Router lift assembly with lift wheel

1. A rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising:

a table plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface;

a carriage disposed beneath the table plate and adapted for supporting the rotary cutter;

an adjustment mechanism positioned entirely below the table plate upper surface;

a lift wheel of the adjustment mechanism which is rotatable about a lift wheel axis and has a circular outer surface which is concentric about the lift wheel axis and defines a lift wheel outer diameter;

a first position of the lift wheel in which a first portion of the circular outer surface is adjacent the opening and a second portion of the circular outer perimeter is lower than the first portion and lower than the table plate lower surface;

wherein the lift wheel is rotatable from above via the opening by engagement with the circular outer surface; and

rotation of the lift wheel causes vertical movement of the carriage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjustment mechanism is operable from above the table plate by a user free of an additional component which extends upwardly higher than the table plate upper surface during operation of the adjustment mechanism.

3. A rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising:

a table plate having an opening and an upper surface;

a carriage disposed beneath the table plate and adapted for supporting the rotary cutter; and

an adjustment mechanism positioned entirely below the table plate upper surface and operable through the opening;

in which the adjustment mechanism further comprises:

an axle; and

a lift wheel mounted on the axle whereby rotation of the lift wheel causes rotation of the axle and movement of the carriage; and

wherein the axle further comprises a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage.

4. A method of operating a rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising the steps of:

positioning the rotary cutter lifting apparatus having a carriage and an adjustment mechanism entirely below a table plate upper surface having an opening; and,

operating the adjustment mechanism through the opening by inserting a finger from above the opening into the opening to engage and move the adjustment mechanism with the finger below the table plate upper surface such that moving the adjustment mechanism with the finger causes vertical movement of the carriage.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of operating further comprises the step of the operating the adjustment mechanism from above the table plate by a user free of an additional component which extends upwardly higher than the table plate upper surface.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of operating comprises the step of rotating a lift wheel by engaging a circular outer perimeter of the lift wheel with the finger below the table plate upper surface whereby rotation of the lift wheel causes the vertical movement of the carriage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the lift wheel is within the opening in the first position of the lift wheel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second position of the lift wheel in which the second portion of the circular outer surface is adjacent the opening and the first portion of the circular outer perimeter is lower than the second portion and lower than the table plate lower surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein when the lift wheel is in the first position, the first portion serves as a top of the circular outer surface and the second portion serves as a bottom of the circular outer surface; and when the lift wheel is in the second position, the second portion serves as a top of the circular outer surface and the first portion serves as a bottom of the circular outer surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lift wheel axis is horizontal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lift wheel outer diameter is larger than the opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the opening is rectangular as viewed from above;

the rectangular opening has a width and a length longer than the width; and

the lift wheel outer diameter is greater than the length.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

a first gear having a splined outer surface; and

a second gear having a splined outer surface which rotationally engages the splined outer surface of the first gear;

wherein rotation of the lift wheel causes rotation of the first gear, which causes rotation of the second gear, which causes vertical movement of the carriage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first gear rotates about a first gear axis and the second gear rotates about a second gear axis which is at an angle to the first gear axis.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first gear axis is perpendicular to the second gear axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the lift wheel axis and first gear axis are coaxial.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein one of the first and second gear axes is horizontal.

18. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the lift wheel outer diameter is larger than the opening.

19. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the step of operating comprises the step of rotating a first gear having a splined outer surface which rotationally engages a splined outer surface of a second gear to cause rotation of the second gear.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the step of rotating comprises rotating the first gear about a first gear axis and rotating the second gear about a second gear axis which is at an angle to the first gear axis.