Patent ID: 7827890
Filing Date: 2010-11-09
Classification: B23D,B27G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A table saw comprising: a table defining a work surface, where the table includes an opening; a generally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface through the opening; a motor to drive the blade; a riving knife or splitter having a substantially planar base portion with opposing sides; an elevation carriage supporting the blade and configured to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface with the blade at a specific angular orientation relative to the work surface; a mounting system configured to hold the riving knife or splitter adjacent the blade and within the projected kerf of the blade and with the opposing sides of the base portion substantially parallel to the plane of the blade; where the mounting system is supported to move with the elevation carriage; where the mounting system includes a clamping structure adapted to open to receive the base portion and to clamp the base portion when closed; where the clamping structure includes a first clamp surface, a second clamp surface spaced apart from the first clamp surface so that the base portion can be placed between the clamp surfaces with the opposing sides of the base portion generally parallel to the first and second clamp surfaces, and a handle adapted to pivot between a first position where the clamping structure is open and a second position where the clamping structure is closed; where the first and second clamp surfaces are positioned below the work surface adjacent the opening in the table and where the opening in the table is sized so that when the second clamp surface is spaced apart from the first clamp surface the base portion of the riving knife can be placed between the clamp surfaces by passing the base portion from a position above the work surface through the opening in the table and into the space between the clamp surfaces; where the first and second clamp surfaces are coupled together by a bolt that passes through the clamp surfaces, where the bolt has a threaded end and an end opposite the threaded end; where the handle is mounted on the end of the bolt opposite the threaded end; where the clamping structure further includes at least one flange extending out from one of the first and second clamp surfaces and at least one edge associated with the other of the first and second clamp surfaces, where the flange and edge are configured to interact to maintain the first and second clamp surfaces in a given orientation relative to each other; where the clamping structure includes a spring biasing one clamp surface away from the other clamp surface; where pivoting the handle from the first position to the second position causes at least one clamp surface to move toward the other and clamp the opposing sides of the base portion; where pivoting the handle from the second position to the first position allows the spring to tend to move at least one clamp surface away from the other clamp surface to release the base portion so that the riving knife or splitter can be removed from between the clamp surfaces by hand without using tools; where the handle pivots around a pivot point below the work surface; where the handle includes a hand-grippable portion located below the work surface when the handle is in the second position, and where the hand-grippable portion is positioned so that it can be accessed by a user reaching from above the work surface through the opening in the table; where the handle can be pivoted by hand from one of the first position and second position to the other without using tools and without having to pivot the handle more than one full revolution around the pivot point; and where the handle is constrained from pivoting through more than one full revolution.