Patent Publication Number: US-2021178627-A1

Title: Power tool guide with positive alignment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/948,767, filed Dec. 16, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to power tool guides and more particularly to a versatile multifunctional power tool guide with positive alignment upon which a power tool can be mounted quickly with positive alignment and then used to guide the power tool to cut material along a straight edge and to rip material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Power tool guides are well known in the wood working industry. Companies, such as, for example, Festool, Kreg, True Trac, and Urekazone sell power tool guides. The main problem with each of these tool guides is that they are dedicated to a specific straight edge and cannot be used on other types of straight edges. If a user doesn&#39;t have the straight edge required by the specific guide, the user cannot use the guide. This obviously results in the user being limited to a particular guide and a particular edge. Also, some of these guides are for a single purpose. 
     Other problems with known systems are more specific to each system. The Festool guide system requires a specific track as discussed above, in addition, the Festool system also requires a dedicated circular saw. Only the Festool saw can be used on the system. The Festool system is also very expensive when compared to other guide systems. 
     The Kreg system requires a specific track and is limited to a ripping function only. It doesn&#39;t have the ability to use the track as a guide for making guided cuts without the use of the edge of the material to act as a guide for the guide track. 
     The True Trac system is limited to a specific track and has the disadvantage of not being capable of doing rip cuts. Additionally, the True Trac requires a special mount that is difficult to mount to the saw. The mount is also intended to be permanently mounted to the saw. The True Trac will not allow other tools to be used on the track without attaching a separate mount to the tool. 
     The Eureka Zone system requires a specific track and is not adapted to be used to cut as a straight edge without the use of the material edge as a guide. It is also large and bulky and not easy to set up. 
     Another disadvantage with each of the above is the difficulty in mounting the cutting tool to the guide. None of them provide a quick easy way to positively align the tool on the guide. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general terms, the present invention provides an innovative versatile multi-function saw attachment guide, rail guide and rip attachment. The present invention solves the problems of known power tool guides and provides a compact, inexpensive, easy to assemble and easy to use solution to guided and rip cutting operations. The present guide also provides a positive alignment system that is quick, easy, and ensures the tool is properly mounted. 
     The multifunction cutting tool guide of the present invention includes a base plate having a top face and a bottom face. The base plate top face includes connection points for connecting a power tool to the base plate top face. The bottom face has guides to allow the saw plate to be guided on a straight edge to make a straight cut or connected to an attachment for making rip cuts and can be used by left or right-handed users. 
     A power tool can be attached to the base plate and the base plate can be positioned over a straight edge with the straight edge being received within one of the guides. 
     The plate of the present invention also allows the power tool to be more easily, accurately and positively attached to the plate due to the unique design. The present power tool guide provides a pair of straight alignment members at right angles to one another. The longitudinal edge of, for example, a saw shoe abuts the longitudinal alignment member and the lateral edge abuts the lateral member to ensure proper alignment of the saw. In the disclosed embodiment, locks are moveable along the longitudinal alignment member to secure the saw to the guide. A further lock can be provided to engage and secure the lateral edge of the shoe. 
     These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description are described below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention with a circular saw shown in phantom. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention mounted upon a straight edge 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention mounted upon a rip cutting attachment. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention illustrating the locking wedge. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the bottom of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the multifunction cutting tool guide with positive alignment of the present invention mounted upon a straight edge. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The cutting tool guide of the present invention is shown generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 . Guide  10  includes a base plate  12 . In the disclosed embodiment, the plate  12  is made of molded plastic, however as is well known to those of ordinary skill in this art, other materials such as for example aluminum or a combination of aluminum and plastic, etc., could be used. Base plate  12  is generally flat and adapted to receive for example a power or cutting tool  14 , such as for example a circular saw, jig saw, reciprocating saw, router, etc. See  FIG. 4  for an example of a circular saw mounted to the base  12 . In the disclosed embodiment, the base plate  12  includes three connectors  16 ,  18  and  20 . The connectors  16 ,  18 , and  20  are mounted within slots  22  in straight alignment members  24  and  26 . Alignment members  24  and  26  are mounted at a right angle to one another. This allows the power tool  14  to be accurately, quickly and positively mounted to the base plate  12 . The shoe of the power tool  14  is positioned on the plate  12  and pushed against the alignment members  24  and  26 . When the shoe engages both alignment members  24  and  26 , it is accurately mounted. 
     The connectors  16 ,  18  and  20  have lower portions  25  that extend into the slots  22  which allow the connectors  16  and  18  to be mounted to the base  12  and to slide along the alignment members  24  and  26 . The connectors  16 ,  18  and  20  of the disclosed embodiment have threaded pins  40 . The pins  40  thread against the shoe of a power or cutting tool  14 , such as for example a circular saw, as illustrated in the figures. The connector  20  is mounted to slide along the alignment member  26  for engaging the lateral edge of the shoe. The connectors  16  and  18  are mounted to slide along the alignment member  24  for engaging the longitudinal edge of the shoe. This allows the guide  10  to be used on various power tools. 
     The guide  10  can also be used by a left-handed person or a right-handed person. The alignment member  26  can be removed and re-mounted to the opposite side of the base plate  12 . In the disclosed embodiment, the alignment member  26  is mounted to mounting holes  42  on the opposite sides of the base plate  12 . Depending upon whether left or right-handed use is desired, the alignment member is mounted to the appropriate side of the cutting tool guide  10 . 
     The bottom of the base plate  12  has a straight edge cutting guide  31  that is defined by surfaces  32  and  34 . The surfaces  32  and  34  allow the guide  10  to be used on standard straight edges, such as for example a three (3) inch straight edge  59 . 
     Second and third rip guides  35  and  37  are positioned on the opposed sides  44  and  46  of plate  12 . The rip guides  35  and  37  allow a rip guide to be attached to either side of the guide  10 . The rip guide  58  illustrated includes the raised rail  56 . 
     In use, a power tool  14 , such as a circular saw  14 , is attached to the base  12 . The power tool  14  is positioned on the base  12  and the shoe of the power tool  14  engages both the alignment members  24  and  26 . This accurately, correctly and positively aligns the power tool  14  on the guide  10 . The connectors  16 ,  18  and  20  are slid over the shoe of the cutting tool  14  and are tightened against the shoe. 
     The blade of the tool  14  can be located with respect to the base plate cutting edge  28  by adjusting the straight edge alignment member  24 . The alignment member  24  is mounted upon a track that allows movement upon the face  12  while maintaining the right angle between alignment members  24  and  26 . The alignment member  24  is parallel to the base plate cutting edge  28 . Notches  27  are provided to assist in keeping the alignment member  24  parallel as it is moved to position the saw blade adjacent edge  28 . Once positioned, the member  24  can be locked down by fasteners  29 . The fasteners are received in elongated openings  25  in the guide  10 . 
     To make a straight cut, the straight edge  59  is fixed to the work piece, see  FIG. 9 . The straight edge  59  for example, could be a piece of wood, a metal ruler, or a commercial straight edge, such as those supplied by applicant under the trademark BORA®. The base  12  is positioned over the straight edge  59  with the straight edge  59  positioned between surfaces  32  and  34 , which are spaced apart about 3 inches to engage the sides of the straight edge  59  and act as a guide. The base  12  can be moved along the straight edge  59  to cut the work piece in a straight guided line. 
     The base  12  can also be used as a ripping saw with a rip straight edge  58 . The disclosed base plate  12  has a lateral channel  40  or  42  that slides over the raised rail  56  of the rip straight edge  58 . In the disclosed embodiment, the lateral channel  40  or  42  and raised rail  56  have generally mating angled sidewalls  45  and  47  and  66 . The angled sidewalls  45  and  47  mate with the sidewalls  66  to provide a more precise secure connection and provide a more tight connection when the base plate  12  is connected to the raised rail  56 . This ensures that the base plate  12  doesn&#39;t move with respect to the rip straight edge  44 . The raised rail  56  has a groove  84  that is adapted to receive a locking wedge  80  that includes a locking member  82 . 
     The straight edge  58  also has a rip straight edge guide  68 . The rip guide  68  includes a guide way  72  in mount  70 . A locking member  76  is used to lock the rip guide  68  to the straight edge  58 . In the disclosed embodiment, the locking member  76  is a threaded screw with a knob to facilitate the threading of the locking member against the straight edge  58 . A handle  77  is provided on the rip guide  68  to facilitate movement of the saw  14  along the material to be ripped. 
     In use, the base plate  12  is positioned over the channel  66  with the wedge  80  inserted into the channel  66 . Once positioned, the base  12  can be locked onto the straight edge  44  by engaging the locking member  80 . The handle  68  can then be grasped and the saw moved along the work piece to rip a section from the material. 
     The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do come within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.