Hand held planer

Abstract

The invention provides a hand held planer (1) for planing a work piece surface comprising a planing tool (41) disposed between a first base (20) and a second base (30,31), the planer (1) being configurable so that it can be moved by hand along the work piece surface with the first base (20) leading and the first (20) and second (30,31) bases guiding the planer (1) along the work piece surface and the planing tool planing off a thickness of the work piece, wherein at least one (30,31) of the bases is an adjustable base such that at least a portion (31) thereof is removable or movable between a position that provides an operable lengthened configuration and a position that provides an operable shortened configuration such that a length of the adjustable base in guiding contact with the work piece surface is reduced or eliminated in the shortened configuration compared to the lengthened configuration.

Claims

1. A hand held planer for planing a work piece surface comprising: a. a housing having a leading first base, a housing bottom surface for contacting the work piece surface, a housing back surface, and a planing tool adjacent to the back surface of the housing such that the back surface of the housing is trailing behind the planing tool; and b. a second base in a trailing disposition to the housing, wherein the second base has a front surface configured to attach to the housing back surface, and a second base bottom surface for contacting the work piece surface, wherein the front surface meets the bottom surface of the second base to share a common edge, wherein the planing tool is disposed between the first base and the second base, the planer being configurable so that it can be moved by hand along the work piece surface with the first base leading, the second base trailing entirely behind the housing back surface, and the first and second bases guiding the planer along the work piece surface and the planing tool planing off a thickness of the work piece, wherein the second base is adjustable such that the second base is removable or movable between a position that provides an operable lengthened configuration to the planer and a position that provides an operable shortened configuration to the planer such that a length of the second base in guiding contact with the work piece surface is eliminated in the shortened configuration compared to the lengthened configuration, wherein, when in the lengthened configuration, the front surface of the second base is attached to the back surface of the housing, wherein, when in the shortened configuration, the first base and the planing tool are disposed in the housing and the planing tool is positioned within the housing at or near a trailing end of the housing back surface and the first base is leading the planing tool.

2. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second base is removable entirely from the planer, thereby facilitating plunge planing.

3. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second base is removable entirely from the planer by a sliding engagement between the second base and the housing attached to a remaining portion of the second base.

4. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second base is movable between the shortened and lengthened configurations while remaining attached to the planer.

5. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second base is at least partly slidable between the shortened and lengthened configurations while remaining attached to the planer.

6. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second base is at least partly rotatable between the shortened and lengthened configurations while remaining attached to the planer.

7. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second base comprises left and right parts that are rotatable around opposite sides of the planer towards the first base to provide the shortened configuration of the second base.

8. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a handle movable in a longitudinal direction between at least two positions each adapted for use in the shortened and lengthened configurations respectively.

9. A hand held planer as claimed 9, wherein the handle prevents movement of the second base into the shortened configuration when the handle is in the position adapted for use in the lengthened configuration.

10. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when in the shortened configuration, the planer is shaped on the trailing end so that: the trailing end can be rested on a floor with the first base perpendicular to the floor and in line with the work piece surface which is vertically oriented; and the planing tool is positioned within the planer at or near the trailing end to plane the work piece from a location close to the floor.

11. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the planing tool is a motor driven cylindrically mounted planing tool.

12. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 10 wherein the second base is completely removable.

13. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 12 wherein the second base is disposed on a removable piece and the first base is disposed with the planing tool in the housing, and the removable piece comprises a rear part of a handle and the housing comprises a front part of the composite handle.

14. A hand held planer as claimed in claim 13 wherein the removable piece is attached to the housing by a cooperating hook and recess arrangement together with a screw in the removable piece engaging with a threaded recess in the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of a planer according to an embodiment of the current invention in a lengthened configuration and its handle in a rear-most position;

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view of the planer of FIG. 1 with handle shifted to a front-most position.

(3) FIG. 3 is a view of the planer of FIG. 1 in a shortened configuration planing the edge of a door in situ.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a planer according to a production prototype embodiment of the current invention.

(5) FIGS. 5a and 5b are side views of the planer of FIG. 1 in an opaque and semi transparent depiction respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(6) An embodiment of the current invention will now be described.

(7) Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a planer 1 comprising a housing 10. Disposed within the housing 10 is a first base 20 and a cylindrical electrically powered planing tool 40 with tool tips or planer blades 41 for planing off a thickness of a work piece.

(8) A second base in a trailing disposition to planing tool 40 is an adjustable base, being a composite of juxtaposed portions 30 and 31. Portion 31 provides the adjustment, being a removable portion forming part of a removable piece 32, the operation of which will be described later.

(9) Planer 1 further comprises a knob 50 and handle 60 with trigger 61 to operate the planing tool 40. A user holds handle 60 in one hand and knob 50 in the other hand, and moves the planer along a work piece surface with first base 20 leading and second base 30,31 trailing, with first base 20 and second base 30, 31 guiding the planer along the work piece surface, and the tool tips 41 planing off a thickness of the work piece.

(10) Handle 60 is movable by an elongate projection 62 adapted to slide in a slot 70. In this lengthened configuration, handle 60 is shown most conveniently positioned along slot 70 in a trailing position.

(11) Planer 1 has dimensions in this configuration similar to a conventional electric planer, with planing tool 40 disposed between leading first base 20 and trailing second base 30,31 having comparable lengths, and handle 60 in a balanced position.

(12) Now referring to FIG. 2, planer 1 is shown with handle 60 moved along slot 70 into a leading position. In this position, portion 31 of the adjustable composite second base 30, 31 is removable by sliding projection 80 upwards, which slidably engages with housing 10 in a slot, so as to remove the removable piece 32 completely from housing 10.

(13) Now referring to FIG. 3, planer 1 is shown in the shortened configuration with removable portion 31 of the second base removed and the second base being provided by only the very short remaining portion 30 disposed within housing 10. The drawing shows the planer in the course of a planing task comprising planing a vertical edge 110 of a door 100 from a position close to a floor 200. As can be seen, the planer is shaped so that a trailing end 15 can be rested on the floor 200 with the first base 20 perpendicular to the floor 200 and inline with the vertically oriented work piece surface 110. The tool tips 41 are positioned within the housing so that they can plane from a location close to the floor, as is common for the bottom of hung doors.

(14) Now referring to FIGS. 4, 5a and 5b where appropriate, a production prototype embodiment of a planer according to the current invention is shown. As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the planer comprises a housing 10 having a first base 20 and a cylindrical electrically powered planing tool with tool tips 41. The second base 31 is part of a removable piece 32, and in this embodiment the removable portion of the second base 31 is the entire second base 31, there being no remaining portion 30 of the second base within the housing, instead a back of the housing 45 behind the cylindrical planing tool is recessed and does not engage the work piece. This version allows complete freedom in starting the planing action when the removable piece 32 is removed, by plunging into the middle of a flat surface when the edge is not accessible, such as near the corner of a window frame, as the absence of a remaining portion 30 no longer prevents the tool from cutting to the depth determined by the position of the leading first base 20.

(15) This embodiment also features a two-piece handle 66 and 67, obviating the need for a sliding handle as in the first embodiment. Further, the trigger in this embodiment is into pieces 61a and 61b to enable comfortable operation in both the lengthened and shortened configuration, together with a fixed non-trigger portion 65 therebetween to enable gripping of the handle and holding the planer without activating the trigger. A safety switch is also provided operable by forwards sliding from two activators 62a and 62b for the same reasons of convenience of operation in both configurations. Removable piece 32 is secured by a brass screw 91 and a hook 94. Removable piece 32 is removed by unscrewing the screw 91 from its screw threaded brass recess 92 in the housing 10 and then rotating the removable piece 32 about hook 94 away from the housing and withdrawing hook 94 from recess 95 in the housing 10. Hook 94 is fixed inside removable portion 32 by an aluminium insert 96 to assist with strengthening. Screw 91 is biased by spring 93 in an extended position, to assist with alignment into the screw threaded recess 92 when reconnecting to the housing 10 to reform the lengthened configuration.

(16) Details of the sliding or other engagement of the piece 32 with removable base portion 31 with respect to housing 10 and locking mechanisms in relation thereto are commonly understood features of engineering design and may be realised in many different well known ways.

(17) The invention thus provides the advantages of a planer with a shortened configuration that allows planing from difficult positions such as the bottom of a hung door, combined with the stability advantages in a lengthened configuration of a conventional planer.

(18) Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that many variations may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

(19) For example, in other embodiments, the removable portion can be part of the leading first base or the trailing second base or both.

(20) Further, the removable portion or portions of the adjustable base or bases may be movable rather than removable, and may be rotatable to move between the shortened and lengthened configurations.

(21) Further still, it is to be understood from the above embodiments that the remaining portion 30 of the embodiment described may be removed altogether with the planing block protruding from the opening. To this end, the removable portion can be all of the trailing base, and throughout this specification, the word portion in relation to an adjustable base is intended to extend to the situation where the portion is the entire base, unless the context specifically requires otherwise. Such a variation allows complete freedom in starting the planing action by plunging into the middle of a flat surface when the edge is not accessible, such as near the internal corner of a window frame, as once removed the remaining portion 30 no longer prevents the tool from cutting to the depth determined by the position of the leading first base 20. An alternative configuration to achieve a similar aim is where the remaining portion 30 is still present, but is disposed at the same height as the leading first base 20, so that the cutting tool may cut unimpeded to its intended depth when plunged into the middle of the flat surface.

(22) In one variant of a rotatable movable portion, there may be provided a relocatable base portion which is hinged on the plane and so as to be rotatable around the planer about an axis perpendicular to the bases from the first base to the second place, so that when it forms part of the first base, the first based is in a lengthened configuration and the second base is in a shortened consideration; and when it forms part of the second base, the second base is in a lengthened configuration and the first space is in a shortened configuration.

(23) In a further variant, the movable portion is at least partly slidable between the shortened and lengthened configurations while remaining attached to the planer, in a telescopic arrangement.

(24) Although the embodiment described is in relation to an electric planer, the ideas of the invention can be equally applied to a manual planer.

(25) The terms first base and second base in this specification refer to guiding parts in a leading and trailing disposition with respect to the planing tool, and may be part of an integral unit, particularly in the shortened configuration.

(26) The term adjustable base in this specification and the claims refers to the ability to remove or reposition one of the bases to change between the shortened and the lengthened configuration, and is not be confused with height adjustment of a base in the conventional manner to vary the cutting depth of the planer.

(27) In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word comprise or variations such as comprises or comprising is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

(28) It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.