Patents by Inventor Earl R. Clowers
Earl R. Clowers has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7066221Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor. A preferred fence system includes an angle adjustment system arranged and configured to position the fence at a wide range of fence angles and, at any selected distance from a top face of the workpiece to the fence, the distance from the top face of the workpiece to the cutter remains constant as the front fence angle is adjusted. A preferred fence system includes a trunnion which pivotally couples the front fence to the fence system.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2005Date of Patent: June 27, 2006Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.Inventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 6896016Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor. A preferred fence system includes an angle adjustment system arranged and configured to position the fence at a wide range of fence angles and, at any selected distance from a top face of the workpiece to the fence, the distance from the top face of the workpiece to the cutter remains constant as the front fence angle is adjusted. A preferred fence system includes a trunnion which pivotally couples the front fence to the fence system.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2003Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 6612349Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor. As shown in the drawings a preferred fence system includes an angle adjustment system arranged and configured to position the fence at a wide range of fence angles and, at any selected distance from a top face of the workpiece to the fence, the distance from the top face of the workpiece to the cutter remains constant as the front fence angle is adjusted. A preferred fence system includes a trunnion which pivotally couples the front fence to the fence system.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2002Date of Patent: September 2, 2003Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 6506107Abstract: A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user's hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2001Date of Patent: January 14, 2003Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John W. Schnell
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Patent number: 6422275Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor. A preferred fence system includes an angle adjustment system arranged and configured to position the fence at a wide range of fence angles and, at any selected distance from a top face of the workpiece to the fence, the distance from the top face of the workpiece to the cutter remains constant as the front fence angle is adjusted. A preferred fence system includes a trunnion which pivotally couples the front fence to the fence system.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1999Date of Patent: July 23, 2002Assignee: Porter-Cable CoporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Publication number: 20020053370Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2002Publication date: May 9, 2002Applicant: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Publication number: 20020031992Abstract: A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user's hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2001Publication date: March 14, 2002Applicant: Porter Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John W. Schnell
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Patent number: 6336483Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor. A preferred fence system includes an angle adjustment system arranged and configured to position the fence at a wide range of fence angles and, at any selected distance from a top face of the workpiece to the fence, the distance from the top face of the workpiece to the cutter remains constant as the front fence angle is adjusted. A preferred fence system includes a trunnion which pivotally couples the front fence to the fence system.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 6224471Abstract: A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user's hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1997Date of Patent: May 1, 2001Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John W. Schnell
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Patent number: 6125896Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor.A preferred plate joiner includes a cutter plunge system arranged and configured to provide a plurality of release positions that reduce the distance traveled in making a plunge cut for a smaller blade and to prevent a blade from protruding from the tool in a release position.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: October 3, 2000Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 6006802Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter and a contact surface, which defines a cutter slot. The cutter is arranged and configured to protrude from fence support through cutter slot to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece when the contact surface is pressed against the surface and the cutter is plunged into the workpiece by pushing on a rearward handle portion of the tool. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor.A preferred plate joiner is configured for substantially continuous adjustment of fence height while restraining lateral and tortional movement of the fence and providing an accurate measure of the height of the fence from any point in the thickness of the blade.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: December 28, 1999Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 5934985Abstract: A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user's hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1997Date of Patent: August 10, 1999Assignee: Porter Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John W. Schnell
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Patent number: 5865230Abstract: A plate joiner including a fence support, a drive, and a fence system. The fence support includes a cutter which is arranged and configured to protrude through a cutter slot in a contact surface to make a plunge cut into a surface of a workpiece. The drive is arranged and configured to rotatably drive the cutter through a motor. A preferred fence system includes includes a trunnion which pivotally couples the front fence to the fence system and, at any selected distance from a top face of the workpiece to the fence, maintains a constant distance from the top face of the workpiece to the cutter as the front fence angle is adjusted. A preferred fence system also includes an angle segment member, which has two slots used to position the fence in two ranges of fence angles.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: February 2, 1999Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: John C. Smith, Earl R. Clowers
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Patent number: 5791977Abstract: A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user's hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1996Date of Patent: August 11, 1998Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John W. Schnell
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Patent number: 5545080Abstract: A motorized sander having a drive motor mounted on a distal end of a tubular wand is provided. A flexible drive shaft is operatively coupled to the drive motor and extends along the length of the tubular wand. A sanding head is mounted by a pivotal joint to a proximal end of the tubular wand. The sanding head includes a sanding pad operatively coupled to the flexible drive shaft. The pivotal joint has a first and a second flexible joint. The first joint is configured to pivot about a first axis which is different from a second axis about which the second joint pivots.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 1995Date of Patent: August 13, 1996Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, Steve H. Plume, John C. Smith
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Patent number: 5518442Abstract: A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user's hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1994Date of Patent: May 21, 1996Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John W. Schnell
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Patent number: 5375636Abstract: A pocket joint cutter system for forming a pocket cut and fastener bore into a workpiece. The pocket cut and fastener bore receives a fastener such as a self-tapping screw which passes through the bore and into a second workpiece for forming a Joint between the two workpieces. The head of the fastener is held within the pocket cut in order to secure the joint. In one preferred form of the present invention, a workpiece system secures the workpiece in a predetermined position and forms the pocket cut and fastener bore into the workpiece. This preferred embodiment further comprises a bench-mounting system coupled to the workpiece system for securing the system to a bench. Using this embodiment of the present invention, the system can be mounted to a bench, and the workpiece can be brought to the system and held in position while the user forms the pocket cut and fastener bore.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1993Date of Patent: December 27, 1994Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Donald R. Bosten, Earl R. Clowers, Daniel P. Wall, George W. Mitchell
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Patent number: D350548Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1993Date of Patent: September 13, 1994Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Donald R. Bosten, Earl R. Clowers, Daniel P. Wall, Gary W. Barnhill, Thomas O. Walls, George W. Mitchell
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Patent number: D376304Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1995Date of Patent: December 10, 1996Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, John C. Smith
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Patent number: D435013Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1999Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Porter-Cable CorporationInventors: Earl R. Clowers, Mark A. Etter, Michael A. Lagaly