Black Decker Inc.

Richard H Rapuano

Gregg Allen Flender

William Alan George

George H F Schnakenberg, Iii

Sean W Flickenger

Dennis Keith Kirk, Jr

Steven D Beamesderfer

A biscuit joiner (,) having a housing (,) which includes a forward portion (,), a handle portion (,) and a rear portion (,). A battery pack (,) is removably secured to the rear portion. The forward portion houses an electric motor (,) and is attached to a shoe assembly (,) and a fence assembly (,). The handle portion includes a stick handle portion (,) and a loop portion (,). Each of the stick handle and loop portions are laterally offset from the forward portion, and therefore from the rotational axis of the motor and the coaxial center of the housing. The stick handle portion is graspable by a user and the lateral offset enables the fingers of the user to be placed in position to exert a force substantially along the longitudinal axis (,) of the motor while engaging an ON/OFF trigger (,) of the joiner. In this manner a more direct application of force can be made by the user to the housing when urging the housing linearly while making plunge cuts with the joiner. The handle construction also provides the joiner with a well balanced, positive &ldquo;feel&rdquo; and enables a wider variety of hand orientations to be used when operating the joiner. The joiner of the present invention is even more comfortable to operate than previously developed stick handle type joiners, even with the additional weight of the removable battery pack, and can therefore reduce the fatigue of the user's hands and arms when the joiner is operated over prolonged periods of time.

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Towson, MD, United States of America

Richard H Rapuano