Method and apparatus for milling boards and flattening slabs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685076-B2
Application number	US-202016869650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	Jul 24, 2019
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus, method and kit to flatten wide boards with an apparatus. The apparatus comprises two sets of rails, one set spanning laterally and the second set spanning longitudinally. The second set of rails is operative to move along the first set of rails by use of short members attached to the second set that interface with the first set of rails. Then, a carriage is operative to sit on top of the second set of rails and move along them. This is done by the carriage arms engaged on the second set of rails.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus for altering boards comprising:
a first set of rails extending in a first direction;
a second set of rails carried by the first set of rails that are perpendicular to the first set of rails extending in a second direction;
a guide on at least one rail of the first set of rails; and
an adjustable router carriage carried by the second set of rails adapted to retain a power tool, the adjustable router carriage further comprising:
a plurality of slots and a plurality of apertures; and
a carriage hanger with a plurality of slot projections and a plurality of aperture projections.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide is an inverted V-shaped configuration.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable carriage comprises:
at least one male member and at least one female receptor that receives the male member.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one male member comprises:
at least one of a plurality of projections or a plurality of engagable members.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one female receptor comprises:
at least one of a plurality of slots or a plurality of apertures.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the adjustable carriage comprises:
a plurality of securement devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots are operative to engage with the plurality of slot projections and the plurality of apertures are operative to engage with the plurality of aperture projections and be retained therewith with a plurality of securement devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first low friction interface between the first set of rails and the second set of rails; and a second low friction interface between the second set of rails and the adjustable carriage.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable carriage contains at least one vacuum aperture adapted to accept a vacuum attachment operative to sweep debris generated by altering the board.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable carriage further comprises at least one handle adapted to permit manual manipulation of the tool.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one handle comprises a set of handles, at least one located on a first carriage arm and at least one located on a second carriage arm.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable carriage further comprises:
dust curtains operative to sweep debris generated by altering the board.

13. A method for processing boards comprising:
placing a board between a first set of rails, the first set of rails extending in a transverse direction;
orienting a second set of rails on top of and perpendicular to the first set of rails, said second set of rails extending in a longitudinal direction;
adjusting a carriage coupled to the second set of rails;
attaching a power tool to the carriage;
aligning and engaging at least one female aperture of a plurality of female apertures on the carriage with at least one male projection of a plurality of male projections on a carriage hanger to set a height of the carriage and thereby the power tool based on a height of the board;
contacting the board with an implement connected to the power tool;
altering the board by manually and physically moving the carriage longitudinally along the second set of rails while allowing the implement to contact the board; and
further altering the board by physically moving the second set of rails transversely along the first set of rails via a first low friction interface while allowing the implement to contact the board.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the engaging the at least one female aperture of the plurality of female apertures comprises:
physically engaging the plurality of male projections with a plurality of securement devices.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
securing the first set of rails to a surface that is different from the board prior to attaching the power tool to the carriage.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
vacuuming debris generated by altering the board with a vacuum attached adjacent to the power tool.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
sweeping debris generated by altering the board with a sweeper that is connected to a carriage arm.

Assignees

• Woodpeckers Llc

Inventors

• Wollenburg Benjamin T

Classifications

• B23Q11/0046

  by sucking · CPC title

• B27C1/02

  Smoothing, i.e. working one side only · CPC title

• B27C5/10

  Portable hand-operated wood-milling machines; Routers · CPC title

• B27C1/14 Primary

  Other details or accessories · CPC title