Abstract:
A router table has a flat top having a horizontal surface, and a router fence assembly on the horizontal surface. A router is mounted below the flat top table and has a vertically upstanding rotatably powered bit extending through a router bit opening in the flat top. A flat top has a pivotal section pivotally mounted on the flat top to close an access opening therein. A router is rigidly secured to a lower surface of the pivotal section and has an elongated router bit extending upwardly therefrom through a router bit opening. The router fence is pivotally secured to the flat top for horizontal pivotal motion to eliminate any interference with upwardly pivotal movement of the pivotal section. The router fence has infeed and outfeed portions having a connecting mechanism slidably joining the portions to permit one portion to be slidably diagonally moved with respect to the other.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Varying the operating positions of infeed and outfeed fences for use on a router table is often a difficult, time-consuming and sometimes inaccurate task for conventional router tables. The fences may need to be perfectly aligned to create a precisely straight edge on a work piece. The fences also may need to be slightly offset with respect to the router bit and with each other when the router bit is to make a special cut of material from the edge of a work piece. This is normally conducted in conjunction with a horizontal table top wherein the upstanding router is mounted on the underneath side of the table top with the router bit protruding through an opening and projecting above the level of the table top to perform its task. Changing bits on the router is also often difficult and inefficient, and sometimes requires disassembly of certain components. 
     It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for varying router fences which is easily set up and which is extremely precise. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for varying router fences wherein the router fence assembly can be easily moved to an inoperative position to permit router bits to be changed. 
     It is a still further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for varying router fences wherein the router does not need to be disassembled in any respect and can be pivoted to a service position above the level of the router table with a minimum of effort. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A router table has a flat top having a horizontal surface, and a router fence assembly pivotally mounted on the horizontal surface. A router is mounted below the flat top table and has a vertically upstanding rotatably powered bit extending through a router bit opening in the flat top. 
     The flat top has a pivotal section pivotally mounted thereon to close an access opening therein. A router is rigidly secured to a lower surface of the pivotal section and is adapted to have an elongated router bit extending upwardly therefrom through a router bit opening. 
     The router fence assembly is comprised of infeed and outfeed portions having a connecting mechanism slidably joining the portions to permit one portion to be slidably diagonally moved with respect to the other portion thus assuring parallelism. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the instant invention; 
     FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the structure of FIG. 1 as seen from the upper side of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1A but is viewed from the bottom side of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken along the axis  3 — 3  of FIG. 1A but shows the fence assembly and the router in a position for changing the bit on the router; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale plan view of the router fence assembly with the fence portions being aligned; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to that of FIG. 4 wherein the fence portions are in a state of disalignment; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial top exploded perspective view of the infeed and outfeed plates; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial plan view taken on line  7 — 7  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line  8 — 8  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 9 is an exploded partial perspective view of the outfeed plate; 
     FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the infeed plate; 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of the top or upper bar that is secured to the diagonal edge of the outfeed plate; 
     FIG. 12 is a top view of the bottom bar which is secured to the diagonal portion of the infeed plate; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged scale exploded sectional view of the connecting mechanism between the infeed and outfeed plates; 
     FIG. 13A is a sectional view of the assembled components of FIG. 13 as taken on line  12 — 12  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of the micro-cam stop or releasable gauge element; 
     FIG. 14A is a sectional view taken on line  14 A— 14 A of FIG. 14 after the components of FIG. 14 are assembled on a router table; 
     FIG. 15 is a partial sectional view taken on line  15 — 15  of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 16 is a partial sectional view taken on line  16 — 16  of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A router table  10  has a flat top  12  with four conventional legs  14  (FIG. 1 a ). A rectangular access opening  16  (FIG. 3) has a beveled edge  18  on one end, and receives a pivotal section  20  of complimentary shape which is hinged within opening  16  by hinge  22  (FIG.  3 ). Pivot section  20  has a beveled edge  24  which registers with beveled edge  18  of the access opening to support the section  20  in a horizontal position when the access opening is closed by the section  20  as shown in FIGS. 1,  1 A and  2 . Mounting plates  26  are mounted on opposite surfaces of the pivotal section  20 . The upper plate  26  is recessed and is flush with the top of section  20 . A router  28  is bolted by an convenient means to the mounting plates  26  as best shown in FIG. 3. A router bit  30  protrudes from one end of conventional router  28 . Bit  30  extends through router bit hole  32  in the section  20 . 
     A router fence assembly  34  includes horizontal infeed plate  36  (FIG. 10) having a straight edge  38  and a diagonally disposed edge  40 . Outfeed horizontal plate  42  (FIG. 9) has a straight edge  42  and a diagonal edge  46  which registers with the diagonal edge  40  on plate  36 , as will be discussed hereafter. The edge  46  has a horizontal tongue  48  (FIG. 9) of uniform width and thickness. Tongue  48  is bordered on its inboard side by lips  50 . One end of the tongue  48  has an arcuate horizontal notch  52  (FIG.  9 ). 
     The diagonal edge  40  of the infeed plate  36  has a horizontal T-shaped tongue  54  (FIG. 10) which terminates in vertical tab  56 . (FIG.  10 ). An arcuate notch  58  is located at one end of tongue  54  and is bordered by lips  60  to create channel  62  defined by lips  60  and tab  56 . As seen in FIG. 10, opposed channels  62  appear in both the upper and lower surfaces of tongue  54 . 
     A horizontal top bar  64  (FIG. 11) has a guide bar  66  rigidly fixed thereto in any convenient manner. The guide bar  66  is of a smaller lateral width than is the top bar  64 . An arcuate notch  68  is formed at one end of bar  64  and is complimentary in shape to the notch  58  in plate  36 . Each of the ends of bar  64  terminate in diagonal edge portions  70  and  72 . Registering elongated slots  74  appear in both bars  64  and  66 . (FIG.  11 ). Slots  74  register with threaded bearing  75  in plate  36  which is directly below. (FIG.  15 ). Mounting holes  76  are provided in bar  64  to permit mounting screws to attach bar  64  to tongue  48  on diagonal edge  46  of outfeed plate  42 . 
     Horizontal bottom bar  78  is essentially a mirror image of top bar  64  (FIG.  12 ). Bar  78  has a guide bar  80  which is similar to guide bar  66  on bar  64 . Arcuate notch  82  is located in one end of bar  78  and is complementary in shape to the notch  68  in bar  64 . Bar  78  has opposite diagonal ends  84  and  86  which are opposite the diagonal ends  70  and  72 , respectively, of bar  64 . 
     Mounting holes  88  and  90  are located in bar  78  to receive screws for attaching the bar to the lower portion of tongue  48  of plate  42 . 
     A curved slot  92  is located in infeed plate  36  and a releasable lock  94  is mounted in slot  92  (FIG.  16 ). Lock  94  includes shank  96  extending from shoulder  96 A with a handle  97  on its upper end. The lower end of shank  96  extends through internally threaded bearing  98  mounted in table top  12  after extending through slot  92 . The fence assembly  34  is locked to the table top  12  when the handle  97  on the shank  96  is rotated to screw the shank into the bearing  98 . Pivotal motion of the fence assembly  34  with respect to the table  12  is accomplished by loosening lock  94  and pivoting the assembly  34  about pivot point  101 . (FIGS. 2,  3  and  9 ). The releasable lock  94  can be completely removed from the assembly by completely disengaging shank  96  from the bearing  98 . 
     A bar lock  100  is used to incrementally fix the slidable diagonal positions of infeed plate  36  and outfeed plate  42 . This structure is shown in FIG. 15 wherein a large diameter shoulder  102  has a threaded shank  104  of smaller diameter extending therefrom. The shank  104  extends downwardly through slots  74  in bar  64  and in guide bar  66 . When handle  106  is rotated to screw shank  104  downwardly into bearing  75 , the shoulder  102  bears against the top of the bar  64  to bind bar  64  firmly together with bearing  75  in plate  36 . This locks plates  36  and  42  together and fixes the relative sliding position therebetween. By reversing the rotation of handle  106 , the two plates  36  and  42  are free for sliding motion with respect to each other. 
     As shown in FIG. 14, a cam gauge element  110  is located on plate  42  and is comprised of a cam wheel  112  which has a circular peripheral cam surface  114 . The wheel  112  is eccentrically mounted in threaded bearings  116  and  117  in wheel  112  and table top  12 , respectively. A handle  118  is mounted on cam wheel  112  by threaded stub  120  which is threadably mounted in bearings  116  and  117 . By completely screwing stub  120  through bearing  116  and into threaded bearing  117 , the lower end of the shoulder  121  will bind the wheel against the top of plate  42  to rigidly hold the cam wheel  112  in an eccentric position. The eccentric position of wheel  112  can be changed by loosening stub  120 , moving the wheel, and relocking the stub  120  in bearings  116  and  117 . 
     Infeed and outfeed fences  124  and  126  (FIGS. 1-6) are connected by bolt assemblies  128  (FIG. 1A) to each of the infeed and outfeed plates  36  and  42 , respectively. The inner ends of fences  124  and  126  terminate in opposite sides of router bit hole  32  in arcuate slots  127  (FIG.  8 ). A conventional dust catcher (not shown) is typically mounted adjacent hole  32 . 
     In operation, the router fence assembly is pivotally mounted on table top  12  by means of pivot pin  101  which extends through one end of outfeed plate  52  (see FIGS.  1  and  2 ). The fence assembly  34  is thereupon positioned generally in the location of FIGS. 1,  1   a  and  2 . If a straight cut is needed, the input and output fences ( 126  and  128 ) are aligned as shown in FIG. 4, and the fence assembly is pivoted about pivot  101  to displace the fences from the router bit  30  a distance equal to the cut to be made. The eccentric positions of gauge  110  is set to fix the maximum depth of cut. If it is desired to have the router blade remove a special layer of material from the work piece  130 , the fences can be slidably offset from each other as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 by loosening bar lock  100 . Lock  94  (FIGS. 10 and 16) finally secure the assembly  34  in fixed relation to the table  12  and router bit  30   
     The micro-stop cam or gauge element  110  is moved to an eccentric position, as described above, which will provide the maximum depth of cut position of the infeed fence  124  and the outfeed fence  126 . This depth of cut needs to be taken by a plurality of passes of the work piece past the router bit  30 . After the cam gauge element  110  is locked so as to provide the maximum offset of the two fences  126  and  128 , the releasable lock  94  (FIG. 16) is moved to its tightened position to lock the fence assembly  34  securely to the table. If the fences  124  and  126  are to be offset for a special cut, the lock  94  is tightened after the offset has been arranged. This is done by first loosening bar lock  100  as described above, sliding the plate  36  to its first incremental operating cutting position, and then retightening the lock  100 . It is then that the lock  94  is tightened as described above (FIG. 16) so that the first pass of the work piece past the router blade can be made. 
     After the first pass is made, the bar lock  100  and the releasable lock  94  are loosened so that the plate  36  can be offset another increment of distance. The locks  94  and  102  are tightened again to permit a second pass of the work piece  128  to be made. This process is continued by incremental passes until the edge of plate  42  engages the cam wheel  112  which indicates that the maximum depth of cut on the work piece  130  (FIG. 7) has been achieved. When plates  124  and  126  are offset, cam gauge element  110  serves primarily to stabilize outfeed plate  42 . When the fences  124  and  126  are aligned, cam gauge element  110  defines the maximum depth of cut position of the assembly  34 . 
     When it is necessary to change router bits, the releasable lock  94  is removed as described above, as is the cam gauge element  110 . The router fence assembly  34  is then rotated around pivot pin  101  to assume the position shown in FIG.  3 . The router  28  is then pivoted to its upward position on section  20  as shown in FIG. 3 whereby the bit  30  can be easily removed and replaced with a bit of a different size. 
     This invention allows the user to make precise infinite cuts through a range of 0.003 to 0.125 thousandths of an inch. Parallelism is assured by the infeed fence  124  moving on an angled set of plates that are attached to the outfeed fence  126  as described. The two plates have zero tolerance internal slots that guarantee smooth operation. 
     The plates  36  and  42  and fences  124  and  126  are preferably made with a highly smooth material sold under the trademarks STARBOARD and SEATEAK to minimize frictional forces. The micro-stop cam  110  will allow the user to preset a final fence stop prior to the first cut. If a moulding cut required four pass cuts will be needed to complete the job, micro-stop cam  110  is preset to the last cut and locked with the knob  118 . The fence is moved off the stop to the first pass after the lock  94  is locked. To continue, the lock knob  97  is loosened, and the above steps are repeated until the outfeed plate  42  makes contact with the cam wheel  112  for the final cut. 
     It is therefore seen that the device and method of use of his invention will achieve at least all of their stated objectives.