Abstract:
A saw apparatus for cutting a work piece includes a circular saw blade, a saw blade drive mechanism including a motor drivably connected to the saw blade and having a motor pulley, and including a blade mounting structure, a saw table including a housing with a housing side wall, and a housing top wall having a blade passing opening and being hingedly secured to and resting on the housing side wall, a housing partition defining a drive mechanism chamber and a blade mounting chamber within the housing having a drive mechanism chamber bottom wall sealingly joined to the housing side wall, and a cooling liquid contained within the blade mounting chamber, so that the blade mounting mechanism includes a blade axle extending through the housing partition between the blade mounting chamber and the drive mechanism chamber, and the blade protrudes up through the blade passing opening and down into the cooling liquid, and a blade axle pulley is secured to the blade axle, passes through the housing partition, and a belt extends from the blade axle pulley to the motor pulley.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of saws for cutting stone and tile work pieces. More specifically, the present invention relates to a stone and tile saw apparatus including a circular blade, a drive motor, a saw table, a blade cooling system, a saw guard and a laterally spaced guard arm mounting assembly. The saw table has a horizontal top wall with a drive assembly housing mounted underneath including housing side walls. The table top wall is hingedly secured to and rests on the side walls. 
     The housing is divided by intersecting and unified motor and pulley partitions forming a combined housing partition into a blade mounting chamber and a combined blade motor and pulley chamber. The housing bottom wall extends beneath and seals the lower end of the blade mounting chamber. The motor and pulley chamber is open at the bottom for ventilation and easy access for servicing. The drive assembly includes a blade mounting bearing-loaded mandrel secured to a mandrel shelf, which in turn is secured to the housing partition within the motor and pulley chamber. A blade axle extends through the mandrel and partition and the saw blade is mounted on the blade axle within the blade mounting chamber. The blade protrudes up through a blade slot in the top wall. A pulley is secured to the blade axle within the motor and pulley chamber. A drive belt connects the blade axle pulley to a motor pulley mounted on the drive motor. 
     A was guard mounting arm assembly is provided including an arm fulcrum bracket mechanism secured to the table, an arm structure having a pivot end rotatably mounted to said fulcrum bracket mechanism and spaced laterally from the table and a guard end secured to the saw guard. The saw guard includes a channel member pivotally mounted to the arm structure so that the channel member is movable to various elevations over the blade while remaining in an upright orientation. 
     The blade cooling system includes water, or other cooling liquid, contained within the blade mounting chamber to a level that the lower portion of the blade is continually immersed. A water pump is provided in the blade mounting chamber and connected to a rubber or plastic tube extending upwardly along a housing side wall and along the lower surface of the top wall to the blade slot. The tube forks into two branch tubes and each branch tube extends to a nozzle directed toward a face of the saw blade, near the center of the blade. The pump delivers water from the blade mounting chamber to the nozzles, which spray the water onto both sides of the blade to enhance cooling and to clean debris from the blade. The rotation of the blade throws the sprayed water radially across the blade faces and to the periphery of the blade so that the water is efficiently distributed over the entire blade. The cooling system is critically important due to the high friction and resultant heat generated in the blade during stone cutting. 
     A drainage system is also provided. Water and debris from the blade wash over the upper surface of the top wall and into drain channels recessed into the upper surface. A series of drain holes in the drain channels pass the water from the channels through the table top wall and back into the blade mounting chamber. The upper surfaces of the housing partition extend across the entire interior of the housing and are sloped and curved downwardly to permit water and debris to slide freely to the bottom of the blade mounting chamber. Some of the drain channels are recessed along the top wall edges and also extend across the top wall, to capture the water and debris without need of upwardly extending retaining walls. An advantage of the recessed drain channels is that they do not obstruct movement of work pieces on the top wall upper surface. The saw guard inventively permits viewing of the blade, and which has a replaceable viewing panel. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     There have long been stone and tile table saws having circular blades. Many have been inefficient and awkward to use. 
     Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,462, issued on Nov. 14, 1961, discloses a processing saw for cutting and processing rock or stone material. Williams includes a circular saw blade mounted on a saw axle extending through a mandrel. A first pulley is attached to the end of the saw axle opposite the blade and a drive belt connects the first pulley to a second pulley on a drive motor. The mandrel and motor are fastened to a mounting base. A table element is mounted over the base, on which work pieces are placed. An upper portion of the blade extends through a slot in the table element. The bottom portion of the blade extends into a vessel containing cooling water, and the rotation of the blade carries some of the water to the work piece on the table element. Drain holes are provided near the center of the table element to return water to the vessel. A problem with Williams is that water retaining walls around the periphery of the table element limit and obstruct work piece size and movement. Another problem with Williams is that the cooling water does not reach the central area of the blade, so that cooling is incomplete and blade warping may result. Moreover, water scattered on the table element must flow back to the center of the element to drain, limiting drainage efficiency. Still further problems with Williams are that debris inside the saw guard cannot be readily viewed to alert the user to the need for cleaning, and the saw guard itself can obstruct work piece movement. 
     Toru Naito, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,386, issued on Jun. 24, 1969, teaches an apparatus for cutting, grinding and polishing ornamental stone. Toru Naito, et al., includes a base frame having support legs. A drive mechanism is attached to the base frame and receives a drive tool. A casing is provided which surrounds the tool on the drive mechanism, and the casing has an opening for introducing work pieces. A water tank supplies cooling water to the blade through a delivery tube having a nozzle. A drainage tube at the bottom of the casing returns water to the tank. A problem with Toru Naito, et al. is that the water delivered to the blade only strikes one blade face, so that cooling is incomplete and imbalanced, and the delivery tube also obstructs user access to the blade. Another problem with Toru Naito, et al. is that the casing obstructs work piece movement during cutting and limits the size of the work piece. 
     Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,251 issued on Dec. 11, 1990, reveals a tile saw apparatus and method. Smith includes a cooling water tank, and a circular saw blade is mounted on an axle extending through an upper area of a wall of the water tank. The lower portion of the blade passes through the cooling water as the blade rotates. A work platform is slidingly mounted above the water tank on rails, and has a slot through which the blade passes. A channel member hinged at one end encloses the upper end of the blade to form a saw guard. A problem with Smith is that the work platform is too small to receive and maneuver large work pieces. Another problem is that the Smith saw guard does not support itself in a raised position, so that cutting thick work pieces is awkward. Mangis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,454, issued on Feb. 23, 1965, discloses a tile and masonry table saw. Mangis reveals a saw much like that of Smith, having blades which are partly submerged in cooling water within a compartment beneath the table top. 
     Wain, U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,952, issued on Mar. 28, 1978, discloses a cooling oil reservoir and a circular saw blade rotatably mounted on the reservoir so that the lower portion of the blade is immersed in the oil. A motor drives the saw blade with a belt and pulleys, and a channel member extends around a lateral edge of the blade to form a shroud for directing the cooling oil picked up by the blade into the cut made in a stone work piece. A problem with Wain is that there is no convenient way to position and hold a work piece, which must be engaged above the shroud. Wain also apparently fails to provide means for preventing the cooling oil from splashing on and otherwise accumulating on the drive belt and drive motor. 
     Crocetti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,603, issued on Oct. 25, 1988, teaches a brick saw container. A saw is mounted to an arm above a work table, and the table is enclosed on three sides by a housing. Water piping delivers water to the blade through opposing sides of a channel-shaped saw guard suspended over the top of the blade. A problem with Crocetti is that the enclosure and the saw guard both substantially obstruct movement and positioning of a work piece, such as during cutting of a U-shaped bottom connection. Both also limit the size of the work piece Crocetti can accept. 
     Bein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,883, issued on Aug. 22, 1978, teaches an apparatus for controlling feed mechanisms of grinding and cutting apparatus. Bein is essentially a box containing a vice for gripping a work piece to be cut by a circular saw blade. The sides of the vice and the box limit the size of the work piece Bein can accept, and completely inhibit movement of the piece necessary to making many types of cuts. 
     It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a stone and tile cutting table saw apparatus having a liquid cooled blade driven by a belt from a motor in a separate compartment, so that the motor is kept dry. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus having a blade which reaches the work piece from underneath so that no corner bur remains in a cut when the cut appears from the top to be complete. The end of the cut curves into the scrap piece rather than out at the bottom of the cut. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus including a saw guard which can be positioned at various elevations above the blade to accommodate work pieces of various thicknesses, which remains substantially level at these various elevations, which has a replaceable blade viewing section, and which is mounted on a support assembly spaced laterally from the table and is pivotable to maximize work piece movement and accommodated size range. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which distributes cooling fluid over virtually the entire surface of each blade face, rather than merely along the blade periphery, for complete cooling and longer blade life. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which there is no saw mounting arm protruding upwardly from a side of the table to obstruct work piece movement during cutting. 
     It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is reliable, easy to service and economical to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification. 
     A saw apparatus is provided for cutting a work piece, including a circular saw blade, a saw blade drive mechanism including a motor drivably connected to the saw blade and having a motor pulley, and including a blade mounting structure, a saw table including a housing with a housing side wall, and a housing top wall having a blade passing opening and being hingedly secured to and resting on the housing side wall, a housing partition defining a drive mechanism chamber and a blade mounting chamber within the housing having a drive mechanism chamber bottom wall sealingly joined to the housing side wall, and a cooling liquid contained within the blade mounting chamber, so that the blade mounting mechanism includes a blade axle extending through the housing partition between the blade mounting chamber and the drive mechanism chamber, and the blade protrudes up through the blade passing opening and down into the cooling liquid, and a blade axle pulley is secured to the blade axle, passes through the housing partition, and a belt extends from the blade axle pulley to the motor pulley. 
     A saw apparatus is provided for cutting a work piece, including a circular saw blade, a saw blade drive mechanism including a motor having a motor pulley and including a blade mounting structure having a blade axle to which the blade is mounted and to which a blade axle pulley is mounted, and a belt extending from the blade axle pulley to the motor pulley drivably connecting the motor to the saw blade, a saw table including a housing with a housing side wall, a housing top wall having a blade passing opening, and a blade mounting chamber having a chamber side wall and a sealingly interconnected chamber bottom wall and containing a cooling liquid and a portion of the saw blade, so that the blade protrudes through the blade passing opening and into the cooling liquid, and a cooling liquid pump positioned within the blade mounting chamber, and tubing extending from the pump to the blade passing opening, for delivering the cooling liquid to a face of the blade. 
     The tubing forks into two branch tubes and each branch tube extends to a nozzle directed toward a central region of a face of the saw blade, so that cooling liquid is sprayed on both of the faces of the blade at the central region and so that rotation of the blade throws the cooling liquid radially across the blade faces and to the periphery of the blade for broad distribution of the cooling liquid over the blade. 
     A saw apparatus is further provided for cutting a work piece, including a circular saw blade, a saw blade drive mechanism including a motor having a motor pulley and including a blade mounting structure having a blade axle to which the blade is mounted and to which a blade axle pulley is mounted, and a belt extending from the blade axle pulley to the motor pulley drivably connecting the motor to the saw blade, a saw table including a housing with a housing side wall, a housing top wall having a blade passing opening, and a blade mounting chamber having a chamber side wall and a sealingly interconnected chamber bottom wall and containing a cooling liquid and a portion of the saw blade, so that the blade protrudes through the blade passing opening and into the cooling liquid, and a portion of the saw blade, so that the blade protrudes up through the blade passing opening and down into cooling liquid, and a drain channel recessed into the top wall for receiving cooling liquid and debris from the blade washing over the top wall and at least one drain hole in the drain channel for passing the cooling fluid from the drain channel and into the blade mounting chamber. 
     The apparatus preferably additionally includes a housing partition within the housing dividing and sealingly separating the housing into the blade mounting chamber and a drive mechanism chamber containing the motor and the blade axle pulley and the motor pulley. The drain channel preferably includes a channel peripheral portion extending along the periphery of the top wall. The a transverse portion of the channel preferably additionally extends across the top wall upper surface within the channel peripheral portion. 
     A saw apparatus is further provided for cutting a work piece, including a circular saw blade, saw blade drive mechanism drivably connected to the saw blade, a saw table having a top wall with a blade passing opening through which the blade extends, a saw guard mounting arm assembly including an arm fulcrum bracket structure secured to the table, an arm mounting structure having a pivot end rotatably mounted to the fulcrum bracket structure and spaced laterally from the table and a guard end secured to the saw guard, and a saw guard including a channel member pivotally mounted to the arm mounting structure, so that the channel member is movable to various elevations over the blade while remaining in an upright orientation. The arm mounting structure has at least first arm linkage segment and a second arm linkage segment which are pivotally interconnected, where the first arm linkage segment includes a pivot end. The channel member preferably includes two substantially horizontal and spaced apart side panels and a side panel connecting wall, a section of the connecting wall including a removable transparent section for observing the blade and for monitoring debris collected within the guard. The transparent section preferably includes a slat member and the side panels preferably include guide grooves for slidingly receiving the slat member. The slat member preferably includes a tab portion which protrudes from between the side panels for finger gripping by a user for slat member removal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the saw apparatus, showing the saw guard arm and guard arm assembly, and the drain channels in the table top wall upper surface. 
     FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the table and housing, revealing the blade, housing partition, motor, pulleys and mandrel, and their preferred positional relationships with each other. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the table and housing, showing the motor, mandrel, mandrel shelf, housing partition and blade. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front view as in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is perspective view of the housing upper end with the housing top wall open to reveal the branched cooling liquid tubes position to deliver liquid to the opposing blade faces. 
     FIG. 6 is a front view of the entire apparatus, showing details of the guard arm mounting assembly. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the fulcrum tubes, showing the three notches. 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of the preferred saw guard and its cooling tube branches, also delivering liquid to both opposing faces of the blade. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic top view of the table top wall and guard arm assembly, showing in broken lines the three positions into which the guard arm can lock. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the optional plexiglass shield fitted onto the saw guard assembly. 
     FIG. 10 a  is a top view, and 
     FIG. 10 b  is a front view, of the shield and saw guard assembly of FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the saw table with the top wall opened and the lateral leaf portion deployed, revealing the drip guard rubber strips. FIG. 11 b  is a partial schematic front view of the saw table of FIG.  11 . 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the inventive miter edge forming guide. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
     Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like characteristics and features of the present invention shown in the various FIGURES are designated by the same reference numerals. 
     First Preferred Embodiment 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-8, a stone and tile saw apparatus  10  is disclosed. Apparatus  10  includes a saw table  12 , a saw blade  14 , a blade drive motor  16 , a blade cooling system, a saw guard  140 , and a guard mounting arm assembly  100 . 
     Saw Table 
     Saw table  12  includes a housing  20  with four housing side walls  22 , a housing bottom wall  24  joined in sealing relationship with three side walls  22 , and a table top wall  26  secured to a side wall  22  with hinges  32 , such that top wall  26  rests on side walls  22 . Top wall  26  preferably rests on an elongate water-tight seal  28  provided along the upper surfaces of side walls  22 . See FIGS. 1 and 5. Top wall  26  preferably includes lateral leaf portions  30  mounted with hinges  30   a  which are recessed flush into the top surfaces of top wall  26  and leaf portions  30  adjacent to the lateral edges of top wall  26 . Leaf portions  30  fold outwardly, and the hinged ends of leaf portions  30  act as stops to hold extended leaf portions  30  horizontal. Leaf portions  30  meet top wall  26  within side walls  22 . A water-tight seal (not shown) is provided between top wall  26  and leaf portions  30 . In addition, a rubber strip  30   b  is preferably provided on each leaf portion  30  to fit just within adjacent side walls  22  to prevent water condensate collecting on the lower surface of top wall  26  from rolling out of housing  20 . See FIG.  11 . Housing  20  is preferably formed of colored fiberglass resin. A lid propping latch  18  is provided to hold top wall  26  open during servicing. Housing  20  is divided by a housing partition  34  into a combined motor and pulley chamber  44 , and a blade mounting chamber  48 . See FIGS. 2-4. Housing bottom wall  24  extends only underneath blade mounting chamber  48  to contain liquid  84 . The underside of motor and pulley chamber  44  is preferably open to the air for improved ventilation and for easier access for maintenance. Partition  34  is preferably positioned and shaped to minimize the volume of blade mounting chamber  48 , to permit apparatus  10  operation with minimal cooling liquid and thus at minimal apparatus  10  weight. Partition  34  has a motor enclosing section and a pulley enclosing section. Chambers  44  and  48  each have service access doors (not shown). 
     Blade and Drive Assembly 
     Circular blade  14  for cutting stone, and alternatively for cutting other materials, is mounted on a blade axle  52  extending through a blade mounting mandrel  54  secured to a mandrel shelf  56 . Shelf  56  is secured to the inner surface  62  of a side wall  22  and protrudes into blade mounting chamber  48 . Blade  14  protrudes up through a blade slot  64  in top wall  26 . A blade axle pulley  72  is secured to blade axle  52  which passes through housing partition  34 . A belt  74  extends from blade axle pulley  72  to a motor pulley  76  mounted on a drive shaft  82  of blade drive motor  16 . Motor  16  is connected to a power source (not shown) through a first power cord  36  joined with a plug assembly  40  to a second power cord  38 , which includes a motor power switch  42 . First and second power cords  36  and  38 , respectively, are separable at plug assembly  40  so that motor  16  can be removed for servicing or replacement. See FIG.  4 . 
     Saw Guard Arm Assembly 
     A guard arm assembly  100  is provided including two vertically spaced apart and axially aligned fulcrum tubes  108  fastened to housing side wall  22 . See FIGS. 1,  6  and  7 . Fulcrum tubes  108  each have two opposing upper side notches  110  and one outwardly directed upper side notch  110 . A C-shaped frame structure  112  is provided having two leg portions  114 , each leg portion  114  having a downwardly directed fulcrum pin (not shown). Each fulcrum pin fits downwardly into one of the fulcrum tubes  108 , so that frame structure  112  pivots laterally in and radially about the fulcrum tubes  108 . A locking tab (not shown) protrudes laterally from each fulcrum pin to fit and removably lock into any one of the notches  110  in the corresponding fulcrum tube  108  to secure structure  112  into any one of three orientations relative to table  12 . See FIG. 9. A frame structure vertical strut  116  extends between and is welded to the leg portions  114  to increase frame structure  112  strength. The free end of frame structure  112  has a vertical pivot tube  118  into which is rotatably fitted a cylindrical end of a first arm segment  120 . Frame structure  112  laterally spaces first arm segment  120  away from table  12  so that guard arm assembly  100  does not obstruct work piece  130  movement and so that apparatus  10  accommodates greater work piece  130  sizes. A second arm segment  122  is pivotally connected to the free end of first arm segment  120 , and the saw guard  140  is pivotally connected to second arm segment  122 . The first and second arm segments  120  and  122 , respectively, are structurally and functionally analogous and very similar to the linkage arms supporting many desk lamps, preferably having the same type of balance springs  124 . This assembly  100  permits movement of saw guard  140  to any of numerous elevations relative to table top wall  26 . The fulcrum tubes  108  and upper notches  110  permit rotation of frame structure  112  and assembly  100  to any of three releasibly locking positions relative to table  12  to permit greater flexibility in work piece  130  size and placement. 
     Saw guard  140  preferably includes a transparent channel segment  142  containing rubber water skimmer flaps  144  which slide against blade faces  96  as blade  14  rotates to limit or prevent over-spray. See FIGS. 6 and 8. The front end of channel member  142  is closed with a channel front wall  146  which is angled outwardly at its lower end and has a debris catching tab  148  protruding from its lower end. The rear end of channel member  142  is closed with an upright channel rear wall  152 . 
     For added shielding, a plexiglass sheet  150  having a channel receiving slot  154  is optionally provided. A pair of longitudinal tracks  156 , spaced apart from each other a sufficient distance to snugly receive the thickness of sheet  150 , is provided on each side of channel member  142 , to removably receive edges of slot  154  in sheet  150 . See FIGS. 10-10 b.    
     Cooling System 
     Blade mounting chamber  48  contains cooling liquid  84  such as water or a light oil to a level such that a lower portion of blade  14  is continually immersed in liquid  84 . Cooling is highly important because the high friction inherent in stone cutting produces a great deal of heat in blade  14 . A liquid pump  90  is provided in blade mounting chamber  48  and connected to a rubber or plastic flexible tube  92  extending upwardly along a side wall  22  and along the lower surface of top wall  26  to blade slot  64 . Tube  92  forks into two branch tubes  92   a,  and each branch tube extends to a nozzle  94  directed toward each face  96  of saw blade  14 , near the center of blade  14 . Nozzles  94  are angled slightly upward toward the work piece  130  to direct cooling liquid  84  into the saw cut formed in the work piece  130 . Pump  90  delivers liquid  84  from blade mounting chamber  48  to nozzles  94 , and liquid  84  is sprayed on both faces  96  of blade  14  to enhance cooling and to clean debris from blade  14 . The rotation of blade  14  throws the sprayed liquid  84  generally radially across blade faces  96  and to the periphery of blade  14  so that the cooling and cleaning liquid  84  is efficiently distributed over the entire blade  14 . 
     Cooling liquid tubing  180  branches into branch segment  182  which extends along first and second arm segments  120  and  22  to saw guard  140 , where tube branch segment  182  splits into two branch tubes which enter saw guard  140  and deliver cooling liquid  84  against both faces  96  of blade  14 . 
     Drainage System 
     Water and debris from blade  14  wash over the upper surface  98  of top wall  26  and into to drain channels  102  recessed into upper surface  98  and continue across leaf portion  30 . A longitudinal series of drain holes  104  in drain channels  102  and in the top wall  26  upper surface  98  between channels  102  pass liquid  84  from channels  102  back into blade mounting chamber  48 . Perimeter channels  102  are recessed along top wall  26  edges and transverse channels  102   a  extend across top wall  26 , capturing liquid  84  without need of any liquid retaining walls extending upwardly from upper surface  98 . Perimeter channels  102  are deeper, and preferably twice as deep, as transverse channels  102   a  so that the mounting edge of a miter guide, mentioned below, can be placed into the transverse channels  102  without the sudden water displacement overflowing perimeter channel  102 . Inwardly tilted channel wall portions  106  surround the periphery of top wall  26 , and direct drainage liquid  84  into channels  102 . Horizontally extending portions of housing partition  34  extend across the entire interior of housing  20  and are tilted or rounded to promote a smooth and unobstructed flow of liquid  84  and debris into the bottom of blade mounting chamber  48 . Recessed channels  102  do not obstruct the movement of a work piece  130  on top wall upper surface  98 . 
     Guide Assemblies 
     A miter guide assembly (not shown) of conventional design is preferably provided and removably anchored into channels  102   a.  An inventive miter edge forming guide  200  is also provided for cutting a mitered edge along a work piece  130 . See FIG.  12 . Edge forming guide  200  includes a planar work piece supporting panel  202  having a mitered edge  204 . An inverted channel portion  206  extends adjacent mitered edge  204  at a right angle with respect to the plane of mitered edge  204  and receives a conventional fence bar (not shown) placed within a channel  102  or  102   a  so that supporting panel  202  is oriented at the intended miter angle with respect to the table top wall  26 . A narrow stop flange  212  protrudes along the lower edge of supporting panel  202  to support the work piece  130  so that the work piece  130  does not advance downward into the blade  14 . Stop flange  212  is narrow enough not to obstruct substantial cutting of the work piece  130  edge. To hold edge forming guide  200  steady during cutting, a handle structure  220  is provided in the form of a metal slat  222  having a handle  224  at its middle region and a jamb or clip  226  at each end which removably fits into clip ports  232  in channel portion  206 . Clips  226  are preferably elongate strips punched out of metal slat  222  on three sides, including two longitudinal sides. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.