GB2195950A - Saw block - Google Patents

Abstract

A sawblock 10 having in its upper face a plurality of V-shaped cutouts 11, 12, 13 of varying sizes and angles, and preferably faced with non-slip ribbing 14, for holding long workpieces such as rods, pipes, etc of wood or metal to be cut. The block 10 fits in the rear compartment 22 of a tray 20, the front compartment 21 serving to catch sawdust. The block may be sized to fit snugly in compartment 21 for carriage. Alternatively, the block may have a groove (36, Fig. 2) to fit the divider (35) between the two compartments, or have grooves (Fig. 3) to provide sliding engagement with the tray; in the latter case, the tray may be arranged to receive the block on either side, giving either a tray or a raised platform adjacent to the block. The block 10 may be provided with slots such as 40 extending from the bottom of the cutouts or 41 adjacent to the cutouts, so that the block may also be used as a mitre block (with the workpiece being held lengthwise against the block). The block 10 may be of wood or a pressed steel or cast iron frame, or wood reinforced with steel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Saw block The present invention relates to saw blocks, that is, to blocks which are used for support and/or guidance when sawing workpieces of wood, metal, plastic or the like.

When a workpiece is to be sawn, it is almost always necessary to hold it firmly in place in some way. This can be done by the worker holding it in place on a workbench, or by the workpiece being gripped firmly in a vice or in an adjustable workbench of the "Workmate" (RTM) type. However, these methods all require the use of a large piece of apparatus-a workbench, a bench with a vice mounted on it, or an adjustable workbench.

A different type of support block is the mitre block, which normally consists basically of an L-section block with three guide slots in the upright side of the block, so that a workpiece placed in the inner angle of the block may be cut either square across or at +45 or~45 . This block is compact, but it is relatively inflexible to use, and it is sometimes awkward to hold the workpiece firmly in place in it.

The object of the present invention is to provide a saw block which is compact but is easier to use than the conventional mitre block.

According to the invention there is provided a work block having a V-shaped cutout in its upper face, in which the workpiece may be placed and held firmly by the user in order to cut it adjacent to one side of the block. The cutout preferably has a facing of ribbed rubber to enhance its grip on the workpiece. Preferably the block has a plurality of such cutouts, of different sizes and/or angles; convenient angles are 90 , 60 , and 45 . A further significant feature of the invention is the provision of a tray which can be attached to the base of the block so as to catch the sawdust produced by sawing the workpiece. The tray, or a compartment thereof, may be made of such a size that the block can be fitted snugly in the tray or compartment for ease of handling when it is being carried about.

The sawblock may also have formed in it one or more slots, so that it can also be used, in conjunction with the tray, as a mitre block.

A sawblock and tray embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block and tray; Figure 2 is a cross-section of a modification of the block and tray; and Figure 3 is a cross-section of a further modification of the tray.

Referring to the drawing, the sawblock consists of a block of suitable material such as wood; a convenient size is 500 mm long, 100 mm high, and 50 mm thick. This block has three cutouts 11 to 13 in its upper face. (The slots 40, 41, and 42 should be disregarded for the moment, as if they were not there.) The largest cutout, 12, is conveniently a 600 cutout with a sloping edge length of 70 mm, which is convenient for holding workpieces of circular section such as rods or pipes up to 100 mm diameter. Cutout 11 is conveniently to the same shape but with a sloping edge length of 20mm, for holding thin workpieces.

Cutout 13 is conveniently a 900 cutout with a sloping edge length of 35 mm, which is convenient for holding workpieces of square or rectangular section. Each sloping face of each cutout has an inserted hard rubber pad 14, with a ribbed surface, for gripping a workpiece and preventing it from slipping.

The block 10 is fitted into a tray 20, which has two compartments 21 and 22. The larger compartment 21 and acts to collect the sawdust produced when a workpiece is being sawn, and its size is such that the block 10 fits in it when removed from the compartment 22. For use, the block 10 is fitted into the compartment 22 as shown. The lower front edge of the block 10 is cut back slightly, as indicated at 15, so that the front face of the divider 23 between the two compartments 21 and 22 is flush with the front face of the upper part of the block 10. Thus a workpiece can be cut by a saw held flush against the face of the block 10, without its stroke being restricted by the top edge of the divider 23.

A right-handed user wanting to use the cutout 13 would reverse the block 10 in the compartment 22. The block 10 has a cutback 16 on its rear face, matching the cutback 15, to allow this reversal. Of course, if the hacksaw is being used, the blade will be held slightly away from the face of the block, but the outer end of the frame will slide against that face.

An alternative construction (not shown) for the tray has a single compartment 21. This arrangement has the advantage that the apparatus is mode compact when the block is packed in the tray. However, means must then be provided for fixing the block to the tray in its operating position. This can readily be achieved by providing a pair of bolts, passing through holes (not shown) through the lower part of the block 10 and in the side of the tray 20, together with two wing nuts to allow easy fixing and unfixing by hand. The holes through the block are preferably countersunk to accommodate the bolt heads, so that the bolts and wing nuts can be fixed to the block 10 with the bolt heads flush with the block face for convenient packing of the block in the tray.

Any of~a variety of disconnectable clip arrangements may be used instead, to avoid the danger that the bolts and wing nuts may get lost.

Fig. 2 shows in section a slight modification of the block 10 and tray 20. #The block 10 has the two cutouts 15 and 16, into which the edges 33 and 34 of the tray 20 will fit.

The tray 20 also has a centrally placed divider 35, which is lower than the edges 33 and 34 but sufficient to hold the block 10 firmly in place in the tray 20. The block 10 has a groove 36 along the centre of one side to accommodate the central divider 35 of the tray 20 when the block 10 is packed in the tray, as partially shown by the broken lines.

Figs. 1 and 3 together show a modified form of block and tray which can also be used as a mitre block. For this purpose, the block 10 has slots formed in it. One way in which such a slot can be formed is shown by slot 40, which is an extension of one side of the cutout 13. This slot, of course, extends only to the top of the divider 23 of the tray 20. An alternative way of providing a slot is shown by slot 41; the advantages of slot 41 over slot 40 are that it provides better guidance for the saw and avoids the danger of the saw and the facing 14 on the cutout 13 interfering with each other, but the disadvantage is that it weakens the block 10, since the righthand side of the cut-out 12 is left with little support. The block 10 may of course be constructed of, -or reinforced with, pressed steel plate or a cast iron frame.A slot 42 may also be provided as shown for 900 angles, while the slots such as 40 and 41 may be provided to give other suitable angles such as 450 and 600.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of tray 20A for use with the block 10- having the slots 40 to 42. The compartment 21 is unchanged, but the compartment 22 has had its base moved upwards to provide two equal compartments 22A and 22B. By fitting the block 10 into the upper compartment 22B as shown, the block can be used as described originally, with the workpieces being supported in the cutouts 11 to 13. By turning the tray 20A over and fitting the block 10 into the compartment 22A, the base of the compartment 21 becomes its upper surface, level with the bottom ends of the slots 40 to 42 and providing a firm surface on which to support workpieces when the block 10 is being used as a mitre block.

Whereas the tray may in general be of p!astics material, it is in this instance desirable for the tray to have a more durable material, such as a steel plate, as its upper surface when in this orientation. Alternatively, this upper face may be provided with a replaceable plate,so that gradual wear on this upper face resulting from cutting mitres is readily repairable.

Fig. 3 also shows another possible modify~ cation. The two compartments 22A awnW22B are open at their ends, and have Inward flanges 37 which fit into corresponding grooves formed in the block 10. It may also be desirable to provide some form of fixing means such as bolts or clips (not shown) to prevent the block 10 from sliding in the com partment 22B (or 22A) in use. If this tray 20 is constructed of sufficiently strong material, such as a metal pressing or extrusion, it may provide additional strengthening for the block 10; this may be useful if the block 10 has mitre slots such as 40, 41, and 42 included in it.

It will of course be realized that the block 10 and tray 20 can be modified so that the slots in the block 10 are perpendicular to the base plane of the tray 20 when the block is being used as a mitre block, i.e. in the usual orientation. The orientation as shown by Figs.

1 and 3 is abnormal, in that the plane of the saw will be on the slant when the slots 40 or 41 are being used. The necessary modification would involve, in principle, extending the slots to the base of the block on one side while reducing their "depth" so that they extend only part way through the block from that side (vertical) face, and appropriate modifica tion of the tray to accommodate the block 10 when turned on its other side so that the slots lie on its upper face.

Claims (8)

1. A work block having a V-shaped cutout in its upper face, in which the workpiece may be placed and held firmly by the user in order to cut it adjacent to one side of the block.

2. A work block according to claim 1 wherein the block has a plurality of such cu touts, of different sizes and/or angles.

3. A work block according to claim 2 wherein the angles of the cutouts are 90 , 60 , and/or 450

4. A work block according to any previous claim wherein the or each cutout has inset facings of one-slip material to enhance the grip on the workpiece.

5. A work block according to any previous claim including a tray which can be attached to the base of the block so as to catch sawdust produced by sawing the workpiece.

6. A work block according to claim 5 wherein the tray, or a compartment thereof, is of such a size that the block can be fitted snugly in the tray or compartment for ease of handling when it is being carried about.

7. A work block according to either of claims 5 and 6 wherein the block has formed in it one or more slots, so that it can also be used, in conjunction with the tray, as a mitre block.

8. A work block substantially as herein deascribed with reference to the drawings.