This relates in general to rotary cutting tools. One type of known rotary cutting tool is an end mill. End mills typically consist of one or more flutes including a deep helical groove that runs up the cylindrical outer surface of the milling bit. In operation associated cutting edges may cut a work piece material; together, the flutes and cutting edges—by virtue of rotation of the milling bit—cut away and remove pieces of the work piece in a manner that creates the desired form.
One example of a known rotary cutting tool is the Z-Carb® end mill manufactured under U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,059. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,059 disclosed an end mill having a plurality of paired helical flutes forming an even number of helical peripheral cutting edges equally spaced circumferentially in one plane wherein the peripheral cutting edges are formed as a plurality of pairs of diametrically opposite cutting edges having the same helix angle and thereby being symmetrical with respect to the axis of the body.
A rotary cutting tool includes a shaft having and outer surface and having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of helical flutes formed in the shaft about the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of helical cutting edges formed at an interface with the outer surface and a respective helical flute about the longitudinal axis.
Various embodiments of the rotary cutting tool disclosed herein will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.
Referring to
The End mill 110 includes a shaft 112 having and outer surface 114 and having a longitudinal axis X. The shaft 112 includes a shank portion 116 and cutting portion 118. At least one helical cooling passage 120 (three shown) is formed in the shaft 118. The cooling passages 120 have cooing holes 122 in an axial distal end 124 of the shaft 112.
A plurality of helical flutes 126 are formed in the shaft 112 in the cutting portion 118 about the longitudinal axis X.
A plurality of serrated helical cutting edges 128 formed at an interface with the outer surface 114 and a respective helical flute 126 about the longitudinal axis X.
A plurality of end cutting edges 130 are located on the axial distal end 124 of cutting portion 118 of the shaft 112. The end cutting edges 130 are contiguous with a corresponding one of the plurality of serrated helical cutting edges 128, and forma blend radius 132 at the transition between the end cutting edges 130 and the serrated helical cutting edges 128. At least three of the end cutting edges 130 meet across axial distal end 124 to form a gash web 134.
Table 1 below, with reference to
While this has been described with reference to certain embodiment(s), it must be understood that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that this not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that it will include all embodiments falling within the scope.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/014,090 filed Jun. 18, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62014090 | Jun 2014 | US |