Patent ID: 7896040

Claim:
A clamp-type mortising jig for use with a router, comprising: a clamp that includes a movable jaw assembly and a fixed jaw connected by a pair of guide bars upon which a template carriage is slidably mounted, wherein said fixed jaw comprises an elongated structure having a long side, a first end and a second end, a top surface providing a tool support for the baseplate of a plunge router, and a front surface providing substantial area for engaging a workpiece; said movable jaw assembly comprises an elongated clamp support structure having a long side, a first end and a second end, a flat top surface coplanar with the top surface of the fixed jaw, and providing a tool support for the baseplate of a plunge router, and adjustably attached thereto a movable jaw comprising an elongated structure having a front surface for engaging a workpiece and a moving and tensioning mechanism, wherein said front surface of said movable jaw is substantially parallel to the front surface of said fixed jaw; and one of said guide bars is connected to said fixed jaw and said movable jaw support structure proximal to their first ends and the other of said guide bars is connected to said fixed jaw and said movable jaw support structure proximal to their second ends; said template carriage comprising an elongated structure slidably attached to said guide bars and having a longitudinal slot, a fastening mechanism for removably attaching a mortising template, at least one guide bar lock, and registration features for aligning the jig to layout lines on a workpiece, wherein said mortising template comprises a flat sheet having a slot formed therein for guiding a plunge router fitted with a template guide bushing: and wherein the pair of guide bars are oriented substantially perpendicular to: the front surface of the movable jaw; the front surface of the fixed jaw; and the long side of the moveable jaw assembly; and wherein the long sides of the fixed jaw and moveable jaw assembly are oriented substantially parallel to the front surface of the moveable jaw and workpieces to be mortised, so that the baseplate of a plunge router can move across the tool support surface as the workpiece is being mortised while being continuously supported by both the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw assembly during the entire routing of a mortise in the workpiece.