WO2002034488A9

WO2002034488A9 - Work support

Info

Publication number: WO2002034488A9
Application number: PCT/GB2001/004716
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Errol Brathwaite
Original assignee: Charles Errol Brathwaite
Priority date: 2000-10-24
Filing date: 2001-10-24
Publication date: 2003-05-08
Also published as: GB2385556A; GB0312021D0; GB2385556B; WO2002034488A1; GB0025955D0; AU2001295786A1

Abstract

A work support for supporting a workpiece with a major axis of the workpiece extending outwardly of the work support, for example at least substantially horizontally, the work support comprising work holding means (20) for holding an end portion of the workpiece and mounting means (50) for the work holding means. The work support may be used for a variety of purposes but it is especially useful for supporting a length of stiff material during the carrying out of one or more operations upon it.

Description

Work Support

This invention relates to work supports.

The present invention is concerned with a work support for supporting a workpiece with a major axis of the workpiece extending outwardly of the work support, for example at least substantially horizontally, the work support comprising work holding means for holding an end portion of the workpiece and mounting means for the work holding means .

The word "comprising" where used herein is intended to encompass the notion of "including" and the notion of "consisting essentially of" .

In one aspect of the present invention, the work holding means comprises a work receiving portion, clamp means mounted for movement height -wise of the work receiving portion and locking means for locking the clamp means in a desired position with respect to the work receiving portion, whereby the end portion of the workpiece may be held in position between the work receiving portion and the clamp means.

In this aspect of the invention, the work receiving portion may comprise a plate having a workpiece engaging surface preferably provided with teeth or other gripping means for engaging the workpiece. The plate may be provided with jaw elements at its sides, adapted to flank the end portion of the workpiece.

To support the workpiece substantially horizontally in the work support, the construction and arrangement of the work support is suitably such that the workpiece engaging surface of the plate is disposed at least substantially horizontally when the device is ready for use.

The clamp means may be provided with one or more teeth or other gripping means for engaging the workpiece. In a preferred work support, the clamp means is mounted on a shaft for movement towards and away from the work receiving portion.

In use the work receiving portion typically provides a platform with its workpiece engaging surface disposed so that an end portion of the workpiece may be placed onto the workpiece engaging surface between the jaw elements. The clamp means is arranged to be lowered on its shaft towards the workpiece so as to secure the end portion of the workpiece. The locking means ideally locks the clamp means on its shaft, thus enabling the clamp means to be locked in position relative to the work receiving portion with the end portion of the workpiece gripped between the workpiece engaging surface of the work receiving portion and the clamp means . The teeth or other gripping means of the workpiece engaging surface and of the clamp means can provide extra grip on the workpiece held between the workpiece engaging surface and the clamp means. In a work support according to the invention, the mounting means serves to dispose the work holding means at a desired height above ground, suitable to enable an operator to work on the workpiece held in the work holding means.

In a second aspect of the present invention the mounting means comprises ground engaging means extending downwardly and outwardly of the work receiving portion which ground engaging means comprises a first leg the axis of which is inclined to the work receiving portion and extends in or substantially parallel to a vertical plane which includes the major axis of the workpiece when present.

In this aspect of the invention, the inclined first leg is intended to support the workpiece effectively, the first leg being positioned beneath and generally parallel to the workpiece along its length when the workpiece is positioned in the work support. The first leg is preferably provided with a ground engaging foot, for example a bar secured to the first leg and substantially normal thereto. Preferably the first leg is releasably secured to the work support for removal from the work support for storage or transportation of the work support. Also, the first leg may be adjustable or replaceable with legs of different lengths if desired to accommodate workpieces of different lengths.

The ground engaging means preferably includes second and third legs inclined away from each other and downwardly and outwardly of the work holding means . The second and third legs are preferably each of substantially equal length (generally shorter than the first leg) and substantially equal angular disposition to the work holding means. The second and third legs may be secured to the underside of the work holding means and a socket may be secured to the second and third leg (typically , the socket is secured to a triangular plate extending between the second and third leg) . The socket extends downwardly and outwardly equidistant between the second and third leg and is suitable for receiving the first leg. The first leg can be releasably secured in the socket by means of a bolt or other securing means .

A work support according to the invention may be used for a variety of purposes but it is especially useful for supporting a length of stiff material during the carrying out of one or more operations upon it. A preferred work support according to the invention hereinafter described is intended for use as a sawing clamp in which a piece of timber (for example, a log) may be held horizontal at a convenient height for an operator to saw portions from the timber using, for example, a hand saw or a chain saw.

A work support according to the invention may also comprise or be used in conjunction with guard means for deflecting a portion of the workpiece (for example sawn portions of a log held in the work support) , so as to protect lower extremities of an operator working on a workpiece (such as a log) held in the work support . One suitable guard means hereinafter described is a collapsible device having a deflector plate arranged to be positioned beneath and aligned with a workpiece held in the work support, with the deflector plate extending height -wise of the work support and at an incline to the vertical .

A work support according to the invention has various advantages. In one aspect, securing of the workpiece thereon is assured. In another aspect, the work support may be used in many circumstances, indoors and in the open where the ground surfaces are not uniformly flat. Also, a preferred work support according to the invention may have one or more of its legs (particularly the first leg hereinbefore mentioned) removable to enable transportation, for example in a vehicle, or for storage of the work support .

The invention thus provides a work support for supporting a workpiece with a major axis of the workpiece extending outwardly of the work support (for example at least substantially horizontally) the work support comprising work holding means for holding an end portion of the workpiece and mounting means for the work holding means, in which a) the work holding means comprises a work receiving portion, clamp means mounted for movement height-wise of the work receiving portion and locking means for locking the clamp means in a desired position with respect to the work receiving portion whereby the end portion of the workpiece may be held in position between the work receiving portion and the clamp means, and/or b) the mounting means comprises ground engaging means extending downwardly and outwardly of the work holding means, which ground engaging means comprises a first leg inclined to the major axis of the workpiece when present, the first leg extending with its axis substantially in, or parallel to, the vertical plane which includes the major axis of the workpiece when presen .

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, there now follows a description, to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of an exemplary work support' according to the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the illustrative work support ;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a log supported in the work support;

Figure 3 is a view substantially on the line A-A of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view of an optional guard arrangement for use with a work support according to the invention;

Figures 5a and 5b are respective side and upper views of the guard arrangement of Figure 4 in a collapsed state; and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the optional lower guard arrangement of Figure 4 with the work support.

The work support shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 6 is intended for use as a sawing clamp for a timber workpiece, such as a log (10) . The log (10) may be clamped by the work support with the log (10) extending outwardly of the work support with a major axis (12) of the log (10) at least substantially horizontal and at a convenient height for an operator to saw portions of the log (10) (as shown most clearly in Figure 2) . The work support comprises a work holder (20) for holding an end portion (14) of the log (10) and a mount (50) for the work holder (20) .

The work holder (20) comprises a work receiving portion (22) and a clamp (24) . The work receiving portion (22) comprises a plate (26) having a workpiece engaging surface (28) provided with teeth (30) for gripping the log (10) . The plate (26) is provided with jaw elements (32) at its sides, adapted to flank the end portion (14) of the log

(10) . The workpiece engaging surface (28) is disposed at least substantially horizontally when the work support device is ready for use. A shaft (34) is secured to the plate (26) and extends normal to the workpiece engaging surface (28) (ie upwardly) when the work support is ready for use .

The clamp (24) is slidably mounted on the shaft (34) , and is provided with work engaging teeth (36) . A screw (38) provided on the clamp (24) is arranged to engage the shaft (34) upon rotation by a handle (40) ; the screw (38) enables the clamp (24) to be locked on the shaft (34) . In use, the work receiving portion (22) provides a platform with the workpiece engaging surface (28) disposed substantially horizontally so that an end portion (14) of a log (10) may be placed onto the workpiece engaging surface (28) between the jaw elements (32) . The clamp (24) may be lowered towards the log (10) so as to hold the end portion (14) of the log (10) between the work engaging teeth (36) of the clamp (24) and the workpiece engaging surface (28) of the plate (26) (as shown in Figures 2 and 3) .

The mount (50) has ground engaging legs (52, 54, 56) secured to the underside of the plate (26) below the shaft (34) . A first leg (52) extends downwardly and outwardly of the plate (26) in such a way that it is inclined to the major axis (12) of the log (10) as shown in Figure 2. A bar (58) is secured to the first leg (52) and normal thereto to provide a ground engaging foot . The second and third legs (54, 56) are joined together adjacent the plate

(26) and are inclined away from each other downwardly and outwardly as viewed in the Figures 1 to 3 and 6. The second and third legs (54, 56) are of equal length and equal angular disposition relative to the plate (26) . A triangular plate (61) and socket (60) secures the first leg (52) to the second and third legs (54, 56) and to the plate (26) . The socket (60) extends downwardly and outwardly from the triangular plate (61) equidistant between the second and third legs (54 and 56) , the triangular plate (61) being secured to the second and third legs (54 and 56) and the plate (26) . The first leg (52) is received in the socket (60) and secured therein by a bolt (62) . The first leg (52) is thus releasably secured to the work support and may be removed from the work support for storage or transportation of the work support.

The work support of the present invention may be used in conjunction with a guard (80) as shown in Figure 4. The guard is for deflecting pieces swan from the log (10) which is clamped on the work engaging surface (28) as shown in Figures 6, so as to protect lower extremities of an operator. The guard (80) is a collapsible device and comprises a rectangular deflector plate (82) with a first edge of the deflector plate (82) pivotally mounted to a first edge of a rectangular ground support plate (84) . A lip (90) is connected to a third edge of the deflector plate (82) opposite the first edge of the deflector plate (82) . Spacer rods (86) are pivotally connected proximal the third edge of the deflector plate (82) .

The ground support plate (84) has a bar (88) parallel and proximal to a third edge of the ground support plate (84) , opposite the first edge of the ground support plate (84) . In use, the guard (80) can be assembled from its collapsed state (as shown in Figures 5a and 5b) to its fully assembled state (as shown in Figures 4 and 6) , by moving the spacer rods (86) , such that the free ends of the spacer rods (86) (that is the ends not pivotally connected to the deflector plate (82)) rest against the bar (88) of the ground support plate (84) . The bar (88) advantageously prevents the spacer rods (86) from collapsing outwards when, for example, a log falls from the work support onto the deflector plate (82) of the guard (80) .

In use, the guard (80) is positioned as shown in Figure 6, with the deflector plate (82) positioned beneath and aligned with the log (10) clamped in the work support, with the deflector plate (82) extending height-wise of the work support and at an incline to the vertical.

Claims

Claims :

1. A work support for supporting a workpiece with a major axis of the workpiece extending outwardly of the work support, the work support comprising work holding means for holding an end portion of the workpiece and mounting means for the work holding means, in which a) the work holding means comprises a work receiving portion, clamp means mounted for movement height-wise of the work receiving portion and locking means for locking the clamp means in a desired position with respect to the work receiving portion whereby the end portion of the workpiece may be held in position between the work receiving portion and the clamp means, and/or b) the mounting means comprises ground engaging means extending downwardly and outwardly of the work holding means, which ground engaging means comprises a first leg inclined to the major axis of the workpiece when present, the first leg extending with its axis substantially in or parallel to the vertical plane which includes the major axis of the workpiece when present.

A work support according to Claim 1, wherein the work receiving portion comprises a plate having a workpiece engaging surface .

3. A work support according to Claim 2, wherein the workpiece engaging surface has one or more teeth or other gripping means for engaging the workpiece.

4. A work support according to Claim 2 or 3 , wherein the plate is provided with jaw elements at its sides, adapted to flank the end portion of the workpiece.

5. A work support according to any of Claims 2 to 4 , wherein the workpiece engaging surface of the plate is disposed at least substantially horizontally when the support is ready for use.

6. A work support according to any preceding claim, wherein the clamp means has one or more teeth or other gripping means for engaging the workpiece.

7. A work support to any preceding claim, wherein the clamp means is mounted on a shaft for movement towards and away from the work receiving portion.

8. A work support according to Claim 7, wherein the locking means locks the clamp means on its shaft.

9. A work support according to any preceding Claim, wherein the mounting means comprises ground engaging means extending downwardly and outwardly of the work receiving portion which ground engaging means comprises a first leg the axis of which is inclined to the work receiving portion and extends in or substantially parallel to a vertical plane which includes the major axis of the workpiece when present.

10. A work support according to any preceding Claim, wherein the first leg has a ground engaging foot provided by a bar secured to the first leg and normal thereto .

11. A work support according to any preceding Claim, wherein the first leg is releasably secured to the work support .

12. A work support according to any preceding Claims, wherein the ground engaging means includes second and third legs inclined away from each other downwardly and outwardly of the work holding means .

13. A work support according to Claim 13, wherein the second and third legs are each of substantially equal length and substantially equal angular disposition to the work holding means .

14. A work support according to Claim 13 or 14, wherein the second and third legs are secured to the underside of the work holding means

15. A work support according to Claim 15, wherein a socket is secured to the second and third legs, which socket extends downwardly and outwardly equidistant between the second and third legs, the socket being arranged to receive the first leg.

16. Apparatus comprising a work support according to any preceding Claim and guard means for deflecting a portion of the workpiece, so as to protect lower extremities of an operator working on a workpiece held in the work support.