

The present invention provides a simple and flexible solution to many of the problems of bulkiness and lack of consumer appeal, associated with prior art work stations. This and the substantial reduction in materials allowed by the invention results in a commercially significant improvement over the prior art.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

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Claims (15)

1. A work station for use with a power tool, the work station including: a generally planar work surface; a first track and a second track, mounted in spaced apart relationship adjacent opposite sides of the work surface; a first carriage and a second carriage mounted for reciprocal sliding movement along the first and second tracks respectively; and guidemeans for guiding a powered tool with respect to the work surface, the guide means extending between, and being respectively pivotally mounted to, the first and second carriages; wherein the first and second carriages may selectively and independently be positioned on their respective tracks, thereby permitting corresponding adjustment of an Si angle of the guide means with respect to the work surface, within a plane substantially e parallel with the work surface.

2. A work station according to claim 1, each carriage including: e a base to engage a corresponding track; and a post member extending upwardly from the base; oo** •wherein the guide means are pivotally connected to a distal end of each post member respectively. 20 3. A work station according to claim 2, wherein the track includes a channel, and the base includes a track engaging portion.

4. A work station according to claim 3, wherein the track engaging portion and channel are substantially complementary in cross section. -12- A work station according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the channel is defined by a pair of opposing sidewalls and a lower surface, and the sidewalls are angled inwardly at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface, such that the base is captively retained within the track whilst being slidable with respect thereto.

6. A work station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the carriages includes selectively operable locking means to retain the carriage at a preselected point on its respective track.

7. A work station according to claim 6, wherein the locking means is manually operable.

8. A work station according to claim 7, wherein the locking means comprises a threaded shaft passing through a correspondingly threaded bore within each carriage, each shaft including a handle allowing it manually to be rotated, thereby to drive the *i shaft through the bore and into frictional engagement with the track. i: 9. A work station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide means includes at least one guide rail configured to guide a power tool with respect to the work surface. A work station according to claim 9, wherein the guide means comprises first and second generally parallel guide rails.

11. A work station according to claim 10, wherein the guide rails include 20 longitudinal horizontal portions to support a power tool above the work surface, and longitudinal vertical portions to guide the power tool with respect to the work surface. -13-

12. A work station according to claim 11, wherein the guide rails are generally 'L' shaped in cross section, the arms of the forming the horizontal and vertical portions respectively.

13. A work station according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the distance between the guide rails is adjustable to suit different power tools.

14. A work station according to claim 13, further including lateral connecting members extending between the guide rails. A work station according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the carriage includes a support post spaced from the post member, the first guide rail being disposed generally above, and pivotally connected to, the post member, and the second guide rail being disposed generally above, and supported by, the support post.

16. A work station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a distance of the work surface from the guide means is selectively adjustable. ~17. A work station according to claim 16, wherein the work surface may be moved vertically with respect to the tracks, and thereby with respect to the guide means. *a

18. A work station according to claim 17 further including: linking means joining the tracks rigidly together beneath the work surface; at least one axle extending beneath the work surface; and least one crank having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being a. 20 substantially rigidly connected to the axle; such that selective rotation of the axle causes corresponding movement of the distal end of the crank beneath the work surface, thereby effecting a change in distance of the work surface from the guide means. 14-

19. A work station according to claim 18, wherein the distal end of the crank is pivotally connected to a lower side of the work surface. A work station according to claim 18 or claim 19, further including an adjustment lever for selective manual rotation of the axle, the lever selectively being retainable at a number of discrete rotational positions corresponding to a number of discrete distances between the work surface and the guide means

21. A work station according to claim 18 or claim 19 including a plurality of axles, each axle having one or more cranks associated with it.

22. A work station for a power tool, the work station being substantially as herein described with reference to the embodiments of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings. DATED this 7th Day of August, 1997 ALAN B. H. CAMERON Attorney: JEFFREY B. SWEETMAN Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of SHELSTON WATERS a, a e.