Quick release saw blade chuck and saw including the same

A scroll saw for use with a saw blade having first and second ends, comprising:

• a base portion;
• a table carried on said base portion;
• first and second arms carried on said base portion and mounted for reciprocating motion about said table;
• means for imparting reciprocating movement to said arms;
• a quick release saw blade chuck for releasably retaining a first end of the saw blade inserted therein, said saw blade chuck comprising:
• a. a blade holder having first and second ends, said first end including means for connecting said blade holder to a said first reciprocating arm, said second end including a first surface and a receiving means, said second end further including a first bore extending therethrough, the walls of said first bore being threaded;
• b. a clamping member having at least an inner and an outer surface and a second bore extending between said inner and outer surfaces, said second bore having a substantially conical profile tapering inward toward said inner surface, said clamping member further including a hollow sleeve extending from said outer surface, said sleeve including two opposed slots;
• c. attaching means for attaching said clamping member to said blade holder such that said inner surface of said clamping member opposes said first surface of said blade holder to define a blade-accepting space, having a length and a width, between said inner surface and said first surface on one side of said attaching means, and a second space between said inner surface and said first surface on an opposite side of said attaching means, said attaching extending through said second bore and including a collar having a conical profile sized to fit within said second bore, said attaching means being threadedly received by said first bore and being adjustable so as to vary the distance between said first surface and said inner surface, thereby adjusting the size of said blade-accepting space;
• d. a cam means disposed in said second space, said cam means including a camming portion and a cam rotation axis, said camming portion rotatably mounted about said cam rotation axis between said blade holder and said camming member, said camming portion rotatable about said cam rotation axis between a blade-lock position wherein said camming portion pivots said clamping member about said attaching means so as to increase the size of said second space and decrease the size of said blade-accepting space, and a blade-receiving position wherein said camming portion pivots said clamping member about said attaching means so as to decrease the size of said second space and increase the size of said blade-accepting space;
• e. retaining means acting on said blade holder and said clamping member to maintain said inner surface opposed to said first surface, said retaining means comprising a U-shaped clip having a base portion and two outwardly extending arms;
• f. biasing means acting on said retaining means and said clamping member so as to increase the size of said blade accepting space, said biasing means comprising a coil spring, said coil spring disposed within said sleeve and retained therein by said base portion of said clip disposed within said opposed slots of said sleeve, said outwardly extending arms of said clip retained in said receiving means of said blade holder;
• and
• means for mounting a second end of said saw blade to said second reciprocating arm.

A quick release saw blade chuck, comprising:

• a blade holder having a first end including means for connecting said blade holder to a saw frame and a second end including at least a first surface;
• b. a clamping member having at least an inner surface;
• c. attaching means for attaching said clamping member to said blade holder such that said inner surface of said clamping member opposes said first surface of said blade holder to define a means for holding a blade, said means for holding a blade including a blade-accepting space for receiving an end of a saw blade, said blade accepting space having a length and a width and being disposed between said inner surface and said first surface on one side of said attaching means, said inner surface of said clamping member opposing said first space of said blade holder to also define a second space, said second space disposed between said inner surface and said first surface on an opposite side of said attaching means;
• and
• d. means disposed in said second space for altering the size of said second space so as to pivot said clamping member about said attaching means, thereby varying the size of said blade-accepting space.