Miter gauge lock for sliding table saws

A table assembly for a table saw comprising:

• a table for supporting a workpiece thereon, the table defining a saw blade slot configured to receive a saw blade therethrough and defining at least one guide slot extending along the table parallel to the saw blade slot, the table further defining an opening to the at least one guide slot at one end of the table;
• a miter gauge assembly including;
• an elongated guide bar having a side surface defining a plurality of notches therein and configured for sliding engagement within the at least one guide slot to selectively align one of the plurality of notches with the opening to the guide slot;
• a miter gauge pivotably mounted to the elongated guide bar;
• and
• a locking mechanism mounted to an underside of the table and configured to lock the elongated guide bar at a selected position within the at least one guide slot, the locking mechanism including;
• a locking bar mounted to the underside of the table for sliding linear movement in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the elongated guide bar, the locking bar sized and configured in a locking position to pass through the opening to the guide slot and for locking engagement within one of the plurality of notches of the elongated guide bar, the locking bar including an angled slot angled relative to the direction of linear siding movement of the locking bar;
• a manual actuation lever accessible at one side of the table, the lever operably coupled to the locking bar so that manual movement of the actuation lever moves the locking bar to an unlocked position out of engagement with the one of the plurality of notches, the actuation lever connected to an elongated actuation rod slidably supported on the underside of the table for movement perpendicular to the direction of linear sliding movement of the locking bar, the actuation rod including an actuation post at one end configured and arranged to be received within said angled slot in said locking bar;
• wherein the angled slot is configured to produce said linear sliding movement of the locking bar that is perpendicular to the movement of the actuation rod.