Folding saw horse

Abstract

An improved folding saw horse has a main beam support member and pivotable legs connected thereto by bolts with locking nuts which pass through pivot bores in the main beam support member. The main beam support member is reinforced by a pair of end flex support members at opposite ends thereof. The main beam support member also includes bores which receive securement pins. In use the securement pins would be disposed in a lowermost set of bores in the main beam support member to lock the legs in position. There are also an upper set of bores to receive the securement pins 70 when the legs are in a folded position within the body of the main beam support member. The securement pins retain the legs within the interior of the main beam support member. The main beam support member is a generally inverted U-shaped member having angled sidewalls which preferably extend at an angle of approximately 70 degrees from the plane of the uppermost surface of the main beam support member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to saw horses, useful in construction and building.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At the pace of technological change, there is a great demand for construction projects to build, improve, or modernize a structure. Saw horses are useful in most kinds of construction, but are inconvenient to transport and store.

Accordingly, it is a problem in the art to provide a saw horse which is portable, relatively easy to transport, store, and set up.

It is a further problem in the art to provide a safety feature for a folding saw horse, wherein an alarm or signal is produced when a locking position has not been achieved, the alarm indicating a condition wherein there is a possible instability and therefore a possible collapse of the folding saw horse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

From the foregoing, it is seen that it is a problem in the art to provide a device meeting the above requirements. According to the present invention, a device and process are provided which meets the aforementioned requirements and needs in the prior art. Specifically, the device according to the present invention provides an improved folding saw horse which can be set up relatively easily, and which is portable, easy to transport, and easy to store.

More particularly, the invention relates to an improved folding saw horse having a main support member, four legs each pivotably attached to the main support member, and respective securement pins for each leg. The securement pins are manually removable to permit positioning of each of the four legs in a folded position or an unfolded position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety feature for a folding saw horse, which includes a sensor for sending the correct locking position of each pin, so that an alarm or signal is produced when a locking position has not been achieved. If the locking position is not achieved, it may result in instability and possible collapse of the saw horse.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of an improved folding saw horse according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the improved folding saw horse of FIG. 1, depicting the legs in a folded condition within the main beam support member as shown in dashed outline.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view as seen from the left of FIG. 1, showing the improved folding saw horse with its legs extended, and with the end flex support member omitted for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial elevational view of the rightmost end of the improved folding saw horse shown in FIG. 4, illustrating one end flex support member.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the leg 10 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the main beam support member as taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1, and also shows the end flex support member in elevational view.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a spring-biased securement pin inserted into one of the pivotable legs and through a bore in the main beam support member.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of a spring-biased securement pin inserted into one of the pivotable legs and through a bore in the main beam support member, wherein the pin includes a sensor for sensing correct positioning of the pin, and an indicator for indicating an incorrect positioning of the pin.

FIG. 9 is a schematic end view of an alternative embodiment of a securement pin.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a battery, sensor, and LED arrangement usable in the embodiment of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of an improved folding saw horse 100, having a main beam support member 30 and pivotable legs 10 and 12 connected thereto by bolts with locking nuts 80 (shown in FIG. 3) which pass through pivot bores 24. The pivotable legs 10 and 12 are disposed on the proximal side of the main beam support member 30 shown in FIG. 1, and an additional pair of legs are disposed on the distal side of the main beam support member 30 (shown in FIG. 3). The main beam support member 30 is reinforced by a pair of end flex support members 40 at opposite ends thereof as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 6.

The leg 10 pivots about the pivot bores 24 via the bolts with locking nuts 80 as shown in FIG. 3, so that the leg 10 pivots in the angular direction “A” of FIG. 1, and the leg 12 pivots in the angular direction “B” of FIG. 1.

The height “C” of the improved folding saw horse 100 as shown in FIG. 1 in the preferred embodiment is 29 inches. All dimensions provided herein are by way of example only, and do not limit the scope of the present invention; other dimensions are usable as well, and the improved folding saw horse 100 can be scaled up or down as desired. The pivotable legs 10 and 12 and the main beam support member 30 are preferably composed of a relatively strong material such as steel or aluminum, and can also be composed of a relatively strong plastic material.

The main beam support member 30 also includes bores 20 which receive securement pins 70 (shown in FIG. 3 and 7). The securement pins 70 are omitted from FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity so that the bores 20 are visible, and in use the securement pins 70 would be disposed in the lowermost two bores 20 of FIG. 1 to lock the legs 10 and 12 in position. The upper pair of bores 20 in FIG. 1 are to receive the securement pins 70 when the legs 10 and 12 are in a folded position (as shown in FIG. 2).

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the improved folding saw horse 100 of FIG. 1, depicting the legs 10 and 12 in a folded condition within the main beam support member 30 as shown in dashed outline. In the folded condition, the securement pins 70 should be placed in the uppermost ones of the bores 20, so as to retain the legs 10 and 12 within the interior of the main beam support member 30. The securement pins 70 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. The dimension “D” shown in FIG. 2 is preferably 36 inches, and the dimension “E” is preferably 6 inches. These dimensions are by way of example only, and these dimensions can vary without departing from the scope of the present invention. The main beam support member 30 is reinforced by a pair of end flex support members 40 at opposite ends thereof as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 6; however, these members 40 are omitted from FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view as seen from the left of FIG. 1, showing the improved folding saw horse 100 with its legs 10 and 14 extended, and with the end flex support member 40 shown in elevational view. Another end flex support member 40 is disposed on the opposite end, and is substantially identical. A dimension “F” in FIG. 3 is preferably four and one-half inches, though this is by way of example only and the invention is not limited thereto but may be varied.

The main beam support member 30 is a generally inverted U-shaped member having angled sidewalls 31, 31 which preferably extend at an angle of approximately 70 degrees from the plane of the uppermost surface 32 of the main beam support member 30. The bottoms of the legs 10, 14 are beveled at an angle of approximately 20 degrees, corresponding to the angle at which the sidewalls extend such that the sum of the angles is preferably 90 degrees so that the improved folding saw horse 100 is level and will sit firmly on the ground or floor. The angles are represented in FIG. 3 as angles “G” and “H” respectively since the legs 10 and 14 extend in the same direction as the respective sides 31, 31.

As seen in FIG. 3, the end flex support member 40 spans the sides 31, 31 and is bolted thereto so as to provide reinforcement. Thus the member 40 enables the main beam support member 30 to maintain its shape even under load. A pair of bolts with locking nuts 80 are shown in FIG. 3 respectively extending through the legs 10, 14 and walls 31, 31 so as to provide a pivot for each respective one of the legs. A pair of securement pins 70 are disposed in the lowermost ones of the bores 20, so that the legs 10 and 14 are retained in their extended position shown in FIG. 3. The securement pins 70 are preferably spring loaded pull pins, and are labeled as such in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial elevational view of the rightmost end of the improved folding saw horse 100 shown in FIG. 4, illustrating one of the end flex support members 40 As shown herein, the opposite ends of the end flex support member 40 are bent around the main beam support member 30 so as to lie flat against the sides 31, 31. A bolt 42 secures each of the opposite ends of the member 40 to the wall 31. The bolt 42 passes through a bore (not shown) in the wall 31 and through a corresponding bore in the member 40, and can be secured by a locknut. Alternatively, the end flex support member 40 may be welded, riveted, or otherwise securely fastened to the main beam support member 30, and such fastening means would be within the ambit of one ordinarily skilled in the fastening arts and/or the metalworking arts.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the leg 10 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1. It shows the square hollow shape of the leg 10. The legs can also have other shapes as well, including cylindrical, octagonal, hexagonal, among others, and such variations are contemplated as being with the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the main beam support member 30 as taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1, and also shows the end flex support member 40 in elevational view. One of the bolts 42 is shown in dotted outline on the left side of FIG. 6, and the bolt has been omitted on the right side of FIG. 6 for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a spring-biased securement pin 70 inserted into one of the pivotable legs 10 through a pair of bores 11 therethrough, and projects through a bore 20 in the wall 31 of the main beam support member 30. The securement pin 70 has a shaft 71 and a washer 73 fixed to the shaft 71. The washer 73 can be fixed to the shaft by use of a pin, by welding, by threading, or other securement means. A resilient spring member 72 biases the washer 73 away from the rightmost one of the walls 11, urging the securement pin 70 toward the left as viewed in FIG. 7. An end of the shaft 71 thus is urged through the bore 20, and thereby secures the leg 10 against relative movement with respect to the wall 31 of the main beam support member 30. While one type of resilient biasing means is shown in the form of the spring 72, it will be understood that any type of resilient biasing means can be used instead, and all such variations would be within the ambit of one skilled in the spring arts and fastening arts.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of a spring-biased securement pin 70A, wherein the pin 70A includes a sensor 77 for sensing correct positioning of the pin. For example, if the sensor 77 is a micro sensor for sensing contact with a magnetic material (i.e. a simple reed switch wherein the reed has a magnetic end), then the sensor would sense contact between the washer 73 and the metal of the leg 10. If the end of the securement pin 70 does not project through the bore 20, then the washer will not be in contact with the wall of the leg 10, and the sensor would not detect any contact. An indicator 79, such as an LED or other electrically efficient indicating means (including a sounding device for producing an audible alarm), responds to the lack of detection of contact by producing a signal, such as a light or an audible alarm sound, indicating an incorrect positioning of the pin. Thus, a possible hazardous situation can be avoided if there is a pin 70 not securing its respective leg in place.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a pin 70B (which is structurally similar in size and length to the pin 70 of FIGS. 7 and 8), having an optically clear central core 74 extending the entire length of the pin 70B, the core 74 being used for conducting light. The pin 70B also includes an outer annular portion 74 composed of a relatively strong material such as steel or aluminum. The annular portion 74 protects the central core from shear forces. Thus, using the optically clear central core 74, a single indicator 79 could be located anywhere along the length of the pin 70B within the core 74 so that light could exit through both ends of the pin 70B.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a battery 77b, sensor 77a, and LED arrangement 79 usable in the embodiment of FIG. 8. The sensor 77 of FIG. 8 would, according to this embodiment as shown by the dashed outline 77, be composed of the battery 77b and the sensor 77a.

The invention being thus described, it will be evident that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A folding saw horse, comprising:

a main beam support member;

a plurality of legs pivotably connected to the main beam support member; and

a plurality of securement pins for securing each of said plurality of legs in one of a folded position and an extended position.

2. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of securement pins is spring biased toward a securement position.

3. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main beam support member has an upper support member having a surface adapted for supporting a load, and two side walls extending from opposite sides of said upper support member.

4. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said two side walls includes two bores corresponding to each leg for receiving respective ones of said securement pins, one of the two bores being disposed for securement of a respective one of said securement pins to lock a respective one of the legs in a folded position, and the other one of the two bores being disposed for securement of the respective one of the securement pins to lock the respective one of the legs in an extended position.

5. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of securement pins is spring biased toward a securement position.

6. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main beam support member has a form which is an inverted U-shape; and further comprising two end flex support members disposed on opposite ends of the main beam support member; each of the two end flex support members having opposite ends thereof secured to respective ones of said two side walls of said main beam support member so as to provide reinforcement thereof.

7. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the folded position, each of the legs is disposed entirely within a volume bounded by the inverted U-shape of main beam support member.

8. A folding saw horse, comprising:

a main beam support member;

a plurality of legs pivotably connected to the main beam support member;

a plurality of securement pins for securing each of said plurality of legs in one of a folded position and an extended position; and

a sensing means disposed on each of said plurality of securement pins for sensing correct disposition of the respective one of said plurality of securement pins.

9. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of securement pins is spring biased toward a securement position; and wherein the securement pins each comprise a shaft, a washer secured to said shaft adapted for engagement with an internal wall of a leg when the securement pin is in a secured position.

10. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 9, wherein the main beam support member has an upper support member having a surface adapted for supporting a load, and two side walls extending from opposite sides of said upper support member.

11. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said two side walls includes two bores corresponding to each leg for receiving respective ones of said securement pins, one of the two bores being disposed for securement of a respective one of said securement pins to lock a respective one of the legs in a folded position, and the other one of the two bores being disposed for securement of the respective one of the securement pins to lock the respective one of the legs in an extended position.

12. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of securement pins is spring biased toward a securement position.

13. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 10, wherein the main beam support member has a form which is an inverted U-shape; and further comprising two end flex support members disposed on opposite ends of the main beam support member; each of the two end flex support members having opposite ends thereof secured to respective ones of said two side walls of said main beam support member so as to provide reinforcement thereof.

14. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 13, wherein in the folded position, each of the legs is disposed entirely within a volume bounded by the inverted U-shape of main beam support member.

15. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sensing means includes a battery and a magnetic sensor disposed on said washer.

16. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sensing means includes a battery and a magnetic sensor disposed on said washer; and further comprising an indicating means responsive to said magnetic sensor, for indicating an incorrect positioning of the respective securement pin.

17. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an indicating means for indicating an incorrect positioning of the respective securement pin.

18. A folding saw horse as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an indicating means forindicating an incorrect positioning of the respective securement pin; and wherein thesecurement pins include a shaft having an optically transparent core.