Abstract: A scroll saw has a base including integral walls forming a gear casing, a frame assembly mounted on the base, and lower and upper oscillating arm members pivotally mounted on the frame assembly. The gear casing houses gear and counterweight assemblies for driving and counterbalancing the oscillating motion of the lower and upper arm members. A saw blade is removably mounted between corresponding free ends of the lower and upper reciprocating arm members. The ends of the saw blade are prepositioned between a pair of blade holders, and the entire assembly of blade and blade holders is then attached as a unit to the free ends of the arm members. Blade tension is adjusted by means of a tensioning system that indexes blade tension to rotation of a tension knob. The saw further includes a nonflexible tube which functions as a combination airblaster and blade guard for directing an air stream into a cutting area to remove sawdust and other debris while preventing accidental contact with the saw blade.

Abstract: A scroll saw has a base including integral walls forming a gear casing, a frame assembly mounted on the base, and lower and upper oscillating arm members pivotally mounted on the frame assembly. The gear casing houses gear and counterweight assemblies for driving and counterbalancing the oscillating motion of the lower and upper arm members. A saw blade is removably mounted between corresponding free ends of the lower and upper arm members. The ends of the saw blade are prepositioned between a pair of blade holders, and the entire assembly of blade and blade holders is then attached as a unit to the free ends of the arm members. Blade tension is adjusted by means of a tensioning system that indexes blade tension to rotation of a tension knob. The saw further includes a nonflexible tube which functions as a combination airblaster and blade guard for directing an air stream into a cutting area to remove sawdust and other debris while preventing accidental contact with the saw blade.

Abstract: A fixture to be used in cutting 45.degree. mitered ends on wooden workpieces by means of a table saw having an adjustable miter gauge movable on the worktable past either side of the saw blade has in plan the outline of an isosceles right triangle. This fixture is mounted on the miter gauge with its base face engaging the normal working face of the miter gauge. With the miter gauge adjusted with its working face at approximately 90.degree. to the saw blade, when the gauge moved along one of the guide tracks in the worktable and then along the other guide track without changing its adjustment, the angles respectively defined by the saw blade and the adjacent face on the fixture will total 90.degree. irrespective of any deviation of the adjustment of the miter gauge from an accurately perpendicular relation with the saw blade.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact speed increasing device which may be mounted upon the way tubes of a powered multi-purpose woodworking tool. The speed increasing device includes a horizontal input shaft for connection to the output spindle of the woodworking tool and a vertically oriented output shaft which includes a spindle for mounting a rotating shaper tool bit. The input shaft carries a rotating face plate having an elastomeric sheet attached to one side thereof which is provided for engagement with a drive ring mounted for rotation with the output shaft. The elastomeric sheet on the face plate is positioned in contact with the outer periphery of the drive ring such that rotation of the input shaft results in rotation of the output shaft and the shaper tool bit attached thereto.

Abstract: A speed reducing device is provided for use with a multi-purpose woodworking tool such that faceplate turning operations may be performed on large diameter workpieces. The device includes a housing which partially supports input and output shafts passing through opposite sides of the housing. An end of the input shaft located within the housing is formed with a hole for receiving an end of the output shaft within the housing such that the input and output shafts coact with one another to support each other and prevent one another from pivoting about the points at which they are supported by the housing. The input and output shafts rotate relative to one another and are both connected to a sheave by a pair of belts such that the input shaft may be driven by the output spindle of a woodworking tool at a first speed and the output shaft will be driven by the belts and sheave at a slower speed which is acceptable for turning large diameter workpieces.

Abstract: A biscuit joiner for cutting semi-elliptical slots in opposing edges of workpieces which are to be joined along those edges includes a housing adapted to be mounted upon the quill of a multi-purpose woodworking tool, which housing encloses a rotary saw blade adapted to be attached to a spindle projecting from the quill on which the housing is mounted. A spring loaded guide projects from the front face of the housing and has a slot therethrough, so that when the front face of the guide is engaged by an edge of a workpiece to be slotted the guide can be pushed inwardly against spring pressure, allowing the rotary saw blade to be exposed and form a slot in the edge of the workpiece. Adjustable stops are provided on the guide so that a desired depth of cut will automatically be made after adjustment.

Abstract: A guard as disclosed for use with a woodworking tool such as a jointer having a worktable, a cutter head and a guide fence for guiding a workpiece through the jointer. The guard is pivotally mounted to the table and is biased toward the guide fence such that it covers the cutter head when a workpiece is not present. The guard includes a body portion and flexible fingers formed integrally with and extending from the body portion toward the guide fence. The flexible fingers act as a featherboard during a jointing operation and the pivotal movement of the guard may be limited such that the fingers engage a workpiece as it is fed through the jointer to thereby apply a biasing force against the workpiece toward the guide fence. The fingers further act to resist movement of the workpiece in a direction opposite to the feed direction during a kickback situation and thereby provide greater control over the workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention provides a woodworking worktable assembly which may be used in combination with a multi-purpose woodworking tool. The worktable assembly includes a worktable having a work supporting surface and an elongated slot formed therein. A guide insert is positioned within the slot and includes a horizontal base portion and opposing side arms for guiding a guide bar portion of a miter guide. Lip portions extend inwardly toward the center of the insert from the upper ends of the arm portions and serve to prevent the miter guide from being lifted vertically away from the slot. In addition, the base of the insert is spaced from the lower portion of the slot by foot portions extending along the length of either side of the base amd fasteners are provided at the center of the insert for drawing the base toward the lower slot surface.

Abstract: A power module for providing power to any one of a plurality of special purpose woodworking tools has a variable speed headstock on a base, and a tool support carriage on the base. The tool support carriage is formed with two pairs of tube-receiving sockets for receiving the support tubes of a special purpose woodworking tool. The sockets are formed at two different levels above the base, such levels corresponding to the difference in spacing of the input shaft connections with respect to the support tubes. The base is mounted for movement toward and away from the headstock, providing alignment of the input shaft with the headstock hub. A variable speed drive in the headstock employs an intermediate three-section pulley of the variator type, and a speed control knob is connected to position the variable speed drive to provide for the selection of speed for any particular tool.

Abstract: A biscuit joiner for cutting semi-elliptical slots in opposing edges of workpieces which are to be joined along those edges includes a housing adapted to be mounted upon the quill of a multi-purpose woodworking tool, which housing encloses a rotary saw blade adapted to be attached to a spindle projecting from the quill on which the housing is mounted. A spring loaded guide projects from the front face of the housing and has a slot therethrough, so that when the front face of the guide is engaged by an edge of a workpiece to be slotted the guide can be pushed inwardly against spring pressure, allowing the rotary saw blade to be exposed and form a slot in the edge of the workpiece. Adjustable stops are provided on the guide so that a desired depth of cut will automatically be made after adjustment.

Abstract: A duplicating system, especially for use with a multipurpose woodworking machine capable of performing lathe turning operations. The system includes a support table, a carriage adapted to be slidably mounted on the machine, and a locking rack and pinion for raising and lowering the table relative to the carriage. A tool support is positioned on the table and includes a base having a low friction pad for engaging the table top, a follower for contacting a pattern, and a multi-edge cutting tool rotatably mounted on a tool rod for engaging a workpiece. An insert guide is mounted on the tool rod to hold the cutting tool in position. The base has a set screw which engages a circumferential groove in the shank of the tool rod so that the cutting tool can be quickly and accurately positioned relative to the follower.

Abstract: A saw guard system adapted to be mounted on the headstock quill of a multipurpose woodworking tool includes a rear portion adapted to be clamped to the headstock quill, a front portion which forms a pocket with the rear portion and is adjustable so that the pocket size can be varied to accommodate rotary tools of varying thicknesses, and an exhaust port communicating with the pocket and having an outer end adapted to be attached to a vacuum hose. The rear portion supports a riving knife adapted to extend above an associated saw table and which includes an upper saw guard. The riving knife is positioned in a common plane with a rotary tool mounted on the quill, and is capable of remaining closely adjacent to the rotary tool regardless of table position or quill extension.

Abstract: A portable dust collector which includes a housing having a dust-proof chamber, a motor and blower enclosed within the chamber, a centrifugal blower driven by the motor and exhausting through a diffuser into the housing, a filter bag enclosing the top of the housing, a collection bag enclosing the bottom of the housing, and a support extending downwardly from the housing to the base for providing clearance below the housing sufficient for the collection bag. By positioning the motor within a dust-proof chamber inside the housing, the dust collector has better balance and portability and requires less floor and storage space than prior art collectors with exterior motors. The collector also includes a diffuser which is attached to the blower outlet and is shaped to direct the effluent from the blower downwardly into the collection bag.

Abstract: A duplicating system, especially for use with a multipurpose woodworking machine capable of performing lathe turning operations. The system includes a support table, a carriage adapted to be slidably mounted on the machine, and a locking rack and pinion for raising and lowering the table relative to the carriage. A tool support is positioned on the table and includes a base having a low friction pad for engaging the table top, a follower for contacting a pattern, and a multi-edge cutting tool rotatably mounted on a tool rod for engaging a workpiece. An insert guide is mounted on the tool rod to hold the cutting tool in position. The base has a set screw which engages a circumferential groove in the shank of the tool rod so that the cutting tool can be quickly and accurately positioned relative to the follower.

Abstract: A saw fence having an elongate fence member, a lock-back attached to an end of the fence member for engaging a side rail of a saw table, a base member attached to an opposite end of the fence member and adapted to engage a side rail of a saw table. The base member includes a housing having a transverse channel to receive a side rail of a saw table, a hook member pivotally attached to the base member having a tongue portion which extends downwardly and inwardly from the base member, and a bolt threaded into the base member for pivotally displacing the hook member inwardly to engage a side rail in a locked position, or outwardly to disengage a side rail in a release position.

Abstract: A miter gage having an adjustable workpiece clamp. The miter gage is of the type having a bar shaped to slidably engage a guideway of a tool work table, a protractor mounted on the bar and a grip mounted on the protractor. The clamping device includes a lock guide having a base adapted to be attached to the grip, a longitudinally-extending, vertical opening and a pair of opposing side walls; a U-shaped lock clamp having a sidewardly-opening channel receiving the lock guide and including a vertical bore positioned in registry with the lock guide opening, a lock rod extending vertically through the bore and opening and a lock knob having a stud which is threaded through the side of the lock clamp to bear against an adjacent sidewall of the lock guide. Displacement of the threaded stud relative to the lock clamp urges the lock guide sidewardly out of the channel and causes the lock rod to be urged against the lock guide, thereby preventing its relative movement.

Abstract: An anti-kickback system for use with a table saw or the like consists of a splitter adapted to be mounted on the table saw and including an elongated slot therethrough inclined relative to the table top, a pair of cams, each having peripheral, work-engaging surface including a spiral segment, and a pin attached to the cams and extending through the slot to form a pivot axis for the cams at approximately the centers of the spiral segments. The slot is sized to slidably receive the pin and includes an upper, elongated edge having a plurality of arcuate shaped detents sized to receive the pin. Movement of a workpiece in a kickback condition beneath the cams causes the cams to be pivoted and displaced upwardly to lock the pin against one of the detents so that the workpiece is clamped between the table top and a portion of the spiral segment of the cams.