Lighted tool post guard

A lathe or other rotating machine includes a tool rest on a carriage that is movable along the work piece. The carriage includes a post that is movable with the tool rest. The post supports a guard that is disposed between the user and the work piece. The guard may include a frame surrounding a transparent portion. The frame may support a plurality of light emitting elements directed onto the work piece. An extendable/retractable transparent portion may be extended from the guard between the user and the work piece. The extendable/retractable portion and/or the transparent portion may be a magnifier.

BACKGROUND

Field

The present invention relates generally to a lathe or other rotating machine, and more particularly to a guard for a lathe or other rotating machine.

Description of the Related Art

A lathe holds a work piece from one or both ends as the work piece is rotated at relatively high speed. Tools such as cutting and shaping tools are moved into contact with the rotating work piece to shape the work piece. A lathe is commonly used to form spindles, table legs, chair legs, crank shafts, and other rotationally formed portions, which are held from both ends. A lathe may also be used to form bowls or the like by mounting the work piece so that it is held at a single end.

Lathes may be used to shape wood, metal, or other materials. The work piece materials are supported by a chuck that is connected to a motor which operates to rotate the chuck and the work piece, typically at high speed. The work piece is engaged in the chuck by adjusting the chuck to engage the work piece so that the work piece may be shaped, and the work piece is released from the chuck by adjusting the chuck so that the shaped work piece may be removed from the lathe. The lathe typically includes a tool rest on which tools such as cutting, abrading or other shaping tools are positioned for contact with the rotating work piece.

In addition to lathes, grinders and other tools may include tool rests on which to position a tool or work piece during use of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a guard selectively disposed between a user and the work piece at or near the tool rest. The guard is preferably transparent so that the user may view the work piece as it is worked by the tool. The guard of certain embodiments includes lights directed onto the work piece to provide illumination of the work piece and tool during the shaping operation. In certain embodiments, the lights are disposed at one or more locations on an underside of the transparent guard. The guard may have an extendable transparent member that may be moved to an extended position so as to be disposed between the user and the work piece or may be moved to a retracted position to ready access to the work piece by the user. In certain embodiments, a magnifier is provided on the guard that is disposed in position to provide a magnified view of the work piece to the user.

The guard, which may have the lights and magnifier, is provided on a post that extends from the carriage of the lathe that moves along the work piece with the tool rest. The post is adjustable in position in the carriage to move the guard closer to or further from the work piece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

InFIG. 1, a lathe10includes a housing12within which is mounted a motor (not shown) that drives a chuck or headstock14that holds a work piece. The lathe10includes a bed16on which is mounted a carriage18and at the end of which is mounted a tailstock20. Controls22for the operation of the lathe10are provided on the housing12. A tool rest24is provided on the carriage18for holding tools that are used for shaping work pieces mounted to extend along the bed16between the chuck14and the tailstock20. Controls26on the carriage18provide for controlled movement of the tool rest24along the work piece.

Turning toFIG. 2, the lathe10includes a guard28mounted on the carriage18. The guard28moves with the carriage18so that it remains in place over the portion of the work piece being worked or shaped. The guard28includes a flex arm30one end of which is mounted on the carriage18and the other end of which supports a guard head32. The flex arm30permits the guard head32to be moved closer to or further away from the work piece and to be moved into various positions as desired by the user.

InFIG. 3, the flex arm30has a pivot end34with an extension mounted in an opening in the carriage18. The pivot end34flexes to permit the pivot arm30to move to different angular and rotational positions. The pivot arm30has a first segment36connected to the pivot end34and a second segment38connected to the first segment36at an elbow40. The elbow40in combination with the pivot end34permits the guard32to be raised and lowered, or moved to a plurality of possible positions. A wrist joint42connects the second segment38to the guard head32, the wrist joint42being pivotable about a horizontal axis and in certain embodiments about additional flex axes.

The guard head32of the illustrated embodiment includes a frame44connected to the wrist joint42. The frame44includes a central opening within which is mounted a transparent window46. The flex arm30and frame44may be of steel or other metal, plastic, carbon fiber, or other materials. The transparent window46permits the user to examine the work piece through the window46, such as while the work piece is being shaped by tools as the lathe10is running. The transparent window46may be of glass, such as safety glass, or may be of a plastic or other material. The transparent window46may have no magnification or may be configured to provide a magnified view of the work piece. The magnification may be provided by a convex lens or by a Fresnel lens, for example. The transparent window46is shown as a rectangle window, although other shapes are of course possible. Similarly, the frame44is a rectangle in the illustration, but other shapes are possible.

The frame44of certain embodiments may have a handle48mounted in a position so that a user may grasp the handle48and move the guard head32about. The handle48of the illustrated embodiment extends from the side of the frame44. Once moved to a desired position, the flex arm30may have sufficient tension on the joints, for example, that the guard head32stays in the desired position. It is also foreseen that a tightening mechanism may be provided to permit the user to tighten any flexure points to retain the guard head32in position. Any known means for forming the flex arm30and its flexure points are within the scope of the invention.

The guard head32includes an extendable shield50. The extendable shield50of the illustrated embodiment includes a transparent member52enclosed within a thin frame54and disposed at an angle to the frame44of the guard head32. The extendable shield50is mounted in a slot56in the frame44. The slot56connects to channels58within the frame44along which the extendable shield50may slide when provided with a retracting force by a user. For example, the user may lift the extendable shield50so that it is generally parallel with the frame44and push inward to slide the extendable shield50into the channels58. The channels58are of a size and shape to fully receive the extendable shield50, in certain embodiments. Cushioning pads60may be provided on the extendable shield50to cushion vibration from being transmitted between the frame44and extendable shield50. In certain embodiments, the extendable shield50includes one or more grasping portions that may be grasped by a user to extract the shield50from the retracted position. The extendable shield50may include a transparent window of non-magnifying material or may be formed of magnifying material to provide a magnified view of the work piece to the user.

If both the window46of the frame44and the window52of the extendable shield50are formed of magnifying material, the two windows may be configured so that the magnifying effect is increased by moving the extendable window50into the retracted position and viewing the work piece through both windows while they are in the frame44. Multiple magnifications may thus be provided.

The window52of the extendable shield50may be of glass, shatterproof glass, plastic, or other materials. In certain embodiments, the windows46and52are of scratch resistant material and/or may have coatings, layers, or structures as desired. Markings such as engravings or printings may be provided on one or both windows for alignment, measurement, proportion, tool identification, or other uses.

With reference now toFIG. 4, the frame44has the handle48on one side. A similar handle may be provided on the other side in some embodiments. The extendable shield50extends from the slot56at an angle so that it may be positioned between the work piece and the user. The channel58into which the extendable shield50may be slid is apparent within the frame44.

The frame44of the certain embodiments includes at least one light60mounted to direct light onto the work piece. The light60may be formed as an integral part of the frame44or may be affixed thereto or mounted independently of the frame44. The light60may be of any type, including light emitting diode (LED), plasma, liquid crystal display (LCD), incandescent, fluorescent, or other lighting type.

The illustrate frame44includes a plurality of LED lights60mounted in the frame44along each of the four sides. The substantial number of LED lights60provide light to the work area without shadows and with even illumination, all without drawing significant amounts of power. The LED lights60may be of the same emission spectrum or may be mix of LEDs of different emission spectrums. A light switch, dimmer, and/or emission spectrum changer may be provided on the guard head32, on the flex arm30, and/or on the lathe10. The lights60may be mounted so as to be replaceable by a user, for example to change the light spectrum or the like, or the light may be mounted permanently in the frame44.

The emission spectrum of the lights60may be coordinated with coatings or the like of the windows to provide particular lighting effects when viewed through the windows of the guard head32.

The user is provided with an adjustable position guard that may be moved to between the user and the work piece and that includes transparent windows so that the work piece can be viewed as it is being worked. The adjustable guard may include one or more extendable portions to increase or decrease the size of the guard. The guard may include a magnifier for improving the view by the user. Lights may be provided on the guard for direct lighting on the work area of the work piece. Some or all of these features may be provided in embodiments according to the present invention.