Lubricant flow control management for saw guides

A saw arbor guide assembly comprising:

• an arbor;
• a plurality of saw blades arranged on and rotating about the arbor;
• a guide post;
• and
• a plurality of saw guides attached to the guide post in a stacked configuration, each of the saw guides comprising:
• a head adapted to attach to the guide post, wherein the head comprises one or more intake channels adapted to supply lubricant to the saw guide, wherein the one or more intake channels for each of the saw guides are aligned to allow for the lubricant to flow from one of the saw guides to an adjacent one of the saw guides;
• a body connected to the head, wherein the body is located between adjacent ones of the plurality of saw blades, the body comprising:
• first and second faces;
• a plurality of lubricant openings located on both of the first and second faces for supplying the lubricant to the adjacent ones of the plurality of saw blades;
• and
• a plurality of fastener openings located on both of the first and second faces, each of the plurality of lubricant openings spaced apart from all of the plurality of fastener openings;
• two pads, wherein a first one of the two pads is attached to the first face, and wherein a second one of the two pads is attached to the second face, each of the two pads comprising:
• a plurality of cut-out regions, each of the plurality of cut-out regions being aligned with, and partially surrounding, one of the plurality of lubricant openings to expose a portion of the first or second faces around the one of the plurality of lubricant openings;
• and
• a plurality of pad openings, each of the plurality of pad openings aligned with one of the plurality of fastener openings;
• a plurality of pad fasteners, wherein each of the plurality of pad fasteners is adapted to extend through one of the plurality of pad openings and one of the plurality of fastener openings;
• one or more passages extending from the one or more intake channels and extending through the head and the body, wherein the one or more passages are configured to carry the lubricant from the one or more intake channels, wherein each of the plurality of lubricant openings is connected with one of the one or more passages, and wherein each of the plurality of fastener openings is unconnected with any of the one or more passages;
• and
• for each of the plurality of lubricant openings, a flow control valve located in the one of the one or more passages proximate to the lubricant opening to control a flow of the lubricant through the lubricant opening, wherein the flow control valves are configured to differentially control the flow of the lubricant to different ones of the plurality of lubricant openings.

A method for controlling the flow of a lubricant through a saw arbor guide assembly with an arbor, a plurality of saw blades rotating about the arbor, and a guide post, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of saw guides attached to the guide post in a stacked configuration, each of the saw guides comprising:
• a head comprising one or more intake channels adapted to supply the lubricant to the saw guide, the one or more intake channels for each of the saw guides aligned to allow for the lubricant to flow from one of the saw guides to an adjacent one of the saw guides;
• a body connected to the head, wherein the body is located between adjacent ones of the plurality of saw blades, the body comprising:
• first and second faces;
• a plurality of lubricant openings located on both of the first and second faces for supplying the lubricant to the adjacent ones of the plurality of saw blades;
• and
• a plurality of fastener openings located on both of the first and second faces, each of the plurality of lubricant openings spaced apart from all of the plurality of fastener openings;
• two pads, wherein a first one of the two pads is attached to the first face, and wherein a second one of the two pads is attached to the second face, each of the two pads comprising:
• a plurality of cut-out regions, each of the plurality of cut-out regions being aligned with, and partially surrounding, one of the plurality of lubricant openings to expose a portion of the first and second faces around the one of the plurality of lubricant openings;
• and
• a plurality of pad openings, each of the plurality of pad openings with one of the plurality of fastener openings;
• a plurality of pad fasteners, wherein each of the plurality of pad fasteners is adapted to extend through one of the plurality of pad openings and one of the plurality of fastener openings;
• one or more passages extending from the one or more intake channels and extending through the head and the body, wherein the one or more passages are configured to carry the lubricant from the one or more intake channels, wherein each of the plurality of lubricant openings is connected with one of the one or more passages, and wherein each of the plurality of fastener openings is unconnected with any of the one or more passages;
• and
• for each of the plurality of lubricant openings, a flow control valve located in the one of the one or more passages proximate to the lubricant opening to control a flow of the lubricant through the lubricant opening;
• supplying the lubricant to the plurality of saw guides through an entry point located proximate to a top or bottom of the stacked configuration;
• and
• configuring the flow control valves on the saw guides to differentially control the flow of the lubricant to different ones of the plurality of lubricant openings.