Patent Publication Number: US-2012031247-A1

Title: Safe pushing device for table saws

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to table saws, and more particularly to a safe pushing device for the table saws. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     When cutting a wood workpiece on a table saw in the past, the user has to press the wood workpiece and pushes the wood workpiece toward a saw blade by hands, however such an operating method will cut the user&#39;s hands easily. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , to prevent the saw blade from cutting user&#39;s hands, an improved safe pushing device of table saws is developed and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,711, and includes a rack  1  and a retaining member  2  connected with the rack  1  by using screws. In operation, the rack  1  abuts against a fence  3  of the table saw, and the retaining member  2  is used to press a wood workpiece  4  so that the safe pushing device pushes the wood workpiece straightly, however, the safe pushing device is not coupled with the table saw, e.g., the safe pushing device is merely placed on the fence to be removed by the user easily or to be not used by the user, hence a safety function is lowered. In addition, when cutting various wood workpieces with different thickness, the retaining member  2  is adjusted toward a suitable height by rotating screws, having inconvenient operation. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,711 discloses a conventional safety pushing device of table saws including a rack  5  and a retaining member  6  connected on the rack  5 , and the retaining member  6  is capable of adjusting its height by rotating a screw  7  tightly or releasably, but such a conventional safety pushing device is not safe and not operated easily. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , a conventional safe pushing device of table saw disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,612 includes a rack  8  contacted with a fence and a retaining member  9  coupled with the rack  8 , between the retaining member  9  and the rack  8  is defined a spring  81  to abut the retaining member  9  against a wood workpiece and to adjust a height of the retaining member  9  so that the retaining member  9  allows to retain various wood workpieces with different thicknesses. Nevertheless, the spring  81  will generate a fatigue to decrease its abutting elasticity. Besides, the safe pushing device is fixed on the fence movably to be not used by the user, thus lowering safety. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a safe pushing device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,019 is coupled with a fence without being removed easily to enhance safety, but a retaining member  91  is adjusted its height by rotating a screw  92  tightly or releasably, operating inconveniently. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a safe pushing device for table saws that is capable of pushing the wood workpiece during a cutting process without using hands, thus obtaining a safety purpose. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a safe pushing device for table saws that when retaining various workpieces with different thickness, the handle member is pulled upward to actuate the first and the second axial arms, and the retaining member to move upward, and then the handle member is moved downward to actuate the first and the second axial arms, and the retaining member to move downward without rotating screws and nuts tightly or releasably, thus operating easily. 
     To obtain the above objective, a safe pushing device for table saws contains: 
     a sliding member fitted into a guide way of a fence so as to be pushed to slide in the guide way straightly; 
     a seat fixed on the sliding member; 
     a first axial arm including one side face axially coupled with the seat; 
     a second axial arm including one side face axially connected with the seat; 
     a retaining member axially connected with free ends of the first and the second axial arms; 
     a handle member disposed on the second axial arm. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional safe pushing device of table saws disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,711; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a conventional safe pushing device of table saws disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,711; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a conventional safe pushing device of table saws disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,612; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a conventional safe pushing device of table saws disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,019; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the exploded components of a safe pushing device of table saws according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the assembly of the safe pushing device of the table saws according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of the safe pushing device of the table saws according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the safe pushing device of the table saws according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is another cross sectional view showing the operation of the safe pushing device of the table saws according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a respective view showing the operation of the safe pushing device of the table saws according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-10 , a safe pushing device  100  for table saws in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a sliding member  10 , a seat  20 , a first axial arm  30 , a second axial arm  40 , a retaining member  50 , and a handle member  60 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the sliding member  10  is an elongated plate and fitted into a guide way  991  of a fence  992  so as to be pushed to slide in the guide way  991  straightly. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the seat  20  is formed in a L shape and includes a bottom wall  21  fixed on the sliding member  10  and a side wall  22  connected with the bottom wall  21  and extending upward from one side of the bottom wall  21 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the first axial arm  30  includes one side face axially coupled with the side wall  22  of the seat  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the second axial arm  40  includes one side face axially connected with the side wall  22  of the seat  20 , and spaced a predetermined distance apart from the first axial arm  30 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the retaining member  50  includes a first slot  51  and a second slot  52 , both of which are arranged on a top end of the retaining member  50 , to respectively insert and axially connect with free ends of the first and the second axial arms  30 ,  40 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the handle member  60  includes a support  61 , a first bar  62 , and a second bar  63 , wherein one end of the support  61  is disposed on the second axial arm  40 , the first and the second bars  62 ,  63  are fixed on two opposite edges of a free end of the support  61  to be held by a user. 
     When desiring to cutting a wood workpiece  994 , the first and the second bars  62 ,  63  of the handle member  60  are held, and the first and the second axial arms  30 ,  40  are pulled upward so as to swing upward and to actuate the retaining member  50  to displace upward as well (as illustrated in  FIG. 8 ), hence the retaining member  50  is away a predetermined distance from a table plane  993  of a table saw  99 , and then the wood workpiece  994  is placed on the table plane  993 . Thereafter, the handle member  60  is held by the user to swing the first and the second axial arms  30 ,  40  downward (as shown in  FIG. 9 ), and the retaining member  50  abuts against the wood workpiece  994 , such that the sliding member  10  is forced to slide along the guide way  991  (as illustrated in  FIG. 10 ) to have a cutting process. 
     Due to the safe pushing device is connected on the table saw without being removed, the safe pushing device for the table saw is capable of pushing the wood workpiece during a cutting process without using hands, thus obtaining a safety purpose. 
     Moreover, when retaining various workpieces with different thickness, the handle member is pulled upward to actuate the first and the second axial arms, and the retaining member to move upward, and then the handle member is moved downward to actuate the first and the second axial arms, and the retaining member to move downward without rotating screws and nuts tightly or releasably, thus operating easily. 
     While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.