Straddle safety pusher system

Abstract

An adjustable pushing apparatus (50) for safely moving a work piece (22) past a cutting tool (16). The apparatus includes a body (52), a first leg (56), a second leg (58) and a moveable center leg (60) defining a leg side surface (74) and two adjustable-width tunnels (62, 64) through which a cutting tool may pass. A handle (54) is moveable along a top surface (82) of the body to provide a balance of forces on both the inside cut portion (24) and the outside cut portion (26) of the work piece. Non-slip work piece-contacting surfaces (76) provide positive engagement with the work piece. A balance support device (84) may be attached to either the first or second leg at a plurality of vertical heights to balance the apparatus when the work piece is too narrow to make contact with a work piece-contacting surface on both side of the cut line (C). In one embodiment (200) a bridge handle (202) is used to maintain balanced forces on both sides of the cut line. The handle portion (204) may be longitudinally angled relative to the cut line to provide a force vector keeping the pushing apparatus and work piece secured against the table saw fence (16). A trailing edge heel (212) may be attached to the pusher to minimize blowout of the rearmost edge of the work piece and to assist in applying additional feeding force to the work piece.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.