Abstract:
Embodiments are disclosed for a power table saw assembly that comprises a frame configured to retain a motor assembly for driving a rotatable blade, a table top assembly having a top surface with an opening through which a rotating blade can extend provided on the frame, and a base for supporting the frame thereon. A foldable extension table is pivotally connected to an axle fixedly provided in the base, for supporting a workpiece. The extension table is configured to be folded and pivoted about the axle to be stored within the base when the extension table is not in use. In one embodiment, the axle is provided in the rear of the base and generally perpendicular to the blade, so that the extension table can support a workpiece from the table top downstream of the blade. In another embodiment, the axle is provides on one side of the base and generally parallel to the blade, so that the extension table can support a workpiece that extends beyond the table top to one side of the blade.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to power table saws, and particularly, portable power table saws. 
     Artisans or craftsmen that use portable table saws often bring their table saws on site to make cuts that are necessary as a part of their construction work. The portable table saw are typically transported on a truck bed, and accordingly, it is essential that the portable table saws be lightweight and occupy minimum space on the truck. At times, the portable table saws are used to cut long or wide workpieces, requiring the use of a separate support table or an extension table attached to the portable saws. A separate support table requires one more pieces of equipment to be transported to the work site, and the attached extension table makes it difficult to transport the portable table saws. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments are disclosed for a power table saw assembly that comprises a frame configured to retain a motor assembly for driving a rotatable blade, a table top assembly having a top surface with an opening through which a rotating blade can extend provided on the frame, and a base for supporting the frame thereon. A foldable extension table is pivotally connected to an axle fixedly provided in the base, for supporting a workpiece. The extension table is configured to be folded and pivoted about the axle to be stored within the base when the extension table is not in use. 
     In one embodiment, the axle is provided in the rear of the base and generally perpendicular to the blade, so that the extension table can support a workpiece from the table top downstream of the blade. In another embodiment, the axle is provided on one side of the base and generally parallel to the blade, so that the extension table can support a workpiece that extends beyond the table top to one side of the blade. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an upper right front perspective view of a power table saw assembly having a foldable extension table in operation position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the power table saw shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1 , along line A-A; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the power table saw shown in  FIG. 1 , with the extension table in a stored position; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the power table saw having a foldable extension table in operation position; and 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , with the extension table in a stored position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to a portable table saw which has an extension table assembly configured and arranged to be attached to the rear of the table saw for supporting long workpieces or to the side of the table saw for supporting wide workpieces. The extension table assembly has a foldable construction to occupy minimum space for easy transportation and so that it stays within the saw footprint. The extension table has one or more stages of extension to support the workpiece and has additional legs for better stability. When not in use, the extension table gets folded and secured under the saw base in a locked position. The present invention does not require a separate support table to be transported to the work site and allows for easier transportation than portable table saws with an extension table that cannot be folded. 
     Embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, with one embodiment being shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , wherein a power table saw assembly, indicated generally at  10 , is illustrated and has a base  12 , a frame structure  14 , and a table top indicated generally at  16 . The table top  16  has top surface  18  and a bottom surface  20 . The saw assembly also includes a rip fence, indicated generally at  22  and a blade  24  extending partially through an opening  25  in the top surface  18  of the table top  16 . A front rail  26  and a rear rail  28  are provided at the front and rear sides of the table top  16  to allow the rip fence  22  to be moved along the rails. The saw assembly  10  is a portable table saw that has a bevel and blade height adjust mechanism, indicated generally at  30 . 
     The saw assembly  10  also includes an extension table assembly, indicated generally at  32 , attached to the table top  16  and the base  12  at the rear  33  of the saw assembly, downstream of the saw blade  24 , for supporting long workpieces  34  that extend past the table top  16  (shown in phantom in  FIG. 2 ). The extension table assembly  32  includes a pair of right and left frames, indicated generally at  36  and  38 , which are secured to the base  12  right and left sides  39 ,  40  of the base at the rear  33  of the saw assembly  10 . The frames  36 ,  38  are configured to respectively support elongated right and left arms  42  and  44  extending from and removably attached to the bottom surface  20  of the table top  16  towards the rear  33  of the saw assembly  10 . The table assembly  32  also includes extension rods  46 ,  48  which extend from the ends of the arms  42 ,  44 , respectively, and a horizontal material support  50  having opposite ends secured to the ends of the arms  42 ,  44 . A horizontal material support  52  has opposite ends attached to the ends of the rods  46 ,  48 . The arms  42 ,  44  and the material support  50  combine to form a first stage support  54 , and the rods  46 ,  48  and the material support  52  combine to form a second stage support  56 . 
     The arms  42 ,  44  are preferably made of steel or aluminum and formed into a tube which is sized to cooperatively receive the rods  46 ,  48  therein. The length of the arms  42 ,  44  are approximately the same as that of the rods  46 ,  48 , so as to enable the rods to be retracted almost entirely within the arms. When the rods  46 ,  48  are fully retracted within the arms  42 ,  44 , the material support  52  is matingly received by the material support  50  attached to the arms. The rods  46 ,  48  are also preferably made of steel or aluminum. 
     The material supports  50 ,  52  are attached to the ends of the arms  42 ,  44  and the rods  46 ,  48  in any known manner. In the preferred embodiment, the material supports  50 ,  52  are bent slightly away from the table top  16  so that the workpiece  34  does not get caught by the material supports. It is contemplated that the material support can take on any shape that are known for purposes of supporting workpieces. However, the height of the material support should be such that it is generally similar to that of the top surface  18  of the table top  16 . The material supports  50 ,  52  are also preferably made of steel or aluminum, or other substantially rigid material such as plastic. 
     The frames  36 ,  38  each include an upper leg  58  and a lower leg  60 , which are pivotally connected to each other at a connection joint  62 . The upper leg  58  is pivotally connected at the opposite end from the connection joint  62  to an axle  64  in the base  12  (best shown in  FIG. 4 ). The lower leg  60  is provided with a foot  66  at the end opposite the connection joint  62 . The foot  66  is threaded into the ends of the lower leg  60  so as to allow the frames  36 ,  38  to be raised or lowered. 
     The frames  36 ,  38  also include a securing element  68  which includes a pivot point  70  and two ends that are attached to the upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  about their mid point, forming a generally A-shaped configuration. The securing element  68  pivots about at the point  70  so that when the securing element  68  is pushed upward and at the pivot point, as indicated by the arrow B (shown in  FIG. 2 ), the two ends of the securing element are brought closer together, thereby bringing the upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  together. Since the end of the upper leg  58  opposite the connection point  62  is secured to the pivot axle  64 , folding the securing element  68  results in the lower leg  60  being pivoted about the joint  62  and brought along side upper leg  58 . The upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  may also be made of aluminum in the shape of a circular tube. However, the upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  may be formed into any cross section, such as square or inverted U shape, for example. The securing element  68  is also preferably made of steel or aluminum, and have a tubular cross section or a flat bar. Any other shape known for this intended purpose may also be used. 
     The support arms  42 ,  44  near their distal ends are pivotally connected to the upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  of the frames  36 ,  38  at the connection joints  62 . A removable pin runs  71  through the right support arm  42  and its corresponding upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  and another removable pin  72  runs through the left support arm  44  and its corresponding upper and lower legs  58 ,  60  to keep these components together at the connection joints  62 . At the opposite ends, the support arms  42 ,  44  are releasably secured to a pair of support brackets  74  which are secured to the bottom surface  20  of the table top  16 , generally above the axle  64  near the right and left sides  39 ,  40  of the base  12  (best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Each of the support arms  42 ,  44  are received within the brackets  74  and secured in place by bracket pins  76 , which extends through the bracket  74  and through an aperture in each of the arms  42 ,  44 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the support brackets  74  are in the shape of a half cylinder (best shown in  FIG. 3 ) so that the support arms  42 ,  44  can be easily and quickly seated in the brackets  74 . Since the distal end of the arms  42 ,  44  are connected to the frames  36 ,  38  at the connection joint  62 , the opposite ends of the arms  42 ,  44  are received readily in the brackets  74  when the arms are lifted towards the brackets in the direction indicated by arrow C (shown in  FIG. 2 ). To disengage the support arms  42 ,  44  from the brackets  74 , the bracket pins  76  are removed and the arms are allowed to pivot about the joint  62  and swing out of the brackets in the direction shown by the arrow D. 
     As previously mentioned, the upper legs  58  at the end opposite the joint  62  are pivotally connected to the axle  64 , which is secured to the right and left sides  39 ,  40  of the base  12  at the rear  33  of the saw assembly  10  (best shown in  FIG. 4 ). The axle  64  is preferably made of steel or aluminum and welded or anchored to the sides  39 ,  40  by any known manner so that it is firmly secured. The upper legs  58  are pivotally connected to the axle  64  using collars  78  which is coaxial with the axle to enable the upper legs  58  to pivot about the axle. To allow the upper legs  58  to be connected to the axle  64 , a rear side  80  of the base  12  is provided within an openings  82  that enable the upper legs to be placed in an angle to support the arms  42 ,  44  when the arms are attached in the brackets  74 . The openings  82  also enable the upper legs  58  to be freely pivoted from approximately 90 degrees to minus 180 degrees relative to the bottom  84  of the base  12 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show the table saw assembly  10  with the extension table assembly  32  in a fully extended position for receiving a long workpiece from the top surface  18  of the table top  16 . As the workpiece comes off the top surface  18 , it rest first on the material support  50  in the first stage  54 , and then on the material support  52  in the second stage  56 , if the work piece is sufficiently long, thereby supporting the workpiece to provide the user better control and preventing the workpiece from falling off the table top  16 . When the extension table assembly  10  is not needed or to prepare it for transport, it is folded and stored within the base  12  of the saw assembly, entirely within the footprint of the saw, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     More specifically, the extension table assembly  32  is folded and stored by retrieving the rods  46 ,  48  within the support arms  42 ,  44  in the direction indicated by arrow E, so that the material support  50  in the first stage  54  and the material support  52  in the second support stage  56  are brought together. Then the lower legs  60  are brought together generally parallel with the upper legs  58  by moving the pivot points  70  in an upward direction as indicated by arrow B. The support arms  42 ,  44  are then released from the support brackets  74  by removing the pins  76 , and allowing the arms to pivot about the joint  62  to be brought generally parallel with the corresponding upper legs  58 . To store the extension table assembly  32  within the base  12 , it is pivoted about the axle  64  in the direction indicated by arrow F until it is housed entirely within the sides of the base  12 . The extension table assembly  32  in a stored position is shown in  FIG. 4 . Although not shown, the extension table assembly  32  is held or locked in the base  12  by a locking mechanism such as, for example, a strap having a button or Velcro®, a belt, clip or a C clamp. 
     An alternative embodiment of the power saw assembly  10 ′ is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , which illustrate components that have similar shapes as having the same reference numbers and a prime designation. Thus, the above description with regard to the power table saw assembly  10  including the extension table assembly  32  have applicability to the alternative embodiment. The primary difference between the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4  and the alternative embodiment is that the extension table assembly  32  of the previously described embodiment acts as a rear outfeed support for long workpieces. The extension table assembly  32 ′, in contrast, acts as a side support for wide workpieces. Accordingly, the extension table assembly  32 ′ is configured to be provided to the left side of the blade  24 , opposite the rip fence  22 . The upper legs  58  are pivotally connected to an axle  64 ′ which is attached to the front side  86  and the rear side  88  of the base  12  at its opposite ends, generally near and parallel with the left side  40  of the base. The collar  78  is used for connecting the upper legs  58  to the axle  64 ′. To enable the upper legs  58  to be pivoted in and out of the base  12 , an opening  82 ′ is provided on the left side  40  of the base. When the extension table assembly  32 ′ is in an extended position, the support arms  42 ,  44  are received in brackets  74 ′ which are mounted on the bottom surface  20  of the table top  16  on opposite sides of the frame  14  at the left side  90  of the table top  16 . The pins  76 ′ keep the arms  42  and  44  locked in the brackets  74 ′. When not in use, the extension table assembly  32 ′ is folded as described above with respect to the previous embodiment of the extension table assembly  32  and stored within the base  12 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that other modifications, substitutions and alternatives are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such modifications, substitutions and alternatives can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which should be determined from the appended claims. 
     Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.