Panel saw and method of operation

Abstract

One possible embodiment of the invention could be a panel saw comprising: a framework supporting a set of railings, the railings being held in a parallel and spaced apart orientation to one another and to the framework; a carriage having at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges and at least one tool securing means, one pair of opposing carriage side edges reversibly engages the set of railings to movably locate the carriage between the set of railings; wherein the carriage moves in and out of contact with the railings through the top ends of the railings to allow the one pair of carriage side edges to be moved out of contact with the set of railings while alternately allowing the remaining pair to reversibly engage the set of railings in a manner that lets the carriage move along the railings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertical panel saw comprising:
 (A) a framework supporting a set of railings, the railings being held in a parallel and spaced-apart orientation to one another and to the framework;   (B) a carriage having at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges and at least one tool securing means for securing a power tool to the carriage, one pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges reversibly engages the set of railings to movably locate the carriage between the set of railings to allow the carriage to move along the railings;   wherein the carriage moves in and out of contact with the railings through the top ends of the railings to allow the one pair of the at least two pairs of carriage side edges to be moved out of contact with the set of railings while alternately allowing a remaining pair of opposing carriage side edges to reversibly engage the set of railings in a manner that lets the carriage move along the railings.   
     
     
         2 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein each of the railings has an open-sided channel running along a length of an interior side of the respective railing with each channel further being oriented to oppose the other channel, and each channel continuously connects to an open-ended channel end proximate to the top end of the respective railing. 
     
     
         3 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 2  wherein either pair of the pairs of opposing carriage side edges is received within the open-sided channels through the open-ended channel ends. 
     
     
         4 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 2  wherein the open-ended channel end is elongated and a length of the open-ended channel end is at least as long as a length of the carriage side edge. 
     
     
         5 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 4  wherein a direction of inserting the carriage into the open-ended channel is perpendicular to a direction of a movement of the carriage along the railings. 
     
     
         6 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 2  wherein the carriage side edges are beveled and that the open channel has an edge that is beveled. 
     
     
         7 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 6  wherein the beveled edge of the carriage side edge movably rests upon the beveled edge of the channel in a manner that allows the vertical panel saw to self-center itself when the power tool is activated and is working upon a material being held by the vertical panel saw. 
     
     
         8 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 3  wherein the remaining pair of opposing carriage side edges are located between and perpendicular to the open channels. 
     
     
         9 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein a tool securing means reversibly secures a hand-held power tool to the carriage in manner that projects at least a portion of a cutting element of the hand-held power tool through a power tool aperture and further into a space located between the framework and the carriage. 
     
     
         10 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 9  wherein the tool securing means is one or more securing tracks having a C-shaped cross-section that is movably attached to the carriage to adjust to different dimensions of different power tools that can be reversibly attached to the carriage by the securing tracks. 
     
     
         11 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein the exchanging one pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges with a remaining pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges for being movably engaged with the set of rails changes the orientation of a cutting element of the power tool relative to the set of railings. 
     
     
         12 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein the power tool is a hand-held powered tool that has a use that is separate from and independent of the powered tool's operations with the vertical panel saw. 
     
     
         13 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein the power tool is a hand-held powered tool that does not have a use that is separate from and independent of the powered tool's operations with the vertical panel saw. 
     
     
         14 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein framework has a front side to which is pivotally attached a fence. 
     
     
         15 . The vertical panel saw of  claim 1  wherein the fence has at least one fastener at an end of the fence to secure a pivotal orientation of the fence relative to the framework. 
     
     
         16 . A methodology of operating a vertical panel saw comprising of the following steps but not necessarily in the order shown:
 (A) providing a vertical panel saw, the vertical panel saw comprising a framework and a carriage, the framework supporting a set of railings, the railings being held in a parallel and spaced apart orientation to one another and to the framework, the carriage having at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges, the opposing carriage side edges of one pair being perpendicularly oriented relative to the opposing carriage side edges of the remaining pair, the carriage supporting a power tool, the one pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges movably engages the set of railings to allow the carriage to move between and along the railings;   (B) removing the one pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges from engagement with the set of railings through top ends of the set of railings; and   (C) engaging the remaining pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges with the set of railings through top ends of the set of railings.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the engaging the remaining pair further comprises a step of rotating the carriage to orient a remaining pair relative to the set of railings. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the engaging the remaining pair further comprises the step of moving the carriage in a direction that is perpendicular to the movement of the carriage along the railings. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein removing the one pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges from engagement with the set of railings at a top end of the set of railings further comprising the step of removing the one pair of the at least two pairs of opposing carriage side edges from open-ended channel ends. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of reversibly attaching the power tool to the carriage, the power tool is a hand-held powered tool that has a use that is separate from and independent of the powered tool's operations with the vertical panel saw.