Patent Publication Number: US-7721458-B2

Title: Level adjusting device for a cutter head of a jointer/planer machine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 200820111502.1, filed on Apr. 18, 2008. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a cutter head of a jointer/planer machine, more particularly to a level adjusting device for a cutter head of a jointer/planer machine. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a conventional jointer/planer machine  10  is shown to include a machine frame  11 , a base  12  secured on the machine frame  11 , infeed and outfeed tables  13  mounted at two opposite sides of the base  12 , a cutter head  14  mounted between the infeed and outfeed tables  13 , front and rear anti-friction bearing members  15 , 17  journaling front and rear ends of the cutter head  14 , a height-adjusting carrier unit  16 , and a set screw  171  securing the front anti-friction bearing member  15  to a front seat wall  121  of the base  12  through a housing  151 . 
   The base  12  has a mounting recess  122  for receiving the carrier unit  16 . The carrier unit  16  has a carrier  161  for mounting the rear anti-friction bearing member  17 , and two lugs  162  which are secured to the base  12  by means of two tightening screws  18  that are inserted into the lugs  162  and that are threadedly engaged with screw holes  124  in the base  12 . An adjusting screw  19  is threadedly engaged with a tightening hole  123  to permit the carrier unit  16  to rest thereon. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , when it is desired to adjust the level of the cutter head  14 , the tightening screws  18  are required to be loosened, and the adjusting screw  19  is turned to a desired height position. Subsequently, the carrier unit  16  is rested on the adjusting screw  19 . Finally, the tightening screws  18  are turned to tighten the carrier unit  16 , thereby completing the adjusting operation. 
   The tightening screws  18  must be turned repeatedly to loosen and tighten the carrier unit  16  during the adjusting operation, which renders the operation inconvenient. Moreover, the adjusting screw  19  must be turned to the desired level using a gauge, and cannot bring the carrier unit  16  to move synchronously therewith. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a level adjusting device for a cutter head of a jointer/planer machine, which can simplify the adjusting operation to permit a convenient and precise level adjustment. 
   According to this invention, the level adjusting device includes a front support frame having a front seat wall for supporting a front anti-friction bearing unit that holds a front journal segment of a cutter head, and a rear support frame spaced apart from the front support frame. The rear support frame includes left and right base abutments facing upwardly. A height-adjustable carrier has an insertion bore for receiving a rear anti-friction bearing member that holds a rear journal segment of the cutter head. Left and right lugs are disposed outboard of the height-adjustable carrier, and respectively have inner tubular threaded surfaces. Left and right adjusting screws respectively have threaded segments that are engaged threadedly and respectively with the inner tubular threaded surfaces of the lugs, and abutting ends configured to be in frictional engagement with the base abutments, respectively. The abutting end of each adjusting screw is turnable about a revolving axis in the upright direction such that the respective lug is moved relative to the adjusting screw so as to raise or lower the carrier, thereby enabling level adjustment of the cutter head. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional hand-feed jointer/planer machine; 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the conventional hand-feed jointer/planer machine; 
       FIG. 3  is a partly sectional view of the conventional hand-feed jointer/planer machine; 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary and partly sectional view of the conventional hand-feed jointer/planer machine during a level adjusting process; 
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary and partly sectional view of the conventional hand-feed jointer/planer machine after level adjustment; 
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a level adjusting device according to this invention when incorporated in a hand-feed jointer/planer machine; 
       FIG. 7  is a partly sectional view of the preferred embodiment when incorporated in the hand-feed jointer/planer machine; 
       FIG. 8  is a fragmentary and partly sectional view of the preferred embodiment when incorporated in the hand-feed jointer/planer machine during a level adjusting process; and 
       FIG. 9  is a fragmentary and partly sectional view of the preferred embodiment when incorporated in the hand-feed jointer/planer machine after level adjustment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 to 8 , the preferred embodiment of a level adjusting device according to the present invention is employed in a hand-feed jointer/planer machine  20  for adjusting a level of a cutter head  23 . The jointer/planer machine  20  includes infeed and outfeed tables  22  opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction. The cutter head  23  includes a knives-mounting body  231  which is elongated along a rotating axis that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, and which has front and rear journal segments  232  extending respectively from two opposite sides of the knives-mounting body  231  along the rotating axis. 
   The level adjusting device according to this invention is shown to comprise front and rear support frames  212 ,  214 , front and rear anti-friction bearing units  24 , 30 , left and right adjusting screws  40 , and left and right tightening screws  50 . 
   The front support frame  212  is adapted to be interposed between the infeed and outfeed tables  22 , and has a front seat wall  211  facing upwardly. 
   The rear support frame  214  is adapted to be interposed between the infeed and outfeed tables  22 , and is spaced apart from the front support frame  212  along the rotating axis. The rear support frame  214  includes left and right base abutments  216  which face upwardly and which are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, and two screw holes  215  which extend respectively from the left and right base abutments  216  along a revolving axis in an upright direction that is transverse to both the longitudinal direction and the rotating axis. 
   The front anti-friction bearing unit  24  is adapted to journal the front journal segment  232 , and has a profile configured to be mated with the front seat wall  211  so as to rest thereon and to hold the front journal segment  232  at a predetermined height. Thus, the front anti-friction bearing unit  24  is guarded against angular shifting movement about the rotating axis relative to the front seat wall  211 . In addition, the front anti-friction bearing unit  24  is secured to the front seat wall  211  by means of a setscrew  25 . 
   The rear anti-friction bearing unit  30  includes a rear anti-friction bearing member  34  adapted to journal the rear journal segment  232 , a height-adjustable carrier  31  having an insertion bore  311  which defines a centerline and which is configured to permit the rear anti-friction bearing member  34  to be fitted therein to thereby bring the rotating axis in line with the centerline, and left and right lugs  32  which are disposed respectively outboard of the height-adjustable carrier  31  and opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction. Each of the left and right lugs  32  has an inner tubular threaded surface  33  extending in the upright direction. 
   Each of the left and right adjusting screws  40  has a threaded segment  42  which is threadedly engaged with the inner tubular threaded surface  33  of a respective one of the left and right lugs  32 , an enlarged abutting end  41  which is opposite to the threaded segment  42 , and a passage hole  43  which extends through the threaded segment  42  and the abutting end  41  along the revolving axis. Preferably, each of the left and right adjusting screws  40  has a plurality of insertion holes  44  which are disposed between the threaded segment  42  and the abutting end  41 , which extend radially, and which are angularly spaced apart from one another about the revolving axis. 
   Each of the left and right tightening screws  50  includes a threaded bolt  52  which is disposed to pass through the passage hole  43  in the respective adjusting screw  40  and to threadedly engage the respective screw hole  215 , an enlarged head  51  which is disposed opposite to the threaded bolt  52 , and an elastomeric washer  60  which is interposed between the enlarged head  51  and the respective lug  32  when the threaded bolt  52  is threadedly engaged with the respective screw hole  215  so as to tighten the respective lug  32  onto the respective base abutment  216 . 
   In assembly, the threaded segments  42  are respectively and threadedly engaged with the inner tubular threaded surfaces  33  from lower surfaces of the lugs  32 . Subsequently, the front anti-friction bearing unit  24  is rested on the front seat wall  211 , and the carrier  31  is rested on a recess portion  213  of the rear support frame  214  with the abutting ends  41  in frictional engagement with the left and right base abutments  216 , respectively. Thereafter, the setscrew  25  is used to tighten the front anti-friction bearing unit  24  onto the front seat wall  211  so as to place the front anti-friction bearing unit  24  at a predetermined height. The threaded bolts  52  of the tightening screws  50  are inserted respectively into the passage holes  43  from upper ends of the adjusting screws  40  and are engaged with the screw holes  215  threadedly and respectively so as to secure the front and rear anti-friction bearing units  24 , 30  and the cutter head  23  for performing a planing operation. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 ,  8  and  9 , when it is desired to adjust the level of the cutter head  23 , a lever (not shown) is utilized to be sleeved on the respective adjusting screw  40 , or to be inserted into one of the insertion holes  44  to turn the adjusting screw  40  about the revolving axis. By virtue of the threaded engagement between the threaded segment  42  and the inner tubular threaded surface  33 , the respective lug  32  is guided by the respective tightening screw  50  to move relative to the adjusting screw  40  so as to raise or lower the centerline of the carrier  31  based on the predetermined height, thereby enabling level adjustment of the knives-mounting body  231 . 
   It is noted that the abutting end  41  can be kept in frictional engagement with the respective base abutment  216  during the process of turning. Moreover, the rear anti-friction bearing unit  30  can be firmly retained by the rear support frame  214 , and the adjusting operation is steady and quick. 
   As illustrated, the carrier  31  is raised and lowered synchronously with turning of the adjusting screws  40  so that the level adjustment of the cutter head  23  is convenient and easy. 
   While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.