Patent ID: 8201335

Claim:
A portable cutting apparatus, comprising: a motor having a drive shaft; a cutting blade coupled to said drive shaft for rotating during operation of said motor, said cutting blade defining a cutting plane; a protective housing enclosing at least a portion of said cutting blade wherein said protective housing includes a transparent section for viewing said cutting blade during rotation of said cutting blade; a bellows connected to said protective housing and extending downwardly therefrom such that said protective housing and said bellows define a blade chamber for said cutting blade; a vacuum impeller operably coupled to said motor and rotatable during operation of said motor to generate airflow; a vacuum housing enclosing said vacuum impeller, said vacuum housing defining at least one inlet configured to direct the airflow into said vacuum housing and an outlet configured to direct the airflow out of said vacuum housing; at least one vacuum tube in communication with said vacuum housing for directing the airflow from said protective housing to said vacuum housing; a bag coupled to said vacuum housing for collecting cutting debris and dust present in the airflow moving through said vacuum housing by said vacuum impeller; and a lower platform connected to said bellows and defining an opening receiving said cutting blade therethrough, said lower platform having an outer side and being pivotally supported about a pivot axis located at said outer side wherein said pivot axis is spaced outwardly from and parallel to said cutting plane such that said lower platform pivots relative to said cutting blade outside of and spaced from said cutting plane along said outer side of said lower platform with said cutting plane thereby being positioned between said pivot axis and said motor.