Apparatus for keeping open the gap cut by a saw in a work piece

An apparatus for keeping open the gap cut by a saw blade in a work piece, comprising fixed abutment means arranged on one side of a work piece, said abutment means being substantially centrally aligned with said saw blade, first and second clamping jaw means arranged substantially opposite said fixed abutment means and spaced laterally on one and the other side of said saw blade, power drive means operatively connected to said first and second clamping jaw means for pressing and moving said first and second clamping jaw means toward and away from said fixed abutment means, each of said first and second clamping jaw means comprising a base portion, a work piece engaging portion and means slidably mounting the work piece engaging portion to the respective base portion for permitting lateral movement of the work piece engaging portion relative to the base portion, and further power drive means operatively connected to the respective work piece engaging portions of the clamping jaw means for laterally moving the respective work piece engaging portion independently of the operation of said first mentioned power drive means and in a direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the direction of movement of said first mentioned power drive means.