Rotary cutting tool for intermittent cutting through metal

Abstract

A rotary cutting tool fed along its axis of rotation is used for cutting processes in which teeth of the tool do not continuously engage a workpiece, such as forming a cope. A cylindrical body of the tool is fluteless in order to keep the tool's cutting swath to a minimum thickness and thus reduce the cutting forces and heat generation from those of conventional annular metal cutters. Circumferential spacing of teeth about an annular end face of the body acts to contain material removed from the workpiece until reaching a portion of the tool's rotational path in which the workpiece is not engaged, at which point the material is freed from the tool to prevent jamming. An outer surface of the cylindrical body is continuous over a substantial majority of its length in order to ensure adequate tool strength.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is an end view of the rotary cutting tool of the present invention having cut through a workpiece.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rotary cutting tool of the present invention before cutting through a workpiece.

FIG. 3 is a close up side view of a tooth of the rotary cutting tool of the present invention received in a seating recess of the annular body of the tool.

FIG. 4 is a close up view of a replacement tooth for the rotary cutting tool of the present invention about to be received in a seating recess of the annular body of the tool.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a tooth of the rotary cutting tool of the present invention received in a seating recess of the annular body of the tool.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the replacement tooth of FIG. 4 as taken from line 6-6 thereof.

Claims

1. A rotary cutting tool for removing material from a workpiece, said rotary tool comprising: a cylindrical body having a longitudinal central axis, an annular end face, generally constant inner and outer diameters defining a generally constant wall thickness therebetween and an outer surface that is continuous along substantially an entire length thereof; anda plurality of teeth operably supported on the cylindrical body at the annular end face thereof, said plurality of teeth being circumferentially spaced about said annular end face, each tooth having a cutting edge thereon disposed substantially longitudinally beyond the annular end face in a direction opposite the cylindrical body;circumferential spacing of the teeth thereby substantially wholly defining material receiving areas for receiving the material cut from the workpiece between said teeth.

2. The cutting tool according to claim 1 in combination with metal working machinery for driving the cutting tool for rotation about the longitudinal central axis thereof.

3. The cutting tool according to claim 2 wherein the metal working machinery comprises an automatic feed component for feeding the cutting tool along the longitudinal central axis thereof.

4. The cutting tool according to claim 2 in combination with the workpiece, said workpiece, metal working machinery and cutting tool being relatively oriented such that each tooth will contact said workpiece during only a portion of driven rotation of said cutting tool by said metal working machinery.

5. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the teeth are of greater hardness than the cylindrical body.

6. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the cutting edge comprises two nonparallel portions defining a bevel therebetween.

7. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein each tooth is tapered in thickness away from the cutting edge thereof toward the cylindrical body to provide clearance.

8. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein each tooth is tapered in thickness away from the cutting edge thereof toward a trailing edge opposite said cutting edge along the annular end face to provide clearance.

9. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the teeth are thicker than the wall thickness of the cylindrical body and thus protrude radially therefrom.

10. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the cylindrical body comprises unhardened material.

11. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the teeth comprise carbide.

12. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the teeth are replaceable.

13. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the cutting end of the cylindrical body has a plurality of seating recesses extending thereinto in which the teeth are received.

14. The cutting tool according to claim 14 wherein each seating recess and a respective tooth have mating surfaces engaged to locate said tooth within said recess thereby providing proper tooth alignment with respect to the cylindrical body.

15. The cutting tool according to claim 14 wherein the mating surfaces of each seating recess and respective tooth comprise mating beveled portions.

16. The cutting tool according to claim 13 wherein each seating recess and the respective tooth are tapered in width longitudinally away from the annular end face, said width being measured along the annular end face.

17. The cutting tool according to claim 14 wherein each tooth is attached to the cylindrical body along substantially an entire length of the mating surface of said tooth.

18. The cutting tool according to claim 17 wherein the teeth are attached to the body by silver solder.

19. The cutting tool according to claim 1 wherein the cylindrical body has gullets recessed thereinto from the annular end face thereof, each gullet disposed adjacent a respective tooth on a side thereof having the cutting edge.

20. The cutting tool according to claim 19 wherein a portion of the annular end face between adjacent teeth extends in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the cylindrical body.