Dust collector and safety guard

Claim 2

Apparatus for collecting dust and chips from an area about a tool comprising an arbor upon which the tool is mounted, a work platform upon which a workpiece may be mounted for movement relative to the tool, means for mounting a collector means in an adjustable fixed relationship relative to the tool, including first means for controlling the horizontal position of said apparatus relative to said arbor and second means for controlling the vertical position of said apparatus relative to said arbor, collector means adjusted to encircle the tool, and means for withdrawing air from within said collector means substantially tangentially relative thereto and for generating air turbulence within said collector means such that substantially all dust and chips generated by contact of the tool and the workpiece are collected.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 including flexible means extending from said collector means into contacting relationship with the workpiece to restrict the area of airflow between said collector means and the workpiece without inhibiting relative movement between said tool and the workpiece.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first means comprises mounting means operatively connected to said collector means and horizontal adjustment means releasably fixed relative to said mounting means, and said second means comprises adjustment means mounted on said arbor and connecting means fixed to said horizontal adjustment means and releasably mounted relative to said adjustment means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for collecting the dust and work chips generated by the contact and relative movement of a workpiece and a tool comprising a housing having an open upper end, an open lower end, and a tangentially oriented opening intermediate and closely adjacent one of said upper and lower ends, means for adjustably mounting said housing about the tool and relative to the workpiece including first means for permitting horizontal adjustment of said housing in a first direction to locate the tool therein in an optimum dust and chip collection location, and second means adapted to be received on a machine carrying the tool for permitting vertical adjustment of said housing in a second direction to locate the tool relative thereto so that the tool extends beyond said one of said upper and lower ends a distance slightly greater than the depth of work penetration to be accomplished by the tool, and vacuum means operatively attached to said tangential opening.

Claim 6

Apparatus for collecting the dust and work chips generated by the contact and relative movement of a workpiece and a tool comprising a housing having an open upper end, an open lower end, and a tangentially oriented opening intermediate and closely adjacent one of said upper and lower ends, means for adjustably mounting said housing about the tool and relative to the workpiece including first means for permitting horizontal adjustment of said housing in a first direction to locate the tool therein in an optimum dust and chip collection location, and second means adapted to be received on a machine carrying the tool for permitting vertical adjustment of said housing in a second direction to locate the tool relative thereto so that the tool extends beyond said one of said upper and lower ends a distance slightly greater than the depth of work penetration to be accomplished by the tool, and vacuum means operatively attached to said tangential opening.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said housing includes at least one air intake opening therein and means for restricting the airflow and thereby increasing the velocity thereof past said at least one air intake opening.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said tangentially oriented opening is offset to the side of the tool axis such that centrifugal force exerted on the waste due to rotation of the tool tends to propel the waste into said exhaust opening.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the tool is a rotating tool, causing the waste to be expelled therefrom in a spiral path and wherein said tangentially oriented opening is offset from the tool axis in a direction such that the spiral path extends thereinto.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said tangentially oriented opening is substantially tangentially related to the axis of said housing, which is substantially coaxial with the axis of the tool, on a side thereof determined by the direction of tool rotation so as to capture the maximum quantity of waste therein under the influence of both vacuum and centrifugal forces.

Claim 11

ApparAtus for collecting and removing waste generated by relative movement between a tool and a workpiece comprising a housing having an exhaust opening so located relative to the tool and workpiece as to capture waste impelled by centrifugal force, at least one intake opening, means for supporting said housing relative to the tool and the workpiece comprising means for adjustably supporting said housing in a horizontal plane relative to said tool and means for adjustably supporting said housing in a vertical plane relative to said tool, and flexible means about said at least one intake opening and extending toward the workpiece for controlling the flow of air over the workpiece and into said at least one intake opening and for aiding in creating a partial vacuum in said exhaust opening.

Claim 12

ApparAtus for collecting and removing waste generated by relative movement between a tool and a workpiece comprising a housing having an exhaust opening so located relative to the tool and workpiece as to capture waste impelled by centrifugal force, at least one intake opening, means for supporting said housing relative to the tool and the workpiece comprising means for adjustably supporting said housing in a horizontal plane relative to said tool and means for adjustably supporting said housing in a vertical plane relative to said tool, and flexible means about said at least one intake opening and extending toward the workpiece for controlling the flow of air over the workpiece and into said at least one intake opening and for aiding in creating a partial vacuum in said exhaust opening.

Claim 13

Apparatus for collecting dust and chips from an area about a tool comprising an arbor upon which the tool is mounted, a work platform upon which a workpiece may be mounted for movement relative to the tool, means for adjusting a collector means in an horizontally and vertically adjustable fixed relationship relative to the tool, collector means attached to said mounting means to encircle the tool, and means for withdrawing air from within said collector means substantially tangentially relative thereto and for generating air turbulence within said collector means such that substantially all dust and chips generated by contact of the tool and the workpiece are collected.

Claim 14

Apparatus for collecting dust and chips from an area about a tool comprising an arbor upon which the tool is mounted, a work platform upon which a workpiece may be mounted for movement relative to the tool, means for adjusting a collector means in an horizontally and vertically adjustable fixed relationship relative to the tool, collector means attached to said mounting means to encircle the tool, and means for withdrawing air from within said collector means substantially tangentially relative thereto and for generating air turbulence within said collector means such that substantially all dust and chips generated by contact of the tool and the workpiece are collected.

Claim 15

Apparatus for collecting and removing waste generated by relative movement between a tool and a workpiece comprising a housing having an exhaust opening so located relative to the tool and workpiece as to capture waste impelled by centrifugal force, at least one intake opening, means for supporting said housing relative to the tool and the workpiece comprising means for adjustably supporting said housing in a horizontal plane relative to said tool, and flexible means about said at least one intake opening and extending toward the workpiece for controlling the flow of air over the workpiece and into said at least one intake opening and for aiding in creating a partial vacuum in said exhaust opening.

Claim 16

Apparatus for collecting and removing waste generated by relative movement between a tool and a workpiece comprising a housing having an exhaust opening so located relative to the tool and workpiece as to capture waste impelled by centrifugal force, at least one intake opening, means for supporting said housing relative to the tool and the workpiece comprising means for adjustably supporting said housing in a horizontal plane relative to said tool, and flexible means about said at least one intake opening and extending toward the workpiece for controlling the flow of air over the workpiece and into said at least one intake opening and for aiding in creating a partial vacuum in said exhaust opening.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said housing includes a transparent material through which an operator may view the contact of the workpiece and the tool.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said housing includes a transparent material through which an operator may view the contact of the workpiece and the tool.