Blade clamp mechanism

A cutting tool clamp mechanism for a power tool, the cutting tool clamp mechanism comprising:

• a housing supported by a spindle, the spindle being configured to receive and drive a cutting tool along a longitudinal axis of the spindle;
• a clamping system supported by the housing, the clamping system including an actuator portion movable relative to the spindle and an engaging portion configured to be moved by the actuator portion relative to the spindle, the clamping system having an engaged condition, in which the engaging portion is engageable with the cutting tool, and a released condition, in which the engaging portion is disengageable with the cutting tool;
• a biasing member positioned between the housing and the clamping system, and operable to bias the clamping system to the engaged condition;
• and
• an ejection system positioned within the housing, the ejection system movable between an inserted condition and an ejected condition, wherein when the clamping system is released from the engaged condition, the ejection system ejects the cutting tool from the housing and a portion of the ejection system contacts the engaging portion to hold the clamping system in the released condition;
• wherein the actuator moves along an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A cutting tool clamp mechanism for a power tool including a spindle having a longitudinal axis and a slot configured to receive a cutting tool, the spindle configured to drive the cutting tool along the longitudinal axis, the cutting tool clamp mechanism comprising:

• a housing supported by the spindle;
• and
• a clamping system supported by the housing, the clamping system including
• an engaging portion movable relative to the spindle,
• an actuator portion surrounding a portion of the spindle and movable along a first axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to move the engaging portion along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the actuator portion movable between an engaged condition, in which the engaging portion is configured to engage with the cutting tool to secure the cutting tool in the spindle, and a released condition, in which the engaging portion is configured to disengage with the cutting tool,
• a first biasing member and a second biasing member disposed on opposite sides of the blade slot for biasing the actuator portion, the first and second biasing members being positioned to bias the engaging portion of the clamping system to the engaged position.