Abstract: A combination flywheel, fan and pulley assembly is provided having a three piece construction, namely a central hub, at least one metal disk, and a stamped sheet metal centrifugal fan. The central hub is provided with a first circumferential surface for supporting at least one metal disk and a centrifugal fan. The hub is further provided with a bore extending at least partially through the central hub to enable the hub to be mounted on the motor shaft. The centrifugal fan has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radial extending blades which project axially from a generally flat face. The fan and at least one disk are securely mounted to the hub providing an integral unit. The construction method enables a wide variety of flywheel weights and hub geometries to be simply fabricated with minimal expense and production delay.

Abstract: A carpentry biscuit is provided having an elongated planar body formed of wood having opposed faces spaced apart and thickness T. One of the opposed faces is provided with a longitudinal alignment mark oriented along a longitudinal axis and a transverse alignment mark aligned perpendicular to the transverse axis to aid the user in positioning the biscuit in a slot formed in a pair of boards to be joined together.

Abstract: A blower vacuum attachment for use with a multi-purpose power tool having a motor for powering the attachment on the elongated tubular boom extending between the attachment and the motor through which a drive shaft extends. The attachment includes a tubular connector for attaching a blower housing to the tubular boom. The blower housing has an axial air inlet and a circumferential air outlet. An impeller oriented within the housing and driven by the drive shaft draws air into the axial air inlet and discharges air to the air outlet. An intake tube is affixed to the blower housing inlet and extends axially therefrom. A debris collection bag and a blower tube can be alternately attached to the blower housing air outlet so that the blower vacuum attachment could be used respectively as a vacuum or as a blower.

Abstract: An ON-OFF switch assembly which is lockable for preventing unauthorized use is disclosed. The ON-OFF switch assembly includes an ON-OFF electrical switch mounted within a housing. The ON-OFF electrical switch has an actuator which is shiftable between an ON position and an OFF position. A cover is pivotally attached over the housing between an opened position allowing access to the actuator, a closed position denying access to the actuator, and a run position where the cover is slightly open. The cover has a tab which shifts the actuator to the OFF position when the cover is pivoted to the closed position. A hasp is hinged to the housing. The hasp can be pivoted to extend through an aperture of the cover to enable locking the cover to the housing in the closed position using a padlock, and to retract from the housing to position the padlock clear of the housing to allow the cover to be freely pivoted.

Abstract: An ergonomically profiled hand grip for a hand-held tool. The hand grip has a contoured top surface and a pommel attached thereto. The centerline of the pommel is offset from the axis of the contoured top surface at an angle of approximately 45.degree.. The pommel is contoured to comfortably fit between the thumb and index finger of the user while the fingers extend over the top surface. Preferably, the pommel is rotatably attached to the top surface making the hand grip equally accessible and comfortable to right and left hand users and for users with large or small hands.

Abstract: A biscuit joiner for engaging a workpiece to form a slot sized to receive a carpentry biscuit is provided. The biscuit joiner has a base with a fence surface for engaging the workpiece. The fence surface has an elongated opening formed therein. A motor is fixed to the base, and has a drive shaft. A link has a first end pivotally mounted to the base, and a second end rotatably mounted to a rotary cutter blade. A drive mechanism connects the drive shaft to the rotary cutter blade. An actuator is operable to pivot the link relative to the base. Pivoting the link causes the rotary cutter blade to shift relative to the fence surface between a retracted position in which the rotary cutter blade is within the base, and an extended position in which the rotary cutter blade extends through the elongated opening in the fence surface to cut the workpiece. Alternatively, a slidable carriage is received on the base. The motor and rotary cutter blade are mounted to the carriage.

Abstract: A router for engaging a workpiece to be cut has a housing and a motor operable to rotate a drive shaft. A first fence is adjustably secured to the housing, and has a first planar surface oriented substantially parallel to the drive shaft axis. The first fence is adjustable to move the first planar surface toward and away from the drive shaft axis. A second fence is slidably attached to the first fence. The second fence has a second planar surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the drive shaft axis, and has an opening for receiving the bit therethrough. The second fence is slidable to move the second planar surface toward and away from the drive shaft to allow the bit to be plunged through the opening to cut the workpiece. The first and second planer surfaces are sufficiently sized so that either the first or second planer surface can be used as a base for the router with the router center of gravity located directly above the planer surface that is used as the router base.

Abstract: A drill assembly including a drill and depth stop assembly is disclosed. The drill includes a housing, an electric motor and a chuck operatively driven by the electric motor about a drill axis. The depth stop assembly includes a depth stop rod, a mounting block, a fastener and a rotatable handle. The mounting block has a mounting surface adapted to cooperate with the housing, a first aperture spaced from the mounting surface for supporting the depth stop rod generally parallel to the drill axis, and a second aperture extending about a fastener axis generally normal the mounting surface. The fastener extends through the mounting block second aperture about the fastener axis and has two ends respectively cooperative with the housing and the handle to releasably entrap the mounting block therebetween to enable a user to adjustably position the depth stop rod relative to the housing. Preferably the fastener threadedly attaches to a threaded aperture in the drill housing.

Abstract: An open face display carton and motorized implement arrangement is disclosed. The display arrangement includes an operator carriable motorized implement and an open face display carton. Ideally, the motorized implement is split into a tool portion and a motorized portion. The display carton has a main body and upper and lower inserts. The main body has a central portion and top and bottom portions which retain the upper and lower inserts therein. The main body includes a rear panel with a pair of outer panels which extend forwardly from the rear panel and a pair of inner panels which extend from the outer panels toward the rear panel defining an open region between the inner panels. The respective motorized and tool portions are preferably retained in generally upright positions by the carton with at least a portion of each of the motorized and tool portions being tactiley accessible within the open region of the carton.

Abstract: A depth of cut lock mechanism for a plunge-type router having a drive motor enclosed within a motor housing. The motor housing is attached to a base plate by a pair of spatially separated guides. Each guide has a guide sleeve attached to the motor housing and a guide tube attached to the base plate and slidably received in the guide sleeve. The lock mechanism has a lock disc rotatable between a lock position and a release position by a manually activated lever displaces the lock disc toward the unlocked position. The lever is pivotable about an axis parallel a guide tube and is located adjacent to a handle of the router so that the lever can be activated by the user while grasping the router handle.

Abstract: A line trimmer head includes a line feed configuration which facilitates reloading the head with new line without requiring removal of the spool from the housing. Line is sequentially fed first into the housing through a peripheral opening in the housing, through a guide channel in the spool, and then out of the housing beyond a lower flange of the spool through an opening in the hub of spool. Finally, the line is fed into a small opening in a spool flange to secure the line with respect to the spool. Rotation of the spool inside the housing then causes line to be drawn into the housing through the peripheral opening and wrapped around the spool. The spool provides separate storage compartments for different lines. Additional payout of line is provided when a bump knob is bumped on a ground surface.

Abstract: A router attachment is provided for converting a small hand-held rotary cutting tool into a miniature router. The attachment has a base having a planar lower surface, a central aperture, an upright column and a handle. A tool holder slidably mounted on the upright column is provided with a clamp for affixing the rotary cutting tool thereto. A height adjustment mechanism enables the user to adjust the height of the tool holder relative to the base planar lower surface and a lock mechanism releasably locks the tool holder to the base column during use.

Abstract: A line trimmer head is provided including a rotatable drive shaft and a housing mounted to the drive shaft for rotation therewith. The housing has an open end and at least one peripheral aperture formed through the housing. A spool subassembly is positioned at least partially within the housing adjacent the open end of the housing. The subassembly includes a spool having at least one flange extending radially outwardly from the periphery thereof, a cog ring secured to the spool, and a ratchet and pawl assembly formed between the cog ring and spool. The ratchet and pawl assembly allows rotation of the spool in a first direction with respect to the cog ring for winding line around the spool while preventing spool rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction to facilitate line feed bumping and line trimming operations.

Abstract: A hammer drill has a motor disposed in a housing, and the motor has a rotatable armature shaft. A pinion at an end of the armature shaft drives an axially displaceable intermediate gear mounted on an intermediate shaft. An intermediate pinion is mounted for rotation with the intermediate gear and drives an output gear fixed about the midsection of an axially displaceable output shaft. The intermediate gear has input and output faces. The input face is associated with a first cam mechanism for generating reciprocating motion. The output face is engageable with an impact face of the output gear to transmit axial displacement therebetween. A second cam mechanism is affixed to the housing and axially spaced from the first cam mechanism. The first and second cam mechanisms are engageable by sufficiently axially displacing the output shaft so that the output gear impact face abuts the intermediate gear output face axially displacing the intermediate gear so that the first and second cam mechanisms abut each other.

Abstract: A trigger mechanism for a portable electric power tool which can be selectively oriented in one of three states being a Locked-off, an On, and a Locked-on state. The trigger mechanism includes a trigger having a first latch portion and an actuator for actuating a switch for energizing a motor, a lock button having a second latch portion, a latch return spring, and a lock button return spring. The trigger is shiftable longitudinally between a Trigger-off and a Trigger-on position, while the lock button is shiftable transversely between a Button-off and a Button-on position. When the trigger mechanism is in the Locked-off state, the lock button is in the Button-off position preventing the trigger from moving from the Trigger-off position. When the trigger mechanism is in the On state, the lock button has been shifted to the Button-on position so that the trigger is shiftable to the Trigger-on position thereby actuating the switch.

Abstract: An oscillating tool for sanding a surface has a body (12) defining an internal cavity (14) and a motor (20) located therein The motor has a motor shaft (22) oriented in parallel with the body. A crank (24) is affixed to the motor which has a crank pin (26) projecting therefrom. A lever arm (34) is pivotably affixed to the body for rotation about a pivot axis generally perpendicular to the motor shaft. The lever arm cooperates with the crank pin to cause the lever arm to cyclically pivot back and forth. A pad support (18) is adapted to receive a work member (19). The planar pad support is affixed to the lever arm at a location spaced apart from the pivot axis and oscillated therewith. The pad support has a substantially 90 degree forward corner (110) formed by a pair or facet edges and a pair of outwardly inclined straight side edges (116, 118).

Abstract: A router includes a motor housing having first and second clam shell halves forming an air inlet and a stator forming an air outlet, the housing having a central axis therethrough. An electric motor having a rotary armature, an armature shaft and a stationary member is fixed with respect to the housing. An axial fan is fixed to the armature shaft and positioned between the rotary armature and the stator for drawing air across the armature and stationary member. The fan has a plurality of radially extending fan blades tilted with respect to the central axis for forcing air in a substantially helical path. The stator includes a plurality of radially extending stator blades oppositely tilted with respect to the fan blades and the central axis for receiving air moving in a helical path from the fan blades. The stator blades are configured to cause air to swirl in a predictable manner when leaving the housing.

Abstract: A router collet for removably attaching a rotary cutting tool to a router drive shaft is provided having a body, a split collet, a nut and a retainer for retaining the collet and nut together to permit free rotation while limiting axial movement therebetween. This construction enables the nut when loosened to initially rotate with the split collet and cutting tool for limited axial distance whereupon further axial movement of the collet is constrained causing the split collet and nut to separate and the split collet to loosen its grip upon the cutting tool shank.