DISPOSITIF POUR MAINTENIR EN PLACE ET CENTRER UNE SCIE

SAW HOLDING AND CENTERING DEVICE

Description

CA 02233458 1998-04-28
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SAW HOLDING AND CENTERING DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
S The present invention concerns a device to hold and center a saw on a
saw sharpener or other similar machine.
Many saw-holding or centering systems are known in the industry. Most
of these prior art systems use a plurality of magnets to hold the saw in
place,
which generates several drawbacks. Magnets usually attract dirt since any
piece
of metal clings to them, and any movement of these magnets displaces the blade
of the save which leads to distortions in the blade sharpening.
The present invention provides a saw-holding and centering device without
1S magnets which eliminates the need for constant maintenance, and is in
addition
simpler and cheaper to build than prior art systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a saw holding and centering device
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a view from the front of a saw to be held by a device according
to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the device of figure 1 showing an
inclined ball and socket joint according to the present invention.

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DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring to figures 1 and 2, the holding and centering device according
to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a support base 5,
having a top surface 7 fit to receive a saw 9 thereon, the saw 9 having a
central
circular opening 10. The base 5 is preferably of circular shape. A plurality
of ball-
and-socket joints 11 are fixed on said base 5, each having a saw-holding
member
13 projecting therefrom in a direction generally perpendicular to the support
base
5. Each ball-and-socket joint 11 is held in position by a washer 15. The ball-
and-
socket joints 1 1 are distributed in a circular manner on the support base 5.
A circular tappet 17 is provided over the base 5, having a diameter slightly
larger than the diameter of the circle defined by the ball-and-socket joints 1
1. The
tappet 17 is translatable in a direction perpendicular to the base top surface
7,
and is preferably fixed on a central shaft 19. A handle 21 is rotationally and
threadedly fixed on said shaft 19, in such a manner that rotating the handle
21
allows to push down the tappet 17 toward the base 5 and hold it in position.
The
tappet 17 then applies a radial pressure on the saw-holding members 13 of the
ball-and-socket joints 1 1, setting said saw-holding members 13 in a position
outwardly inclined from the center of the device as may be seen in figure 3.
The
saw-holding members 13 of the ball-and-socket joints 11 therefore retain
securely in place the saw 9 on the base 5 in a perfectly central position.
The device according to the present invention may in a preferred
embodiment be used to hold a saw 9 having a central circular opening 10
provided with ridges 23. The saw-holding members 13 may then be placed to fit
in these ridges 23 and hold the saw 9 more efficiently. However, the present
invention may be used with a saw 9 having a central opening 10 of any shape,
by adjusting the positions of the ball-and-socket joints for this purpose.

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Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the preferred
embodiment disclosed hereinabove without departing from the scope of the
present invention.

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