Band saw

A band saw for cutting stocks of materials such as bone and meat comprising a frame on which are supported spaced upper and lower rotatable wheels, a saw blade extending between and mounted on said wheels and adapted to be driven thereby, a feed table positioned between said wheels for supporting stock adjacent to the saw blade during a cutting operation, a guard rail having an idle position covering the saw blade in its cutting region above the feed table, support means for said guard rail mounted to allow movement of the guard rail (1) in a parallel direction with respect to said saw blade an amount sufficient to expose the cutting region of said saw blade to the height of passage necessary for cutting said stock and (2) a limited amount toward the cutting edge of the saw blade upon application of pressure of the stock against the guard rail, actuating means operatively associated with said support means for moving said support means and thereby said guard rail upward in said parallel direction so as to expose said saw blade the necessary amount to allow cutting of the stock, said actuating means being responsive to the movement of said guard rail toward said cutting edge to move said support means and thereby said guard rail upward an amount sufficient only to expose said saw blade to the necessary height of passage of said stock, biasing means normally urging said guard rail away from said cutting edge to a position wherein said actuating means is nonresponsive for moving said support means and guard rail upward, counterbalancing means operatively connected to said guard rail to ease the descent of said guard rail when the latter is returning from an upper position toward said idle position, and an arresting means between said frame and said guide rail for retaining the latter in said idle position.