WO2005002813A1

WO2005002813A1 - Building saw

Info

Publication number: WO2005002813A1
Application number: PCT/NO2004/000207
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yngvar Georg Karlsen; Svein Frydenlund; Jan Hansen
Original assignee: Ernex As
Priority date: 2003-07-07
Filing date: 2004-07-06
Publication date: 2005-01-13
Also published as: NO321975B1; EP1654098A1; NO20033108D0

Abstract

A building saw comprising a stand (3) with a frame (5), which is connected to a tabletop (2) by means of distance brackets (6) and with legs (7), where the tabletop (2) has a turntable (15) with a slot (4), and a cradle (20) with a motor and a circular saw blade (1) arranged on the turntable (15), where the cradle (20) is located substantially between the frame (5) and the tabletop (2). The saw blade is rotatable about its axis of rotation in such a direction that a point on the saw blade (1) will move from a position closest to the normal operator position in a curve over the tabletop (2) to a point furthest away from the normal operator position, and the saw blade is suspended in such a manner that it can be steplessly and lockably raised, moved, tilted and/or rotated and that the building saw comprises an operating device (35) for handling all the saw blade's movements with regard to raising, moving, tilting and/or rotating the saw blade.

Description

Building saw

The invention relates to a building saw comprising a stand, a tabletop, a cradle with a motor mounted on the cradle for rotating operation of a saw blade and a slot for the saw blade provided in the tabletop, where the stand comprises a frame, which is connected to the tabletop by means of distance brackets and collapsible legs, and the cradle with motor and saw blade are located substantially between the frame and the tabletop. The building saw according to the invention has a wide range of applications, while being of such a size and provided with devices that enable it to be easily transported, with the result that it is mobile. In a building process it will be necessary to saw a large number of planks, sheets, boards, etc. and these saw cuts are seldom all of the same type or at the same angle. There are several ways of carrying out the necessary sawing work. One alternative for sawing the elements with the desired angles and cut is to transport the elements to a large sawmill, have the sawing work done and then transport the ready-cut elements to the assembly site. A transport process of this kind is a time-consuming and demanding process, which also requires planning in order to minimise the transport involved.

In the case of major building projects, the decision is often made to transport to the building site a large building saw that is capable of being dismantled and to assemble it there, usually outside the building. With a large assemblable building saw of this kind it will probably still be necessary to transport the elements that have to be cut between the saw and the assembly site. It will take time to assemble/dismantle the building saw. Nor will a large assemblable building saw of this kind be suitable for use in smaller building projects on account of the space and time required for assembly/dismantling, and it is unsuitable for indoor use. The alternative to a large building saw is to have a number of different smaller saws available at the building site. These will then require a stable base for their operation and it will also be a time-consuming task to change saws according to the cut required. There is therefore a need for a mobile building saw with a wide range of uses, which at the same time is of a design and size that enable it to be easily transported between the operating sites.

There are solutions known in the prior art that attempt to meet this requirement. In DE 298 22 418 Ul a transportable building saw is described with a housing with a tabletop and a support surface, where saw and motor are mounted underneath the tabletop. The housing has collapsible legs. EP 988 126 Bl describes a building saw comprising a housing and collapsible legs, where the tabletop comprises a turntable and grooves for attaching a loose extension. These known mobile building saws nevertheless have limited cutting capacity and are difficult to transport. These known solutions also have a plurality of handles for handling the saw blade. In one solution, for example, the position of the saw blade in the saw slot has to be adjusted to the desired height by a screw device, while the saw blade is guided in the slot by another handle.

The object of the present invention is to achieve a saw which avoids the above- mentioned disadvantages involving the limited range of uses of smaller building saws and the ability to transport larger building saws.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a building saw with a wide range of applications, which is easy for an operator to use and where the saw blade has several degrees of freedom. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a building saw with as clear a tabletop as possible, in order to make the operation of the building saw as simple as possible for the operator.

These objects are achieved by the features of the invention described in the attached claims. The building saw according to the invention as it is defined in the following claims provides a building saw which is compact, i.e. relatively small in size and easy to move, but with a wide range of uses. The building saw has a greater range of application than known mobile building saws due amongst other things to the saw blade's many degrees of freedom, while at the same time it is compact and equipped with devices that enable it to be easily transported and employed at the assembly site.

The building saw according to the invention is also easy for an operator to use since all the saw blade's degrees of freedom are operated by a single handle, where the saw blade can be raised, moved, tilted and/or rotated by this handle. All these degrees of freedom are also infinitely variable and provided with locking devices, thus enabling them to be locked in a desired position for the saw blade if required.

An upper protective device for the building saw is mounted in a hoop which is mounted on the building saw under the table top and the angle locator is attached to a track recessed in the table top, with the result that the table top is clear for the sawing operation. This means that there are no obstacles in the way when passing the workpiece over the table top, thus simplifying the work of an operator.

According to one embodiment the saw also has wheels and handles attached to the stand and/or the tabletop, in addition to which the legs are collapsible, thus enabling the building saw to be transported more easily than conventional saws. The fact that the saw can be wheeled in addition to its being substantially box-shaped in the transport position make the saw more suitable for transport than other known saws with an equally wide range of uses. The invention will now be described by means of an embodiment with references to the attached drawings, in which: fig. 1 is a perspective view of a building saw according to the invention, fig. 2 illustrates the building saw in fig. 1 at another angle, fig. 3 is a perspective view of the building saw in a transport position, fig. 4 illustrates the saw in fig. 3 viewed from another side, fig. 5 is a principle view of the saw blade's degrees of freedom in a building saw according to the invention, fig. 6 illustrates the building saw's cradle between the tabletop and the frame viewed at an angle from the side, fig. 7 is a view from the side of the building saw's cradle mounted on the bottom of the turntable in one position, fig. 8 illustrates the cradle in fig. 7 in a second position, and fig. 9 illustrates the cradle in fig. 8 in a third position. In fig. 1 a mobile building saw according to the invention is illustrated in an upright position, ready for use. The mobile building saw comprises a saw blade 1, a tabletop 2, a stand 3 and a cradle with a motor mounted on the cradle for rotating operation of the saw blade 1. In the tabletop 2 is provided a turntable 15 with a slot 4 for the saw blade 1. The stand 3 comprises a frame 5, which is connected to the tabletop 2 by means of distance brackets 6 and collapsible legs 7. The cradle with motor and saw blade 1 are located substantially between the frame 5 and the tabletop 2.

In a preferred embodiment the stand 3 has one or more extendable handles (not shown in the figures). These handles may be employed for carrying and lifting the building saw and such handles will be mounted on the frame 5, the tabletop 2 and/or the distance brackets 6 in an appropriate manner, so as to provide a good grip while not interfering with sawing. The stand 3 may also have a handle designed for wheeling the building saw. This handle will be fixed to the frame 5, the tabletop 2 and/or the distance brackets 6 in a known manner, and may possibly be telescopic in order to attain a height suitable for wheeling. For wheeling, the building saw also comprises at least one wheel 14 attached to the stand 3 and/or the table top 2 (see fig. 2 and fig. 4), thus enabling the saw to be moved on wheels. This provides much easier transportation of the building saw since it can be wheeled or carried like a case, the building saw also being relatively heavy on account of the requirement for stability. In a preferred embodiment as illustrated in figs. 1 and 2, the frame 5 and the tabletop 2 have an area of substantially similar shape, with the outer edges of the frame 5 and the tabletop 2 in alignment with each other. By designing the saw substantially in a box shape in the transport position, with a minimum of the saw's equipment sticking out beyond the box shape, the saw is easy to transport, being easy to handle and stack together with other equipment. In a preferred embodiment, two of the corners of the tabletop 2 and the frame 5, which are facing the normal operator position, are rounded to give the operator a better working position. The edge of the tabletop with rounded ends is indicated as the front edge of the saw, while the opposite edge is indicated as the rear edge and the edges extending between the front and the rear edges are indicated as lateral edges of the saw. The legs 7 of the stand 3 may also be provided with adjusting devices in order to adapt it to an uneven base.

As illustrated in figs. 1 and 2, the building saw's tabletop 2 comprises a track channel 9 extending from the front to the rear edge of the table top. The track channel 9 is disposed in the tabletop 2, close to but at a distance from one lateral edge of the tabletop 2. The track channel 9 may be achieved by means of a profiled groove in the tabletop or by a U-shaped groove in the tabletop with a track channel profile mounted in the groove. A track 10 is mounted in the track channel 9. In a preferred embodiment the track 10 has a length corresponding to the length of the track channel 9 in the tabletop 2. The track 10 is movably and lockably connected to the track channel 9, thus enabling the track 10 to be moved along the track channel. In a transport position the track 10 will be centred in the track channel as illustrated in fig. 1, while it can be pulled out to both sides during use. An angle locator 11 is movably attached to the track 10 by a locking device 12 for locking the angle locator 11 in a desired position along the track 10. If so desired, the angle locator may also be made rotatable in order to adjust it at a desired angle. Since the track 10 can also be pulled along the track channel 9, the angle locator 11 can be given a position at a distance outside the tabletop 2. This provides the building saw according to the invention with a wider range of uses than the size of the actual tabletop would indicate, while still being compact, which is an advantage with regard to transport.

In the embodiment illustrated in figs. 1 and 2 the building saw also has an upper protective device 40 mounted above the slot 4 in the tabletop 2. The upper protective device 40 is attached to a hoop 41 which is affixed to the building saw beneath the tabletop 2. This gives the saw's tabletop 2 a "clear" surface which is advantageous for easy handling of the workpieces that have to be processed by the saw. The hoop 41 extends in a deflected U-shape, with the bottom of the U-shape at a distance outside the tabletop 2. In a preferred embodiment one end of the hoop 41 is connected via a straight portion to the underside of the turntable 15, where the protective device 40 is attached to the other end of the hoop 41. The shape of the hoop and the position of the distance brackets 6 between the tabletop 2 and the frame 5 are such that the turntable 15 with the hoop 41 can be rotated from -45 degrees to +90 degrees relative to a normal starting position, in which the saw blade 1 is at right angles between the front and rear edges of the tabletop 2. Other designs may be envisaged here that enable the saw to be rotated from -90 degrees to +90 degrees.

The upper protective device 40 is attached to one end of the hoop 41 by an attachment device 42. The attachment device is such that the upper protective device 40 can be moved between a position more or less in abutment against the tabletop 2 and a position at a distance from the tabletop 2. An operating handle 43 and suction attachment 44 are also mounted on the upper protective device 40. The legs of the hoop's 41 deflected U-shaped portion have a length that is longer than absolutely necessary in order to give the saw greater unobstructed space round the tabletop and thereby a wider range of uses for the saw.

In a transport position as illustrated in fig. 3 and fig. 4 the legs 7 will be folded up with the result that in a transport position the saw is essentially box-shaped. In a preferred embodiment of the building saw the legs 7 are rotatably mounted on the frame with the result that in a folded up position the legs 7 are substantially located on a level with the frame 5. Alternative embodiments of collapsible legs may be envisaged. For example, the legs may be attached to the tabletop and folded up by means of hinges between the tabletop 2 and the frame 5. Alternatively, the legs may be scissors-shaped or also possibly telescopic.

As can also be seen in fig. 3, the upper protection 40 is mounted within the outer edges of the frame 5 and the tabletop 2 in a transport position, with the result that as little as possible of the saw protrudes outside the box shape in a transport position. In a transport position the turntable 15 with the cradle 20 and the saw blade will also be locked in a position rotated at 90° relative to the front edge of the tabletop.

In a preferred embodiment the building saw according to the invention also has a number of devices for moving the saw blade. In figs. 5a-e five principle drawings are illustrated for the saw blade's degrees of freedom for a building saw according to the invention. In fig. 5a a direction of rotation for the saw blade is illustrated, 5b raising and lowering of the saw blade relative to the tabletop, 5c movement of the saw blade relative to the slot in the tabletop, 5d tilting of the saw blade relative to a horizontal plane and 5e rotation of the saw blade relative to a vertical plane by rotating the turntable. All of these movements of the saw blade are operated by means of a common movement device.

In order to achieve all these degrees of freedom the saw blade 1 and the motor amongst other things are mounted in a cradle 20. The cradle with the devices for moving the saw blade 1 are illustrated in figures 6-9, where the cradle 20 is viewed in various perspectives and where the saw blade 1 has different positions. All the saw blade's movements can be controlled by moving one single handle 35, as illustrated in fig. 1 and fig. 6. The saw blade 1 in the building saw is rotated by a motor about an axis of rotation. In theory the saw blade 1 can be rotated in both directions about the axis of rotation, but in a preferred embodiment the saw blade 1 rotates about the axis of rotation in such a direction that a point on the saw blade 1 moves from a position closest to the normal operator position and the rounded corners of the tabletop, in a curve over the tabletop 2 to a point furthest away from the normal operator position. By means of such a rotation of the saw blade, the operator will push the elements that have to be cut away from him when the saw blade is at right angles to the front edge of the tabletop 2. By rotating and pushing the elements in this manner, greater safety is achieved when operating the saw. Should a tooth break loose from the saw blade, for example, as a result of the saw blade's rotation, the direction of travel of the tooth is away from the operator instead of being directed towards him, which will be the case if the saw blade rotates the other way.

In a preferred embodiment the building saw also comprises a turntable 15 mounted in the tabletop 2, illustrated in fig 1. Figs. 7-9 illustrate the turntable 15 viewed from the underside with the cradle mounted on the turntable 15. The slot 4 for insertion of the saw blade 1 is provided in the turntable 15 and the cradle 20 is connected to the turntable 15, with the result that when the turntable 15 is rotated about a substantially vertical axis, the saw blade 1 will acquire an angle relative to a vertical plane. In the preferred embodiment the turntable 15 can be rotated from -45 to +90 degrees relative to a position where the saw blade 1 is at right angles to the front edge of the tabletop 2.

In the preferred embodiment the cradle 20 is mounted on the underside of the turntable 15, as illustrated in figs. 7-9. The cradle 20 is mounted in a steplessly tiltable manner on the turntable 15 by means of pivot hinges 32 as illustrated in figs. 7-9, thus enabling the cradle 20 with the saw blade 1 to be rotated about a substantially horizontal axis, with the result that the saw blade 1 can be set at an angle with a substantially horizontal plane. The axis of rotation for this tilting motion of the saw blade 1 extends parallel to and close to the slot 4. In the preferred embodiment two pivot hinges 32 are mounted, one at each end of the slot 4, thus causing the whole cradle with the saw blade 1 and the motor to be tilted. The cradle is illustrated at right angles to the tabletop in fig. 6 while in figs. 7-9 it is illustrated at an angle relative to the tabletop.

The cradle 20 further comprises movement devices for moving the saw blade in the direction of the slot's 3 longitudinal direction. The movement device comprises a first substantially horizontally oriented guide rod 29 mounted on the cradle and a movement bracket 27 mounted in a steplessly movable manner on the guide rod 29. The saw blade 1 and the motor are mounted in connection with the movement bracket 27. A lock device 28 is also provided for securing the movement bracket 27 relative to the guide rod 29. The saw blade is illustrated in one position along the first guide rod 29 in figures 6-8 and in a position at the opposite end of the first guide rod 29 in fig. 9.

The cradle 20 also comprises a raising device for the saw blade 1 in order to raise it upwards from a lower position under the tabletop to an operating position where a portion of the saw blade 1 is located above the tabletop 2 by the saw blade 1 being inserted in the slot 4. In the preferred embodiment the raising motion of the saw blade is a linear motion, which gives as precise a movement of the saw blade as possible. This raising motion may conceivably also be performed in a circular arc, but this produces a less precise movement of the saw blade and is therefore not advantageous. In the preferred embodiment the raising device comprises a second guide rod 24 mounted on the movement bracket 27, where the second guide rod 24 extends perpendicularly on the first guide rod 29 and parallel to the plane of the saw blade. A motor bracket 22 is mounted in a steplessly movable manner on the second guide rod 24, where the motor with the saw blade are mounted on the motor bracket in such a manner that when the motor bracket is moved, the portion of the saw blade above the tabletop 2 will be adjusted. The raising device also comprises a lock device 23 for locking the saw blade 1 in the desired position with regard to how large a portion of the saw blade 1 is required to be above the tabletop 2.

The motor bracket 22 is locked by the lock device 23 relative to the movement bracket 27. The lock device 28 for the movement bracket 27 locks the movement bracket 27 relative to the cradle 20. The lock device for the cradle 20 locks the cradle 20 relative to the turntable 15 and the lock device for the turntable 15 locks the turntable relative to the tabletop 2.

All these movements of the saw blade 1 can be performed by a common handle 35, and when all the lock devices are disengaged the saw blade 1 can be moved freely in four degrees of freedom. The handle 35 for performing these movements of the saw blade 1 is linked at one point to an angular portion 25 of the handle of the movement bracket 27 and inserted in a groove guide 30 at a second point on the movement bracket 27, and furthermore it is linked at a point 31 to the motor bracket 22, with the result that a vertical movement of the handle 35 leads to a raising movement of the saw blade 1, a horizontal inward/outward movement results in movement of the saw blade 1, a circular arc movement in a substantially vertical plane results in tilting movement of the saw blade and a shift of the handle in a circular arc in a substantially horizontal plane results in a rotational movement of the saw blade 1. In an embodiment the handle 35 may be arranged to be removable, thus enabling it to be placed between the tabletop 2 and the frame 5 when the saw is transported or alternatively used as a part of one of the transport handles.

The combination of all these devices gives the building saw according to the invention a wide range of applications since the saw blade can be raised, moved, tilted and/or rotated in addition to the fact that the angle locator has a large setting range in the event of rotation and movement along the track and movement of the track. This provides a compact saw, i.e. relatively small in size, with a wide range of uses, which also, due to its design and its handle and wheels, can be moved in a simpler manner than in the prior art. A building saw according to the invention will also comprise in the known manner operating devices for operation of the saw blade and operation of the motor. This will be obvious to a person skilled in the art and therefore receives no further explanation here.

A building saw according to the invention has now been explained with reference to an embodiment. A number of variations may be envisaged within the scope of the following claims. The legs of the stand may be constructed as telescopic legs or scissors legs and can be attached to the frame, the distance brackets or the tabletop in a number of ways, while still being collapsible, and the tabletop may have collapsible extensions. The building saw may also include as extra equipment a laser sight, which is attached in such a manner that the light beam indicates the direction of cut. The attachment of the handle and arrangement of the elements that give the saw blade its degrees of freedom may also conceivably be provided differently, for example by placing the horizontal guide near slots, etc.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A building saw comprising a stand (3) with a frame (5) which is connected to a tabletop (2) via distance brackets (6), and with legs (7), where the tabletop (2) has a turntable (15) mounted in the tabletop (2), where a slot (4) is arranged in the turntable (15), a cradle (20) arranged to the turntable with a motor and a circular saw blade (1), where the cradle (20) with motor and saw blade (1) in transport position are located substantially between the frame (5) and the tabletop (2), and where the length of the slot is greater than the diameter of the saw blade, where

- the saw blade (1) is rotatable about its axis of rotation in such a direction that a point on the saw blade (1) will move from a position closest to the normal operator position in a curve above the tabletop (2) to a point furthest away from the normal operator position,

- the cradle (20) comprises a stepless lockable raising device for raising the saw blade (1) in a linear motion between a lower position where the saw blade (1) is located between the tabletop (2) and the frame (5) and an operating position where at least a portion of the saw blade (1) is located above the tabletop (2),

- the cradle (20) further comprises a stepless, lockable movement device for moving the saw blade (1) in the longitudinal direction of the slot (4),

- the cradle (20) further comprises a stepless, lockable tilting device for giving the saw blade (1) a desired angle relative to a substantially horizontal plane,

- the turntable (15) is arranged so that it can be steplessly, lockably adjusted to give the saw blade (1) a desired angle relative to a substantially vertical plane, and

- the building saw comprises an operating device (35) for handling all the saw blade's movements with regard to raising, moving, tilting and/or rotating the saw blade.

2. A building saw according to claim 1, characterised in that the cradle (20) is tiltably suspended in the turntable (15) by means of turning devices (32) for stepless and lockable tilting movement of the saw blade (1), that the cradle (20) comprises a first guide device (29) with a movement bracket (27) arranged on the guide (29) for stepless and lockable movement of the saw blade (1) in the longitudinal direction of the slot (4), that the movement bracket (27) comprises a second guide device (24) with a motor bracket (22) movably arranged on the second guide device (24) for stepless and lockable raising/lowering of the saw blade (1), where the motor is arranged on the motor bracket (22) and the saw blade (1) is arranged on the motor.

3. A building saw according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the tabletop (2) has a track channel (9) with a longitudinal direction substantially extending between a front and a rear edge of the tabletop (2), with a track (10) movably and lockably provided in the track channel (9), an angle locator (11) movably attached in the track (10) with a lock device (12) for securing the angle locator in a desired position along the track (10).

4. A building saw according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that an upper protective device (40) for the saw blade is provided supported by a hoop (41), which is arranged on the building saw underneath the tabletop (2), and in such a manner that the protective device is located above the slot (4) in the tabletop (2).

5. A building saw according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the hoop (41) extends in a deflected U-shape, with the bottom of the U-shape at a distance outside the tabletop (2) where one end of the hoop (41) is connected via a straight portion to the underside of the turntable (15) and where the protective device (40) is attached to the other end of the hoop (41), where the distance brackets (6) between the tabletop (2) and the frame (5) are located in such a manner that the turntable (15) with the hoop (41) can be rotated from -45 degrees to +90 degrees relative to a normal starting position, in which the saw blade (1) is at right angles between the front and the rear edges of the tabletop (2).

6. A building saw according to claim 5, characterised in that the hoop (41) is arranged on the turntable (15) in such a manner that during transport the hoop (41) can be disposed substantially between the tabletop (2) and the frame (5).

7. A building saw according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the stand (3) and/or the tabletop (2) has one or more collapsible handles and at least one wheel (14) attached to the stand (3) and/or the tabletop (2), thus enabling the saw to be moved by wheeling and the wheeling to be controlled by one of the handles.

8. A building saw according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the legs (7) are rotatably arranged on the frame (5) in such a manner that the legs (7) in a folded up position are located substantially on a level with the frame (5).

9. A building saw according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the area of the frame (5) and the tabletop (2) has substantially the same shape and that in the transport position the saw is essentially box-shaped.