Abstract:
The present invention is a durable, lightweight, compact, portable and adjustable roller support apparatus for supporting an end of a piece of material while maintaining the end at a height substantially equivalent to the worked-upon opposing end of the material in order to facilitate sawing or cutting of the material, when the saw or drill is placed on the floor. While sawing or drilling one end of an elongated piece of material, such as plywood, it is necessary to adjustably raise the opposing end in order to facilitate cutting. The apparatus comprises a roller, upon which the non-worked end of the material is to be supported, a supporting and adjusting mechanism allowing the non-worked end of the material to be raised and lower to accommodate different saw sizes, and a durable, compact stand portion which is placed on the floor, Preferably, a guide member aligns one side of the piece of material in order to facilitate cutting, and the bottom surface of the stand portion is coated with a rubberized material in order to prevent marring of the floor surface upon which the apparatus is placed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to a durable, lightweight, compact, portable support stand for one end of a piece of material, the other end of which is being worked on with a machine such as an electrical miter saw or a portable thickness planer. Specifically, the invention provides a roller support, the height of which may be adjusted relative to the miter saw or planer stand so that one end of a piece of material, such as a piece of wood, plastic, aluminum siding or other material can be positioned at an optimum height in order to match the height of the opposing end of material supported by the miter saw or planer. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   In working with long pieces of material, such as wood, molding, aluminum siding, or plastic channels, it is important that one end of the material maintains substantially the same height as the opposing end of material being supported by the machine working the piece, such as the stand of a miter saw or planer. Typically, a miter saw supports one end of a piece of material several inches off the ground. The height of miter saw stands typically range from 2¼ inches to about 4¾ inches. If the unworked end of a piece of material were resting on the ground, a worker would find it very awkward to work on the raised end. The piece of material could be, for example, a 2×4, or 2×8 piece of wood, molding or siding. If the orientation is off, i.e. the worked-on end is higher than the opposite end, the cut into the piece, whether by a miter saw or a planer, can be off-center or otherwise out of kilter. Therefore, a support to maintain the unworked end of the piece of material (wood, plastic, metal, etc.) at substantially the same height as the end of the material where the work is taking place is needed. This support will keep the piece at an optimum height for work with the machine. 
   Moreover, sometimes the work cannot be accomplished in a typical workshop. Often, a carpenter, plumber or metal worker travels away from the convenience of his home office workbench and works on a piece of wood, plastic or metal at a job site. At such times, a portable saw or planer is used. Often, the saw or planer must be placed on the floor of the job site since a workbench is generally not available. Sometimes the job site is a person&#39;s home or office, where counter space is limited or non-existent, so the cutting must take place on the floor. The floor may have decorative carpeting, expensive wood or other flooring material that may be marred by the piece if it were dragged across the flooring without a protective covering. 
   Prior art support stands generally include a telescopic stand that allows the worked end of the material to rest on a workbench while raising the other, unworked end several feet to substantially the same height as the worked end. This type of support is too large and cumbersome to transport and completely inapplicable at job sites where there is no workbench or table to support the saw or planer, which must instead rest on the floor. 
   Rather, a support stand for a job site application should preferably be compact, lightweight, and sturdy, so the person using it may bring it to the job site without being concerned that the support might break or that the support requires major assembly, as well as adjustable to accommodate different sized planers or saws. Furthermore, once adjusted, it may also be desirable that the support be attachable to a worktable, should one be available, since any unanticipated movement of the piece of material during sawing may result in undesired cuts. In addition, retailers would find it convenient to be able to stack multiple support stands one on top of the other without taking up excess space. Moreover, even a properly positioned support stand may still not do a proper job if it does not provide a guiding member, which guides and aligns the piece of material with the cutting tool. 
   Prior art support devices are neither compact nor rigid. U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,116 to Noniewicz et al. teaches a collapsible bearing stand with several pieces necessary to adjust height and orientation, and which is impracticable for use with a cutting machine on a floor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,488 to Hewitt et al. teaches a collapsible conveyor with pivoting legs, which is cumbersome, heavy and also of no use when a saw is on a floor. 
   The prior art inventions are not compatible with portable saws or planers placed on a floor. Also, the prior art devices are flimsy and unwieldy and cannot be used both on a floor and be adapted for attachment to a worktable. The prior art supports may mar expensive floor surfaces or carpets. Also, prior art devices do not include removable guide members, and are not stackable. 
   Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a support stand that will keep the unworked end of an elongated piece of material at substantially the same height and in proper alignment with the worked-upon end of the material when the piece is supported by a saw or planer resting on the floor. It is also desirable to have an adjustable support stand to accommodate various miter saws or planers of different sizes and heights. Also, there is a need for such a support to be attachable to a worktable. The need also exists for the support to be sturdy as well as compact and lightweight. Moreover, a need exists for a support stand, which may be easily stacked upon similar stands. In addition, a need exists for a stackable support, which has a removable guide member. 
   It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a novel and unique durable, sturdy, lightweight, compact, and portable support stand for a piece of material to be worked with a machine such as a miter saw or a thickness planer. The present invention will support a work piece in proper alignment and height when the worked-on end of the material is supported by the machine, which rests on the floor. Also, the support stand can be attachable to a worktable. Moreover, the present invention is stackable, may include a removable guide member and can be coated with a rubberized protective layer to prevent the marring of the floor, carpet, or other surface upon which the support stand rests. 
   The present invention is a lightweight, compact, adjustable and portable support stand for a piece of material to be worked with a machine, comprising a compact stand portion, a roller adapted to support a first, non-worked end of an elongated piece of material, the roller in longitudinal complementary attachment to the compact stand portion, and means for supporting the roller relative to the stand portion, the supporting means in cooperative attachment to the stand portion, whereby upon the first end of material being placed upon and supported by the roller, a second end of the piece of material may be worked on by the machine, the first end being situated at substantially the same height as the second end. 
   Preferably, the stand portion includes first and second diametrically opposed indented sections, wherein the means for supporting the roller relative to the stand portion comprises a first roller support bar having a top end and a bottom end, a second roller support bar having a top end and a bottom end, whereby the roller support bars include roller receiving orifices adapted to receive and support an end of the roller, and the bottom ends of the roller support bars are received within their respective indented sections of the stand portion, a first bracket and a second bracket, wherein the first bracket secures the first roller support bar to the first indented section and the second bracket secures the second roller support bar to the second indented section, and means for securing the roller support bars between the brackets and the indented sections of the stand portion. The roller may include one or more internal springs to facilitate the removal and insertion of the ends of the roller within the roller receiving orifices. 
   In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of rollers may be removeably affixed to the stand portion via additional roller support bars in the manner described above. This embodiment would be used if additional support to the unworked end of the piece of material is desired. 
   The stand may be adapted to support a non-worked on end of material at substantially the same height as the stand of a miter saw or planer which supports the opposing end of material. Alternately, multiple stands can be placed so as to support various portions of a lengthy piece of material. This further facilitates the cutting of the material by providing supporting alignment not only at the non-worked end of the material but at various locations along the material&#39;s length. 
   To adjust the height of the roller, the height of the saw or planer stand is first determined. The first and second support bars can then be cut (via any standard metal-cutting devices) to the same height as the saw/planer support stand. Alternatively, the support stand could come equipped with various sizes of support bars to match varying miter saw stand heights. In either case, once the proper support bar height has been selected, the support bars are secured within their respective indented sections, and each end of the roller secured to a support bar. 
   The means for securing the roller support bars are preferably comprised of a nut and bolt combination situated on either side of the bottom end of each roller support bar. 
   The apparatus may also comprise means located on the stand portion for attaching the stand portion to a table or workbench. 
   The support stand may further comprise L-shaped brackets, each including a vertical portion joined along its bottom end to a horizontal portion, the vertical portion of each L-shaped bracket forming the means for securing the roller support bars, and the horizontal portion of each L-shaped bracket forming the table attaching means for attaching the stand portion to a table or workbench. The roller support bar securing means and the table attaching means are also preferably comprised of complementary nut and bolt attachments. 
   The support stand may be formed of any number of shapes including a stand that is substantially O-shaped, substantially square or substantially rectangular. The bottom surface of the stand portion is preferably comprised of a non-marring material such as rubberized paint to prevent the floor upon which the apparatus is placed from being damaged. 
   In one embodiment of the present invention, the support stand further comprises a guide member removably affixed to a side of the stand portion, the guide member for providing aligning support for one side of the piece of material. The guide member may include a cut-out portion to receive an end of the roller. 
   When the apparatus is not in use, means are provided for directly attaching the roller longitudinally to the stand portion in a lowered, off-center orientation to allow for multiple support stands to be stacked upon each other. 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable support stand for supporting one end of an elongated piece of material at a height substantially the same as the height of the opposing end of material when supported by a miter saw or planer platform resting on the floor. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable support stand which allows for the easy raising or lowering of the un-worked end of the material in order to accommodate different size saws and planers. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide a support stand having a cylindrical roller in order to facilitate the sliding of the material along the support stand. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to include a guide member to assist in aligning the piece of material upon the support stand. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a support stand with a coated protective layer along its bottom surface to prevent damage to the surface upon which the support stand is placed. 
   It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a support stand which, when not in use may be stacked upon other support stands in a compact, orderly, fashion. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide means for securing the support stand to a workbench or table should one be available. 
   It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the general description, serve to explain principles of the present invention. 
   These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds. 
   The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention showing the roller attached directly to the stand portion in a stackable configuration. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of a stack of several examples of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in use with a miter saw. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in use with a planer. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein multiple support stands are used to support a length of material thereby creating a portable support system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a durable, lightweight, compact, portable support stand, identified generally as  10 , for an elongated piece of material, such as wood, aluminum siding, or plastic, to be worked with a miter saw, planer or other machine.  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  shows the support stand in a stackable configuration.  FIG. 4  shows a plurality of stacked support stands not in use.  FIG. 5  illustrates an alternate version of the support stand with a guide member.  FIG. 6  illustrates support stand  10  used in conjunction with a miter saw resting on the floor.  FIG. 7  illustrates the support stand of the present invention, being used in conjunction with a planer resting on the floor.  FIG. 8  illustrates multiple support stands combined to comprise a portable support system. 
   Support stand  10  is especially suited for a portable miter saw or planer. Although the term “saw” is used throughout the claims and specification, the term is meant to apply to any machine for working on a piece, including machines for drilling, sanding, or other machining. Support stand  10  can be comprised of metal, plastic, wood or other suitable sturdy material. Further, support stand  10  could be comprised of a combination of different materials. Preferably, support stand  10  is comprised of rubber coated metal around its periphery, metal support bars, and a metal roller. 
   Support stand  10  includes a roller  12 . Roller  12  allows the piece of elongated material to be easily moved in a forward and backward direction and manipulated by the user in order to facilitate the work being done on the opposing end of the material. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , roller  12  is preferably a single elongated cylinder, rotatable about is longitudinal axis. Roller  12  is preferably comprised of metal having a smooth outer surface and including a substantially hollow interior. Within roller  12  is an inner cylindrical tube with protruding knobs  74  and  76 . Roller  12  rotates freely around this inner tube, while the inner tube remains fixed and supported via knobs  74  and  76  on bars  24  and  30 . However, roller  12  may also be replaced by a plurality of cylinders in parallel, each supporting a portion of the weight of the piece of material to be worked. As shown in  FIG. 1 , roller  12  is in longitudinal complementary attachment to a roller support mechanism  14 , which supports and can adjust the roller height relative to a durable, compact stand portion  16 . Support mechanism  14  is attached to stand portion  16 . Stand portion  16  has a near side  56  and a far side  58 . 
   The entire support stand  10  is adapted to support, upon roller  12 , the unworked end of a piece of material  18  at an optimal height, i.e. substantially the same height as the opposing (worked on) end of material  18 , which is being supported by a saw  20 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , or a planer  22 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
   It is preferred that stand portion  16  is generally square and made of a sturdy material, such as steel, aluminum, or plastic. It is also preferred that the bottom surface of stand portion  16  is a non-marring surface, either as an intrinsic characteristic of stand portion  16  or as a coating along the bottom surface. Preferably, a rubberized paint is applied to the bottom surface of stand portion  16 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , it is preferred that stand portion  16  have two indented sections  22  and  40 , one each on the outside of the diametrically opposing ends of the stand portion  16 . As shown, it is preferred that a first indented section  22  is on the near longitudinal end  56  and a second indented section  40  is on the far longitudinal end  58 . Also, in the preferred embodiment, roller support mechanism  14  for supporting and adjusting roller height relative to stand portion  16  is comprised of a first (near) bar  24  with a top end  26  and a bottom end  28 , and a second (far) bar  30  with a top end  32  and a bottom end  34 . The top end  26  of near bar  24  and the top end  32  of far bar  30  are in cooperative contact with roller  12  to allow the roller to move freely. This is accomplished by the insertion of knobs  74  and  76  into the apertures near the top of each bar, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The bottom end  28  of near bar  24  and the bottom end  34  of far bar  30  are in complementary contact with the indented sections  22  and  40  of stand portion  16 . It is preferred that the bars be made of steel, aluminum or other sturdy material. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates the support stand  10  of the present invention prior to use. Bar  24  extends below bracket  36 . Prior to use, bars  24  and  30  are pre-cut to match the height of the saw stand. Once cut, bars  24  and  30  are inserted and secured within stand portion  16  such that the bottoms portions  28  and  34  of each support bar  26  and  32  are substantially flush with the bottom edge of stand portion  16 . The support stand may now be placed on the floor and be ready for use. In yet another embodiment, the pair of support bars  24  and  30  may be of varying heights so that each corresponding pair can be used with saws/planers of different heights. The extra support bars, when not in use, can be affixed to the sides of stand portion  16  via tape or other adhering means. In this fashion, support stand  10  may be used with virtually any sized machine. 
   When inserted within bars  24  and  30  of support stand  10 , roller  12  is at the optimum height for supporting the elongated piece of material  18  on a typical miter-cut saw stand, typically several inches from the ground. Alternatively, support bars  24  and  30  may be permanently welded to stand portion  16  thereby becoming an integral part of support stand  10 . 
   Preferably, support stand  10  has a near bracket  36  and a far bracket  38 . Near bracket  38  couples near bar  24  to the first indented section  22  and far bracket  30  couples far bar  30  to the second indented section  40 . In addition, support stand  10  has securing means  42  and  44  for securing bars  24  and  30  between the respective indented sections  22  and  40  and brackets  30  and  38 . Securing means  42  and  44  comprise bolts  42   a  and  44   a , and corresponding nuts  42   b  and  44   b , where the securing means  42  and  44  are located on either side of the bottom end  28  and  34  of each bar  24  and  30 . Other methods for securing bars  24  and  30  may be used that are well known in the art, such as rivets or clamps. Moreover, other common methods of supporting and adjusting the roller height may be used, such as telescoping, interlocking sections, ratchet systems or the like. 
   It is also preferred that support stand  10  has a means located on stand portion  16  for attaching stand portion  16  to a table or workbench (not shown). Preferably, near bracket  36  and far bracket  38  are L-shaped, with each having a vertical top portion  50  and a horizontal bottom portion  52 . The bottom end  52  includes holes  54  so that stand portion  16  may be bolted, screwed or otherwise attached to a table or workbench. Therefore, support stand  10  utilizes table attachment mechanisms  46  and  48 , which are comprised of the bottom portions  52 , of L-shaped brackets  36  and  38 , and a roller support mechanism  14 , comprised, in part, of the top portion  50  of L-shaped brackets  36  and  38 . Thus, the same L-shaped brackets  36  and  38  are employed to accomplish two tasks: namely, securing support stand  10  to a table (should this be necessary) and supporting and adjusting roller  12 . This feature provides novel compactness and convenience in assembly and savings of material. It is within the spirit of the invention, however, to employ other methods of affixing support stand  10  to a table or workbench, which are common in the art such as by using a plurality of spaced apart brackets separate from the table attachment mechanism  46  and  48  for attaching stand portion  16  to the flat surface of a table or workbench. It may also be preferable that the bottom surface of attachment mechanism  46  and  48  comprise or incorporate a non-marring surface. 
   In another embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 5 , support stand  10  includes a rigid guide member  60  attached at its lower end to the far side  58  of stand portion  16  and extending upwards therefrom. The purpose of guide member  60  is to assist the user in aligning the piece of material  18  along roller  12  so that the opposing end of the material may be worked upon easily. As shown, guide member  60  is attached to the inside surface of far side  58  by nuts  64  and bolts  66 . In an alternate embodiment, guide member  60  can be attached to the outside surface of far side  58 . However, other attachment means, both releasable and permanent are contemplated, such as clamps, adhesives or rivets. Preferably, guide member  60  includes an interior arch-shaped cut-out section  66  so that roller  12  is capable of rolling freely therein. Other equivalent shapes for guide member, such as an L-shape, may also be utilized. Further, cut out section  66  may be of virtually any shape provided it can receive an end of roller  12  without hindering its rolling capability. 
   In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , when the support stand is not in use, roller  12  may be disengaged from support bars  24  and  30  and directly attached to stand portion  12  in a lowered, off-center orientation, via one of the holes  70  situated along near side  56  and far side  58 . This orientation is used when it is desirable to work on material  18  much lower to the floor (perhaps without the use of a miter saw, but using a hand saw instead), or when support stand  10  is not in use and is to be stacked. The preferred means  68  of attaching roller  12  in this off-center orientation is via a pair of holes  70  and  72  in stand  16  and corresponding knobs  74  and  76  on the ends of roller  12 . Preferably, knobs  74  and  76  are each connected to a tension spring (not shown) within roller  12 , so that roller  12  can be inserted and extracted from holes  70  and  72  and/or the holes within roller support bars  24  and  30  easily my merely depressing knobs  74  and  76 , thereby compressing the spring. Other means known in the art may also be utilized, such as having the knobs an integral part of stand  16  and having corresponding indentations in the ends of roller  12 . 
   By attaching roller  12  directly to stand portion  16  and removing bars  24  and  30  from stand portion  16 , many support stands  10  can be stacked on top of each other without hindrance, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Furthermore, support stand  10  is extremely portable in this configuration. In the previously described embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , support stand  10  also includes guide member  60 . When guide member  60  is also removed, support stand  10  is compact, portable and stackable as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 8  illustrates the use of multiple support stands  10  to support a lengthy piece of material. Used in this fashion, the present invention comprises a portable support system capable of supporting and aligning a lengthy piece of material at substantially the same height as the worked-on end of material supported by the miter saw or planer stand. 
   It will be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.