Patent ID: 7708505

Claim:
A power tool for drilling a hole in a workpiece made of wood or a wood material, the power tool comprising: a tool housing defining a handle; a motor contained within said tool housing that includes an output shaft that spins about a motor axis; a gear housing connected to said tool housing; an output spindle supported for rotation about a spindle axis in said gear housing, wherein said spindle axis is disposed about ninety degrees from said motor axis; a gear portion on said output shaft engaged to a gear portion on said output spindle, wherein said motor and said gear portions are configured to rotate said output spindle at a speed in range from about five thousand revolutions per minute to about twenty-five thousand revolutions per minute; a cutting member connected to said output spindle, wherein said cutting member includes fluted cutting blades; a carriage assembly including a base member and a head member connected by a first post having a first compliant member and a second post, wherein said head member slides relative to said first and second posts and against a force exerted by said first compliant member when said head member is moved toward said base member to pass said cutting member through said base member to engage the workpiece and wherein said base member includes a generally planar face on a bottom surface of said base member that is generally perpendicular to said spindle axis; and a chip guard member pivotally coupled to said base member, said chip guard member is biased into a position having generally continuous contact with said tool housing as said head member is moved toward said base member to pass said cutting member through said base member to engage the workpiece.