Abstract:
The plow blade (10) comprising support member (12), a blade edge (14) being mounted to the support member (12) and having one or more insert holes (36), and one or more blade inserts (16) having a wear portion (42), the one or more blade inserts (16) being mounted within the one or more insert holes (36) of the blade edge (14) such that the wear portion (42) protrudes to some extent from the one or more insert holes (36).
Abstract:
A cartride-type milling cutter (1) is provided having a cartridge mounting mechanism (13) that resists the centrifugal load applied to the cartridges at high rotational speeds. The milling cutter includes a generally cylindrical cutter body (3), at least one replaceable tool cartridge (11) having a trailing face (21) and a leading face (19) having a cutting insert (31) for cutting a workpiece, and a mounting mechanism for detachably securing the tool cartridge (11) onto the cutter body (3). The mounting mechanism (13) includes a recess (40) in the cutter body (3) for receiving the cartridge (11) that includes a radially canted wall for providing dovetail-type resistance to radial movement of the cartridge (11) and at least one compressively loaded set screw (50) in the cutter body (3) for compressively engaging the leading face of the cartridge in order to seat and retain it within the recess (40). During the operation of the cutter, the centrifugal load is substantially borne by the combination of the radially canted wall and the set screw (50). The mounting mechanism preferably also includes a screw (64) optionally radially-oriented, that passes through a through bore (62) in the sides of the tool cartridge (11) for providing additional insurance against the loosening or breaking away of the cartridge (11) during high speed operation.
Abstract:
A pick holder (110) is frictionally seated via a round cylindrical barrel (112) in a pick box of a continuous miner. A pick is in operation rotationally located in a bore (114). The bore (114), toward a rear thereof, has an internal, inwardly projecting screw thread (30). When the pick has been removed, the pick holder (110) is extracted from the pick box by screwing a screw threaded shank into the screw thread (30), and applying an extracting force via the shank and the interengaged screw threads to the pick holder (110).
Abstract:
A cutting insert (20) for use in a rotary milling tool (10) is provided. The cutting insert (20) includes an insert body including a bottom face (22), a top face (24) and a side face (26). A stepped cutting edge (20) is formed at the intersection of the top face (24) and the side face (26) for engaging a workpiece and removing a chip from it. The stepped cutting edge includes at least two offset edge portions (30a-c) which produce distinct, transversely-spaced chip segments during the cutting operation. The offset edge portions (30a-c) are connected by transition edge portions (30d-e) which are disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the offset edge portions. The angle of the transition edge portions tends to spread the individual chip segments apart during the machining operation to effect a thinning of the chip between the individual chip segments. The entire cutting edge is helically curved so that the cutting edge lies on the surface of a circumscribing cylinder defined by the rotation of the cutting edge about the axis of the milling cutter.
Abstract:
Methods for making, methods for using and articles comprising cermets, preferably cemented carbides and more preferably tungsten carbide, having at least two regions exhibiting at least one property that differs are discussed. Preferably, the cermets further exhibit uniform or controlled wear to impart a self-sharpening character to an article. The multiple-region cermets are particularly useful in wear applications. The cermets are manufactured by juxtaposing and densifying at least two powder blends having different properties (e.g., differential carbide grain size or differential carbide chemistry or differential binder content or differential binder chemistry or any combination of the preceding). Preferably, a first region of the cermet comprises a first ceramic component having a relatively coarse grain size and a prescribed binder content and a second region, juxtaposing or adjoining the first region, comprises a second ceramic component, preferably carbide(s), having a grain size less than the grain size of the first region, a second binder content greater than the binder content of the first region or both. These articles have an extended useful life relative to the useful life of monolithic cermets in such applications as, for example, wear. The multiple region cermets of the present invention may be used with articles comprising tools for materials manipulation or removal including, for example, mining, construction, agricultural, and metal removal applications.
Abstract:
A milling cutter (1) for cutting a workpiece in both right- and left-handed rotary directions is provided that comprises a rotatable cutter body (3) having at least one pair of right- and left-handed insert seats (10a-h) disposed on its periphery, an indexable wedge (20) for each pair of right- and left-handed insert seats, and a mounting screw (22) for each of the wedges for securing the wedges in a clamping position with respect to a right- (12) or left-handed (14) insert seat. Each of the wedges may be used to secure an insert in the right- or left-handed seat of its respective seat pair by loosening or removing the mounting screw, and turning the wedge 180 DEG . Each wedge (20) includes a front end (44) for wedgingly engaging an insert in either the right- or left-handed seat, and a back end (48) for wedgingly engaging an opposite surface of the unused insert seat in order to more securely clamp the insert in place. The back end of each wedge includes an offset portion (52) that is receivable in and semi-complementary in shape to the unused insert seat for still more stability.
Abstract:
A collet chuck (1) having a chuck body (3), a collet (11) disposed in the body (3), a nose ring (23) for radially compressing the collet (11), and a locknut (30) for axially moving the nose ring (23) into compressive engagement with the collet (11) is provided with a bearing assembly (45) disposed between the nose ring (23) and the collet (11) which loads compressive forces in a direction which is advantageously parallel to the axis of rotation (A) of the chuck. Both the locknut (30) and the nose ring (23) include flange portions (27, 43) that confront each other with opposing surfaces (47, 49) that are complementary in shape to the spherical profile of the ball bearings (50) and which traverse a line (L) parallel to the axis of rotation (A) of the chuck. The collet chuck (1) further includes O-rings (61, 65) disposed between the nose ring (23) and the locknut (30) both in front of and behind the ball bearings (50) for sealing the bearing assembly (45) against dust and debris and retaining lubricant. Finally, the portion of the nose ring (23) which wedgingly engages the collet (11) to compress it inwardly is undercut with a groove (72) in order to enhance the compliance between the nose ring (23) and the collet (11), thus providing a more uniform radial compressive force around the collet (11) which in turn results in improved gripping characteristics.
Abstract:
A rotatable toolholder (1) is provided having a stationary coolant feed system (60) for directing a through-center, non-rotating coolant stream to a coolant conducting bore (82) in a rotating cutting tool (25). The rotatable toolholder (1) comprises a stationary housing (3), a driven shaft (5) having an output end (13) rotatably mounted in the housing (3), and a tool coupling (17) rotatably mounted on an opposite side of the housing (3) for holding and rotating the end of a cutting tool (25). The coolant system (60) of the toolholder (1) includes a nozzle assembly (70) stationarily mounted within the housing (3) and having a nozzle (76) for directing a non-rotating stream of coolant into the coolant conducting bore (82) of the tool (25), and a stationary conduit (48) for conducting a coolant flow from a source (63) of pressurized coolant to the nozzle assembly (70) while isolating the coolant flow from the rotating components within the housing (3). A transmission assembly (100) is provided within the housing for transmitting rotary power from the driven shaft (5) to the tool coupling (17). The use of a stationary nozzle assembly (20) isolates the flow of coolant from centrifugal forces that the rotating components within the housing (3) would otherwise apply to it, while the isolating function of the coolant supply conduit (48) obviates the need for dynamic fluid seals between the housing (3) and the driven shaft (5) and tool coupling (17) that leak and create frictional drag, and also renders unnecessary micro particle filtration of recirculated coolant.
Abstract:
A toolholder (1) of the type including a collet (5) integrally formed with a shank (3) is provided with an interface between a locknut (7) and collet (13) which substantially reduces the torque required to turn the locknut (7) into a position which radially collapses the collet segments (17). In this interface, one of either the inner locknut surface (23) or the outer surfaces of the collet segments (17) includes an engaging portion (56) for wedgingly flexing the collet segments (17) inwardly when the locknut is turned, and a non-engaging portion (58) disposed between the engaging portion (56) and the shank mounted ends of the collet segments (17). The non-engaging portion (58) reduces the torque required to turn the locknut (7) by reducing the binding forces that would otherwise occur between the ends of the collet segments (17) and the inner locknut surface (23). To further reduce torque, the collet portion interconnecting the collet segments (17) with the shank (3) of the toolholder is rendered thinner by the provision of circumferential grooves (72, 76) that make the collet segments (17) more flexible. Sealing rings (66, 74, 81) are seated in grooves (68, 72, 76) present in the interior defined by the collet segments (17) in order to prevent errant flows of coolant or debris from collecting between the collet segments (17) and the tool shank (9) gripped thereby.
Abstract:
A coupling system (1) is provided for lockably coupling together machine tool components that comprises a male coupling (3) having a recess (19) at a distal end that includes follower surfaces (24), and female coupling (9) having an opening (31) disposed along its longitudinal axis for receiving the distal end of the male coupling (3), and a pair of opposing jaw members (12) pivotally mounted in the opening (31) and having cam surfaces (44) engageable with the follower surfaces (24) of the male coupling (3). The system (1) includes a drive train (13) for pivotally moving the jaw members (12) apart in order to inter-engage the cam (44) and follower surfaces (24) of the female (5) and male (3) couplings that includes an axially movable, ball-shaped element (52) disposed in opposing recesses (50) present in the jaw members (12) for prying the jaw members (12) apart, a pair of opposing wedge members (58) for moving the ball-shaped drive element (52) axially toward the free ends of the jaw members (12), and a screw (64) having right and left hand threads on either of its ends for moving the wedge members (58) toward and away from one another. The drive train (13) generates high clamping forces between the male (3) and female (5) couplings in a small envelope and with a large degree of mechanical advantage.