Abstract:
A spokeshave providing an easily used depth of cut adjustment that is simple, effective and requires no extra tool or blade removal for adjustment. The blade of the spokeshave is mounted on two posts that project normal to the back of the blade, and the posts are received in structures adjustably positioned within the spokeshave body. Adjustment of the positions of the post-receiving structures cause the blade to move toward or away from the body.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
   This application claims priority to provisional application No. 60/568,395 filed May 5, 2004 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to hand woodworking tools called spokeshaves, and specifically to spokeshaves having a wooden handle and body and spokeshaves having adjustable blades. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In spite of modern alternatives, traditional wooden spokeshaves are still popular tools. Such spokeshaves have an integrally formed body and handles made of wood, which is lightweight, easy to shape to suit the user, and pleasant to look at and use. They all share a common weakness; however, it is difficult to adjust depth of cut. 
   Normally wooden spokeshave blades are hand forged with upturned tangs that fit into holes pierced in the body of the shave. The tangs are wedged in position, and they are adjusted by tapping the ends of the tangs or the base of the blade, as required to move the blade toward or away from the body to adjust the depth and uniformity in thickness of cut. Various methods have been developed to improve this somewhat haphazard process. However, they are typically not very positive, or require the use of a tool such as a screwdriver or that the blade be completely removed to make even a small adjustment. 
   Metal body spokeshaves have developed thumbscrew arrangements for sliding a flat blade relative to the surface on which the blade&#39;s back surface (the blade surface that intersects the sharpening bevel) beds in order to adjust depth of cut. However, this type of structure will not work for a traditional wooden spokeshave, because the blade of a wooden spokeshave is adjusted by moving it normal to its back surface rather than in the same plane as that surface. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is a spokeshave, and the metal components for making a wooden spokeshave, providing an easily used depth of cut adjustment that is simple, effective and requires no extra tool or blade removal for adjustment. In the spokeshave of this invention, the blade is mounted on two posts that project normal to the back of the blade, and the posts are received in structures adjustably positioned within the spokeshave body. Adjustment of the positions of the post-receiving structures cause the blade to move toward or away from the body. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the spokeshave and spokeshave making components of this invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an end view, in section through the body and one blade holding and adjusting structure of this invention, showing manipulation of the structure to unlock it for adjustment. 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but with the locknut loosened so that blade position can be adjusted. 
       FIG. 4  is a second view similar to  FIG. 2  but with the blade holding structure differently positioned. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial exploded perspective view of a post and receiver and the blade of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As may be understood by reference to the drawings, the spokeshave  10  of this invention includes a body  12  to which a blade  14  is attached by posts  16  by screwing threaded lower ends  18  of posts  16  into threaded holes  20  in blade  14  and locking the posts  16  within blade  14  with locknuts  22 . Each blade post  16  is received in a post receiver  24 , which is a tube or sleeve threaded on the outside, smooth on the inside and having a knurled flange or thumb wheel  26  on one end. 
   As will be understood by reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , each post receiver  24  is threaded into a threaded hole  28  in body  12 . Post  16  is inserted in receiver  24 , and the upper end  30  of post  16 , which is also threaded, projects beyond the thumb wheel  26  and receives a knurled lock nut  32 . Thus, during use of the spokeshave  10 , lock nuts  32  are tightened, thereby trapping receiver  24  between locknut  22  near the blade and locknut  32  on the upper end  30  of post  16 . 
   Blade “chatter” occurs in spokeshaves, planes and other similar tools if the geometries and materials of the tool permit the blade to in effect oscillate during use. This typically occurs where a blade or structures that hold the blade project far enough and are flexible enough to permit bending. 
   In a spokeshave having a blade attached to tangs or posts like posts  16 , chatter can occur if the tangs or posts can bend or shift during use, thereby permitting the blade to move in the body during use. If the end  25  of receiver  24  is flat and bears against a flat surface associated with the post  16  or blade  14 , the post can shift slightly within receiver  24  and thereby permit blade chatter. 
   However, as shown in  FIG. 5 , if the end  25  of receiver  24  and a seating surface at the lower end  25  of post  16  or corresponding portions of one-piece blade and post structure interfit so as to resist relative movement during use, blade chatter will be prevented. Such interfitting surfaces can be provided by an inside chamfer  42  on receiver  24  forming an internal truncated conical surface and an external chamfer  40  on the top of locknut  22 , thereby providing an interfitting external conical surface. Tightening forces conical surface  40  up into conical recess  42 , thereby locking the lower end  25  of the receiver  24  to the nut  22  in a manner preventing relative movement between the lower end  25  of the receiver  24  and the end  27  post  16 , thereby reducing the possibility of blade chatter. 
   In order to adjust blade  14  position, the locknuts  32  are loosened in order to permit post receivers  24  to rotate, and post receivers  24  are rotated by rotating thumbwheels  26  in order to advance or retract the blade by changing the positions of receivers  24  in body  12 . Once the desired repositioning has occurred, locknuts  32  are rotated to lock them against thumbwheels  26  and thereby re-secure the blade  14  in a fixed position as posts  16  are locked within receivers  24 . 
   As is easily seen in  FIG. 1 , a sole  34  is secured to body  12  with flat head wood screws  36 . While the geometry of the body  12  where the blade  14  is attached will need to be appropriate to permit blade  14  to function and be adjusted properly, the handles  38  can be shaped to suit the user. While the body  12  has been described as “wood,” it could also be made of a number of other materials, including metals such as brass, iron and steel and plastic and plastic composite materials such as glass filled nylon and other suitable plastics. 
   Since a wood handle may be fabricated by a user, the metal parts of the spokeshave  10  of this invention (all of the parts shown in  FIG. 1  except for body  12 ) may be provided as a kit for combination with a purchaser-supplied or user-supplied body  12 . 
   Blade  14  should be made of an appropriate type of steel, such as tool steel, including A2 tool steel. Posts  16  will typically be steel, although other metals could be used, and the other metal parts may be brass, steel or any other suitable materials. 
   As will be understood by those skilled in the art of tool design and manufacture, the spokeshave  10  of this invention could be made in a number of alternative configurations and using a number of alternative parts without departing from the spirit of this invention or the spirit scope of the following claims. 
   For instance, different arrangements of threads on posts  16 , post receivers  24 , locknuts  22  and locknuts  32  could be used, provided that such alternative structures provide a method of moving posts  16  in and out of body  12  in a controlled, incremental fashion with the ability to lock or otherwise secure the blade position is selectable desired alternative positions. 
   Among such possible alternatives, nuts  22  could instead be shoulders integrally formed on posts  16 . As another alternative, posts  16  could be permanently attached to blade  14 , although that is less desirable because it complicates sharpening blade  14 . In yet another alternative structure, post receivers  24  could be threaded on the inside and configured to be rotatable within body  12  without changing position in body  12 . Such rotation would thereby cause the associated post  16  to move into or out of body  12 , and it could still be locked in position by a locknut  32 .