Tracy L Long

US Patent:

59877588, Nov 23, 1999

Filed:

Oct 28, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/959155

Inventors:

Ronald C. McCurry - West Union SC
Tracy Patrick Long - Seneca SC
Richard Changhuei Yo - Greer SC

Assignee:

Ryobi North America, Inc. - Anderson SC

International Classification:

B27B 1902

US Classification:

30392

Abstract:

A toolless blade clamp is disclosed for mounting a saw blade to the drive shaft of a reciprocating saw, such as a jigsaw. The clamp has a housing formed with a channel into which the blade may be inserted and an inclined track along which a roller is movable. The roller is biased by a spring into engagement with the blade during operation of the reciprocating saw. A release device, also attached to the spring, is pivotally mounted to the housing and may be rotated against the spring load from a locked position adjacent the housing to an unlocked position away from the housing. A pair of elongated links are pivotally connected to the release device and pivotally support the roller therebetween. The links act to translate rotation of the release device to movement of the roller, such that rotation of the release device to the unlocked position pulls the roller away from the blade allowing the blade to be removed from the channel.