Claims
- 1. Apparatus for drilling holes of a select variable size in a bowling ball comprising:
- a table having an upwardly opening ball supporting pocket for supporting a ball in a select position;
- a boring apparatus mounted proximate the table for reciprocation in a generally vertical path intersecting a supported ball;
- means for moving said boring apparatus in said path;
- said boring apparatus having an output shaft rotational about a fixed axis;
- a boring tool;
- an adjustable boring head connected to the output shaft for rotation therewith, the boring head receiving the boring tool and being variably adjusted to offset the boring tool relative to the fixed axis so that the boring tool orbits about the fixed axis to produce a variable size hole in the bowling ball dependent on an amount of the offset; and
- means for automatically adjusting the offset as part of a drilling operation.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said boring head comprises a base fixedly connected to said shaft and including a slot generally perpendicular to the fixed axis and a drill chuck having a tail slidably received in the slot to produce the offset.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said slot comprises a dovetail slot and said tail comprises a dovetail received in said dovetail slot.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means for selectively controlling the amount of the offset.
- 5. Apparatus for drilling holes of a preselect variable size in a bowling ball comprising:
- means for supporting a ball in a select position;
- a boring apparatus mounted proximate the supporting means for reciprocation in a path intersecting a supported ball;
- means for moving said boring apparatus in said path;
- said boring apparatus having an output shaft rotational about a fixed axis, wherein said output shaft comprises a hollow shaft receiving an adjustment rod, the adjustment rod including an offset cam operatively engaging the drill chuck whereby rotation of the adjustment rod relative to the output shaft slidably moves the chuck relative to the base to produce the offset;
- a boring tool;
- an adjustable boring head connected to the output shaft for rotation therewith, said boring head comprising a base fixedly connected to said shaft and including a slot generally perpendicular to the fixed axis and a drill chuck having a tail slidably received in the slot to produce the offset, said boring head receiving the boring tool and being variably adjusted to offset the boring tool relative to the fixed axis so that the boring tool orbits about the fixed axis to produce a variable size hole in the bowling ball dependent on an amount of the offset; and
- means for selectively controlling the amount of the offset.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a clutch locking the adjustment rod and the output shaft together.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising an adjustment mechanism operable to selectively disengage the clutch and rotate the adjustment rod relative to the output shaft.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 comprising an adjustment motor including a motor shaft and movement of the boring apparatus proximate the adjustment motor causes the adjustment motor to engage the clutch to disengage the clutch so that rotation of the motor shaft rotates the adjustment rod relative to the output shaft.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a mechanical catch for preventing rotation of the output shaft incident to operation of the adjustment motor.
- 10. Apparatus for drilling holes of a select variable size in a bowling ball comprising:
- means for supporting a ball in a select position;
- a boring apparatus mounted proximate the supporting means for reciprocation in a path intersecting a supported ball;
- means for moving said boring apparatus in said path;
- said boring apparatus having an output shaft rotational about a fixed axis;
- a boring tool;
- an adjustable boring head connected to the output shaft for rotation therewith, the boring head receiving the boring tool and being variably adjusted to offset the boring tool relative to the fixed axis so that the boring tool orbits about the fixed axis to produce a variable size hole in the bowling ball dependent on an amount of the offset;
- means for selecting a desired hole diameter; and
- a boring head control operable to drill the desired hole size and operable to initially position the boring head to produce a zero offset to drill a pilot hole and subsequently position the boring head to produce a select offset required to drill a hole of the desired hole diameter.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said boring head comprises a base fixedly connected to said shaft and including a slot generally perpendicular to the fixed axis and a drill chuck having a tail slidably received in the slot to produce the offset.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for automatically adjusting the offset as part of a drilling operation.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said slot comprises a dovetail slot and said tail comprises a dovetail received in said dovetail slot.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means for selectively controlling the amount of the offset.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said output shaft comprises a hollow shaft receiving an adjustment rod, the adjustment rod including an offset cam operatively engaging the drill chuck whereby rotation of the adjustment rod relative to the output shaft slidably moves the chuck relative to the base to produce the offset.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a clutch locking the adjustment rod and the output shaft together.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an adjustment mechanism operable to selectively disengage the clutch and rotate the adjustment rod relative to the output shaft.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 comprising an adjustment motor including a motor shaft and movement of the boring apparatus proximate the adjustment motor causes the adjustment motor to engage the clutch to disengage the clutch so that rotation of the motor shaft rotates the adjustment rod relative to the output shaft.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a mechanical catch for preventing rotation of the output shaft incident to operation of the adjustment motor.
CROSS-REFERENCE
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/336,143, filed Nov. 14, 1994.
US Referenced Citations (33)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
336143 |
Nov 1994 |
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