Patent Application
20090320820
The present invention relates to the drill press type for drilling gemstones and rocks. More specifically, it relates to a rock driller in which the stone is clamped in a water bath.
It is known to provide a drill press which supports a workpiece in a water bath such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,132. Such devices are large, expensive industrial machines and are not available for use by the ordinary man or children. There is a great need in the craft industry for a drill which will economically drill holes in jewelry stones so that they may be strung or laced. To date, there has not been a successful attempt to satisfy this need in the craft arts.
The other patent documents which show different features of the gemstone drill are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,792 includes a guide clamp apparatus including a vice grip with a pilot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,296 discloses a plunge router with an elastically mounted bushing and a two-post fixture. Drilling enclosures which include guard doors with safety switches include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,226,322 and 6,987,241. U.S. Pat. No. 7,182,720 discloses a machine tool in which a spindle moves through a seal of the workpiece enclosure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,695 discloses a modular drill jig with bushings in the clamp. U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,845 discloses a liquid-level shutoff control which will inhibit connectivity if liquid is not present.
In order to meet the needs in the art, the present gemstone drill has been invented. It is very economical and inexpensive to produce and operates safely so that it may even be operated by a child. The drill is of the drill-press type which includes a motor suspended and slidably affixed between upstanding vertical telescoping rods. A drill bit is affixed to a spindle which is a direct extension of the motor shaft which is in parallel alignment with the rods. A body of the motor includes a cylindrical spindle housing extending downwardly from the bottom of the motor body adjacent the drill bit. The rods are extensible from tower sleeves mounted directly to a base which has a top support surface enclosed by a transparent containment cover. A door of the containment cover is hinged at one side next to one of the sleeves. The door is moveable between open and closed positions to gain access to a clamping mechanism releasably attached to the support surface that holds the stone to be drilled. The containment cover, when closed, includes a circular aperture at the top which closely receives the spindle housing. By these mechanical relations, the motor-driven drill bit may be moved vertically downward into a work area and withdrawn as desired by the operator while the work area is isolated from the surrounding environment.
A clamp supported on the top of the base and lying within the containment cover holds the workpiece stone. The top of the clamp includes a plate having a pilot bushing which receives a shank of the drill spindle at a point before the drill bit tip engages the workpiece. The work clamp is retained in a water basin and includes liquid-sensing electrodes so that without sufficient water in the reservoir the drill motor will not operate. As a further safety measure, a safety switch positioned at the point of the containment door closure senses the position of the door such that the drill motor will not operate unless the door is fully closed.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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The present invention is operated as follows: First, the operator opens the containment chamber door as shown in
Drilling of the stone then proceeds by first lowering the drill bit down through the upper clamping plate bushing. Power to the drill motor is then turned on. The drill motor and bit are then moved slowly downward until the drill bit engages the rock to begin cutting. The drill bit is repeatedly lowered and raised for approximately five seconds at a time to keep it cool and to increase the longevity of the drill bit. Once the cutting is finished and the rock is cut through, the drill assembly is withdrawn and the motor turned off. The containment door is then opened and the reservoir assembly is released from the base. Water is then emptied from the reservoir and the top clamping plate is unscrewed to release the drilled stone.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
