Table saws with mounting brackets for splitters or riving knives

Abstract

Table saws with mounting brackets for accessories such as riving knives, splitters and splitter/blade guard assemblies are disclosed. The mounting brackets can include handles that overlap a blade, handles capable of extending above a work surface in at least one position, handles accessible through an opening in a table, cam surfaces configured to reduce the possibility of unintentional opening of a clamping structure, and shoulders, flanges and/or surfaces to help position and hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly in the mounting bracket.

1 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade;    a mounting system configured to hold a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade; and    a handle attached to the mounting system, where the handle is adapted to remain attached to the mounting system during use of the saw and to be moved by hand without using tools from one position to another position to hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly in the mounting system, and where the handle is situated in the saw and configured so that it is capable of overlapping the blade in at least one position or as it moves from one position to another position.    
   
   
       2 . The table saw of  claim 1 , where the handle can be moved between a position where the handle overlaps at least part of the blade and another position where the handle does not overlap the blade.  
   
   
       3 . The table saw of  claim 1 , where the mounting system includes a first clamp surface and a second clamp surface spaced apart from the first clamp surface so that at least a portion of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly can be placed between the clamp surfaces, where the handle moves at least one clamp surface toward the other clamp surface when the handle moves from one position to another position, and where the handle overlaps at least part of the blade as it moves at least one clamp surface toward the other clamp surface.  
   
   
       4 . The table saw of  claim 1 , where the handle, in at least one position, extends from where it is attached to the mounting system generally toward the front of the saw.  
   
   
       5 . The table saw of  claim 1 , where the handle includes a bend to position at least a portion of the handle further away from the plane of the blade than another portion of the handle so a user can grasp the portion further away from the plane of the blade.  
   
   
       6 . The table saw of  claim 1 , where the handle is elongate with two ends, where the handle is attached to the mounting system at one end, where the handle includes a bend to position at least a portion of the handle further away from the plane of the blade than another portion of the handle and where the end of the handle attached to the mounting system is adjacent the plane of the blade.  
   
   
       7 . The table saw of  claim 1 , where the handle is elongate with two ends, where the handle is attached to the mounting system at one end, and where the handle includes a bend nearer the end where the handle is attached to the mounting system than the other end.  
   
   
       8 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade;    a mounting system configured to hold a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade; and    a handle attached to the mounting system and configured to remain attached to the mounting system during use of the saw and to be moved by hand without using tools from one position to another position to hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly in the mounting system, and further configured to extend above the work surface in at least one position.    
   
   
       9 . The table saw of  claim 8 , where the handle is configured to extend above the work surface in a position where the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly is not held in the mounting system.  
   
   
       10 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade; and    a mounting system configured to hold a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade;    where the mounting system includes a clamping structure below the work surface and adapted to open to receive at least part of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly and to clamp at least part of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly when closed;    where the clamping structure includes a first clamp surface, a second clamp surface spaced apart from the first clamp surface so that at least a portion of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly can be placed between the clamp surfaces, a cam surface, and a handle adapted to move the cam surface and thereby cause at least one clamp surface to move toward the other; and    where the cam surface is configured to reduce the possibility of unintentional opening of the clamping structure when closed.    
   
   
       11 . The table saw of  claim 10 , where the cam surface is configured to reduce the possibility of unintentional opening of the clamping structure when closed by having a detent.  
   
   
       12 . The table saw of  claim 10 , where the cam surface is configured to reduce the possibility of unintentional opening of the clamping structure when closed by having a relatively flat portion.  
   
   
       13 . The table saw of  claim 10 , where the handle is elongate and overlaps the blade in at least one position.  
   
   
       14 . The table saw of  claim 10 , where the handle is elongate and configured so it can be grasped in the palm of a user.  
   
   
       15 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade;    an elevation carriage adapted to support the blade and configured to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;    a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly; and    a mounting bracket on the elevation carriage configured to hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade;    where the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly has a leading edge and a back edge and where the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly includes a shoulder in at least one of the leading and back edges configured to abut against a portion of the mounting bracket.    
   
   
       16 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade;    an elevation carriage adapted to support the blade and configured to move to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface;    a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly; and    a mounting bracket on the elevation carriage configured to hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade, where the mounting bracket includes a first surface, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface so that at least a portion of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly can be placed between the surfaces, a mechanism adapted to move at least one of the first and second surfaces toward the other, and two flanges extending out from the first surface, where the two flanges are configured so that at least a portion of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly is positioned in the mounting bracket between the flanges.    
   
   
       17 . The table saw of  claim 16 , where the flanges are elongate.  
   
   
       18 . The table saw of  claim 16 , where the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly includes at least one shoulder to abut one of the flanges.  
   
   
       19 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade;    an elevation carriage positioned below the work surface and adapted to support the blade, where the elevation carriage is configured to move up and down to change the elevation of the blade relative to the work surface, and where the elevation carriage includes a generally flat support surface substantially perpendicular to the direction of the up and down movement of the elevation carriage;    a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly; and    a mounting bracket mounted on the support surface of the elevation carriage and configured to hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade, where the mounting bracket includes a first surface that extends upward toward the work surface substantially perpendicular to the support surface, and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface so that at least a portion of the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly can be placed between the surfaces.    
   
   
       20 . A table saw comprising: 
 a table defining a work surface and having an opening;    a nominally planar, circular blade configured to extend at least partially above the work surface through the opening to cut a workpiece on the work surface;    a motor to drive the blade;    a mounting system configured to hold a riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly adjacent the blade; and    an elongate handle having two ends, where the handle is positioned so that it is accessible through the opening in the table, where the handle is attached to the mounting system at one end and adapted to pivot around an axis, where the handle is configured to remain attached to the mounting system during use of the saw, where the handle is further configured so it can be grasped and pivoted by hand without using tools, and where the handle is configured to pivot from one position to another position through less than 180 degrees of arc to hold the riving knife, splitter or splitter/blade guard assembly in the mounting system.