Abstract:
A Dust Capturing Device for Reciprocating Saws is disclosed. The device is attachable to a convenational shop vacuum cleaner so that virtually all dust created by the reciprocating saw at the cutting blade is captured by the vacuum cleaner. The system is universally attachable to all powered reciprocating saws on the market. A pair of suction hoses are snugly attached to the body of the saw, from intake ports located adjacent to the saw blade to an adapter manifold that combines the two suction hoses into a single hose adaptable to the vacuum cleaner hose. The hoses are attached to the body of the saw by one or more body straps, with each body strap having a pair of hose clips extending therefrom for restraining the two suction hoses running along the body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to handheld power tools and, more specifically, to a Dust Capturing Device for Reciprocating Saws. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Handheld power reciprocating saws, such as the “Sawzall®” device, are the tool of choice for a variety of construction tasks. 1  One particular task that they are well-suited for is that of demolition.  1 Sawzall® is a registered trademark of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation 
         [0005]    Demolition work is often done on aging structures. Many times older building structures consist of obsolete and sometimes harmful building materials, such as asbestos and lead paint. The problem with demolishing structures having these harmful materials is that, absent special precautions, the demolition process will generate harmful airborne dust. Once airborne, the harmful dusts are a significant health hazard for workers, unless some type of abatement measure is taken. 
         [0006]    A product marketed as the “Sawbuddie™” is touted as being capable of capturing 99% of airborne dust. 2 . The Sawbuddie™ is a brush head that fits over the reciprocating saw, and then connects to a conventional vacuum cleaner (by hose). While the Sawbuddie™ is an improvement in dust remediation, it suffers from at least three drawbacks: (1) the brush covers the saw blade (and cutting area), and obscures the operator&#39;s view of the cutting area; (2) the brush housing causes there to be a separation area surrounding the blade—this makes low-clearance cuts difficult or impossible; and (3) the bell-shaped brush housing defines a larger intake opening for the dust suction—this additional diameter at the point of injestion requires a high level of vacuum flow. This additional flow requirement mandates a large vacuum cleaner, which adds to the overall cost and the bulkiness of the system.  2 http://www.dustlessdepot.com/7_SawBuddie — 0153_p/d2415.htm 
         [0007]    What is needed is a low-profile dust collection system for reciprocating saws that provides high dust collection efficiency without interfering with the operator&#39;s vision or the tool&#39;s cutting clearance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]    In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and systems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Dust Capturing Device for Reciprocating Saws. The device should be attachable to a convenational shop vacuum cleaner so that virtually all dust created by the reciprocating saw at the cutting blade is captured by the vacuum cleaner. The system should be universally attachable to all powered reciprocating saws on the market. A pair of suction hoses should be snugly attached to the body of the saw, from intake ports located adjacent to the saw blade to an adapter manifold that combines the two suction hoses into a single hose adaptable to the vacuum cleaner hose. The hoses should be attached to the body of the saw by one or more body straps, with each body strap having a pair of hose clips extending therefrom for restraining the two suction hoses running along the body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0009]    The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing device of the present invention installed on a reciprocating saw; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a partial side view of the tip portion of the device and saw of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a partial side view of the handle portion of the device and saw of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the dust-capturing device of  FIGS. 1-3 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of reciprocating saw having the clip assemblies of  FIGS. 1-4  attached thereto. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Dust Capturing Device for Reciprocating Saws. 
         [0016]    The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG.  1 . 3    FIG. 1  is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the dust-capturing device  10  of the present invention installed on a reciprocating saw  12 . The device  10  is designed to be attached to a conventional 1½ inch vacuum cleaner hose, such as is the norm provided with a two horsepower HEPA-filtered shop vacuum cleaner. Unlike the prior Sawbuddie™ device, the device of the present invention does not cover or otherwise obscure the reciprocating saw blade  16 . This design comprises a pair of suction hoses  14 A,  14 B running the length of the saw  12  and terminating on either side of the blade  16 , as is described in additional detail below in connection with  FIG. 2 .  3 As used throughout this disclosure, element numbers enclosed in square brackets [ ] indicates that the referenced element is not shown in the instant drawing figure, but rather is displayed elsewhere in another drawing figure. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a partial side view of the tip portion of the device  10  and saw  12  of  FIG. 1 . The suction hoses  14 A,  14 B run the length of the saw body  26 , and are attached thereto by a pair of hose clips  28 . The hose clips  28  extend from a pair of body straps (the lower body strap  24 A shown here). In order to accommodate virtually any manufacturer&#39;s reciprocating saw  12 , the straps  24 A, [ 24 B] can be placed at user-selected locations along the saw body  26 , such they do not interfere with the functionality of the saw  12 , or with the user&#39;s ability to grasp the tool. 
         [0018]    Each suction hose  14 A, [ 14 B] is defined by a memory portion  18  that terminates in an intake port  20 . The hoses  14 A, [ 14 B] are positioned by the user along the saw body  26  so that the intake ports  20  are immediately adjacent to the blade shoe  22 . This insures that the hoses  14 A, [ 14 A] and intake ports  20  are clear of the moving saw blade  16 , and do not obscure the user&#39;s vision or the clearance between the saw blade  16  and the surrounding area. 
         [0019]    The memory portions  18  of the hoses  14 A, [ 14 B] are designed to be bendable to a desired shape/location, and then to hold that position (i.e. this is the “memory”). It has been determined that a desirable method for manufacturing these memory portions  18  is to shrink-wrap one or more pieces of aluminum rod to the outside of a piece of conventional ribbed tubing. That way, the tubing remains bendable, and the rod(s) will hold the bent configuration when the tubing  18  is released. Other versions may also be employed, such as wherein the memory filaments are manufactured or molded into the tubing when fabricated. If we now turn to  FIG. 3 , we can examine the other features of this new device. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a partial side view of the handle portion  27  of the device [ 10 ] and saw  12  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The distal ends (i.e. the ends furthest from the saw blade [ 16 ]) of the hoses [ 14 A],  14 B come together and terminate in a connection to an adapter manifold  32 . These most-distal portions of the hoses [ 14 A],  14 B are adjacent to the memory portions  18 , but do not have the memory feature. These are termed “non-memory” portions  30  of the hoses [ 14 A],  14 B, and essentially are unmodified portions of the internal flexible tubing making up the hoses [ 14 A],  14 B. It is desirable that there be no additional stiffness (from the aluminum rods) in the non-memory portions  30 , so as to give the user the maximum flexibility in the handling of the saw  12 . 
         [0021]    The adapter manifold  32  converts the two suction inlets from the hoses [ 14 A],  14 B into a single hose end  34 . In the depicted version, the manifold  32  converts two ¾ inch tubes (hoses [ 14 A] and  14 B) to a single 1¼ inch diameter outlet tube. An adapter may then be used to increase the diameter to 1½ inch in diameter, which is the size for a conventional vacuum cleaner hose. While a variety of different diameters are possible (and may be changed by various adapters), typically this will be a one-and-one-half inch diameter tube, as this is a conventional size for small shop vacuum cleaners. The vacuum hose  36  then extends from the hose end  34  to the vacuum cleaner (not shown).  FIG. 4  is provided to summarize all of the elements of the “kit” that is the assembly of the present invention  10 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the dust-capturing device  10  of  FIGS. 1-3 . The suction hoses  14 A,  14 B are defined by memory portions  18  terminating (at their proximal ends) in intake ports  20 . Adjacent to the memory portions  18  are the non-memory portions  30 , which terminate (at their distal ends) in exit ports  21 . The distal ends of the hoses  14 A,  14 B are inserted or otherwise attached to a pair of intake suction nozzles  40  formed in the adapter manifold  32 . These two suction nozzles  40  merge to form an exit nozzle  42  at the opposite end of the adapter manifold  32 . As discussed previously, the hose end [ 34 ] (or adapter) interconnects the exit nozzle  42  with the vacuum cleaner&#39;s hose [ 36 ]. 
         [0023]    One or more clip assemblies  38 A,  38 B are provided with the device  10 . Each assembly  38 A,  38 B is defined by a body strap  24  that is designed to fit around the body [ 26 ] of the reciprocating saw [ 12 ]. In this version, the body straps  24  are made from conventional pipe clamps that can be tightened snugly to the body [ 26 ] after they are placed in position. While only a lower body strap [ 24 A] is necessary, it is preferred that an additional body strap  24  be attached to the saw [ 12 ] in spaced relation to the lower body strap [ 24 A], and closer to the handle portion [ 27 ]. 
         [0024]    As discussed previously, the Sawbuddie™ has a brush head that fits over the blade. While these brush bristles are two to three inches long, the brush head is limited in its adjustability. If the shoe [ 22 ] is extended out (it can be moved down up to six inches), such as to accommodate a 12-inch blade, the brush head won&#39;t even enclose the cutting area, and no dust collection will result. 
         [0025]    Each body strap  24  has a pair of hose clips  28  slidingly attached to them. The clips  28  slide along the straps  24  so that their position can be adjusted as the body straps  24  are cinched down snugly to the body [ 26 ]. The preferred installation locations for the clip assemblies  38 A,  38 B are shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of reciprocating saw  12  having the clip assemblies  38 A,  38 B of  FIGS. 1-4  attached thereto. As shown, the lower clip assembly  38 A is attached to the body  26  near the tapered (blade) end of the saw  12 . The upper clip assembly  38 B is attached to the body  26  near to the handle  27  of the saw  12 . In this way, the suction hoses [ 14 A,  14 B] will be held snugly to the sides of the body  26  in the hose clips  28 . 
         [0027]    It should be noted that the typical saw  12  has a body  26  of between 3½ inches to 5 inches in diameter. The diameter of the straps  24  can be adjusted to accommodate any of the commercially-available saws  12  on the market (unlike any design in the prior art). 
         [0028]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.