Sawdust Collection System

This invention relates to systems and apparatus for collecting sawdust produced by power saws including means for collecting fine sawdust likely to become airborne and drift to remote areas. While the illustrated embodiment is adapted to collect virtually all sawdust produced in the operation of a particular type of table saw, elements of the apparatus are adaptable to some other types of power saws.

Of the sawdust produced in the operation of power saws the heavier, larger particles are thrown in some more or less finite direction by the saw blade and may be collected in a suitably positioned receptacle while fine particles thereof become airborne to be inhaled by the operator or drift with air currents to eventually accumulate in areas remote from the workshop. When the workshop is located in a residence accumulations of fine sawdust remote from the workshop becomes a major problem.

The volume of fine sawdust particles likely to become airborne is quite small compared to the volume of larger heavier particles produced in sawing so that the capacity of means for collecting only these finer particles may be made commensurate. When a centrifugal blower is employed to provide a vacuum for collecting only these finer sawdust particles from confined areas wherein both fine and larger, heavier sawdust particles are present it is essential to determine a discriminating airflow speed through these areas. Too high an airflow speed will of course load the blower and collecting receptacle with the larger, heavier particles which may readily be collected by other means also, in some instances a high airflow rate may draw into the blower larger pieces of the wood being sawed thereby clogging the blower. Centrifugal blower means and its connections with these confined areas which will result in an airflow speed through these areas just sufficient to collect only the finer particles of sawdust is a feature of this invention.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a generally new and improved sawdust collection system for a stationary power saw capable of collecting virtually all sawdust produced in the operation thereof including those particles fine enough to become readily airborne.

A further object is to provide a stationary motor driven power saw with a centrifugal blower mounted on and driven by the saw driving motor for collection of sawdust.

A further object is to provide a sawdust collection system in which a smaller volume of lighter sawdust particles produced in sawing is collected by vacuum means and deposited in a receptacle and in which a larger volume of larger, heavier sawdust particles are collected in a second receptacle placed in their line of travel from the saw blade.

A further object is to provide sawdust collection apparatus adapted to be assembled on a belt driven table saw having an outboard mounted driving motor.

A further object is to provide centrifugal blower means driven by the saw driving motor of a table saw for withdrawing fine sawdust from the saw blade guard and collecting it.

A further object is to provide centrifugal blower means driven by the saw driving motor of a table saw for withdrawing fine sawdust from the saw guard and from the base below the worktable enclosing saw tilting and elevating mechanism.

A further object is to provide a collector bag positioned below the worktable of a table saw for collecting downwardly directed sawdust with means for conveniently detachably connecting the bag to a base below the table enclosing saw tilting and elevating mechanism.

A further object is to provide a sawdust collection system for a belt driven table saw having a saw guard, a base below the worktable enclosing saw tilting and elevating mechanism and a driving motor mounted outboard of the base which includes a centrifugal blower fixed to and driven by the motor and flexible conduit means connecting the saw guard and base to the inlet of the blower.

A further object is to provide means for sealing the saw base to permit maintaining a subatmospheric pressure therein by the centrifugal blower.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a belt driven table saw with an outboard mounted driving motor on which the elements of a sawdust collection system constructed in accordance with the invention are assembled;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the table saw and sawdust collection system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the rear side of table saw with parts shown in section and is taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front side of the saw base and is taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the swinging baffle plate shown alone;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of the driving motor and attached centrifugal blower with parts shown in section and is taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the centrifugal blower and is taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of one half of the blower casing showing the impeller therein and is taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of the blower mounting plate and is taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 12--12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the method of attaching the two halves of the blower casing and is taken along line 13--13 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the blower inlet collars and is taken along line 14--14 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 15 is an elevational view of the connected half of the blower casing shown in FIG. 10 with the impeller removed.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the blower taken along line 16--16 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line 17--17 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken along line 18--18 of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 19 is a further enlarged fragmentary cross section taken along line 19--19 of FIG. 17.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings the elements of the sawdust collection system are shown assembled on a current commercially available belt driven table saw generally indicated at 10. The table saw has a worktable 12, a base 14, rectangular in plan, forms a casing enclosing saw tilting and elevating mechanism and a leg set 16 including a skirt 17 suitably attached to the bottom of the base. The bottom of base 14 is open and a collector bag 18 of suitable material closing the open bottom is detachably connected at its open end to the skirt 17 by elongated vertically extending clips 20 attached to the skirt on opposite sides of the base by bolts 21, see FIGS. 17, 18 and 19. The open end of the collector bag 18 is hemmed at 19 and rods 22 are inserted in the hem through cutouts 23 therein.

End portions of rods 22 are formed at 90 degrees and the rods are arranged in the hem so as to hold the open end thereof in a generally rectangular shape with a pair of hem cutouts 23 on opposite sides thereof. Cross-stitching closes the hem at points 25 thereby to maintain the rods in proper position. The elongated vertically arranged clips 20 are attached at their upper ends to the inner surface of skirt 17 by the bolts 21 and have substantially the same spacing as hem cutouts 23. Clips 20 are formed so as to provide a rod receiving notch 27 immediately below their point of attachment. Downwardly from notch 27 the clips 20 are formed so as to flare outwardly from the inner surface of skirt 17 thereby to provide easy entry of rods 22 into notches 27.

In mounting bag 18 the open end is positioned so that cutouts 23 are aligned with clips 20. The bag is then moved upward with the flared lower portions of the clips passing through cutouts 23 and over those portions of the rods 22 extending across the cutouts. Further upward movement enters those rod portions into notches 27 whereby the bag is resiliently retained with the lower flared ends of clips 20 extending inside the bag. It will be understood that the bag 18 may be attached directly to the walls of base 14 in this manner instead of to the skirt 17. Also the bag may be attached in this manner to the walls defining any rectangular port for collecting waste material.

The rear side of base 14 is also substantially open and the driving motor 24 is mounted outboard of the rear side of the base on a lower portion 26 of a swinging member 28 by rods 29 of an adjustable bracket 30 and by a motor mounting bracket 32 connected to adjustable bracket 30 by bolts 31, see FIG. 4. Hub portions 51 of the motor casing are cradled in turned up end portions 33 of mounting bracket 32 and are attached thereto by conventional clamps 35, see FIGS. 8, 11 and 12. The member 28 swings on trunnions at its upper end (not shown) and is fixed in angular position by suitable clamping means. A support bracket 36 supporting a hinged saw guard 38 is also attached to the swinging member 28 by screws 40 and a shaft 42 on which a driven belt pulley 44 and circular saw blade 46 are mounted is journalled in swinging member 28. The driving motor, pulleys, belt, saw blade and saw guard all swing with member 28 in attaining bevel positions of the saw blade.

A centrifugal blower generally indicated at 48 is attached to one of the turned up end portions 33 of the motor mounting bracket 32 by a mounting plate 50 and a bar 52 which are connected by screws 54, see FIGS. 8, 11 and 12. The bar 52 bears against the inside of turned up portion 33 and the mounting plate 50 bears against a hub portion 51 of the motor casing and in spaced relationship with the outside of portion 33. The mounting plate 50 is also connected to the hub portion 51 of the motor casing via a special mounting clamp 56. Clamp 56 differs from conventional clamps 35 only in that it has a vertically elongated portion 57 to which a punched out and formed tab portion 59 of the mounting plate 50 is attached by a bolt 58, see FIGS. 11 and 12.

The blower 48 has a casing formed of two halves 60 and 62 having front and rear walls 65 and 67 respectively and each having meeting flanges 64 and overlapping portions 66. The halves 60 and 62 are joined by clips 68, see FIG. 13. The casing half 60 has an integral skirt 70 projecting from its closed end which bears against and is connected to mounting plate 50 by screws 72. A V-belt drive pulley 74 is keyed to the motor output shaft 76 and positioned axially thereon intermediately of the wall 67 of blower casing half 60 and the mounting plate 50. The skirt 70, see FIG. 15, is shaped to form a guard for pulley 74 and drive belt 71.

A circular impeller 78 within the blower casing has a hub portion connected to the drive pulley 74 by screws 80 entered into tapped holes 81 in the pulley 74, see FIGS. 8, 10 and 15. The blower casing has volute form with a flanged outlet 82 and a pair of elliptical, axial inlets 84 in the half 62 thereof. A fine sawdust collector bag 83 is suitably attached to the outlet 82 as by a drawstring. The inlets 84 are surrounded by elliptical projecting flanges or collars 86 for attachment thereon of one end of flexible conduits 91 and 93. The opposite end of conduit 91 is connected to a portion 90 integral with the hinged saw guard 38.

Referring to FIG. 16, the circular impeller 78 has a plurality of blades 79 angularly spaced about its axis of rotation which extend axially substantially between the casing walls 65 and 67 of the blower casing. Inner portions of the front edges of blades 79 adjacent the casing wall 65 are cut back as indicated at 75 to provide ample clearance to permit passage through the blower of any large pieces of the material being sawed which may enter the blower through inlets 84.

In order to provide optimum closure of the rear side of base 14 a baffle plate 92 shown alone in FIG. 7 is attached to the swinging member 28 by screws 40 and is positioned between the member 28 and the saw guard mounting bracket 36, see FIGS. 2 and 4. Baffle plate 92 has a cutout 94 therein shaped to slip over a lower projecting portion 26 of the member 28, a vertically elongated cutout 96 therein for passage of the saw driving belt 71 and an elliptical cutout 98 therein which receives the other end portion of flexible conduit 93. Overlying the lower and left hand side portions of baffle plate 92 and extending leftward to the left sidewall of base 13 and upward to the worktable is a sheet of thick, easily compressible foam rubber-like material 100, see FIG. 3.

The arcuate slot 102 in the front sidewall of the saw base, see FIGS. 5 and 6, which is conventionally provided in the front wall of base 14 to permit swinging of the saw elevating screw 104 when the saw blade is tilted, is closed with a strip of easily compressible foam rubber-like material 103 attached to the sidewall by clips 106. Other openings such as between the saw base and table are preferably sealed with strips of foam rubber-like material.

The flexible conduits 91 and 93 are preferably round and corrugated and constructed of a relatively soft rubber-like material so as to flex easily without undue distortion as the front end of hinged saw guard 38 is raised or the baffle plate 92 is swung to the left when adjusting the saw blade to a bevel position. The opening 98 in the baffle plate 92, the inlets 84 and the collars 86 surrounding them in the blower housing are elliptical with relatively large major diameters and relatively small minor diameters so that to enter the opening 98 or to be slipped over the collars 86 the round rubber-like conduits are substantially distorted which retains them in connected position. Additionally the collars 86 and the connecting portion 90 of the saw blade guard 38 are provided with conduit retention protrusions 108 and 110 respectively. Referring to FIG. 1, the conduit 91 is supported in an elevated position above the worktable on a bracket 112.

The capacity of centrifugal blower 48 and the diameters of flexible conduits 91 and 93 are such as to cause a relatively large volume of air to flow through the saw guard and base at a relatively slow rate so as to collect virtually all of the fine sawdust particles likely to become airborne without withdrawing any appreciable amount of larger, heavier particles which are directed or fall into collector bag 18 by gravity. Modifications of the illustrated embodiment within the spirit of the invention, as required for adaptation to other power saws will occur to those familiar with the art and problem and the exclusive use of all such modifications is contemplated.