(19) & (11) EP 2 018 936 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: B23Q 9/00 (2006.01) 14.07.2010 Bulletin 2010/28 (21) Application number: 07113273.2 (22) Date of filing: 26.07.2007 (54) A footplate Fußplatte Plaque de pied (84) Designated Contracting States: • Rogers, Joanne DE GB SE County Durham DL14 6XL (GB) (43) Date of publication of application: 28.01.2009 Bulletin 2009/05 (74) Representative: Bell, Ian Stephen et al Black & Decker (73) Proprietor: Black & Decker Inc. Patent Department Newark, Delaware 19711 (US) 210 Bath Road Slough (72) Inventors: Berkshire SL1 3YD (GB) • Thomas, Roger Cleveland (56) References cited: TS21 2DS (GB) DE-A1- 3 606 525 DE-U1- 20 017 862 • Keenlyside, Scott DE-U1- 20 101 525 GB-A- 2 204 528 County Durham DL14 8YW (GB) Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 018 936 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 2 018 936 B1 2 Description part of the dual-restriction decreases, and vice versa. This is not important because the footplate is normally [0001] The invention relates to a footplate for a hand- used with one guide with one type of rail at any one time. held tool. A footplate of this type is for use with a guide [0007] Preferably, the adjustable side walls are oppos- which is to be positioned upon a workpiece. The guide 5 ing sides of a perimeter wall the eccentric element. This has a rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the dispenses with the need for additional components be- guide on its upper side opposite the workpiece in the tween the eccentric element and the rail of the guide upon position of use. The footplate which is attached, or may which the footplate is positioned. In other words, the pe- beattached, to the tool and has on its lower side a channel rimeter wall of the eccentric element slides directly for engagement of the rail of the guide, so that the tool 10 against the rail. may be positioned on the guide and guided along the rail [0008] Preferably, the perimeter wall is a cylindrical when the rail engages the channel. wall arranged eccentrically in relation to the axis of rota- [0002] A footplate known from DE 200 17 862 U1 has tion of the eccentric element. This ensures that the ec- one channel for engaging the rail of one type of guide. centric element can adjust and fine-tune the width be- The channel has two restrictions, one located at each 15 tween fixed and adjustable side walls gradually and pre- longitudinal end of the footplate. The width of each re- cisely. striction is defined, on the one hand, by a fixed side wall [0009] Preferably, the eccentric element is secured to in the channel and, on the other hand, by an adjustable the footplate by a fixing bolt connected to a bearing por- side wall. The adjustable side wall may be adjusted trans- tion of the footplate, wherein the fixing bolt can be unfas- versely to the longitudinal direction by an adjustment20 tened or fastened to enable or disable rotation of the ec- mechanism thereby altering the width of the channel. The centric, respectively. The fixing bolt performs the function adjustment mechanisms are for fine-tuning clearance be- of rotational axis and fastening means for the eccentric tween the channel and the rail so that the footplate is element. This is a simple and inexpensive means of en- guided along the guide without wobbling, as it were, in abling or disabling rotation of the eccentric element. an exactly linear manner. These restrictions are referred 25 [0010] Preferably, the adjustment mechanism com- to as "single-restrictions" because they can alter the prises a manually accessible actuating member for ro- width of only one channel. tating the eccentric element. As such, the eccentric ele- [0003] A footplate known from DE 36 06 525, forming ment can be easily manipulated by the user of the tool. the base of the preamble of claim 1, has two channels The actuating member may take the form of a knurled on its lower side. Each channel can engage the rail of a 30 cylindrical knob. different type of guide. The two channels are parallel to [0011] Preferably, the eccentric element is can be ro- each other and are, in effect, the two parts of a "dual- tated about 360°. This facilitates easy use by left-handed restriction", albeit a non-adjustable dual-restriction be- and right-handed users of the tool. cause it cannot alter the width of either channel. [0012] Alternatively, the adjustment mechanism com- [0004] The present invention relates to a footplate of 35 prises two arms, each arm arranged at one end to pivot the type mentioned at the outset, in which the footplate about a common pivot point so that an open mouth may which has two channels. Each channel can engage the be formed at the other ends of the arms, and a wedge rail of a different guide. The object of the invention is to arranged to move within the mouth according to the po- ensure exact linear guidance of the footplate no matter sition of a control device, whereby movement of the which guide is used. 40 wedge into the mouth forces the arms to pivot apart to [0005] This object is achieved according to the present reduce the width between the fixed and adjustable side invention which is a footplate for a hand-held tool as de- walls, and whereby movement of the wedge away from fined by claim 1. The adjustable side walls may be parts the mouth allows the arms to pivot closer to each other of separate components or different sides of one com- to increase the width between the fixed and adjustable ponent. The adjustable side walls can fine- tune the clear- 45 side walls. As a result of its wedge action this design of ance at the dual-restriction to ensure linear guidance of adjustment mechanism has the advantage of being high- the footplate along the guide. One sole adjustment mech- ly resistant to any external forces changing the position anism per dual-restriction makes efficient use of the ma- of the adjustable side walls. terials for making the footplate. This reduces cost and [0013] Preferably, each arm of the alternative design complexity. 50 of adjustment mechanism has a shoulder and one shoul- [0006] Preferably, the adjustment mechanism com- der protrudes away from the other shoulder in the trans- prises a rotatable eccentric element located between the verse direction, whereby one shoulder is the adjustable adjustable side walls. As such, the eccentric element can side wall of the first part of the dual-restriction and the adjust the width between fixed and adjustable side walls other shoulder is the adjustable side wall of the second simply by rotating about its own axis. Naturally, the width 55 part of the dual-restriction. between fixed and adjustable side walls of the first part [0014] Preferably, the control device of the alternative of the dual-restriction can only increase whilst the width design of adjustment mechanism is a grub- screw thread- between fixed and adjustable side walls of the second edly engaged with an externally accessible hole in the 2 3 EP 2 018 936 B1 4 footplate, whereby rotation of the grub-screw into the [0018] The user can also push the plunge saw forward- footplate moves the wedge into the mouth and whereby ly, again via the handles, so that the footplate 14 slides rotation of the grub-screw out of the footplate allows the along the guide 11 to ensure that the blade cuts a straight wedge to move out of the mouth. More preferably, each line. The guide is made of strong material, like, for ex- arm is biased to pivot towards the other arm. 5 ample, metal. Sliding motion is assisted by a pair of low- [0015] Two embodiments of the invention will be de- friction strips 30, 32 located on the upper surface of the scribed with reference to the drawings, in which: guide. [0019] The guide 11 has a straight rail 34 on its upper Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a plunge saw surface and the footplate has a substantially correspond- upon a guide; 10 ingly-shaped middle channel 36 in its lower surface. En- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the plunge saw upon gagement between rail and middle channel guides the the guide; footplate as it slides along the guide. In order to ensure Figure 3 is an end view of the plunge saw and guide a linear cut in the workpiece, the plunge saw 10 is posi- of Figure 2; tioned on the guide 11 which is placed upon the work- Figure 4 is an end view of detail A shown in Figure 3; 15 piece, rather than the plunge saw being positioned di- Figure 5 is an end view of the guide; rectly onto the workpiece. Figure 6 is an underside view of a footplate of the [0020] A guide lip 38, made of trimmable material, like, plunge saw; for example, hard rubber, is located beneath a long side Figure 7 is cross- sectional view VII-VII in Figure 8 of face 40 of the guide.