Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a feed finger of a saw sharpening machine with a saw blade mounted in the saw sharpening machine includes a tooth detection unit which is used to detect the position of a tooth of the saw blade relative to the feed finger. The tooth detection unit comprises an object detection sensor that is mounted to the feed finger facing the tooth and is used to determine the position of the tooth and an adjacent gullet. Once the position of the tooth and gullet is determined, the feed finger is moved into the gullet and the feed finger is actuated to advance the saw blade into a position for a tooth grinding operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a feed finger engageable with a saw blade includes: a first motion system configured to move the feed finger in a first degree of freedom; a second motion system configured to move the feed finger in a second degree of freedom different than the first degree of freedom; and a third motion system configured to move the feed finger in a third degree of freedom different than the first and second degrees of freedom. The third degree of freedom includes linear translational motion in a direction having a non-zero component normal to a plane of the saw blade.