Patent Application
20170072476
The present invention relates to C.N.C. and manual milling machines and, more particularly, to tool holders.
Engine turning is a form of metal decorating where a fine geometric or repeating pattern is inscribed onto metal as a finish treatment, often consisting of hundreds if not thousands of overlapping circular swirls. To achieve a consistent result in the appearance, depth, and size of the swirls requires constant pressure of an abrasive tool on the surface of the metal. Which due to the abrasive tool wearing down, and uneven surfaces is difficult to archive with a rigidly fixed tool, with a fixed z depth, or when trying to approximate abrasive tool wear and trying to program z depth changes accordingly, or when using a manual mill and trying to pull down on the z axes handle evenly every time. By using a spring loading insert and by setting the z below the actual surface of the material the spring can deliver consistent pressure. By changing the spring and spring rate the spring loading insert can be fine tuned for the pressure needed for the material, tool used, and results desired.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided. . . . Spring loading insert comprising an insert, spring, and set screw or sleeve and snap ring for retention into a tool holder, which when installed into a tool holder, uses the tool holder tool pocket as the outer shell of the tool, making the tool holder part of the tool itself. By doing this and by having a wide verity of choices of outside diameters for the insert and not only tool pocket diameters but tool connection methods make this a very versatile and inexpensive way to spring load a tool, whether it be for engine turning, burnishing, engraving, and engraving on uneven surfaces, etching metal with the spindle off, just using the X,Y and Z drives.
It would be advantageous to provide a spring loaded drill bit holder when manually controlling a motor driven z axis with no tactile feel to the operator. The spring would give a little lee way and prevent breaking the bit by going into the material too quickly.
It would be also be advantageous because of being a vary low cost way of being able to spring load a tool holder that most machine owners already have, use it, and remove it, with no damage to tool holder tool pocket inside diameter.
A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which:
For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the Figures.
The insert 40 is machined from a phenolic rod because of it's strength, wear resistance, and slippery nature, but can also be manufactured using materials such as oil filled bearing bronze, aluminum, wood, plastic, or other material that is softer than the steel that the tool holder 11 is made of, so as not to cause undo wear to the tool holder tool pocket 62.
The end of the set screw 20 utilizes a oblong tab that has been machined on the one end that protrudes into the insert set screw pocket 42 and controls the in and out travel of the insert 40.
The oblong tab on the end of the set screw 20 is the preferred method of retention of insert 40 into tool holder 11 because it can be screwed in loosely to allow movement of insert 40, but the flat side design of the oblong prevents the set screw 20 from backing out of the tool holder 11.
Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention.
Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.
