Abstract: A riving knife mounting assembly rigidly and accurately positions the riving knife relative to the cutting blade by way of a simple and intuitive mechanism. Interaction between a clamping plate and a locking plate engage opposite sides of the riving knife to hold the riving knife in place, and provides a sensible indication that the two components are properly mated. A cam lever assembly allows loosening or tightening the clamping plate and locking plate together about the riving knife by simply rotation of the lever. A spring assembly maintains pressure on the riving knife even in the loosened position to maintain proper positioning of the components. The clamping plate is part of a mounting bracket that is mounted to a motor arm movable with the drive assembly, and includes adjustment screws for adjusting the orientation of the riving knife relative to the cutting blade in multiple degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A table saw includes a support arrangement and a table top assembly including a work piece support surface defining a plane and a saw blade opening in the work piece support surface. An undercarriage assembly, mounted to the table top assembly, supports a saw blade in an adjustable angular position and includes a motor assembly and an arbor shaft to support the saw blade in the saw blade opening. The bevel pivoting mechanism is configured to increase a distance between the motor or arbor shaft and the plane of the work piece support surface with a change to the angular position of the saw blade to substantially prevent the motor or arbor from contacting the table top assembly.

Abstract: Embodiments of a power saw are disclosed which comprise a base structure including a generally flat top having an upper work surface with the top having an opening through which a circular blade can extend, a relatively narrow box-like undercarriage pivotably mounted to the base around a pivot axis to provide an adjustable bevel angle of the blade relative to the top, and a motor saw assembly comprising an arbor shaft for mounting a circular blade thereon, a drive motor having an output shaft extending generally parallel to the plane of the blade, the output shaft being oriented 90 degrees relative to the arbor shaft, a speed reducing gear train interconnecting the output shaft and the arbor shaft, a gear housing enclosing the gear train, the motor saw assembly being adjustably mounted to the undercarriage to vary the portion of the blade that extends above the upper work surface.

Abstract: A safety system is provided for a power tool having a motor-driven cutting blade, a safety mechanism operable by a controller to stop and/or move the cutting blade and a blade guard. The safety system includes an electrically active surface provided on the blade guard that is configured to change an electrical characteristic in response to contact between the body of an operator and the active surface. An active surface controller is operable to provide electrical power to the electrically active surface, to generate a signal in response to the change in the electrical characteristic, the signal indicative of an unsafe condition, and to transmit the signal to the controller for the safety mechanism.

Abstract: An output member is configured to transfer rotation and torque from a motor of a power tool to a working element of the power tool. The working element is configured to contact a workpiece. The output member includes a hub, an outer shell, and an isolator. The hub is configured to be driven rotationally about an axis of rotation by the motor of the power tool. The outer shell is configured to be coupled to the working element of the power tool. The isolator is interposed between the hub and the outer shell and is configured to electrically isolate the hub from the outer shell.

Abstract: An adjustable miter gauge for use with a table saw includes a miter attachment and an adjustable guide bar coupled to the miter attachment. The miter attachment rests on a working surface of the table saw. The guide bar is received in a slot in the working surface. The guide bar includes a main body, which has first and second surfaces parallel to side walls of the slot, an adjustable body, which has a third surface parallel to the first surface, and a deformable biasing member. The adjustable body is coupled to the main body and slidable between a first position, wherein the second and third edge surfaces are coplanar, and a second position, wherein the second and third edge surfaces are not coplanar. The biasing member is arranged between the main body and the adjustable body and biases the adjustable body toward the second position.

Abstract: A guide assembly for aligning a workpiece on a table of a saw device includes a guide member having a first end and a second end along the longitudinal axis that is sized to span a dimension of the table. The guide member includes first and second locking mechanisms located at opposite ends of the guide member that are operable to secure the guide member to the table. The guide assembly further includes a fine adjustment mechanism incorporated into the guide member that is operable when the first and second locking mechanisms are locked. The adjustment assembly includes a side plate movably mounted to the guide member between the first and second ends, and a movement mechanism for moving the side plate relative to the guide member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A power tool has a base defining a work surface, a rotary cutting blade extending through an opening in the work surface, a drive motor for imparting rotational movement to the cutting blade and a power train coupled between the drive motor and the cutting blade to transmit rotation movement from the drive motor to the cutting blade. A swing arm assembly carries the cutting blade and is pivotably supported on the base at a pivot axis. A latch support the swing arm assembly in an operating condition in which the cutting blade extends through the opening in the work surface and is configured to be released to permit the swing arm assembly to pivot about the pivot axis to a safety position in which the cutting blade is beneath the work surface.

Abstract: A guide assembly, or rip fence, supported by guides of a table saw includes a clamping apparatus having locking mechanisms located at each end of the guide assembly. Each of the locking mechanisms is independently adjustable to provide accurate and repeatable positioning of the guide assembly with respect to the table and with respect to the saw blade with self-alignment and desired force. An adjustable locking self-alignment spring provides for self-alignment of the rip fence with respect to the blade.

Abstract: A table saw includes a base, a workpiece support structure, and an extension support assembly. The workpiece support structure is supported by the base and defines a workpiece support surface. The extension support assembly includes (i) a guide movable in relation to the base between a first guide position and a second guide position, (ii) an arm assembly movably supported by the guide, and (iii) a cam mechanism movable in relation to the base between a first cam position and a second cam position. Movement of the cam mechanism from the first cam position to the second cam position causes movement of the guide from the first guide position to the second guide position.

Abstract: A sliding table assembly for a main table of a saw machine includes a sliding table member having a planar upper surface, a miter slot, and a rail structure, and a bracket structure configured to be attached to a mounting structure on the main table of the table saw. The bracket structure is configured to squeeze the rail structure to provide zero clearance support for slidably retaining the sliding table member. Vertical and horizontal position adjustment mechanisms are operably connected to the bracket structure and configured to move at least a portion of the bracket structure horizontally as well as vertically with respect to the mounting structure to align the upper surface of the sliding table member in plane with the upper surface of the main table and to align the miter slot parallel to a blade of the saw machine.

Abstract: A power tool includes a support arrangement and a work surface that is supported by the support arrangement and that includes a top surface having an opening configured to receive a rotatable blade. The power tool also includes a cutting assembly that is supported by the support arrangement and that includes a motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, and the rotatable blade rotated by the drive shaft. The power tool also includes a height adjustment mechanism coupled to the support arrangement and to the cutting assembly. The height adjustment mechanism is configured to move the cutting assembly upwardly and downwardly relative to the top surface. The height adjustment mechanism includes a threaded shaft, at least one nut threadably coupled to the threaded shaft, and at least one connection member rotatably coupled to the at least one nut and to the cutting assembly.

Abstract: A power equipment includes a base defining an enclosure space, a table supported on the base, and a cutting assembly supported within the enclosure space below the table. The cutting assembly includes a motor having an output shaft and a dual stage drive system operably coupled to the output shaft. The output shaft defines a first axis of rotation. The dual stage drive system includes two drive stages which enable the motor of the drive system to be moved farther inward, away from the table top, which provides clearance for the incorporation of other features into and immediately below the table top.

Abstract: A modular table for a table saw includes extruded components that can be selectively mounted to a table frame according to the operator's or manufacturer's desire. A fixed extruded table section may be used for left and right fixed table sections or for one fixed and one sliding table section. The table frames are also extruded and can be used interchangeably on the front or back of the power tool. Likewise, front and rear rails used to mount an extension table to a fixed table section are also extruded and interchangeable. An extruded throat plate is provided that can be removably mounted to the table frame.

Abstract: Locking mechanisms are provided for locking the position of a miter gauge assembly to a sliding table of a table saw. The mechanisms are biased to a locking position and this bias can provide a sensible indication that the lock has been engaged. The locking mechanisms are configured to engage the guide bar of the miter gauge assembly at different locations along the length of the guide bar, particularly by engaging a series of spaced apart engagement notches. The locking mechanism thus allows the miter gauge assembly to be locked at several positions along the length of the sliding table, from a fully inboard position to a position in which the miter gauge assembly projects beyond the end of the sliding table. The locking mechanism is provided in different embodiments with manually actuated components that can be push/pull, pivoting, rotating or sliding.

Abstract: A riving knife mounting assembly is provided that rigidly and accurately positions the riving knife relative to the cutting blade by way of a simple and intuitive mechanism. Interaction between a clamping plate and a locking plate engage opposite sides of the riving knife to hold the riving knife in place, and provides a sensible indication that the two components are properly mated. A cam lever assembly allows loosening or tightening the clamping plate and locking plate together about the riving knife by simply rotation of the lever. A spring assembly maintains pressure on the riving knife even in the loosened position to maintain proper positioning of the components. The clamping plate is part of a mounting bracket that is mounted to a motor arm movable with the drive assembly, and includes adjustment screws for adjusting the orientation of the riving knife relative to the cutting blade in multiple degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A modular guard system for a power saw includes a riving knife mounted to the saw rearwardly of the blade and having first and second notches with openings facing away from each other. A blade guard assembly is releasably mounted on the riving knife and configured to cover the blade. The blade guard assembly includes a mounting portion configured to receive a top portion of the riving knife having the first and second notches and a release mechanism provided in the mounting portion and having a spring member for engaging the first notch and a latch member connected to the spring member for engaging the second notch. The latch member exerts a force on the spring member to cooperatively hold the first and second notches between the spring member and the latch member to retain the riving knife in the mounting portion.

Abstract: A removable dust compartment is configured for use with a power tool which includes a base assembly, a table top assembly supported by the base assembly, and an undercarriage frame positioned within the base assembly. The table top assembly includes a top surface with an opening configured to receive a blade. The undercarriage frame includes a support member. The power tool includes a removable compartment received within the base assembly and removably coupled to the support member. The removable compartment has a closed body portion configured to collect material and an open top portion configured to receive a portion of the blade extending below the table top assembly. The closed body portion includes a support member wall configured to be coupled to the support member. The support member wall includes an opening extending to the open top portion of the removable compartment.

Abstract: A power equipment in one embodiment includes a riving knife with a circular mounting hole opening to an outer surface of the riving knife through a throat, the throat having a minimum diameter that is less than a minimum diameter of the mounting hole, and an anti-kickback assembly including a generally cylindrical grooved shaft having a first diameter larger than a minimum diameter of the throat and a second diameter smaller than the minimum diameter of the throat, and an actuating arm operably connected to the grooved shaft and configured to rotate the grooved shaft from a first position whereat the second diameter is aligned with the throat and a second position whereat the second diameter is not aligned with the throat.

Abstract: A table saw includes a support arrangement and a table top assembly including a work piece support surface defining a plane and a saw blade opening in the work piece support surface. An undercarriage assembly, mounted to the table top assembly, supports a saw blade in an adjustable angular position and includes a motor assembly and an arbor shaft to support the saw blade in the saw blade opening. The bevel pivoting mechanism is configured to increase a distance between the motor or arbor shaft and the plane of the work piece support surface with a change to the angular position of the saw blade to substantially prevent the motor or arbor from contacting the table top assembly.