Abstract: An improved, short-stroke clamping apparatus for detachably connecting a tool unit to a tool supporter is provided of the type having a canister member which includes apertures for admitting spherical locking elements, and a lock rod that is reciprocally movable a stroke distance along an axis and which has cam portions for moving the spherical locking elements through the canister apertures into engagement with the tool unit. In the improved clamping apparatus, the canister member apertures are elongated along the stroke axis. This allows the spherical locking elements to move axially along the cam portions of the lock rod as well as radially, such that locking engagement can be achieved with a shorter axial stroke movement of the lock rod. The aperture walls may also be angled toward the spherical locking elements to allow even greater axial movement of the locking elements, thereby further shortening the lock rod stroke.

Abstract: A cutting insert for use in a rotary milling tool is provided. The cutting insert includes an insert body including a bottom face, a top face, and a side face. A stepped cutting edge is formed at the intersection of the top face and the side face for engaging a workpiece and removing a chip from it. The stepped cutting edge includes at least two offset edge portions which produce distinct, transversely-spaced chip segments during the cutting operation. The offset edge portions are connected by transition edge portions 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: The indexable insert possesses two parallel cutting edges on opposite sides of an indexable insert body in the form of a rectangular block. In the intermediately placed top surface descending toward the center line (M) there is a chipbreaking structure comprising alternating projections and recesses. These projections and recesses constitute a row, centered on the center line (M), of spherical-like chipbreaking bodies, between which concave chip guiding surfaces are formed. During metalcutting operations, this provides an even flow of chips with the formation of short chips which are free of grooves and tears along the edges.

Abstract: A cutting insert for grooving operations with chip control features having an insert body with peripheral walls, sides and first and second end walls to define cutting edges within cutting edge regions and adapted for mounting in a pocket of a toolholder assembly. A land extends rearwardly from the end wall and defines a width. A descending wall initiates in the land and terminates in a floor having a forward, a rearward and opposed side edges. A back ramp extends upwardly from the floor rearward edge and terminates at the respective peripheral wall to define a cavity. A pair of projections extend longitudinally along the sides of the cavity to promote chip control and intersect with diagonal side ramps rearward of the cavity. The side ramps may be used to provide a chamfer on the edges of the machined groove.

Abstract: A short-stroke clamping apparatus for detachably connecting a tool unit to a tool supporter is provided of the type having a canister member which includes apertures for admitting spherical locking elements, and a lock rod that is reciprocally movable a stroke distance along an axis and which has cam portions for moving the spherical locking elements through the canister apertures into engagement with the tool unit. In the clamping apparatus, the canister member apertures are elongated along the stroke axis. This allows the spherical locking elements to move axially along the cam portions of the lock rod as well as radially, such that locking engagement can be achieved with a shorter axial stroke movement of the lock rod. The aperture walls may also be angled to allow even greater axial movement of the locking elements, which not only further shortens the lock rod stroke, but can increase the gripping force that the clamping apparatus applies to the tool unit.

Abstract: A toolholder assembly for accurately securing a shank of a tool in a socket along a desired alignment is provided. The toolholder assembly includes an inner collar having an annular wall whose inner surface defines the socket recess, and whose outer surface defines a collar periphery, an outer clamping assembly surrounding the periphery of the inner collar that includes a set screw for applying a compressive force to a portion of the periphery of the inner collar, and a pin-like tool retainer that freely extends through a radially-disposed opening in the inner collar wall. The tool retainer is disposed opposite from the set screw of the outer clamping assembly, and directs the compressive force applied by the set screw across the socket recess to retain a tool shank therein while diverting the compressive force away from the opposing portion of the inner collar wall to prevent hoop distortion from occurring therein.

Abstract: A rotating tool mateable with the spindle of a machine tool for high speed rotation is disclosed. The tool is comprised of a shank and a disk. The disk has attached to its periphery cutting inserts. These inserts may be attached directly to recesses in the disk or to lugs protruding from the disk. If the inserts are attached to lugs, then the disk will further have opposing counterweight lugs protruding from the disk in an opposite direction. A band of high tenacity material extends around the disk to restrain radial expansion. Additionally, the disk may be encompassed in a restraining material to restrain any disk parts that may separate from the disk body.

Abstract: A milling cutter for cutting a workpiece in both right and left-handed rotary directions is provided that comprises a rotatable cutter body having at least one pair of right and left-handed insert seats disposed on its periphery, an indexable wedge for each pair of right and left-handed insert seats, and a mounting screw for each of the wedges for securing the wedges in a clamping position with respect to a right or left-handed 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.degree.. Each wedge includes a front end for wedgingly engaging an insert in either the right or left-handed seat, and a back end for wedgingly engaging an opposite surface of the unused insert seat in order to more securely clamp the insert in place.

Abstract: A metal cutting tool assembly (1) having an automatically adjustable chipbreaker (23) is provided that comprises a cutting insert (11) for cutting a relatively rotating workpiece, a holder (3) for holding the insert (11), an insert driver (5) for applying a cutting force between the insert (11) and the workpiece, a chipbreaker (23) having a surface (27) that is effective in breaking chips (55, 56) of different thicknesses when positioned at different distances from the cutting edge (19) of the insert (11), and a mounting mechanism (30) for movably mounting the chipbreaker (23) onto the holder (3). The mounting mechanism (30) includes a spring (50) for automatically adjusting the distance between the chipbreaking surface (27) of the chipbreaker (23) and the cutting edge (19) of the insert (11) in response to the forces applied to the chipbreaker (23) by the metal chips (55, 56) that result from the cutting operation.

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 30both in front of and behind the ball bearings 50 for sealing the bearing assembly 45 against dust and debris and retaining lubricant.

Abstract: The present invention entails a self-locking mechanism (10) for locking a rotatable member such as a screw, bolt, lock rod, etc. In the case of a lock rod (50) that secures a tool holder (126) within a tool block (122), the self-locking mechanism (10) of the present invention includes at least one cam surface (52) connected between the lock rod (50) and a rotating carrier (14) having at least one wedge surface (26). The rotating carrier (14), wedge surface (26), and cam surface (52) are shaped and disposed such that they can be rotated by a driver (16) in unison as the lock rod (50) is rotated between locked and unlocked positions. However, the rotating carrier (14), wedge surface (26) and cam surface (52) are disposed and shaped such that the cam surface (52) and wedge surface (26) will ,under the influence of the lock rod, move to a wedged self-locking position after the lock rod (50) has assumed a locked position.

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) engagable with the follower surfaces (24) of the male coupling (3).

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.

Abstract: An apparatus for releasably holding a tubular toolholder shank by axially reciprocating a lock rod between a locked and unlocked position. The lock rod is reciprocated using a rotatable cam. The rotatable cam activates a preloaded spring to generate a force securing the lock rod in the locked position. The rotatable cam includes a non-cylindrical cam post to minimize a kickback force that may be caused by the preloaded spring on the cam post as the lock rod is moved from the locked to the unlocked position.

Abstract: A rotatable toolholder is provided having a stationary coolant feed system for directing a through-center, non-rotating coolant stream to a coolant conducting bore in a rotating cutting tool. The rotatable toolholder comprises a stationary housing, a driven shaft having an output end rotatably mounted in the housing, and a tool coupling rotatably mounted on an opposite side of the housing for holding and rotating the end of a cutting tool. The coolant system of the toolholder includes a nozzle assembly stationarily mounted within the housing and having a nozzle for directing a non-rotating stream of coolant into the coolant conducting bore of the tool, and a stationary conduit for conducting a coolant flow from a source of pressurized coolant to the nozzle assembly while isolating the coolant flow from the rotating components within the housing. A transmission assembly is provided within the housing for transmitting rotary power from the driven shaft to the tool coupling.

Abstract: The present invention entails a tool holder adapted to be inserted within the tool slot of a lathe turret. The tool holder includes a detachable cutting unit and a clamping unit. Forming a part of the clamping unit is a pair of wedge blocks disposed within wedge cavities formed within the clamping unit. The wedge blocks are movable via screws from an inner relaxed or disengaged position to an outer position where the wedge blocks engage the tool slot and through a wedging action function to secure the tool holder within the tool slot of the lathe turret.

Abstract: An apparatus for releasably holding a tubular toolholder shank by axially reciprocating a lock rod between a locked and unlocked position. The lock rod is reciprocated using a rotatable cam. The cam compresses a spring thereby urging the lock rod in the locked position and positively displaces the lock rod to the unlocked position.