Patent Publication Number: US-2017361488-A1

Title: Compact Planer

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/090,491 which is entitled “Compact Planer,” and was filed on Dec. 11, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Finish carpentry involves a significant amount of time fitting millwork to the irregularities and uneven surfaces of drywalled ceilings and walls or floor surfaces. Base molding, door and window casings, and crown moldings typically require scribing and some material removal to yield a quality fit. The material removal (which can include sawing, sanding, grinding, or planing) is performed on straight cut millwork, to modify the linear edge to conform to the existing surface profile. The traditional method of fitting woodwork involves use of a low angle block plane, which offers excellent control, but requires the user to apply repetitive manual force to perform the cutting action. Another drawback to use of a block plane is that the tool requires time consuming blade sharpening and honing to maintain acceptable cutting performance. Blade sharpening is a significant detractor from productivity, since the block plane must be disassembled for sharpening. If the blade is not razor sharp, wood tearout and poor surface appearance will result. Block plane blades are typically dedicated to a single tool and replacements are costly. 
     Power planers, on the other hand, can be bulky and heavy, making them difficult to operate. Additionally, many power planers require both hands of the user, making them feel different to use than a traditional block plane. Moreover, power planers often have complex design, making them difficult to produce and expensive to repair. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a power planer which has a compact and simple configuration and is similar to use as a traditional block plane. 
     SUMMARY 
     The power planer disclosed herein includes a housing which has a motor portion, configured to receive a motor assembly, arranged orthogonally to a main body portion, configured to receive a cutting assembly, a power source, and an actuator. Because the motor assembly is arranged to the side of the main body, the main body portion of the housing is able to be more compactly configured. In particular, the size of the main body portion of the housing is limited by the size of power source and of the cutting assembly. Additionally, the side configuration of the motor assembly allows the motor to directly drive the cutting assembly because the drive shaft axis of the motor is aligned with the axis of the cutter head of the cutting assembly when performing a cutting operation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a power planer including a housing, a cutting assembly, and other functional components. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the power planer of  FIG. 1  with the housing removed. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the housing of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a left side perspective view of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a right side cross-sectional view of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  shows left side perspective view of a functional component of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  shows a top cross-sectional view of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  shows a front perspective view of a portion of the cutting assembly of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  shows a schematic front cross-sectional view of the cutting assembly of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10A  shows a left side perspective view of a component of the cutting assembly of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10B  shows a schematic front cross-sectional view of the component of the cutting assembly of  FIG. 10A . 
         FIG. 11A  shows a right side perspective view of another component of the cutting assembly of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11B  shows a schematic front cross-sectional view of the component of the cutting assembly of  FIG. 11A . 
         FIG. 12A  shows a right side perspective view of another component of the cutting assembly of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 12B  shows a schematic front cross-sectional view of the component of the cutting assembly of  FIG. 12A . 
         FIG. 13  shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another component of the cutting assembly of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 14  shows a front cross-sectional view of the power planer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 15  shows a front perspective view of another power planer including a housing, a cutting assembly, and other functional components. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The planer  100 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a housing  104 , a support plate  106 , a motor assembly  108 , and a power source  112  for operating the motor assembly  108 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , which has the housing  104  removed, the planer  100  also includes an actuator  116  for actuating the power source  112 , a cutting assembly  120  operated by the motor assembly  108 , and a depth adjustment assembly  124  for adjusting a depth of cut made by the cutting assembly  120 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the housing  104  is made of a durable material such as, for example, a hard plastic material, and includes a main body portion  128  and a motor portion  132 . The motor portion  132  extends substantially orthogonally relative to the main body portion  128  and includes a motor assembly receiver  110  configured to receive the motor assembly  108  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). The main body portion includes a power source receiver  114  configured to receive the power source  112  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), an actuator receiver  118  configured to receive the actuator  116  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), a cutting assembly receiver  122  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) configured to receive the cutting assembly  120  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), and a depth adjustment assembly receiver  126  configured to receive the depth adjustment assembly  124 . 
     The main body portion  128  has a front  136 , a rear  140 , a left side  144 , and a right side  148 . The main body portion  128  has a length L, extending from the front  136  to the rear  140 , which is, for example, between 150 mm and 200 mm. In the embodiment shown, the motor portion  132  of the housing  104  is arranged on the right side  148  of the main body portion  128 , and the support plate  106  and the actuator receiver  118 , containing the actuator  116  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), are positioned on the left side  144  of the main body portion  128 . Thus, when the planer  100  is gripped in the user&#39;s right hand such that the front  136  is aimed away from the user&#39;s body and the rear  140  is aimed toward the user&#39;s body, the left side  144  of the main body portion  128  is arranged nearest to the user&#39;s body and the right side  148  of the main body portion  128  is arranged farthest from the user&#39;s body. Accordingly, the embodiment shown is arranged to be more easily operated by a right-handed user because the user is able to easily manipulate the actuator  116  with the right thumb and because the motor portion  132  of the housing  104  does not obstruct the user&#39;s view of the work area. However, in an alternative embodiment, the planer  100  can have the opposite arrangement so as to be preferable for a left-handed user wherein the actuator  116  is positioned on the right side  148  of the main body portion  128  to be easily operated by the user&#39;s left thumb and the motor portion  132  is positioned on the left side  144  of the main body portion  128  so it does not obstruct the user&#39;s view. 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the support plate  106  is configured to be coupled to the left side  144  of the housing  104  to provide support to the housing  104  and to provide support to the cutting assembly  120  where the cutting assembly  120  is supported by the housing  104 . The support plate  106  is a flat metal plate made of, for example, steel, including an actuator accommodation groove  130  configured to accommodate the actuator  116 , which projects from the left side  144  of the housing  104 . In the embodiment shown, the support plate  106  is fastened to the left side  144  of the housing  104  by fastening members (not shown) inserted through fastening openings  131  in the support plate  106  and into the left side  144  of the housing  104 . The fastening members can be, for example, screws, rivets, or other suitable, stable, durable members. However, in alternative embodiments, the support plate  106  can be fastened to the housing  104  in another manner which is durable and stable. The support plate  106  also includes a support shaft fastener opening  134  extending through the support plate  106  and configured to receive a support shaft fastener  224  to couple the cutting assembly  120  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) to the housing  104  via the support plate  106 , as described in more detail below. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the main body portion  128  of the housing  104  includes a grip region  152  positioned around where a user&#39;s palm contacts the planer  100  when the user grips the main body portion  108 . The grip region  152  has a width W GR  which is sized to be gripped comfortably by the user&#39;s hand. For example, the grip region  152  can have a width W GR  of approximately 50 mm. The actuator receiver  118  is positioned within the grip region  152  such that the user can easily manipulate the actuator  116  with the thumb while gripping the planer  100 . In the embodiment shown, the actuator  116  has a push-button configuration to be depressed by the user to alternately turn on and off the planer  100 . In an alternative embodiment, however, the actuator  116  can have a different configuration to be manipulated by the user to alternately turn on and off the planer  100 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the grip region  152  can include a safety mechanism (not shown) which would require contact by both the user&#39;s thumb and another finger on the grip region  152  in order to operate the planer  100 . For example, the safety mechanism could include a contact mechanism positioned on the right side  148  of the housing  104  configured to be contacted by the user&#39;s middle or ring finger. In this embodiment, both the actuator  116  and the contact mechanism would have to be contacted in order to turn on the planer  100 . This safety mechanism would decrease the risk of injury to the user by placing the fingers of the hand operating the planer  100  in an unsafe position. 
     The cutting assembly receiver  122  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) is positioned between the grip region  152  and the front  136  of the housing  104  and is aligned with the motor portion  132  of the housing  104  such that the motor assembly  108  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) is positioned adjacent to the cutting assembly  120  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) when the planer  100  is assembled as shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cutting assembly receiver  122  extends to the left side  144  of the housing  104  such that an opening  154  of the cutting assembly receiver  122  is at least partially formed in the left side  144  of the housing  104  and at least partially formed in a bottom surface  138  of the housing  104 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the support plate  106  is positioned to cover the portion of the opening  154  of the cutting assembly receiver  122  that is formed in the left side  144  of the housing  104  so that the cutting assembly  120  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) is not exposed on the left side  144  of the housing  104  when the planer  100  is assembled. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 4 , the power source receiver  114  is positioned near the rear  140  of the housing  104  and removably receives the power source  112 . In the embodiment shown, the power source  112  is a 12 volt battery which can be removed from the housing  104  for charging and replaced within the housing  104  for operating the planer  100 . To this end, the power source receiver  114  includes a fastening element (not shown) configured to engage with a complementary fastening element (not shown) on the power source  112 . The fastening element and complementary fastening element are configured to be manipulated by the user to engage and release the battery  112  as desired. In an alternative embodiment, the power source  112  can be an electrical cord or another feature configured to provide power to the planer  100 . In another alternative embodiment, the power source  112  can be non-removably received in the power source receiver  114 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , a right perspective cross-sectional view of the power planer  100  is shown with the cutting assembly  120  received within the cutting assembly receiver  122 . As shown, the housing  104  includes a bottom surface  138 , and the cutting assembly receiver  122  includes an opening  142 , which is a portion of the opening  514 , formed in the bottom surface  138  of the housing  104 . The cutting assembly  120  is arranged within the cutting assembly receiver  122  such that the cutting assembly  120  contacts a surface to be cut via the opening  142 . 
     Also shown in  FIG. 5 , the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126 , which adjustably receives the depth adjustment assembly  124 , is positioned at the front  136  of the housing  104 . The depth adjustment assembly receiver  126  includes a lowermost surface  156 , an adjustment screw opening  158  positioned above the lowermost surface  156 , and an adjustment screw window  160 , which is in communication with the lowermost surface  156  via the adjustment screw opening  158  and is open to the front  136  of the housing  104 . The lowermost surface  156  of the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126  is separated from the rest of the bottom surface  138  of the housing  104  by the opening  142 . The depth adjustment assembly  124  includes a wedge shaped plate  162  having a bottom surface  164  and a top surface  168  which angle toward each other to form the tapered wedge shape having a thicker portion  170  and a thinner portion  174 . The wedge shaped plate  162  of the depth adjustment assembly  124  is coupled to the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126  such that the thicker portion  170  is arranged nearer to the front  136  of the housing  104  and the thinner portion  174  is arranged nearer to the rear  140  of the housing  104 . Furthermore, the wedge shaped plate  162  of the depth adjustment assembly  124  is coupled to the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126  such that the bottom surface  138  of the housing  104  and the bottom surface  164  of the wedge shaped plate  162  rest on the surface to be cut with the planer  100 . In other words, the front  136  of the housing  104  is propped up by the wedge shaped plate  162  to a further extent than the rear  140  of the housing  104 . 
     As shown in more detail in  FIG. 6 , the wedge shaped plate  162  of the depth adjustment assembly  124  includes an alignment ledge  172 , which projects upwardly from the top surface  168 , and an elongated opening  176 , which extends through the top surface  168  and the bottom surface  164  and is configured to receive an adjustment screw  180  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) extending through the wedge shaped plate  162 . 
     When the depth adjustment assembly  124  is received within the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , the top surface  168  of the depth adjustment assembly  124  rests against the lowermost surface  156  of the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126 . Additionally, a portion of the adjustment screw  180  which extends above the top surface  168  of the wedge shaped plate  162  is received through the adjustment screw opening  158  and into the adjustment screw window  160  to couple the wedge shaped plate  162  to the housing  104 . Accessed by the user through the adjustment screw window  160 , the adjustment screw  180  is manipulated by the user to tighten or loosen the adjustment screw  180  and therefore tighten or loosen the wedge shaped plate  162  relative to the housing  104 . 
     To adjust the depth of a cut made by the planer  100 , the user loosens the connection between the wedge shaped plate  162  and the housing  104  by loosening the adjustment screw  180  via the adjustment screw window  160 . When the wedge shaped plate  162  is loosened, the wedge shaped plate  162  is free to translate relative to the housing  104  by sliding the elongated opening  176  along the adjustment screw  180 , which passes through the elongated opening  176  of the depth adjustment assembly  124  and through the adjustment screw opening  158  of the depth adjustment assembly receiver  126 . When sliding the wedge shaped plate  162 , the alignment of the wedge shaped plate  162  relative to the housing  104  is maintained by contact of the alignment ledge  172  along the right side  148  of the housing  104 . Due to the tapered wedge shape of the wedge shaped plate  162 , sliding the wedge shaped plate  162  toward the rear  140  of the housing  104  increases an angle A the of the housing  104  from the front  136  to the rear  140  of the housing  104 . The increased angle A results in a shallower cut made by the planer  100 . Conversely, sliding the wedge shaped plate  162  away from the rear  140  of the housing  104  decreases the angle A, resulting in a deeper cut made by the planer  100 . When the angle A has been adjusted to produce cuts of the desired depth by the planer  100 , the user tightens the adjustment screw  180  to fix the position of wedge shaped plate  162  relative to the housing  104  for use of the planer  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the front  136  of the housing  104  also includes a chip passage  184  arranged above the lowermost surface  156 . The chip passage  184  is an elongated opening which extends within the housing  104  from the cutting assembly receiver  122  to the adjustment screw window  160  (shown in  FIG. 5 ). The chip passage  184  is configured to pass chips and other debris generated by the planer  100  during a cutting operation to a location outside of the housing  104 . To this end, the chip passage  184  is in open communication with both the cutting assembly receiver  122  and the adjustment screw window  160 . Accordingly, chips and debris generated by the cutting assembly  120  during use of the planer  100  are moved outside the housing  104  by exiting the cutting assembly receiver, passing through the chip passage  184  and the adjustment screw window  160  and out of the front  136  of the housing  104 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the motor assembly  108 , received within the motor portion  132  of the housing  104 , includes a motor  188  and a drive shaft  192 . The motor  188  is electrically connected to the power source  112  via the actuator  116  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) and other electrical connections (not shown) within the main body portion  128  of the housing  104 . Accordingly, when the actuator  116  is switched to an “on” position, the power source  112  supplies electrical power to the motor  188  to activate the motor  188  to rotate the drive shaft  192 . Conversely, when the actuator  116  is switched to an “off” position, the power source  112  ceases supplying electrical power to the motor  188  and no longer activates the motor  188  to rotate the drive shaft  192 . In an exemplary embodiment, the motor  188  can be a 12 volt or an 18 volt motor. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 7 , the cutting assembly  120  includes a coupling  200 , configured to couple the cutting assembly  120  to the drive shaft  192  of the motor assembly  108 , and a cutter head  204 , coupled to the coupling  200 . The cutting assembly  120  also includes a first bearing  208 , a second bearing  212 , a support shaft  216 , a washer  220 , and support shaft fasteners  224 , all arranged within the cutter head  204 . Because, as shown, the drive shaft  192  is arranged to be coaxial with the cutter head  204 , the drive shaft  192  can directly drive the cutter head  204 . In other words, when the cutting assembly  120  is received within the cutting assembly receiver  122 , an axis of rotation A 1  of the cutting assembly  120  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) is coaxial with an axis of rotation A 2  of the motor assembly  108  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). This simple relationship between the motor assembly  108  and the cutting assembly  120  allows the planer  100  to be compact and easy to maintain and repair. Additionally, the direct drive configuration eliminates energy losses associated with a conventional belt drive or gear drive configuration. 
     As shown more clearly in  FIG. 8 , the cutting assembly  120  also includes a blade  228  coupled to a circumferential surface  232  of the cutter head  204  with blade fasteners  236 . During a cutting operation, the motor  188  is operated to rotate the drive shaft  192 , which rotates the coupling  200  to rotate the cutter head  204 . When the cutter head  204  rotates, the blade  228  spins and repeatedly contacts a work surface to make a cut. The cutter head  204  can be made of, for example, aluminum. In the embodiment shown, the blade  228  is a single rectangular blade, which can be detached from the cutter head  204  to be replaced. Additionally, the same blade  228  can be rotated and replaced to face the opposite direction so that another cutting edge is facing in the cutting direction. The blade  228  can be, for example, a 30×12×1.5 mm carbide blade. In an alternative embodiment, the blade  228  can be more than one blade coupled to the cutter head  204 . For example, the blade  228  can be two square blades coupled side-by-side to the cutter head  204 . The square blades can be, for example, 14×14×2 mm carbide blades. In this embodiment, the square blades could be rotated to expose four different cutting edges in the cutting direction, requiring fewer replacement blades to be purchased over the lifetime of the planer  100 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 9 , a cross-sectional view of the cutting assembly  120  and the support plate  106  is shown to illustrate the relationship between the elements of the cutting assembly  120  in more detail. The cutter head  204  is substantially cylindrical and includes the circumferential surface  232 , having a blade receiver  234  configured to receive the blade  228  with blade fasteners  236  (shown in  FIG. 8 ), and a central bore  240 . The cutter head  204  has a coupling end  244 , configured to receive the coupling  200 , and a support plate end  248 , arranged facing toward the support plate  106 . The central bore  240  has a diameter which varies from the coupling end  244  to the support plate end  248  to accommodate the varying diameters of the coupling  200 , first bearing  208 , second bearing  212 , support shaft  216 , washer  220 , and support shaft fasteners  224 . Additionally, the central bore  240  includes coupling bearing receivers  250  formed in the coupling end  244  of the cutter head  204  configured to cooperate with coupling bearing receivers  280  formed in the coupling  200  to receive coupling bearings  284 . The coupling bearings  284  enable the rotational movement of the coupling  200  to be smoothly translated into rotational movement of the cutter head  204  by accommodating linear and angular misalignment while transmitting motor torque to the cutter head  204 . The coupling bearings  284  can be, for example, 4 mm ball bearings. In an alternative embodiment, the bearing coupling type could be used to intentionally allow the motor axis to be inclined relative to the cutter head axis, allowing for increased motor clearance away from the work surface. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , adjacent to the coupling end  244 , where the central bore  240  includes the coupling bearing receivers  250 , the central bore  240  has a coupling bearing diameter  252  sized to accommodate the coupling  200  and the coupling bearings  284  (shown in  FIG. 9 ). Adjacent to the coupling bearing diameter  252 , the central bore  240  has a coupling diameter  254 , sized to receive the coupling  200  (shown in  FIG. 9 ). Adjacent to the coupling diameter  254 , the central bore  240  includes an angled portion  256  having a tapering diameter that is smaller than the coupling diameter  254  to prevent the coupling  200  from moving within the central bore  240  from the coupling end  244 . Adjacent the angled portion, the central bore  240  includes a first bearing portion  260 , having a first bearing diameter  264  sized to receive the first bearing  208  with some allowance such that rotational movement of the cutter head  204  does not drive the first bearing  208  rotationally on the support shaft  216 . Adjacent to the first bearing portion  260  of the central bore  240  is a retaining portion  268 , having a retaining diameter  272  which is smaller than the first bearing diameter  264  to prevent the first bearing  208  from translating along the central bore  240  toward the support plate end  248  during rotational movement of the cutter head  204 . Finally, adjacent the support plate end  248 , the central bore  240  has a second bearing diameter  276  sized to receive the second bearing  212  in the same manner that the first bearing diameter  264  receives the first bearing  208 . The retaining portion  268  prevents the second bearing  212  from translating along the central bore  240  toward the coupling end  244  during rotational movement of the cutter head  204 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 11A and 11B , the coupling  200  includes a circumferential surface  288 , the coupling bearing receivers  280  formed in the circumferential surface  288 , and a central bore  292  passing through the coupling  200  and configured to fit tightly on the drive shaft  192  of the motor assembly  108  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) such that rotational movement of the drive shaft  192  translates to rotational movement of the coupling  200 . The coupling  200  can be made of, for example, steel. The coupling  200  also includes a support shaft fastener accommodation  296 , which has a larger diameter than the central bore  292 , and is sized to provide a gap between the coupling  200  and the support shaft fastener  224   a  (shown in  FIG. 9 ) to prevent interference with the support shaft fasteners  224   a  during rotation of the coupling  200 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , the support shaft  216  includes a shaft  300 , a head  304 , and a central bore  308  passing through both the shaft  300  and the head  304 . When assembled as shown in  FIG. 9 , the support shaft  216  is positioned within the central bore  240  of the cutter head  204  such that the shaft  300  is arranged toward the coupling end  244  and the head  304  is arranged toward the support plate end  248 . The support shaft  216  can be made of, for example, steel. The shaft  300  has a shaft diameter  312  which is smaller than a head diameter  316  and is smaller than the retaining diameter  272  of the central bore  240  of the cutter head  204 . The central bore  308  of the support shaft  216  has a central bore diameter  310  which is sized to receive portions of the support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  therein to retain the support shaft  216  in position within the central bore  240  of the cutter head  204 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 13 , the two support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  of the cutting assembly  120  (shown in  FIG. 9 ) are shown. The support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  are identical to one another and, when arranged in the cutting assembly  120  as shown in  FIG. 9 , are arranged facing in opposite directions and extending within the central bore  240  of the cutter head  204 . Each support shaft fastener  224   a ,  224   b  includes a shaft  320  having a shaft diameter  324  and a head  328  having a head diameter  332 . When arranged within the cutting assembly  120 , the first support shaft fastener  224   a  is positioned entirely within the central bore  240  of the cutter head  204  such that the head  328  is arranged toward the coupling  200  and the shaft  320  is positioned within the support shaft  216 . The second support shaft fastener  224   b  is arranged opposite the first support shaft fastener  224   a  and positioned such that the shaft  320  extends out of the central bore  240  of the cutter head  204  and through the support shaft fastener opening  134  in the support plate  106 . The head  328  of the second support shaft fastener  224   b  is positioned outside the cutter head  204  on the opposite side of the support plate  106 . Accordingly, via the support plate  106 , the second support shaft fastener  224   b  retains the cutting assembly  120  in position relative to the housing  104 . 
     To this end, the shaft diameters  324  are smaller than the central bore diameter  310  of the support shaft  216  so that the shafts  320  of the support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  can fit within the central bore  308  of the support shaft  216 . The shaft diameters  324  are also smaller than the support shaft fastener opening  134  in the support plate  106  so that the second support shaft fastener  224   b  can be received through the support plate  106 . Furthermore, the head diameters  332  are larger than the support shaft fastener opening  134  in the support plate  106  so that the second support shaft fastener  224   b  can be retained on the support plate  106 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , each of the support shaft fastener heads  328  includes an engagement recess  334  configured to be engaged to arrange and tighten the support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  during manufacturing and production of the cutting assembly  120 . 
     Returning now to  FIG. 9 , when the cutting assembly  120  is assembled, the coupling  200  is positioned at the coupling end  244  of the cutter head  204  and within the central bore  240  such that the coupling bearing receivers  280  in the coupling  200  are aligned with the coupling bearing receivers  250  in the cutter head  204  and coupling bearings  284  are received within the coupling bearing receivers  280 ,  250 . Additionally, the head  328  of the first support shaft fastener  224   a  is positioned within the support shaft fastener accommodation  296  and the shaft  320  of the first support shaft fastener  224   a  extends into the central bore  308  of the shaft  300  of the support shaft  216 , toward the support plate end  248  of the cutter head  204 . The washer  220  is positioned between the head  328  of the first support shaft fastener  224   a  and the first bearing  208  on the first support shaft fastener  224   a  such that the shaft  320  of the first support shaft fastener  224   a  passes through the opening of the washer  220 . The first bearing  208  is positioned within the first bearing portion  260  of the central bore  240  and the second bearing  212  is positioned within the support plate end  248  of the central bore  240  such that the cutter head  204  bears upon the first and second bearings  208 ,  212  during rotational movement. The shaft  300  of the support shaft  216  extends through the first bearing  208  and the second bearing  212  and extends from the first bearing portion  260  of the central bore  240 , through the retaining portion  268 , and to the support plate end  248  of the cutter head  204 . The head  304  of the support shaft  216  is positioned between the second bearing  212  and the support plate  106  and prevents the second bearing  212  from translating toward the support plate  106  during rotational movement of the cutter head  204 . The head  328  of the second support shaft fastener  224   b  is positioned on a side of the support plate  106  opposite the support shaft  216 . The shaft of the second support shaft fastener  224   a  extends through the support shaft fastener opening  134 , through the head  304  of the support shaft  216 , and into the central bore  308  of the shaft  300  of the support shaft  216 . 
     In operation of the planer  100 , the user first sets the angle A of the planer  100  to achieve cuts of the desired depth. The user reaches into the adjustment screw window  160  in the front  136  of the housing  104  and loosens the adjustment screw  180 . The user then slides the wedge shaped plate  162  of the depth adjustment assembly  124  toward or away from the rear  140  of the housing  104 , by sliding the elongated opening  176  along the adjustment screw  180 , to increase or decrease the angle A of the planer, respectively. Once the wedge shaped plate  162  has been positioned to enable cuts of the desired depth, the user reaches into the adjustment screw window  160  again to tighten the adjustment screw  180  and fix the wedge shaped plate  162  into position relative to the housing  104 . 
     Once the angle A of the planer is set, the user grips the main body portion  128  of the housing  104  and switches the actuator  116  to the “on” position. The actuator  116  then provides electrical power from the power source  112  to the motor assembly  108  to operate the motor  188 . When operated, the motor  188  rotationally drives the drive shaft  192 . Because the drive shaft  192  is tightly received within the coupling  200  of the cutting assembly  120 , the rotational movement of the drive shaft  192  is translated to the cutting assembly  120 . The coupling  200  translates rotational movement of the drive shaft  192  to the cutter head  204  via coupling bearings  284  received in coupling bearing receivers  280  in the coupling  200  and coupling bearing receivers  250  formed in the coupling end  244  of the cutter head  204 . The cutter head  204  rotates relative to the housing  104  such that the blade  228  performs a cutting operation. 
     During a cutting operation, the cutter head  204  also rotates relative to the support shaft  216  and the support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b . The first and second bearings  208 ,  212  rotate on the support shaft  216  so that the rotational movement of the cutter head  204  is not translated to the support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b . Because the second support shaft fastener  224   b  is coupled to the support plate  106 , and because the first and second support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  are retained within the support shaft  216 , the support shaft fasteners  224   a ,  224   b  maintain the position of the cutting assembly  120  relative to the housing  104  during rotational movement of the cutter head  204 . Any chips and debris generated by the blade  228  during the cutting operation are ejected through the chip passage  184  and out of the front  136  of the planer  100 . When a cutting operation has been completed, the user switches the actuator  116  to the “off” position to cease operation of the planer  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , by positioning the motor portion  132  on the right side of the main body portion  128  of the housing  104 , the planer  100  is made more compact for use. The arrangement enables the grip region width W GR  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) to be limited by the size of the cutting assembly  120  and the power source  112  received within the housing  104 . Thus, the arrangement allows the grip region  152  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) to be comfortably sized for gripping during use. 
       FIG. 15  shows an alternative embodiment of a power planer  400 , which is substantially similar in configuration and function to power planer  100 , described above. Accordingly, similar reference numerals are used to describe similar parts. However, power planer  400  includes the motor assembly  408  positioned directly above the cutting assembly  420 . This configuration is a more conventional layout of a power planer, but is still a compact arrangement of the device. One benefit of the configuration of power planer  400  is that the center of gravity of the planer  400  is nearly directly over the cutting assembly  420 . Additionally, the configuration of the power planer  400  is easily gripped by a user&#39;s left hand or right hand, making the tool usable by right-handed and left-handed users. Additionally, the arrangement of the motor assembly  408  above the cutting assembly  420  also directs the user&#39;s hands away from the cutting assembly  420 , which increases user safety. An overall width W of the power planer  400  is narrow and includes a belt drive  403  having a narrow width W BD  which further enables a narrow overall width W of the power planer  400 . The configuration of the power planer  400  enables use of a brushless motor while delivering all of the benefits of a compact and well balanced tool. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that only the preferred embodiments have been presented and that all changes, modifications, and further applications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.