AU731346B2

AU731346B2 - Support assembly

Info

Publication number: AU731346B2
Application number: AU69978/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William D J Monaghan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-06-16
Filing date: 1998-06-09
Publication date: 2001-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-09
Also published as: AU6997898A

Description

.71 ReguLation 3.2 -1-

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 APPLICANT: WILLIAM D J MONAGHAN NUMBER: P07391 FILING DATE: 16/ 6/97 Invention Title: SUPPORT ASSEMBLY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: a* 2 "SUPPORT ASSEMBLY" Technical Field This invention relates to a support assembly.

The invention has particular but not exclusive application to support assemblies such as work benches and the like for supporting a plurality of work tools and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to an application in which the work tools are industrial or home handyman tools such as circular saws and routers.

It will be understood that the invention is applicable to support assemblies for supporting other equipment.

Accordingly as used herein the expression "work tool" is to be given a broad meaning and includes tools and other equipment which can be operated by an operator at a work station. As used herein the expression "work station" is also to be given a broad meaning and includes work platforms, work surfaces and other work areas where an operator can perform work with a work tool.

Background of Invention Work benches in which a work station can be modified to accommodate a plurality of work tools which are removably fixed to the work station are known. A work 25 bench available under the Trade Mark TRITON is a well known example.

Australian patent applications 88683/91 and 65627/96 are examples in the patent literature of single work surface workbenches with multi-functional capabilities.

Summary of Invention The present invention aims to provide an alternative to known support assemblies such as work benches and the like for supporting a plurality of work tools.

This invention in one aspect resides broadly in a support assembly for supporting a plurality of work tools, the support assembly including:work tool support means for releasably and fixedly 3 supporting the plurality of work tools, and base support means for housing and rotatably supporting the work tool support means such that each of the plurality of work tools can selectively and fixedly be positioned relative to the base support means.

In a preferred embodiment the base support means has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being adapted to rest on the floor of a working area, and the work tool support means is rotatably supported by the base support means intermediate the upper and lower portions about a substantially horizontal axis whereby each of the plurality of work tools can selectively and fixedly be positioned adjacent the upper portion.

It is preferred that the work tool support means includes an axle and the base support means includes bearing means for rotatably supporting the axle. The axle can constitute a conduit for extracting workpiece dust and like debris from the support assembly when a work tool is operated.

In a preferred form of the invention the work tool support means includes a frame supported on the axle, the plurality of work tools being radially spaced about the frame relative to the axle.

The work tools may be releasably and fixedly mounted 25 in the work tool support means and the base support means may include a surface area adapted to accommodate the plurality of work tools whereby the surface area constitutes a universal work station.

Alternatively and preferably the work tool support 30 means includes a plurality of surface areas each adapted to accommodate a respective one of the plurality of work tools whereby each surface area constitutes a work station when positioned relative to the base support 5. means.

The support assembly may include locking means for locking the work tool support means relative to the base support means when a selected work tool is suitably positioned relative thereto.

The support assembly may also include safety means whereby the work tool support means cannot be rotated between selected positions relative to the base support means if a power supply means is connected to any of the plurality of work tools.

The safety means preferably includes an aperture on the base support means for receiving therethrough a power -supply lead for connecting one of the plurality of work tools to a power supply socket on the base support means, the arrangement being such that the work tool support means cannot be rotated between selected positions relative to the base support means if a power supply lead extends through the aperture.

In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a support assembly for supporting a plurality of work tools, the support assembly including:work tool support means for supporting the plurality of work tools, and base support means rotatably supporting the work tool support means by an axle constituting a conduit for extracting workpiece dust and like debris from the support assembly when a work tool is operated.

In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in a support assembly for supporting a plurality of work tools, the support assembly including:work tool support means having a plurality of *.surface areas each adapted to accommodate a respective one of the plurality of work tools whereby each the surface area can constitute a work station, and 30 base support means for rotatably supporting the work **tool support means.

Description of Drawings In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIGS 1A, lB and 1C are side, end and plan views illustrating a dual-bench rotor of a first embodiment of the invention; FIGS 2A, 2B and 2C are side views illustrating the dual-bench rotor mounted in the base support and showing how the workbench is rotated between the two positions of the dual-bench rotor; FIGS 3A and 3B are plan and side views respectively of a fold away sliding table for use with the invention, and FIGS 4A and 4B are side and end views respectively illustrating a tri-bench rotor of a second embodiment of the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiment of Invention As can be seen in FIGS 1, a work tool support in the form of a dual bench rotor 11 has a pair of side walls 12 supporting two work surfaces 13 and 14 in which are respectively releasable fixed circular saw 15 and router 16. A hollow cylinder 17 constitutes an axle and in a manner subsequently to be described acts as a dust extraction conduit by having a pair of connecting stubs 18,19 to which dust shrouds (not shown) of each tool and 16 can be attached.

As seen in FIGS 2, dual bench rotor 11 is rotatably mounted in base support means in the form of a stand having wheels 21. Stand 20 has bearings (not shown) for supporting axle 17 for rotation therein.

An opening 22 receives the plug and lead 23 from a power source for connection to either tool 15 or 16. It 30 will be appreciated that rotation of rotor 11 within stand 20 is limited by the restraining action of power lead 23 within opening 22.

Apertures 24 in opposed portions of one of sidewalls 12 of rotor 11 receive a bolt/pin (not shown) for screwing into threaded aperture 26 on stand 20 which is effective to lock rotor 11 to stand 20 in one of the two operating positions with one of the work surfaces 13 or 14 uppermost in the functional operative position.

Alternatively as seen in FIGS 4, a tri-bench rotor has a pair of side walls 34 supporting three work surfaces 31, 32 and 33 which can be separately located in an operative position in a manner similar to that describes above by rotating rotor 30 about axle Rotor 30 is rotatably mounted in stand 36 shown in dotted outline in FIG 4B.

In use, once the router bench 14 is in the active position the bolt/pin will be inserted to lock the rotor in the new position. This pin will be withdrawn to unlock the rotor when the operator wishes to change applications again by swinging the rotor over 180 degrees to bring the saw bench to the active position, when the rotor will again be locked with the pin.

Power to each of tools 15 and 16 is controlled as described above with each tool's power lead inserted into a socket fitted to the inside of wall 12 of the rotor 11 adjacent to the tool mount. Any spare lead length will be stowed in a clamp ring fitted adjacent for that purpose. The electrical connector for each tool power is matched to a recessed connector plug member exposed to the outside of wall 12 of the rotor 11, so situated that .99* *it is behind the workbench frame and inaccessible when the relevant bench is other than in the active position.

When the bench is in the active position the plug is aligned with a hole 22 in the workbench frame through which a short power cable from the safety switch and power control panel can be plugged into the socket for the tool. Power is supplied to the appropriate switch and panel assembly via a normal power lead to a suitable 9*.single phase outlet.

9999 Dust extraction is effected via the central tubular assembly which forms the axis of the rotor. Outer tube 17 has stub tubes 18 and 19 fitted at right angles and to these dust extractor pipe from each tool can be connected. Dust will be drawn from tube 17 by a suitable extraction source such as a vacuum cleaner or commercial extraction unit as preferred.

FIGS 3A and 3B depict a sliding table option for sawbench or router applications which will fold down when not needed, or to provide clearance for the rotor during changeover of applications. Similarly, a ripping fence and mitre fence could easily be incorporated.

A self contained variation (not shown) is also possible having its own motor and a specialised fixed tool incorporated into each bench. As the rotor turns to bring each machine into the active position, a drive system comes into play such that only the machine in the active position will be driven, and the other machine(s) will be disconnected.

It will be appreciated that whilst the invention has been described with reference to woodworking applications, the invention can also be used in applicationis where metal or other material is worked.

The workbench in accordance with the present invention has a number of advantages over known workbenches. It avoids the inherent problem with known multi-functional workbenches having only one working surface of having to remove individual work tools from that single working surface every time it is required to work with another tool.

The workbench of the present invention provides multi-functional operation without having to remove individual work tools by rotating the worktools mounted on a rotating support within a support housing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention each work tool is releasably fixed in place in its own work surface which allows the function of the work bench to be changed simply by rotating the work tool support.

It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Claims

2. A support assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base support means has an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion being adapted to rest on the floor of a working area, and said work tool support means is rotatably supported by said base support means intermediate said upper and lower portions about a substantially horizontal axis whereby each of said plurality of work tools can selectively and fixedly be positioned adjacent said upper portion. S3. A support assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said work tool support means includes an axle and said 25 base support means includes bearing means for rotatably supporting said axle.
4. A support assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said axle constitutes a conduit for extracting workpiece dust and like debris from said support assembly when a **work tool is operated. A support assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein **.said work tool support means includes a frame supported on said axle, said plurality of work tools being radially spaced about said frame relative to said axle.
6. A support assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said work tools are releasably and fixedly mounted in said work tool support means and said base support means includes a surface area adapted to accommodate said plurality of work tools whereby said surface area constitutes a universal work station.
7. A support assembly as claimed in claim i, wherein said work tool support means includes a plurality of surface areas each adapted to accommodate a respective one of said plurality of work tools whereby each said surface area constitutes a work station when positioned relative to said base support means.
8. A support assembly as claimed in claim 1, and including locking means for locking said work tool support means relative to said base support means when a selected work tool is suitably positioned relative thereto.
9. A support assembly as claimed in claim 1, and "including safety means whereby said work tool support 25 means cannot be rotated between selected positions relative to said base support means if a power supply means is connected to any of said plurality of work *tools.
10. A support assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said safety means includes an aperture on said base support means for receiving therethrough a power supply lead for connecting one of said plurality of work tools to a power supply socket on said base support means, the arrangement being such that said work tool support means cannot be rotated between selected positions relative to said base support means if a power supply lead extends through said aperture.
11. A support assembly for supporting a plurality of work tools, .said support assembly including:- work tool support means for supporting said plurality of work tools, and base support means rotatably supporting said work tool support means by an axle constituting a conduit for extracting workpiece dust and like debris from said support assembly when a work tool is operated.
12. A support assembly for supporting a plurality of work tools, said support assembly including:- work tool support means having a plurality of surface areas each adapted to accommodate a respective one of said plurality of work tools whereby each said surface area can constitute a work station, and base support means for rotatably supporting said work tool support means. S o*