US2703120A - Work guide for woodworking machines and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1955 B. H. WALKER 2,703,120

' WORK GUIDE FOR WOODWORKING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l .IN V EN TOR.

BEMNYM/ V W4L KEA KITTUF/VfYS M r 1955 B. H. WALKER 2$703,120

WORK GUIDE FOR WOODWORKING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

flay/42w W44 K5? United States Patent WORK GUIDE FOR WOODWORKING MACHINES AND THE LIKE It is conventional construction in various woodworking machines such as planets, saws, etc., to provide a bed along which a length of wood stock is fed, a straight edge member against which the stock is held during its movement over the bed, and a spring guide spaced from said straight edge member for biasing the stock laterally into engagement with the straight-edge member.

Heretofore, the guide means used for'urging the wood stock toward the straight edge member has required manual adjustment, for wide and narrow stock, and as a result, the production, has been adversely affected, due to the length of time required in the making of the necessary manual adjustments.

It has been proposed, in this regard, to provide leaf spring means which is bodily shiftable in the direction of the length of stock, by reason of its being anchored to a pivotally swingable block. This arrangement, however, utilizes only a single leaf spring engaging the length of stock, and it is, accordingly, one important object of the present invention to provide a work guide including a pair of independently pivoted blocks each of which is provided with a leaf spring, said leaf springs extending in opposite directions for engaging the length of wood stock at locations spaced along, the length thereof, the independent pivoting of the blocks being adapted to permit each leaf spring to yield independently of the other. The arrangement has been found to be particularly effective where lengths of stock differing widely from from one another as to the transverse dimensions thereof are being fed through the machine. Further, the arrangement is of value, in view of the fact that a'single length of stock may have different widths at different locations spaced along the length thereof.

A further object of importance is to provide a work guide as stated wherein the pivoted blocks on which the respective leaf springs are anchored are resiliently urged away from one another, in opposite directions about their pivot axes,'by a single coil spring extending between the same, said spring being adapted to cause both blocks to swing to positions in which the free ends of the leaf spring associated therewith will be urged against the length of wood stock.

Still another object is to provide, in a work guide of the character'referred to, a stop means or'bumper for one of the pivoted blocks, which stop means will pre vent swinging movement'of theblock adjacent thereto beyond a predetermined, selected position; said position being adapted to hold the leaf spring anchored to the block engaged by the stop means a substantial distance away from the straight edge member of the wood-working machine. By reason of this arrangement, an open space is defined between said one leaf springand the straight edge member, into which a length'of stock can be fed.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several v views, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a work guide formed in accordance with the present inventi o r1,-a woodworking machine on which the guide is mounted beingillustrated fragmentarily and in top plan;

Figure 2 is a side elevationalview of the work guide and of the woodworking machine, the machine again being: shown fragmentarily;

Figure 3 is an'enlarged longitudinal sectional view 2,703,120 Patented Mar. 1, 1955 2 through the work guide per se, taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 (sheet 1) is a plan sectional view, also on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 55 of Figure 3.

The reference letter B has been applied in the drawing to a conventional length of wood stock, in the form of a board being fed over the bed of a woodworking machine designated generally by the'reference numeral 10. In the illustrated example the woodworking machine is a planer, but as will be apparent from the description to be provided hereinafter, the device constituting the present invention can be used to advantage with any of various machines through which boards or other types of wood stock are fed in the direction of their lengths.

The present invention has been designated generally at 12, and is mounted upon the bed 14 of the planer, in spaced relation to the feed rollers 16 of the planer. As will be noted, the work guide 12 is spaced transversely of the bed 14 from the straight edge member 18 of the woodworking machine, the board B being fed through the machine in the space between the work guide and said straight edge member. I

The illustrated woodworking machine is additionally provided with an elongated hold-down bar 20, the holddown bar being secured to the straight edge member, and being adapted to prevent the board from moving upwardly off the bed 14 during the movement of the board between the feed rollers.

In accordance with the present invention, the work guide 12 is formed to an elongated shape, and is ar ranged in spaced parallelism to the straight edge .member 18 and hold-down bar 20. The guide is provided, in this connection, with a rigid frame that can be formed of a pair of flat, spaced, parallel plates 22, 24, the plate 22 constituting a top plate and being spaced vertically of and above the plate 24. The plates 22, 24 are of elongated, rectangular formation, and lie in horizontal planes, said plates being fixedly connected in spaced relation by bolts 26. A pair of bolts 26 is provided at each end of the frame, the heads 'of the bolts being disposed in countersunk portions of the underside of the bottom plate 24 (see Figure 3). Circumposed about the shanks of the respective bolts 26 are spacer sleeves 28, which hold the plates 22, 24 in the desired, predetermined, spaced relationship.

Intermediate the opposite ends of the plates, I provide a pair of side by side pivot bolts 30, the pivot bolts 30 being extended between the top and bottom plates and being-held in place by nuts threaded thereupon against the top plate. The pivot bolts 30 extend through corner openings formed in spring support blocks 32, 34, said blocks being disposed in the space between the plates 22, 24, and being independently pivoted for swinging movement toward and away from the straight edge member 18.

Formed in the block. 32, in spaced relation to the pivot axis thereof, is an end to end bore 36, said bore confronting a recess 38 formedin the block 34. The recess 38 is in communication with the small diameter, threaded bore 40 formed in the block 34.

A coil spring 42 is seated in the bore 36 and recess 38, and extends across the space between the blocks 32, 34. The spring 42, at one end, abuts against a threaded plug 44, said plug 44 being engaged with complementary threads formed in the outer end of the bore 36. When the plug 44 is in place, the bore 36 can be appropriately termed a recess in the block 32, thus to provide, in the blocks, confronting recesses receiving the opposite ends of the coil spring.

The other end of the spring 42 abuts against a fiat head 46 formed upon the inner end of a tension adjusting screw 48 threaded in the bore 40. The screw 48-has a nut 50 applied thereto, the nut 50 being threadable against the outer end surface of the block 34. It will be appreciated that the screw 48 can be threaded in a selected direction within the bore 40, thus to shift the head 46 to selected,

adjusted positions within the.. re cess The result is that the spring 42 will be adjusted as to the tension thereof. whenever desired, for the purpose of replacing the spring 42.

Swinging movement of the block 34 in one direct-ion is limited by a stop means provided upon ?the frame. The stop means, in the illustrated-example of the invention, is a bolt '52 extended between the plates 22, 24, the bolt 52 having a spacer sleeve circumposed thereabout and being disposed between the adjacent connecting bolts 26 of the frame. It will be noted from Figure 4 that the bolt 52 is so disposed as to be located in the path of swinging movement of the block 34, thus to engage the adjacent end surface of the block 34 when the block is swung counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 4.

The purpose of this arrangement is to cause the block 34 to be so disposed, when aboard B is to be fed through the machine, as to permit the board to be entered into the space between the work guide and straight edge memberwith a minimum of difi'iculty.

The blocks 32, 34 are beveled on their corner end surfaces from a location abreast of the pivot pins 39 to the adjacent inner side surfaces thereof, as shown at 53. This keeps thespring 42 under tension at all times and prevents block 32 fromswinging too far in the direction ofthe straight edge memberlS.

Still referring 'to Figure 4, the block 32 is provided, in that surface thereof faced toward the straight edge member 18, with a shallow recess or depression 54, the bottom wall of said recess being disposed obliquely to the longitudinal center line of the block-32.

Similarly, block 34 hasa shallow recess 56, and seated in the recesses 54, 56 are the inner ends of the leaf springs 58, 60.

The leaf springs 58, 60 are extended in opposite directions from the elongated frame of the work guide, and as will be noted from Figure 1, the spring 58 is, in the illustrated example of the invention, somewhat shorter in length than the spring 60. However, I believe it to be well within the spirit of the invention to form both springs to the same length. In any event, the inner ends of the springs are formed with openings receiving screws or equivalent fastening elements, the blocks 32, 34 having threaded recesses registering with the openings of the leaf springs for engagement of the anchoring screws therein. The leaf springs are thus fixedly secured at their inner ends to their associated blocks.

At their outer ends, the leaf springs are curved in a direction away from the straight edge member, thus to facilitate the insertion of the board B or other length of wood stock.

It will be understood that initially, the work guide 12 will be adjusted transversely of the bed 14 of the woodworking machine to a selected position. To this end, and as best shown in Figure 5, a slide block 62 is fixedly secured to the underside of the lower plate 24 by means of screws 64, said slide block depending from the frame and having an end to end threaded bore in which is engaged an elongated adjusting screw 66. The screw 66 extends within a slideway 68 formed in the bed 14, and is rotated by a hand wheel 70 or equivalent device. The slide block is slidably adjusted within the slideway 68 by rotation of the screw 66, thus to shift the work guide to a selected position upon the bed 14. Once the work guide is in this position, it is adapted to engage any of various boards differing substantially from one another as to the width thereof. This characteristic obtains by reason of the fact that the leaf springs are pivoted bodily with their associated blocks under 'the'p'ressure of the spring 42, thus causing the free ends of the leaf springs to be disposed at any of various distances from the straight edge member. in each position of the free ends of the leaf springs, they will exert a firm but yielding pressure against the board, tending to bias the board laterally into contact with the straight edge member.

it is to be noted that the use of a stop means such as shown at 52 causes the free end of the leaf spring 60 to be retained at a distance from the straight edge member 18 sufiicient to insure the feeding of one end of the board into the space between the work guide and straight edge member. This is true regardless of the width of said end of the board, the outwardly curved formation of the free end of the leaf spring being adapted to define, in coopera- The plug 44, of 'c'eurse'ean be removed bodily tion with the straight edge member, a tapering throa 'througlrwhichthe'board may 'beentered.

It is also to be noted that the independent pivoting of the blocks 32, 34 permits the device to be used to advantage on boards the width of which may change between the ends thereof. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, there is shown a board B which is wider at one end than at the other. The difference has been shown clearly through the use of an imaginary line extended in parallelism with the straight edge member 13, said imaginary line being disposed at an acute angle to the adjacent side edge of the board. The imaginary line and said adjacent side edge form an included angle designated at A, and it will be seen that the leaf spring 58 is spaced, by reason of this particular formation of the board, a greater distance from the straight edge member 18 than is the free end of the leaf spring 60. This difference in spacing does not, however, affect adversely the functional characteristics of the leaf springs, both of the springs being held in firm engagement with the length of wood stock at locations spaced longitudinally of the stock.

By reason of the arrangement shown, it is possible to increase production substantially, since it is not necessary for the worker to make manual adjustments of the position of the spring guide, eachtime a piece of work is to be fed through the machine. 'Heretofore, when pieces of different widths are to be fed in succession through a woodworking machine, it has been necessary that a manual adjustment be effected in the position of the work guide. In the illustrated example, after the initial adjustment, the device can be used to advantage on both wide and narrow boards.

It is believed apparent that 'the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p

l. A work guide for woodworking machines comprising; a frame mountable on the bed of a woodworking machine in spaced relation to a straight edge member of said machine, for disposition of a length of wood stock between the frame and said member; a pair of side-by-side spring support blocks having contacting inner end surfaces, said blocks having front surfaces facing in the same general direction so as to be both locatable in straightedge-member-confronting positions, the blocks being pivotally connected independently of each other to the frame adjacent said end and front surfaces for swinging movement about closely-spaced, parallel axes, toward and away from said straight edge member; leaf springs each fixed at one end to the front surface of the respective block for engaging a length of Wood stock, said springs extending longitudinally of the blocks in opposite directions and flexing at their other ends within a common plane normal to said axes; an abutment on the frame limiting swinging movement of one block in a forward direction toward said straight edge member; and resilient, yielding means disposed transversely of the contacting end surfaces and held under compression by and between the blocks so as to exert a continuous yielding pressure against the blocks tending to bias them in opposite directions about their respective pivot axes, said means biasing said one block against the abutment and, in the abutmentengaged position of said one block, exerting its full pressure against the other block to shift the same in a forward direction.

2. A work guide for woodworking machines comprising; a frame mountable on the bed of a woodworking machine in spaced relation to a straight edge member of said machine, for disposition of a length of wood stock between the frame and said member; a pair of sidc-by-side spring support blocks having contacting inner end surfaces, said blocks having front surfaces facing in the same general direction so as to be both locatable in straightedge-member-confronting positions,theblocks being pivotally connected independently of each other to the frame ad acent said end and front surfaces for swinging movement about closely spaced, parallel axes, toward and away from said straight edge member; leaf springs each fixed at one end to the front surface of the respective block for engaging a length of wood stock, said springs extending between said straight edge member and the blocks, the springs extending longitudinally of the blocks in opposite directions and flexing at their other ends within a common plane normal to said axes; an abutment on the frame limiting swinging movement of one block in a forward direction toward said straight edge member; and resilient, yielding means disposed transversely of the contacting end surfaces and held under compression by and between the blocks so as to exert a continuous yielding pressure against the blocks tending to bias them in opposite directions about their respective pivot axes, said means biasing said one block against the abutment and, in the abutment-engaged position of said one block, exerting its full pressure against the other block to shift the same in a forward direction, said blocks having their inner end surfaces beveled at the intersection of the end surfaces with the front surfaces, said beveled surfaces contacting following movement of said other block in its forward direction over a predetermined distance, to limit the movement of said other block under pressure of said means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,782 Luger May 31, 1892 578,826 Luther Mar. 16, 1897 717,593 Meyer Jan. 6, 1903 877,878 Anderson Ian. 28, 1908 2,525,894 Graham Oct. 17, 1950 2,578,516 Crow Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 639,869 France Mar. 17, 1928 788,174 France July 22, 1935

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