CA1217407A - Molded scroller saw lock button spring - Google Patents

Molded scroller saw lock button spring

Info

Publication number
CA1217407A
CA1217407A CA000454223A CA454223A CA1217407A CA 1217407 A CA1217407 A CA 1217407A CA 000454223 A CA000454223 A CA 000454223A CA 454223 A CA454223 A CA 454223A CA 1217407 A CA1217407 A CA 1217407A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
slide button
housing
spring
plastic
positions
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000454223A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Richard R. Tolbert
Troy L. Mccurry
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Singer Co
Original Assignee
Singer Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Singer Co filed Critical Singer Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1217407A publication Critical patent/CA1217407A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

MOLDED SCROLLER SAW
LOCK BUTTON SPRING

ABSTRACT

For a powered hand tool having a plastic housing and requiring a slide switch with a detent action for at least two positions with an audible indication of the transition from one position to another position, a plastic spring molded as part of the housing and having an arched surface extending into the path of a projection from the slide switch which has first and second oppositely disposed tapered sides extending towards each other and terminating in a flat base portion which coacts with the arched surface to provide a detent action and an audible indication of the transition to a new position.

Description

EPS/bt ~7~

MOLDED SCROLLER SAW
LOCK BUTTON SPRING

DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a detent mechanism for a hand held powered tool; more particularly, to a detent spring molded as part of a plastic housing to provide detents and an audible indication when traversed in either direction by a slide button having a projection with tapered sides en-gaging the spring.
The prior art in detent mechanisms ~or hand held powered tools has provided for a separate spring and screw for retaining the same to a molded housing. Such a device is disclosed and described in U.S. Patent No. 3,729,822, which relates to a sabre saw having a saw bar which is manually rotatable and selectively lockable about its own axis to set the cutting edge of the saw blade in different angularly oblique positions relative to the line of movement of the tool. A control knob is coupled to the saw bar by means which allow the saw bar to reciprocate within the con-trol knob. Turning of the control knob will cause a like turning of the saw bar. A lock pin is transversely slidable with respect to the control knob and is carried by a slide ~'; ii!,'~

~2~7~-~ 0~7 button mounted in the handle oE the housing. When the lock pin is in an unlocked position, the control knob can be manually manipulated. However, when the lock pin is in a locked position, a tapered tip thereof will lock the con-trol knob by engagement with angled slots in an externalflange of the bushing for the saw bar, so as to prevent turning of the control knob. In the prior art U.S. Patent No. 3,729,822, the slide button is retained in the locked or unlocked position by a keeper implemented by a light leaf spring which cooperates with tapered sides on the slide button to define a particular position. This light leaf spring is retained to the tool housing by a screw. The dif-ficulties with this arrangement are the cost of the screw and of the leaf spring, plus the cost of assembling the spring to the housing. Further, variability in manufac--turing of the leaf spring frequently causes the detent to be excessive or insufficient at times, necessitating dis-assembly of the housing and reforming or replacing of the leaf spring until a proper detent is attained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above noted disadvantages are avoided in the ar rangement in which a scroller lock button spring is molded as part of the housing for the sabre saw. The sabre saw housing is a clam shell design having a support half for the components of the sabre saw and a cover half substantial-ly a mirror image of the support half. The plastic spring is molded, for example, with the cover half and extends with an arched upper and lower sur~ace for increased regidity, from a web thereof con~iguous the slide button which is slidably trapped between the support half and the cover half of the sabre saw. When the operator slides the slide button back and forth between the locked and unlocked position for the control knob, tapered sides and flat base portion on a projection thereof engage with the p}astic spring, and the ~7~7 operator feels a noticeable detent when in the locked or unlocked position and is provided with an audible indication when traversing from one position to the other by the de-~lection and snap back of the plastic spring. The arrange-ment thus provided avoids the variability in manufacture ofthe prior art leaf spring and in location of the same with--in the housing so as to provide for a uniformity of effort required to actuate the slide switch due to the uniformity of location and stiffness of spring.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw-ings in which:
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal elevational view, partly in section, of a sabre saw illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the scroller slide lock arrangement; and FIG. 3 is a view of the lock button in the opposite extreme position from that shown in Figures 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENq'ION
. .
~ ith reference now to the drawings, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown and illustrat~d therein a sabre saw designated generally by the ref~rence character 10. While a sabre saw 10 is illustrated, it is to be under-stood that the invention to be explained below might be included in any power hand tool having a switch in which discrete positions and audible indication of traverse from one position to another is required.
The sabre saw 10 comprises a motor housing portion 12, a front or drive housing portion 14, and a handle portion 16 of clam shell construction in which, as is known in the art, the components of the sabre saw are mounted in a support half which is closed off by a cover half that is substan-A 35 tially a mirror image of the support half. A portion of the sabre saw 10 has been broken away to expose the cover half 18 of the handle portion 16 construction to which the ~L'2~7~

invention has been added. A trigger switch 20 is shown ex-tending from the handle portion 16, depression of which serves to initiate endwise reciprocation of a saw bar 22 and saw blade 23 attached thereto, in a manner well known in the art. An electric cord 26 extends from the handle portion 16 to a source of power to enable operation of the sabre saw 10. The saw blade 23 extends through a work contacting shoe 28 to operate upon the work positioned therebeneath.
The saw bar 22 extends up~ardly through the drive housing portion 14, in a manner which allow~ it to be selectively endwise reciprocated by action of the trigger switch 20, while it is free to turn about it's axis within the drive housing portion 14. Such a teaching is ~ontained in the U.S. Patent No. 3,729,822 issued on May 1, 1973, to Batson, and assigned to the assignee of this invention.
A saw bar 22 reciprocates within a bearing ~not shown) in the bottom of the drive housing portion 14, and a journal bushing 30 captured in the top of the drive housing portion and fully explained in the above referenced patent to which the reader is referred. It is sufficient to note that the saw bar is formed with a pin 32 extending therethrough at the top thereof, the ends of the pin extending into diametral slots in the internal diameter of ~ournal bushing 30. Thus, rotation of the journal bushing 30 will implement rotation of the saw bar while allowing endwise reciprocation thereof.
A control knob 34 is attached to the journal bushing 30 by set screw 35. The journal bushing 30 is further formed with a flange 38 having four tapered slots 40 extending radially inwardly from the periphery thereof, only two of which are shown. The tapered slots 40 of the flange 38 of the journal bushing 30 are used to locate the saw bar 22 in the four discretP angular positions. In order to effectively utilize the sabre saw 10 with the saw bar 22 and saw blad~ 23 at tached thereto in an angular position provided for, a means t~

must be provided for locking the control knob 34 and the saw bar 22 in the selected angular position. As disclosed in the above referenced U.S. Patent No. 3,729,822, this is ac-complished by providing a slide lock button ~4 having a lock pin 45 extending therefrom, the lock pin having a tapered front surface 46 to be received in the tapered apertures 40 of the flange 38 of the journal bushing 30. The slide :Lock button 44 is slidably mounted within the handle portion 16 adjacent the upper surface thereof, so -that a button portion 47 having a stepped upper surface which inclines downwardly in either direction from the high point in the center there-of, projects through an aperture 48 formed in the upper sur-face of the handle for ease and convenience of operator actuation thereof. The slide lock button 44 further in-cludes a central fin 49 on which the button portion 47 sits,which fin projects sidewardly into slots 50 formed in the handle portion 16 to support the slide lock button 44.
Below the central ~in 49, the slide lock button 44 is fashioned with a protuberance 52 which supports the lock pin 4~ and a downwardly extending projection 53 with tapered sides 55 which extend towards each other to terminate in a flat base portion 54. Preferably, the slide lock button 44 is molded with the lock pin 45 as an insert thereto.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is molded as part of the handle portion 16, a plastic spring 60 formed as part of and extending cantilevered from the cover half 18, although it might have also been formed as part of the support half 19. The plastic spring 60 is formed with an arched upper and lower surface to increase rigidity and spring constant, and to provide a surface to coact with the tapered sides 55 and flat base portion 54 on the slide lock button 44 beneath which it extends. The plastic spring derives ad-ditional support from support rib 62 connected to support rib 63 extending between posts 64. The plastic spring 60 is arranged to have the arched upper surface thereof coact 7~'7 6~
with the flat base portion 54 and tapered sides 55 of slide lock button 44 during withdrawal or engagement of the tapered front portion 46 of the lock pin 45 with the tapered aperture 40 in the journal bushing 30. As the flat base por tion 54 of the slide lock button 44 is drawn over the canti-levered portion of the arched surface 60, a detent action is felt indicating the transition from a first to a second posi-tion, or vice versa, of the button. An audible indication of the transition is provided by the cantilevered arched surface cooperating with the slide lock button 44. In order to obtain an appropriate detent, that is, one that is tactile or evident to the touch, and also an appropriate audible indication, the spring constant of the plastic spring 60 may be adjusted by changing the thickness between the arched upper and lower surface, as well as by modifying where possible the length of the plastic spring between the point of contact of the slide lock button 44 and the point where the spring merges into the housing. By merging the plastic spring 60 with the rib 62 of the cover half 18, ad-ditional rigidity for the plastic spring is provided without requiring a buildup of material on the cover half to obtain a shorter plastic spring. Thus, a selected length for the plastic spring is established by the depth of the support rib.
25As shown in Figure 3, the slide lock button ~4 is indicated in the opposite extreme position from that shownin Figures 1 and 2, the opposing abutment surfaces 42 and 51 being clearly indicated.

~0 6a As indicated by the above description, a new and improved detent mechanism has been provided which also pro-vides an audible indication of actuation. This invention has allowed the elimination of parts and obviated the oc-casional necessity for disassembly and realigning of a metallock button spring.
The invention was described with respect to a preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

~ ! '"

Claims (3)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. For a powered hand tool having a plastic housing for holding operating components thereof, and a plastic cover for enclosing said components in said housing, said hand tool having a slide button guided for linear movement relatively to said housing and cover, a detent arrangement providing tactile and audible indica-tion of actuation of said slide button, said detent arrangement comprising:
an inwardly extending projection on said slide button, said projection being formed with first and second oppositely disposed taper sides extending toward each other and each terminating in a juncture with a flat base portion, and a plastic spring extending canilevered laterally adjacent said projection from a selected one of said cover and said housing and molded as a part thereof, a selected one of said housing and said cover including abutment means defining for said slide button first and second opposite extreme positions of linear movement, said plastic spring having a first arched surface extending beneath said slide button pro-jection in all positions of said slide button between said first and second extreme positions, said plastic spring first arched surface being contiguous with only the juncture of said flat base portion and said first tapered side of said slide button projection in the first extreme positin of said slide button, and con-tiguous with only the juncture of said flat base portion and said second tapered side of said slide button pro-jection in the second extreme position of said slide button, whereby shifting said slide button from any one to the other of said first and second positions will cause deflection and snap back of said plastic spring to provide a detent for said slide button and acceleration of said slide button induced by changing angle of con-tact of said arched spring surface with the juncture of said flat base portion with said tapered sides to produce an audible indication of the attainment of the selected positions upon impact of said slide button with said abutment associated with said selected position.
2. A detent arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said plastic spring further comprises a second arched surface spaced from said first arched surface and providing for a material thickness therebetween of said plastic spring which taken with a length thereof estab-lishes a spring constant therefor which provides detent and audible indication of attainment of selected positions.
3. A detent arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said selected one of said cover and said housing is formed with a support rib, said plastic spring ex-tending from said support rib in a selected length established by the depth of said support rib.
CA000454223A 1983-07-29 1984-05-14 Molded scroller saw lock button spring Expired CA1217407A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US51878483A 1983-07-29 1983-07-29
US518,784 1983-07-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1217407A true CA1217407A (en) 1987-02-03

Family

ID=24065488

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000454223A Expired CA1217407A (en) 1983-07-29 1984-05-14 Molded scroller saw lock button spring

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1217407A (en)

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4592144A (en) Molded scroller saw lock button spring
US7044234B2 (en) Hand-held electrical combination hammer drill
EP0147134B1 (en) Electric hair clipper
JP3283745B2 (en) Power tool operating lever
EP0020816A1 (en) Shaving razor assembly
US3729822A (en) Sabre saws with lockable swivel saw bars
US20050060896A1 (en) Clamping apparatus for a tool component and an improved scrolling mechanism
JPH1133978A (en) Cutting machine
US7015409B2 (en) Power tool trigger
US4180907A (en) Razor with trap door feature for making blade change
CA1217407A (en) Molded scroller saw lock button spring
JP4762607B2 (en) Guide device for cutting machine
JPS6348911Y2 (en)
JP4211233B2 (en) Portable circular saw
EP0020815A1 (en) A razor handle
JP2826177B2 (en) Hair cutter
JP4144325B2 (en) Electric razor
JPH0669513B2 (en) Hair clipper
JPH08126776A (en) Blade exchangeable scissors
JPS6037752B2 (en) Hair cutter slide switch
JPS5943009Y2 (en) electric razor
JPH0122616Y2 (en)
JP3467992B2 (en) Cutting machine blade holding device
JPH07185144A (en) Electric shaver
KR910009064Y1 (en) Manually operated plane

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry