Saw blade guide and components therefor

Abstract

An air jet containing blade guide for stabilizing a band saw blade or a circular saw blade of a saw mill and guide blocks or inserts for a saw blade guide are disclosed. The inserts can be removably fastened to a blade guide by means of cap screws preferably containing a hex socket for tightening and loosening the screws with a hex wrench. Cap screw holes formed in the inserts contain recessed countersinks for recessing the heads of the cap screws below a blade opposing surface of the inserts when disposed in an operative position of a blade guide in a saw mill. The inserts can be constructed of brass or aluminum bronze which is softer than the blade being stabilized thereby to avoid undue blade damage but which are hard enough to provide good wearability and heat dissipation as against periodic blade impacts. The blade guide disclosed contains a threaded air inlet port and an air passageway extended between the port and a side of the guide facing a work piece when the guide is operatively positioned in the mill to permit high pressure air supplied to the input port to be directed toward the kerf of the work piece to clean the latter of saw dust.

1 . A metal insert for a saw blade guide for stabilizing a saw blade, said insert comprising a block of material attachable to a saw blade guide, said material being selected from the group consisting essentially of aluminum-copper alloys of bronze and of brass which have a Brinell Hardness Number of between about 110 and 321.  
   
   
       2 . The metal insert of claim I wherein said block is generally rectangularly shaped and includes rounded edges on opposite ends thereof which are positionable on a band saw blade guide so as to extend transversely with respect to movement of a band saw blade which is to be stabilized thereby.  
   
   
       3 . The metal insert of claim I wherein said block is generally rectangularly shaped and includes beveled edges on opposite ends thereof which are positionable on a band saw blade guide so as to extend transversely with respect to movement of a band saw blade which is to be stabilized thereby.  
   
   
       4 . A metal insert for a saw blade guide for stabilizing a saw blade, said insert comprising a block of material attachable to a saw blade guide, said material being selected from the group consisting essentially of tungsten carbide, brass and aluminum bronze, said block defining at least one countersunk fastener hole therein which is recessed from a blade opposing surface of said block, for attaching said block to a saw blade guide with at least one flat head cap screw fastener such that the head of said fastener is positioned below the level of a saw blade opposing surface of said block when said block is operatively secured to said saw blade guide.  
   
   
       5 . The metal insert of  claim 4  further comprising at least one flat head cap screw fastener for securing said block to said saw blade guide, said at least one fastener including a head containing a hex socket for receiving therein a hex head wrench for attaching and removing said block to and from said blade guide.  
   
   
       6 . The metal insert of  claim 5  wherein said at least one hole includes a cylindrically shaped portion which opens onto a blade opposing surface of said block, a cone shaped countersunk portion which opens on maximum diameter thereof onto said cylindrically shaped portion, and an untapped cylindrically shaped shaft portion which extends from a minimum diameter end of said countersunk portion to a base surface of said block.  
   
   
       7 - 20 . (canceled)