US Patent 6855040 Ergonomically friendly orbital sander construction

A random orbital sander including a housing, a motor having a vertical axis in the housing, a pad coupled to the motor, a face on the pad extending substantially perpendicularly to the vertical axis, a shroud surrounding the pad, an opening in the shroud, and a dust discharge tube having an inner end in communication with the opening and an outer end on the dust discharge tube end extending at an acute angle to the face of the pad. An orbital sander wherein the pad is supported from the sander housing by columnar units located on opposite sides of the motor. A bore in the motor shaft conducts compressed air through the chamber housing the bearings which support the spindle which mounts the pad.