Slitting saw

A slitting saw used to cut an opening in a pipe comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) a cutting blade apparatus;
• and
• c) a drive assembly enclosed in the housing for rotating said cutting blade apparatus, the drive assembly including a gear train including a series of shafts including a drive shaft journaled by first and second wear adjustable bearings, an idler shaft journaled by third and fourth wear adjustable bearings, and a cutter shaft journaled by fifth and sixth wear adjustable bearings each of said shafts being journaled in their respective bearings for rotation in said housing wherein the cutting blade apparatus is operatively coupled to the cutter shaft, said gear train having
• i) a first and a second bevel gear wherein the first bevel gear rotates on an axis perpendicular to an axis of the drive shaft and the second bevel gear rotates on the axis of the drive shaft, wherein rotation of the first bevel gear transfers rotational motion to the drive shaft;
• ii) a first helical gear mounted on the drive shaft and coupled in driving relation to a second helical gear mounted on the idler shaft wherein the first and second helical gears mesh so as to impart rotation to the idler shaft;
• and
• iii) a third helical gear mounted on the idler shaft and a fourth helical gear mounted on the cutter shaft and meshing with the third helical gear so as to transfer rotational motion from the idler shaft to the cutter shaft,
• said drive assembly further including a drive motor for rotating the gear train, and said housing including
• i) a bottom cover plate on which the drive shaft, idler shaft, and cutter shaft rest;
• ii) a gearbox case secured to the bottom cover plate for housing the first, second, third and fourth helical gears and the first bevel gear;
• iii) a bearing case affixed to the gearbox case for containing the fourth and sixth wear adjustable bearings journaling the idler shaft and the cutter shaft;
• and
• iv) a bevel gear case affixed to the gear box case for housing the second bevel gear, and one of the first and second bearings journaling the drive shaft.