US3184190A - Workshop tool stand - Google Patents

Description

May 18, 1965 R. a HALFINGER WORKSHOP TOOL STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1964 INVENTOR Puss-LL B. HALF/N652 BY %41 ATTORNEYS.

May 18, 1955 R. B. HALFINGER 3,184,190

WORKSHOP TOOL STAND Filed Jan. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j -Ili n Jig 5 INVENTOR Fuse )3. HALF/Maze Afroxusvs.

United States Patent 3,184,190 WGRKSHOP TUGL STAND Russell B. Halfinger, North Haven, Coma, assignor of one-half to Robert T. Beebe, Woodbridge, Conn. Filed Jan. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 337,789 6 Clm'ms. (Cl. 248-13) This invention relates to a workshop tool stand, and more particularly to a stand for a plurality of motor driven tools whereby they may be connected selectively to .a motor unit, yet conveniently stored out of the way when not in use.

In a typical home workshop it is usually desirable to have a number of different motor driven tOOls for performing different operations. Such tools commonly include a bench saw, lathe, grinder, router, etc. Where each of these tools is driven by a separate motor, not only is there a considerable investment in motor units, but these units are not used most economically since they stand idle a good part of the time.

Another factor to be considered, especially in smaller home workshops, is that of available workshop space. Even if the homeowner is willing and able to invest in separate tool and motor units, he may not have room to accommodate them in his shop. A convertible unit which will accept a number of standard readily available shop tools, and provide means for storing these to permit simple and quick positioning for use, is accordingly desirable and is one of the principal objectives of the present invention.

"Various devices have heretofore been suggested for accomplishing the same general purpose, but the unit herein described possesses features and advantages which render the invention especially valuable to the average home workshop operator in respect to adequate and effective utilization of the full capabilities of available standard tools, ease of convertibility from one tool to another, economy of space and motor drive, as well as low cost. The invention further provides a practical and economical way to acquire a complete power workshop in progressive steps without running into duplication or outmoding of previously acquired units.

The unit shown in the accompanying drawings represents a particularly suitable form of device. It will be understood, however, that this is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, it being possible to make many modifications as to details, and it is accordingly intended to include such modifications and equivalents as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view in side elevation, a numher of typical shop tools being shown in dotted line as they would be mounted on the stand;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are elevational views from different sides of the stand shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is top plan view of the stand, with the tool rails swung outwardly from the sides of the stand; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view in section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, stand ltl comprises a generally rectangular frame 11 composed of angle iron members 12 overlapped at their ends and secured together, as by bolts or rivets, and tubular legs 14 fastened at their upper ends to the respective corners of frame 11. Stand thus provides an open center working surface supported above the floor at suitable elevation for working convenience. Intermediate their extent, legs 14- are provided with braces 16 bolted or otherwise secured thereto for added rigidity of the unit.

For convenience in moving the stand about a workshop, two of legs 14 are provided with wheels or casters 18, while the opposite two legs terminate in anti-skid pads 3,l84,l% Patented May 18, 1965 20, these latter prevent the stand from walking while in use but permit it to be moved easily when desired by lifting these legs slightly off the floor and then rolling the stand about on the casters on the other two legs.

As seen more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, a rod 22 extends between a pair of legs 14 and is secured at its opposite ends in appropriate apertures in the legs. Rod 22 carries a pair of motor rails 24 which are loosely hinged thereon by passage of the rod through holes provided in the vertical flanges of these rails, adjacent one end thereof. An electric motor M is secured by bolts passing through its base into holes provided in the horizontal flange at the free ends of rails 24, whereby the rails are then held in spaced parallel relation but may he slid, together with motor M, longitudinally along rod 22 within the confines of legs 14. This permits lateral alignment of the motor pulley with the drive pulley of each individual tool. The rails, as previously mentioned, are freely hinged on rod 22 so that the motor M may swing through an arc defined by the rails.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the working surface of the stand is provided with cooperating paired arms which project laterally from the edges of frame 11. One such pair of arm is represented by angle irons 30 which extend completely across the top of the stand and project slightly beyond the edges thereof. These arms are provided with pivot rods 32 interconnecting the opposite ends of the arms adjacent the respective margins of the working surface. A second pair of arms 34 is also illustrated, these arms likewise being composed of angle iron stock but being disposed vertically at one of the remaining sides of the stand. Arms 34 extend upward slightly above the surface defined by frame members 12 and are, in turn, provided with a pivot rod 36 Secured at its opposite ends to arms 34. Each of arms 30, 34 may be bolted or welded to the frame members 12 and/ or legs 14, respectively.

In the specific illustration here given, paired anus and their associated pivot rods are thus provided at three sides of the tool stand only, but it is apparent that a further set of arms and an accompanying pivot rod could be secured to the remaining side of the stand if desired.

Each of pivot rods 32, 36, is provided with tool mounting rails 38, 49, respectively, loosely hinged thereto by passage of the rod through holes provided in the vertical flanges of the respective rails. Mounting holes 44 are drilled or punched in each or" the rails whereby tool units may be bolted thereto, the rails being freely slidable longitudinally of their pivot rods prior to being secured to a tool, to accommodate their spacing for the particular tool to be mounted thereon.

The several power tools, such as table saw TS, grinder G and belt sander BS, shown in dotted lines, are mounted on the upper, i.e. horizontal, flange of the respective tool rails 38, 49, so that as the units are swung laterally upwardly from depending position adjacent the sides of stand 19, they are brought into overlying relation in respect to the working surface defined by frame members 12. Each tool unit is thus selectively disposed directly above motor M and may be connected thereto by means of a flexible belt B. Motor M is freely pivotable upwardly on its rails 24 to facilitate connection of the belt to the tool in use and is suspended by the drive belt. The weight of the motor on the belt is thus employed to provide proper belt tension.

Each of the tool units is mounted on a pair of tool rails so that the axis of rotation of the tool unit is parallel to the shaft of motor M, and the tool is adjustably fastened to its rails so that when swung into position on top of the stand, good alignment of the drive pulley of the tool with that of motor M takes place practically automatically clue to the freedom of the motor and supporting rails to move laterally.

It will be noted that the vertically disposed arms 34 project slightly above the upper edge of horizontally disposed arms 36 traversing the stand; This'is so arranged that' the rails 40, which are suspended on pivot rod 36, will hinge over into horizontal position, resting on the upper edges of arms 30, when in operative position for the unit attached to such rails.

As will be apparent, the foregoing unit embodies a very economical and structurally simple arrangement which afiords the user the convenience of completely separate standard, self-contained tools, but enables him to drive each of them independently from a single motor ource, at the same time providing substantial saving of space requirements for the tools with no sacrifice in utilization of the several tools.

As mentioned, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made in the construction particularly illustrated and described above. For example, the supports for pivot rods 32, 36, might simply be brackets secured directly to the sides of frame members 12. Also, if two tools are relatively narrow, it may be possible to mount both such tools in side-by-side relation on separate pairs of rails suspended from the same pivot rod. These and similar modifications are of course intended to fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a workshop tool stand for motor-driven tools,

(a) means defining an open centered working surface and leg means supporting said working surface at an appropriate height above the floor;

(b) a motor support stationed below said working surface; s

(c) pivot means adjacent at least one edge of working surface;

(d) a pair of tool rails supported on said pivot means and swingable thereabout in a plane perpendicular to .said working surface from a position laterally alongside said stand to a position overlying said open-centered working surface and;

(e) provision on said rails for securing a tool thereto.

2. In a tool stand for supporting a plurality of power tools whereby to enable selective shifting of said tools into operative position on said stand, the combination which comprises, Q (a) a generally rectangular frame disposed horizontally to define a working surface;

() leg means supporting said frame above the floor;

(c) a motor support stationed beneath said frame;

- (d) a pair of arms and a pivot rod supported therein laterally adjacent an edge of said frame;

(2) a pair of rails pivoted on said rod, individually slidable therealong and swingable from a position alongside said leg means into overlying relation to said rectangular frame;

(f) and means on said rails for mounting a power tool thereon.

said

3.'I11 a tool stand for interchangeable use of one of so plurality of power tools mounted to be shiftable selective- (c) a motor support located beneath said work sur face;

(d) a pair of arms extending across said work surface and secured to said frame, said arms projecting laterally at opposite sides of said frame;

(e) a hinge rod supported between projecting ends of said arms at each of the opposite ends thereof;

(f) a pair of power tool rails loosely pivoted on each of said hinge rods .and swinga'ble alternatively into overlying horizontal relation above said work surface from a depending substantially vertical position alongside opposite edges of said surface; and p (g) means for securing said rails in each pair to the base of a power tool whereby said tool may be swung into and out of overlying relation to said work surface and said motor support;

4. A tool stand of the character defined in claim 3,

which further includes;

(a) a second pair of arms disposed transversely of the first and secured to said stand to project above said first pair intermediate the first said opposite sides of said stand;

(b) an additional hinge rod supported between the projecting portions of said second pair of arms;

(0) a pair of power tool rails loosely pivoted on said.

additional rod and swingable from a depending position alongside said table into overlying relation to said first pair of arms and restable thereon in horizontal position; and;

(d) mean for securing a power tool tosaid second pair of rails.

5. A tool stand of the character defined in claim 3, wherein said motor support comprises a hinge rod tsecured at its opposite ends to laterally opposed legs of said stand, and a pair of motor rails loosely pivoted on said rod, and means for rigidly fastening said motor to said rails Wbilepermitting arcuate and lateral movement of said motor and arms beneath said work surface.

.6. A tool stand for interchangeable, use of one of a plurality of power tools adapted to be shifted selectively into operative position on said stand, comprising:

(a) means defining a working surface having an aperture therein;

(b) means supporting said working surface of an appropriate height above the floor;

(c) a motor support stationed beneath the aperture in said working surface and shiftable vertically and laterally relative thereto;

(d) horizontally disposed pivot means adjacent at least one edge of said working surface;

(2) tool rail means supported on said pivot means and swingable thereabout in a plane perpendicular to said working surface from a position laterally' alongside said stand to a position overlying said working. surface; and

(f) means on said tool rail means for securing a power tool thereto.

References Cited the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE RoY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A WORSHOP TOOL STAND FOR MOTOR-DRIVEN TOOLS, (A) MEANS DEFINING AN OPEN CENTERED WORKING SURFACE AND LEG MEANS SUPPORTING SAID WORKING SURFACES AT AN APPROPRIATE HEIGHT ABOVE THE FLOOR; (B) A MOTOR SUPPORT STATIONED BELOW SAID WORKING SURFACE; (C) PIVOT MEANS ADJACENT AT LEAST ONE EDGE OF SAID WORKING SURFACE; (D) A PAIR OF TOOL RAILS SUPPORTED ON SAID PIVOT MEANS AND SWINGABLE THEREABOUT IN A PLANE PERPEN-

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