Hand guard for table mounted cutting tool

A hand guard for a table mounted rotating cutting tool, said hand guard comprising:

• a vertically oriented guide body having flat side portions for slidable engagement with a table mounted guide rail of predetermined height, and including an underside adapted to rest on top of work to be advanced past a rotating cutting tool and along a path parallel to said guide rail, said guide body further having an elongated hand slot extending through said flat side portions and sloping upwardly in a leading direction whereby said guide body can be manually thrust in said leading direction with a vector of said thrust tending to press said guide body downwardly upon said work, said hand slot being adapted for location above said predetermined height of the guide rail whereby a user's hand will clear the upper edge of said guide rail;
• a heel mounted to the trailing extremity of said guide body for generally vertical movement to project the lower extremity of said heel below said guide body underside for positive engagement with the edge of said work whereby said work may be moved past said cutting tool by manually grasping the upper portion of said guide body and moving it toward said cutting tool, said lower extremity of said heel including a channel to accommodate a cutting tool passing upwardly of said underside of said guide body during ripping of said work;
• and
• adjustment means on said heel and said guide body cooperative to fix said heel in one of various vertically adjusted positions relative to said guide body to accommodate various thicknesses of work.