Router bit positioning mechanism
AssigneeLee Valley Tools Ltd.
InventorEdwin C. Tucker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanism that attaches to a plunge router, particularly when the router is used in a router table, to conveniently and accurately move the router body relative to the router base in order to adjust the position of a router bit in the router relative to the router table. Substantial excursions are made by moving a handle up or down using a handle or a foot pedal, and small excursions are made using a micro-adjust mechanism that has a detent set screw and cooperating structure to facilitate adjustment of the micro-adjust mechanism by very small predetermined increments.
Claims29
A router adjustment mechanism for use with a router having a base and a body, the adjustment mechanism comprising:
- (a) means for attachment to the router base,
- (b) means for contact with the router body,
- (c) means for moving the base attachment means relative to the router body contact means by relatively substantial increments and
- (d) means for moving the base attachment means relative to the router body contact means by relatively small increments.
A mechanism for actuating the plunge capability of a plunge router having a router body and a base, comprising a hand actuatable lever that, when moved a particular distance, causes the router body to move relative to the base a distance smaller than the particular distance.
A mechanism for positioning a tool having a first tool portion and a second tool portion movable toward or away from the first tool portion, the positioning mechanism comprising:
- (a) a hand actuatable lever that, when moved a particular distance, causes the first tool portion to move relative to the second tool portion a distance shorter than the particular distance, and
- (b) a micro-adjust mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the first and second tool portions by small distances.
A router adjustment mechanism for use with a router having:
- (i) a base to which an adjustment rod is attached and (ii) a body having a ledge, the adjustment mechanism comprising:
- (a) a piston for attachment to the rod,
- (b) a body for contact with the ledge,
- (c) a lever attached to the body and to the piston for movement of the piston relative to the body.
A mechanism for adjusting the position of a plunge router body relative to its base to which a threaded adjustment rod is attached, the mechanism comprising:
- (a) an extruded aluminum body having an elongated cylindrical passage and a pair of parallel plates protruding alongside the passage and defining a groove between the plates that is open to the passage,
- (b) a cylindrical piston sized to slide within the passage and having:
- (i) a threaded bore in one end of the piston for receiving the threaded rod,
- (ii) a threaded bore for receiving a set screw in the other end of the piston, and
- (iii) a generally rectangular recess in the wall of the piston communicating with the set screw bore,
- (c) a piston arm positioned partially within the groove and secured within the recess in the piston by a set screw positioned in the set screw bore,
- (d) a handle having an end that pivots on a screw passing through the plates,
- (e) at least one link attached between the handle and the piston arm so that pivoting the handle causes the piston arm to slide within the groove and move the piston axially within the passage,
- (f) a threaded stud passing through a smooth bore in one of the plates and into a threaded bore in the other plate for drawing the plates together in order to lock the piston within the passage,
- (g) a micro-adjust mechanism comprising:
- (i) a cylinder positionable within one the end of the passage,
- (ii) a spindle:
- (1) positioned to slide axially with an axial bore in the cylinder, and
- (2) and having a rectangular recess near one end,
- (iii) a set screw positioned in a wall of the cylinder to extend into the axial bore in the cylinder and into the rectangular recess in the spindle,
- (iv) a threaded knob rotatably secured to the cylinder and threaded onto the other end of the spindle so that rotation of the knob moves the spindle axially within the cylinder
- (h) a second threaded stud passing through a second smooth bore in one of the plates and into a second threaded bore in the other plate for drawing the plates together in order to lock the micro-adjust cylinder within the passage.
A method for adjusting the position of a router bit relative to a router table to which a plunge router having a router base and a router body holding the bit is attached, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) attaching a plunger to the router base,
- (b) contacting the router body with a sleeve within which the plunger is positioned,
- (c) manipulating a handle to move the plunger within the sleeve and thereby move the router body relative to the router base,
- (d) coupling a micro-adjust mechanism to the plunger and the sleeve,
- (e) moving the plunger within the sleeve by a small amount using the micro-adjust mechanism, and
- (f) locking the plunger within the sleeve.
A method for adjusting the position of a router bit relative to a router table to which a plunge router having a router base and a router body holding the bit is attached, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) connecting apparatus having coarse adjustment portions and fine adjustment portions to the router base and the router body,
- (b) using course the adjustment portions of the apparatus to move the router base relative to the router body by a relatively substantial distance,
- (c) using the fine adjustments portions of the apparatus to move the router base relative to the router body by a relatively small distance, and
- (d) locking the apparatus to fix the position of the router base relative to the router body.
A method for adjusting the position of a router bit relative to a router table to which a plunge router having a router base and a router body holding the bit is attached, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) manipulating a lever generally in one direction relative to the base to cause the router body to move generally in the opposite direction relative to the base, and
- (b) manipulating a micro-adjust mechanism to adjust the relative positions of the router body and base by a small distance until a desired bit location is achieved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.