Sawdust collection hood for table saw

Abstract

A sawdust collection hood for a table saw. The hood has an identical pair of vertical, spaced-apart side panels, an upper cowl mounted between the side panels, a canted nose panel mounted between front portions of the side panels, and a lower cowl that extends rearwardly between the side panels below the upper cowl from a forward edge of the lower cowl disposed over a trailing edge of the nose panel. A pair of side skirts suspended from each of the side panels, extend rearwardly from the nose panel, and are movable between a raised and a lowered position. When placed upon the saw work table, straddling the saw blade, and with side skirts lowered, a work piece moved rearward against the canted nose panel causes the hood to rise. As the work piece progresses rearwardly past the saw blade, the side skirts remain lowered, resting on the work piece, until the work piece just clears the nose panel, whereupon the hood drops down to the work table, raising the skirts relative to the nose panel and closing a gap that would otherwise permit sawdust to escape below the front of the hood. The hood may be pivotally attached to a table saw splitter or, alternatively, may be pivotally attached by a collar joint to an overhead vacuum conduit assembly.

1 . A hood system for a table saw comprising 
 a hood assembly pivotally mounted over the table saw, wherein the hood assembly can be lowered to substantially cover the cutting area, and alternately raised out of the way of the cutting area, the hood assembly having an air intake opening in front of the lead cutting edge of the a saw blade for drawing air and debris from the cutting area;    wherein the hood assembly has two side panels each side panel having a side skirt that pivots and slides relative to a single point on the side panel to accommodate a workpiece moving through the cutting area, and to minimize air intake from outside the hood assembly, the air intake opening being permitted to drop behind a trailing edge of the workpiece while the side skirts are supported on a top surface of the workpiece as the workpiece moves through the cutting area.