Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
2.
3 Field of the Invention
4 The invention relates to a thickness planing apparatus. More particularly,
this
invention relates to a thickness planer having a carriage locking mechanism to
minimize
6 vibration and movement of the carriage during the planing operation. This
invention
7 includes a depth of cut indicator to display the thickness of the wood to be
removed
s during the planing operation. This invention further includes a mechanism
for facilitating
9 setting the carriage and cutting head to a predetermined height over the
base, quickly and
accurately for planing a workpiece to predetermined thicknesses.
>>
12 Description of the Related Art
13
14 Planing a workpiece is a common operation in the field of woodworking.
Planing
is is the removal of wood from a surface or face of a board so as to make it
flat, uniform,
16 and smooth.
17 It is generally known that a typical thickness planer is comprised of a
base upon
18 which support columns are perpendicularly mounted. Supported by the support
columns
19 is a carriage that houses a rotating cutting head. The cutting head has at
least one cutting
21) knife which, when rotated, removes material from the workpiece passing
through the
21 planer.
22 A lead screw is generally provided to adjust the height of the carriage
above the
23 base. Since the cutting head is rotatably attached to the carriage, the
height of the carriage
24 determines the thickness of the workpiece exiting the planer. The
difference between the
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i thickness of the workpiece entering the planer and the thickness of the
workpiece exiting
2 the planer is the depth of cut. The depth of cut is the thickness of the
workpiece being
3 removed by one pass through the thickness planer.
4 A motor-powered infeed roller pulls the workpiece into the planer, while an
outfeed roller assists the workpiece to exit the planer. Also standard
components on a
6 known thickness planer are an infeed table and an outfeed table.
7 To provide versatility in a commercial thickness planer, it is common for
the
8 carriage to be adjustable to different heights. However, during the cutting
operation, it is
9 preferred that the carriage be securely attached to the housing of the
thickness planer.
Otherwise, vibration and movement of the carriage during the planing operation
may
I i produce undesired "snipe" or localized variations in the workpiece
thickness. This
12 undesired vibration and movement is especially prevalent when the workpiece
is entering
13 or exiting the thickness planer, i.e. at the beginning and end of a cut.
14 In some thickness planers, the base is stationary and the carriage moves to
adjust
1s the height of the carriage with respect to the base. In other versions of
thickness planers,
16 the carriage is stationary and the base moves to adjust the distance the
base extends below
17 the carriage.
18 Multiple attempts to provide carriage locks have been attempted. For
example,
i() U.S. Patent Number 5,794,675 to Garcia discloses a locking assembly
containing forks
running the length of the support columns. By deflecting these long forks and
21 sandwiching them between the carriage and the support columns, friction
secures the
22 carriage. Further, Garcia attempts to lock the carriage in line with the
cutting head instead
23 of locking the carriage at a location away from the cutting head. It has
been found that the
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1 close proximity of the locking mechanism to the cutting head may not provide
adequate
2 stability when locking the carriage.
3 Another attempt to provide a carriage lock is disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
4 5,771,949 to Welsh et al. Disclosed in this patent are various resiliently
deflectable
mechanisms having springs, levers, or more resiliently deflectable members to
secure the
6 carriage at a given height.
7 However, because of the geometries, systems of the prior art fail to produce
a
8 mechanical advantage to reduce the amount of force necessary to lock the
carriage,
9 compared to the holding strength of the locking mechanism. Further, because
the systems
to disclosed in prior art systems rely upon resiliently deflected members,
these systems over
11 time fatigue and become less effective at securing the carriage. Further,
the prior art
12 systems utilize fixed links or rods to indicate the braking and locking
action. Not only do
13 these systems lose their effectiveness over time, but also they require
maintenance of the
14 worn, fixed links.
is Thus, there is a need for a mechanism which minimizes the amount of snipe
in a
16 workpiece by minimizing the movement and vibration of the cutter head and
carriage.
17 Further, there is a need for the mechanism to require a small amount of
force to lock the
18 carriage into place, yet securely lock the carriage.
1() Thickness planers generally have a limit to the amount of material that
should be
20 removed in one pass, for a given type of cutting blade, motor size, etc. of
a machine, and
21 the material and the width of the workpiece. Manufacturers therefore often
recommend a
22 maximum depth of cut per planing operation. For example, a maximum depth of
cut of
23 1/8 inch may be recommended for a six-inch wide wooden workpiece processed
with a
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1 thickness planer. Therefore, there is a need to determine quickly and
accurately the depth
2 of cut without having to continually stop and manually measure the
workpiece.
3 Various attempts have been made to automatically determine the depth of cut
of a
4 workpiece entering a thickness planer. For example, U.S. Patent No.
5,927,357 to Welsh
et al. discloses a workpiece indicator portion which is resiliently displaced
by the entering
6 workpiece. The resiliently displaced portion then deflects a pointer which
moves along a
7 scale mounted on the housing.
8 However, with this system, the repeated deflections of the resiliently
displaced
9 workpiece-engaging portion produces inaccurate results over time. Also, as
this system
io relies upon the bending of the workpiece-engaging portion instead of a more
positive-
>> contact arrangement, inaccuracies result. Further, by having the scale
mounted on the
12 housing instead of the carriage itself, inaccuracies may result.
13 Often when planing wood, it is desired to produce workpieces of standard
14 thicknesses, such as 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, etc. It is therefore
desirable to have
predetermined stops provided with a thickness planer to stop the carriage at a
given
16 height, thus producing finished product of standard thickness.
17 Various attempts have been made to produce predetermined stops for
thickness
18 planers. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,927,357 to Welsh et al. discloses a
depth stop
19 having three screws of varying heights attached to a rotatable main body. A
portion of the
main body resides directly below the carriage while the remainder of the main
body
21 resides outside of the travel area of the carriage. The height of the pin
extending from the
22 portion of the main body residing under the carriage therefore determines
the height at
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i which the carriage stops. By rotating the main body, one of three screws of
different
2 heights will determine the height of the carriage.
3 However, it is difficult to quickly and accurately determine at what height
the
4 screws are set, i.e. it is not an easy task to set the carriage height to
produce a 3/4 inch
finished workpiece without performing a calibration process. Further, once one
of the
6 screws were set to produce the 3/4 inch finished workpiece, one twist of
that screw will
7 de-calibrate the settings, requiring an operator to repeat the calibration
process.
8 Thus, it is desirable to produce a thickness planer which can be more
quickly,
9 more easily, and more accurately set to produce predetermined thicknesses of
workpieces
io than is available in the prior art. For the foregoing reasons, there is a
need for a carriage
iI locking mechanism that is capable of quickly and securely fixing the
carriage at a given
12 location above the base. Further, there is a need for an accurate depth of
cut indicator.
13 Finally, there is a need for a predetermined stop apparatus to allow an
operator to quickly,
14 yet accurately, set the carriage at predetermined heights. The claimed
invention is directed
is at overcoming, or at least minimizing, disadvantages of the prior art.
16
17 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
18 The invention relates to a thickness planer. In some embodiments, the
thickness
149 planer employs a carriage lock mechanism to securely lock the carriage,
and thus the
20 cutting head, at a given height above the base. In some embodiments,
advantages such as
21 the use of a threaded arrangement and free-floating, non-deflectable shoes,
produce
22 mechanical advantages and a secure lock superior to other mechanism
currently known.
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i This secure lock reduces carriage vibration and movement and minimizes snipe
produced
2 in a workpiece.
3 In other embodiments, a depth of cut indicator is provided which quickly and
4 accurately determines the thickness of the material about to be removed in
the planing
operation. Because the depth of cut indicator does not have a resiliently
deflectable
6 member contacting the workpiece, this depth of cut indicator is more
reliable over time
7 than prior art systems. In some embodiments, the depth of cut indicator
includes a rack
8 and pinion arrangement to improve the accuracy of the unit: i.e. movement of
the rod
9 contacting the workpiece causes a corresponding movement of a pointer thus
resulting in
a more accurate reading than systems which rely on deflection. Further, the
location and
i i geometries of the depth of cut indicator provide more accurate and easy-to-
read results
12 that prior art systems.
13 In some embodiments, an apparatus having multiple predetermined stops for
14 thickness planers is described. The systems is easy to use and includes a
scale by which a
is user may utilize a given stop. Some embodiments include stops of given
standard values,
16 each stop keeping its original carriage height setting such that the
apparatus will not
17 require re-calibration because of a turn of a screw.
18 In some embodiments, a depth of cut indicator for use with a thickness
planer is
19 described, the thickness planer having a base and a carriage with a cutting
head to remove
material from a workpiece, the carriage being displaceable from said base at a
defined
21 distance by at least two support columns, the workpiece passing above a
work area on the
22 base and contacting the cutting head on the carriage to remove a layer of
the workpiece,
23 the depth of cut indicator comprising a pointer housing fixedly attached to
said carriage,
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1 said pointer housing having a scale to indicate a depth of the material
removed, a pointer
2 pivotally mounted within said housing, said pointer having a pointing
indicator and a
3 spur, an elevating pointer rod movably attached to said pointer housing,
said elevating
4 pointer rod having an end to contact the workpiece and at least one ring,
said ring on the
elevating pointer rod being connected to the spur on said pointer such that as
the carriage
r is lowered and the end of the elevating pointer rod contacts the workpiece,
the pointer
7 rotates to align the pointing indicator with the scale on the pointer
housing to correspond
8 to the amount of material being removed by the thickness planer. In some
aspects, the
9 pointer rod is chamfered. In some aspects, the depth of cut indicator has a
coil spring.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a carriage lock is described
for
11 use with a thickness planer, the thickness planer having a base and a
carriage with a
12 cutting head to remove material from a workpiece, the carriage being
displaceable from
13 said base at a defined distance by at least two support columns, the
workpiece passing
14 above a work area on the base and contacting the cutting head on the
carriage to remove a
layer of the workpiece, the carriage lock comprising at least two shoes, each
shoe located
16 in the carriage and being adjacent one of the support columns, a sleeve
having a threaded
17 end and a second end, a right plate lock having at least one foot, said
right plate lock
18 being functionally associated with the threaded end of the sleeve, a left
plate lock having
19 at least one foot, said left plate lock being mounted on the other end of
the sleeve, a
handle rotatably connected to said threaded end of said sleeve such that
rotation of said
21 handle causes the right plate lock to move toward the left plate lock, the
feet of the right
22 and left plate locks pressing the at least two shoes thus releasably
securing the carriage to
23 the support columns at a height over the base. In some aspects the carriage
lock has at
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i least two shoes located in slots on an outside of at least two support
column collars, said
2 at least two support column collars attached to the carriage, said at least
two support
3 columns being adapted to be received into said at least two support column
collars, the
4 rotation of said handle causing the right plate lock to move toward the left
plate lock, thus
applying pressure upon the at least two shoes on the outside of at least two
support
6 column collars, thus releasably securing the support column collars to the
support
7 columns to maintain the carriage at a given height over the base during the
planing
8 operation. In some aspects a method of locking a carriage of a thickness
planer is
9 described.
In other embodiments a predetermined stop mechanism is described for use with
a
11 thickness planer, the thickness planer having a base and a carriage with a
cutting head, the
12 carriage being displaceable from said base at a defined distance by at
least two support
13 columns, the workpiece passing between a work area on the base and the
cutting head on
14 the carriage to remove a layer of a workpiece, the predetermined stop
mechanism
1s comprising a step block having a first step at a first height and a second
step having a
16 second height, the step block being moveably attached to the base, and a
step rod attached
17 to the carriage, the step rod contacting the first step to set the carriage
at a first predefined
18 distance above the base, the step rod contacting the second step to set the
carriage at a
19 second predefined distance above the base. In some aspects the
predetermined stop
mechanism has a positive stop mechanism, sometimes being a grooved block
connected
21 to a perimeter of the base, a first trough of the grooved block releasably
securing the step
22 block such that the step rod contacts the first step to set the carriage at
a first predefined
23 distance above the base, a second trough of the grooved block releasably
securing the step
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1 block such that the step rod contacts the second step to set the carriage at
the second
2 predefined distance above the base.
:3 In some embodiments a thickness planer is described for reducing a
thickness of a
a workpiece, comprising a base having a work area over which the workpiece
travels, at
s least two support columns perpendicularly connected to said base, a carriage
having a
6 cutting blade assembly, the carriage being movably attached to said two
support columns
7 thus raising said carriage a distance over said base, the cutting blade
assembly adapted to
s cut the workpiece as it passes between the work area on the base and the
carriage, and a
9 carriage lock to lock said carriage at the distance above the base, the
carriage lock having
io at least two shoes, each shoe located in the carriage and loosely abutting
one of the
I i support columns, a sleeve having a threaded end and a second end, a right
plate lock
12 having at least one foot, said right plate lock being functionally
associated with the
13 threaded end of the sleeve, a left plate lock having at least one foot,
said left plate lock
14 being mounted on the other end of the sleeve, a handle rotatably connected
to said
1s threaded end of said sleeve such that rotation of said handle causes the
right plate lock to
16 move toward the left plate lock, the feet of the right and left plate locks
pressing the at
17 least two shoes thus releasably securing the carriage to the support
columns at a height
is over the base.
19 In some aspects, the thickness planer further comprises a depth of cut
indicator
20 having, a pointer housing fixedly attached to said carriage, said pointer
housing having a
21 scale to indicate a depth of the material removed, a pointer pivotally
mounted within said
22 housing, said pointer having a pointing indicator and a spur, an elevating
pointer rod
23 movably attached to said pointer housing, said elevating pointer rod having
an end to
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1 contact the workpiece and at least one ring, said ring on the elevating
pointer rod being
2 connected to the spur on said pointer such that as the carriage is lowered
and the end of
3 the elevating pointer rod contacts the workpiece, the pointer rotates to
align the pointing
4 indicator with the scale on the pointer housing to correspond to the amount
of material
being removed by the thickness planer. In some aspects, the thickness planer
further
6 comprises a predetermined stop mechanism having a step block having a first
step at a
7 first height and a second step having a second height, the step block being
moveably
s attached to the base, and a step rod attached to the carriage, the step rod
contacting the
9 first step to set the carriage at a first predefined distance above the
base, the step rod
contacting the second step to set the carriage at a second predefined distance
above the
1 I base.
12 In other embodiments, a carriage lock for use with a thickness planer is
described,
13 the thickness planer having a base and a carriage with a cutting head to
remove material
14 from a workpiece, the carriage being displaceable from said base at a
defined distance by
at least two support columns, the workpiece passing above a work area on the
base and
16 contacting the cutting head on the carriage to remove a layer of the
workpiece, the
17 carriage lock comprising at least two locking rods, each rod adapted to be
received within
is the carriage adjacent one of the support columns, each rod having an inside
end and an
19 outside end, a double cam being adapted to be received within the carriage
and being
21) adjacent said inside ends of said at least two locking rods, and a lever
to control the
21 rotation of the cam, such that by moving the lever, the double cam is
rotated to contact the
22 inside ends of the at least two locking rods, the outside ends of said at
least two locking
23 rods contacting said support columns, securing the carriage.
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1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 Figure 1 is a front view of a thickness planer showing components of the
claimed
3 invention.
4 Figure 2 is a rear view of the embodiment of the planer shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows the thickness planer of Figure 1 having a workpiece.
6 Figure 4 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the current invention.
7 Figure 5 shows the remainder of the components of the embodiment of the
8 invention shown in Figure 4.
9 Figure 6 shows the components of an embodiment of the components of a depth
of
cut indicator in exploded form.
>> Figure 7 shows an elevating pointer rod with mating spurs of one embodiment
of
iz the present invention.
13 Figure 8 shows all components of another embodiment of the present
invention.
14 Figure 9 details the components of one embodiment of the carriage lock of
the
present invention.
16 Figure 10 shows the carriage locking procedure for one embodiment of the
present
17 invention.
19 Figure 11 shows, in exploded form, the components of one embodiment of the
19 present invention having predetermined stops.
Figure 12 shows the operation of a stop scale and a stop knob of one
embodiment
21 of the present invention.
22 Figure 13A-D show an alternative embodiment of the carriage locking
23 mechanism.
11
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i Figures 14A-D show an alternative embodiment of a carriage locking
mechanism.
2 While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative
forms,
3 specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and
will be
4 described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the
invention is not
intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the
intention is to
6 cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the
spirit and scope
7 of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
8
9 DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
The invention relates to an apparatus for planing a workpiece to a given
thickness.
iI In some embodiments, the carriage lock of this invention helps to minimize
snipe,
12 carriage vibration, and carriage movement by locking the cutter head on the
carriage in a
13 secure position. Snipe is a change in the thickness at either end of the
planed board
14 caused by an uneven force on the cutter head which most often occurs when a
workpiece
is is entering or leaving the planer. By securely locking the carriage in
place, movement and
16 vibration of the carriage are minimized.
>> Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below as they might
be
18 employed in the planing of a workpiece. In the interest of clarity, not all
features of an
19 actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of
course be appreciated
that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-
21 specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals
which will vary
22 from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that
such a
23 development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would
nevertheless be a
12
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1 routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the
benefit of this
2 disclosure. Further aspects and advantages of the various embodiments of the
invention
3 will become apparent from consideration of the following description and
drawings.
4 Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying figures. Referring to Figures 1, 4, and 5, thickness planer 1 is
shown to be
6 generally comprised of work area 208 of base 408 upon which four support
columns 50
7 are perpendicularly attached. Base 408 comprises work area 208 and perimeter
308.
8 Carriage 200 is mounted on support columns 50 via support column collars 41.
Motor
9 202, which is used to rotate cutting head 58 having at least one cutting
blade 46, is
lo mounted on carriage 200. Left and right lead screws 56 and 36 are
perpendicularly
i i mounted to perimeter of base 408 and threadably connected to carriage 200.
12 Thickness planer 1 contains infeed table 204 upon which a workpiece may be
is placed when inserting it into thickness planer 1. As will be described in
detail elsewhere,
14 rotation of elevation handwheel 3 causes carriage 200 to move relative to
base 208
1s thereby accommodating different thicknesses of workpieces and setting
different depths
16 of cut.
Carriage lock knob 22, as will be described more fully herein, may be used to
18 secure carriage 200 at a given height. Depth of cut indicator 100 is
capable of readily
19 displaying the thickness of material about to be removed from the workpiece
by the
20 planing operation, as will be described herein. Finally, step scale 152 and
step knob 149
21 may be used to set carriage 200 at predetermined stops to produce
workpieces of standard
22 thicknesses.
13
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1 Referring now to Figure 2, the rear view of the exemplary thickness planer 1
2 having an outfeed table 206. Figure 3 shows workpiece 210 entering planer 1.
3 Now referring to Figure 4, an illustrated parts breakdown is shown for
various
4 components of thickness planer 1. All components of an embodiment of
carriage lock
s 300 of the current invention are also shown. Carriage lock 300 is comprised
of free
6 floating locking shoes 421ocated on the outside of support collars 41. These
free floating
7 locking shoes 42 provide smoother operation and a less troublesome means for
locking
8 carriage 200 than prior art systems. Support collars 41 are holes located in
the four
9 corners of carriage 200, and may be integral with carriage 200. Support
columns 50,
shown in Figure 5 and mounted on each of four corners of perimeter 308 of base
408, are
I i inserted into the support collars 41 of carriage 200. Thus, carriage 200
travels up and
12 down support collars 50 to produce workpieces of different desired
thicknesses. Carriage
13 200 is driven by the operator rotating elevation handwheel 3 which, via
worm gears,
14 raises and lowers carriage 200 on left lead screw 56 and right lead screw
36.
Mounted on the ends of sleeve 11 are right plate lock 12 and left plate lock 9
16 attached via screw 10. Right plate lock 12 and left plate lock 9 each have
two feet 44.
17 Sleeve 11 contains thread 6 on the right end. Retaining ring 7 attaches
left worm gear 8
18 onto transmission shaft 13 which is adapted to be received through sleeve
11. On the
19 right end of transmission shaft 13 is washer 14 held in place with lock nut
15.
Transmission shaft 13 is attached to carriage 200 via hex screws 10 inserted
into bracket
21 16. Bracket 16 and hex screws 10 (not shown) also attach the left hand side
of
22 transmission shaft 13 to carriage 200.
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1 Washer 17 spaces elevation worm gear 19 from lock nut 15. Set screw 18 locks
2 elevation worm gear 19 to transmission shaft 13. The inside of U-shaped
handle 21 is
3 attached to the ratcheted end of lock nut 15, with the other end of lock nut
15 being
4 connected to threads 6 on sleeve 11, thereby holding right plate lock 12 in
position.
Carriage lock knob 22 is attached to the outside of the U-shaped handle 21 via
hex screw
6 23. As can be seen in Figure 1, carriage lock knob 22 is located on the
perimeter of
7 elevation handwheel 3.
8 Once assembled, feet 44 of left plate lock 9 and right plate lock 12 may or
may not
9 lightly contact shoes 42 which freely float within support column collar 41.
In its
io unlocked position, freely floating contact shoes 42 do not contact support
columns 50
11 with sufficient force to securely lock carriage 200 in place. Further,
carriage lock knob 22
12 is in the position relative to elevation handwheel 3 as shown in Figure 1.
D However, to lock carriage 200 in place at a given elevation along support
columns
14 50, the operator moves carriage lock knob 22 clockwise to the location as
shown in Figure
10. As carriage lock knob 22 is rotated, handle 21 also rotates. As the inside
of handle 21
16 is attached to lock nut 15 which is attached to thread 6 of sleeve 11, the
rotation of handle
17 21 causes right plate lock 12 to move toward left plate lock 9. As plate
locks 12 and 9
18 move toward each other, feet 44 apply pressure on shoes 42. This pressure
forces shoes
19 42 to contact support columns 50 with sufficient force to hold carriage 200
in stable
location, thus minimizing snipe and carriage vibration and movement.
21 To unlock the carriage, carriage lock knob 22 is rotated counterclockwise
which
22 allows right plate lock 12 to move away from left plate lock 9, thus
releasing the pressure
23 feet 44 apply to shoes 42. In operation, carriage 200 travels along support
columns 50 by
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1 an operator rotating elevation handwheel 3 with carriage lock 300 in its
unlocked
2 position. Generally, shoes 42 are made of any hard metal capable of
resisting wear over
3 time, although other material may be used.
4 Also shown in Figure 5 are drive rollers 111 and 117 which pull the
workpiece
into the thickness planer and push the workpiece out of the thickness planer
respectively.
6 Referring to Figures 6 and 7, depth of cut indicator 100 is shown to be
comprised
7 of pointer 71 and elevating pointer rod 66 residing in pointer housing 70.
Pointer 71 has
8 spurs 95, pointer arm 98, and pointer indicator 99. Pointer housing 70 is
rotatably
9 connectable to both pointer 71 and carriage 200 as follows: Screw 69 passes
through
io washer 28 and bushing 35 before being inserted into pointer housing 70.
Screw 69 passes
I I through pointer 71 and nut 72 before being inserted into carriage 200 via
a tapped hole.
12 Although this configuration is shown, any type of moveable connection could
be used.
ts Elevator pointer rod 66 has chamfer 97 designed to contact a workpiece (not
14 shown). Grooves 96 and rings 101 are circumferentially located along the
axis of elevator
1s pointer rod 66. Coil spring 67 circumscribes the upper end of elevating
pointer rod 66
16 which is inserted into pointer housing 70. Coil spring 67 biases elevating
pointer rod 66
17 such that chamfer 97 is at a position farthest away from pointer housing
70. As will be
18 explained, elevating pointer rod 66 is movably secured in pointer housing
70 via contact
19 with spurs 95 on pointer 71.
20 Also removably attached to the bottom of the pointer housing 70 is set
screw 18.
21 Pointer cover 68 is removably attached to the front of pointer housing 70
via a snap fit
22 connection. Metric scale 170 may be inscribed or painted on pointer housing
70, as may
23 be standard scale 270. Because of the geometries of the configuration of
the housing and
16
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1 the pointer, the depth indicator readings are magnified thus making small
changes in
2 depth move the pointer a greater distance thus making the indicator easier
to read.
3 Figure 7 shows the interconnection of spurs 95 on pointer 71 with grooves 96
and
4 rings 101 of elevating pointer rod 66. Three rings 101 are shown spaced
apart by grooves
s 96. This clearance allows spurs 95 of pointer 71 to connect to rings 101 of
rod 66 in a
6 rack-and-pinion type arrangement. As elevating pointer rod 66 moves up and
down, rings
7 101 drive the teeth or spurs 95 causing pointer 71 to rotate about its axis.
8 Typically, elevating pointer rod 66 is one to two inches long with a
diameter of '/4
9 inch to 1/2 inch and made of steel. However, other materials would suffice.
Pointer
indicator 99 has a substantially horizontal line painted in white or inscribed
for easy
> > reading by an operator.
12 Coil spring 67, along with the force of gravity, assists in maintaining
elevating
i:3 pointer rod 66 in its home position: i.e. a position wherein chamfer 97 of
elevating pointer
14 rod 66 is at a position farthest away from pointer housing 70. It should be
noted that
1s when pointer rod 66 is in its home position, chamfer 97 is the same height,
with respect to
16 base 408, as the lowest point a cutting knife 46 can get to base 408 as it
rotates about
17 cutting head 58. This lowest location defines a cutting plane parallel with
the base. Thus,
18 pointer indicator 99 aligns with the indicia on both metric scale 170 and
standard scale
19 270.
If this is not the case, pointer 71 may be adjusted in three ways. First,
rough
21 adjustment may be made by placing a tooth of spur 95 of pointer 71 in a
different groove
22 of elevating pointer rod 66. In this way, adjustments approximately equal
to the pitch of
23 rings 101 of elevating pointer rod 66 may be made. Second, slot 94 in
pointer housing 70
17
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1 may be used to adjust the positioning of pointer housing 70. For example,
screw 69 may
2 be loosened and pointer housing 70 moved up or down via slot 94 to a desired
location.
3 Screw 69 is then tightened. Third, finer adjustments may be made by rotating
set screw
4 18 within pointer housing 70. For instance, by rotating set screw 18 within
pointer
housing 70 to drive set screw 18 away from base 208, set screw 18 contacts and
then
6 drives pointer arm 98 upward, thus forcing pointer indicator 99 upward.
Screw 18 allows
7 the pointer to be zeroed in light of mechanical tolerance stack ups.
8 In operation, a workpiece is placed on infeed table 204 attached to base
208.
9 Carriage 200 is lowered until chamfer 97 of elevating pointer rod 66
contacts the
workpiece. Further lowering carriage 200 provides for relative movement
between
11 elevating pointer rod 66 and pointer housing 70: i.e. elevating pointer rod
is driven
12 upward overcoming the forces of gravity and coil spring 67. As elevating
pointer rod 66
1:3 is driven upward and into pointer housing 70, rings 101 also move. Rings
101, being in
14 contact with spurs 95, thus force pointer 71 to rotate about its axis. This
rotation of
is pointer 71 changes the location at which pointer indicator 99 aligns with
the scales -
16 metric 170 or standard 270. As the carriage is lowered 1/8 inch, for
example, pointer
17 indicator 99 displays 1/8 inch. In this way, the depth of cut indicator 100
accurately
18 displays the amount of material which is about to be removed during the
planing process.
19 Referring to Figure 11, shown in isolation are components to facilitate
performing
cuts at given heights, such as 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, etc.
Thus, when it is
21 necessary to routinely perform repetitive planing to preset thicknesses,
this repeated step
22 mechanism allows for quick set up of the thickness planer without the need
to re-measure
23 the height of the carriage.
18
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
1 Grooved block 220 may be integrally formed to the perimeter of base 308.
2 Grooves, notches, or troughs are formed in grooved block 220 at a given
pitch, 0.40
3 inches for example. Grooved block 2201ies on perimeter of base 308 such that
grooved
4 block 220 does not lie directly below carriage 200. By being on the
perimeter of base
308, grooved block 220 does not lie in work area 208 of thickness planer 1.
6 Pivot rod 132 is captured in cast slot in base support column collars 209 by
7 support columns 50 (shown in Figure 5). Guard block 138 possesses an axial
hole by
8 which guard block 138 is mounted on pivot rod 132; i.e. guard block 138 is
adapted to
9 receive pivot rod 132. Guard block 138 also contains an axial hole in which
coil spring
136 and steel ball 137 are housed.
I i Attached to guard block 138 by hex screw 139 is step block 146. Step block
146
12 contains steps which can be of any height. For example, typically steps
with an overall
13 height of 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, and continuing in 1/4
inch increments are
14 used. Attached to step block 146 via hex nut 147 and step block pin 148 is
step knob
1s handle 149. Step knob handle 149 has a pointed configuration capable of
pointing to an
16 index located on step scale 152 as shown in Figure 12.
17 Also part of the repeated step embodiment is step rod 62 shown in Figure 4.
Step
18 rod 62 is threaded on its top end and screwed directly into underside of
carriage 200. Nut
19 63 locks step rod 62 securely into carriage 200. Hex screw 60 is screwed
into the lower
end of step rod 62 and locked into place by hex nut 61. By screwing or
unscrewing hex
21 screw 60, the effective length of step rod 62 may be changed. This provides
for
22 adjustment of the step rod 62 length, which accommodates stack up of
tolerances. This
23 adjustment mechanism also allows the repeated step embodiment to be set for
producing
19
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
1 any predetermined stops at any height, not just heights corresponding to the
increments on
2 step 146.
3 In operation, the height of carriage 200 is set in this repeated step
embodiment as
4 follows. Step rod 62 including step screw 60 supports carriage 200 at a
height away from
base 200 by contacting a selected step on step block 146. The lowest step, for
example,
6 may correspond to a cutting height of 1/8 inch. Carriage 200 will be lowered
until step
7 screw 60 on step rod 62 contacts the first step of step block 146. The
thickness planer is
8 designed such that at this point, the cutting plane is 1/8 inch from base
208. Thus a
9 workpiece travelling through the thickness planer will exit being 1/8 inch
thick.
In this configuration, the height of step block 146 -- being mounted to pivot
rod
11 132 via guard block 138 -- plus the height of step rod 62 including step
screw 60 stops
12 the carriage such that the cutting plane is 1/8 inch from base 208.
13 The repeated step embodiment provides another advantage to the production
of
14 multiple workpieces of a given thickness (e.g. one inch). The maximum depth
of cut for a
is commercial planer is generally 1/8 inch. Thus, if a one inch workpiece is
desired to be
16 planed from a workpiece over 1'/2 inches thick but less than 1 3/8 inches
thick, the
17 operator must run the workpiece through the thickness planer at least four
times. Further,
18 the workpiece must be measured periodically to determine its thickness.
However,
19 utilizing the repeated step embodiment allows the operator to accurately
determine when
the desired one inch thickness is achieved. The operator simply sets step knob
149 to
21 correspond to indicia of one inch on step scale 152, and continues to run
the workpiece
22 through the planing machine until the step rod 62 contacts a step on step
block 146. The
23 thickness of the workpiece then exiting the planer will be the desired one
inch. In this
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
1 way, the operator does not have to constantly measure the workpiece and
reset the height
2 of the carriage on the thickness planer.
3
4 In its resting state, step block 146 is positioned such that steel ball 137
rests in a
groove or trough of grooved block 220. This arrangement provides a positive
stop
6 mechanism, although other positive stop arrangements may be utilized. In
this
7 embodiment, to move step knob 149, and thus step block 146, out of its
resting position,
8 the operator must exert enough force to overcome the force of coil spring
136 and to
9 overcome the force necessary to drive steel ball 137 out of its groove and
over a peak into
the next trough on grooved block 220. The trough of the grooves of grooved
block 220
11 are located such that when steel ball 137 is resting in a given trough,
step knob 149
12 corresponds to a given precut setting on step scale 152.
13 The next step of step block 146 may correspond to a cutting thickness of
1/4 inch.
14 To utilize this preset 1/4 setting, the operator raises carriage 200. The
operator then
1s moves step knob 149 to the left from the 1/8 inch preset thickness stop to
the 1/4 inch
16 preset thickness stop, as shown on step scale 152 in Figure 12. This action
moves step
17 block 146 to the left until steel ball 137 is seated in the next trough on
grooved block 220.
is The operator then lowers carriage 200 until step rod 62 including step
screw 60 contacts
19 step block 146 and locks carriage 200 into position (as previously
described). As this step
is 1/8 inch taller than the first, carriage 200 is now set such that a
workpiece will be
21 planed to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
21
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
1 This same procedure may be repeated for any given number of steps so
desired. In
2 this way, the thickness planer may be quickly and easily set to produce
workpieces of
3 accurate thicknesses.
4 Now referring to Figures 13A-D, an alternative embodiment of a carriage lock
is
shown to hold carriage assembly 200 securely in place. As shown in Figure 13A,
the
6 carriage lock comprises double cam 400, locking rods 420 and lever 410. In
one
7 embodiment, the locking rods are made of brass. In another embodiment, shown
in
8 Figures 14A-D, the carriage lock further comprises locking shoes 470, which
may also be
9 made of brass or other non-deflecting material.
Figure 13A shows a cross-sectional front view of this embodiment of the
carriage
i i lock. Locking rods 420 are housed in rod bore 440 in carriage 200. Double
cam 400,
12 housed in cam bore 450 in carriage 200, is shown in its unlocked position.
Lever 410 is
13 connected to double cam 400. In the unlocked position, double cam 400 does
not exert
14 force on locking rods 420.
Figure 13B shows the carriage lock in its locked position. To lock carriage
200 in
16 place, lever 410 is rotated clockwise. This rotation forces double cam 400
to contact the
17 inside ends of locking rods 420. This action forces the outside end of
locking rods to
18 contact support columns 50 such that carriage 200 is secured against
support columns 50.
19 Figure 13C shows a cross sectional top view of this embodiment of the
carriage
locking mechanism in the unlocked position, while Figure 13D shows a cross
sectional
21 top view of this embodiment of the carriage locking mechanism in the locked
position.
22 Referring to Figures 14A-D, another embodiment of the carriage lock
mechanism.
23 Figure 14A shows a cross-sectional front view of this embodiment of the
carriage lock.
22
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
i Locking rods 420 are housed in rod bore 440 in carriage 200. Attached to the
outside
2 ends of rods 420 are locking shoes 470, which are housed in shoe bore 460 in
carriage
3 200. Double cam 400, housed in cam bore 450 in carriage 200, is shown in its
unlocked
4 position. Lever 410 is connected to double cam 400. In the unlocked
position, double
cam 400 does not exert force on locking rods 420.
6 Figure 14B shows the carriage lock in its locked position. To lock carriage
200 in
7 place, lever 410 is rotated clockwise. This rotation forces double cam 400
to contact the
8 inside ends of locking rods 420. This action forces locking shoes 470 on the
outside end
9 of locking rods to contact support columns 50 such that carriage 200 is
secured against
support columns 50. To unlock carriage assembly 200, lever 410 is rotated
i i counterclockwise.
12 Figure 14C shows a cross sectional top view of this embodiment of the
carriage
13 locking mechanism in the unlocked position, while Figure 14D shows a cross
sectional
14 top view of this embodiment of the carriage locking mechanism in the locked
position.
u Double cam 400 is oval-shaped and connected to lever 420 that controls its
16 movement. As lever 410 is moved in a clockwise or counter-clockwise
direction, double
17 cam 400 moves with it, either toward rods 420 or away from them.
18 Although various embodiments have been shown and described, the invention
is
19 not so limited and will be understood to include all such modifications and
variations as
would be apparent to one skilled in the art.
21
23
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
i The following table lists the description and the numbers as used herein and
in the
2 drawings attached hereto.
Reference Designator Name
1 Thickness planer
3 Elevation Handwheel
6 Thread
7 Retaining Ring
8 Left Worm Gear
9 Left Plate Lock
Hex Screw
11 Sleeve
12 Right Plate Lock
13 Transmission Shaft
14 Washer
Lock Nut
16 Bracket
18 Set Screw
19 Elevation Worm Gear
22 Carriage Lock Knob
23 Hex Screw
28 Washer
35 Bushing
36 Left Lead Screw
41 Support Column Collar
42 Shoes
44 Feet
46 Cutting Knife
50 Support Column
56 Right Lead Screw
58 Cutting Head
60 Screw
62 Step Rod
66 Elevating Pointer Rod
67 Coil Spring
68 Pointer Cover
69 Screw
70 Pointer Housing
71 Pointer
72 Nut
24
CA 02315523 2000-08-07
94 Slot
95 Spurs
96 Rod Grooves
97 Chamfer
98 Pointer Arm
99 Pointer Indicator
100 Depth of Cut Indicator
101 Rings
111 Infeed Drive Roller
117 Outfeed Drive Roller
132 Pivot Rod
136 Coil Spring
137 Steel Ball
138 Guard Block
139 Hex Screw
146 Step Block
147 Hex Nut
148 Step Block Pin
149 Step Knob
152 Step Scale
170 Metric Scale
200 Carriage
202 Motor
204 Infeed Table
206 Outfeed Table
208 Work Area on Base
209 Base Support Column Collar
210 Workpiece
220 Grooved Block
270 Standard Scale
300 Carriage Lock
308 Perimeter of Base
400 Double Cam
408 Base
410 Lever
420 Locking Rod
430 Locking Shoe
440 Rod Bore
450 Cam Bore
460 Shoe Bore
470 Locking Shoe
