Patent ID: 7096589

Claim:
A reciprocating saw having a reciprocating shaft and bearing combination comprising: a bearing fixedly mounted to the saw; a reciprocating shaft having a blade holder at a first end thereof for holding a saw blade, the reciprocating shaft having a reciprocating motion relative to the bearing defining a reciprocating motion axis, the reciprocating shaft also having a bore formed in a second end opposite the first end, the bore being formed parallel to the reciprocating motion axis and a first end of the bearing being positioned inside the bore; a first bearing surface formed on the bearing; and a second bearing surface formed on the bore; wherein: the first bearing surface supports the second bearing surface for sliding movement therebetween; each of the first and second bearing surfaces is a cylindrical surface with a common cylindrical axis parallel to the reciprocating motion axis, the second bearing surface being radially spaced from the cylindrical axis further than the first bearing surface; and the reciprocating shaft rotates relative to the bearing about a rotational axis coaxial with the cylindrical axis.