Abstract: A sintered cemented carbide body (e.g., a cutting tool) and a method of making the same. The sintered cemented carbide body includes tungsten carbide, a binder phase of at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof, and one or more solid solution phases. Each one of the solid solution phases has at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of a combination of zirconium, niobium, and tungsten. The method includes the steps of providing a powder mixture that contains tungsten carbide, a binder metal powder comprising at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof, and at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of both zirconium and niobium including a powder of the carbides or carbonitrides of zirconium and niobium, forming a green compact of said powder mixture, and vacuum sintering or sinter-HIP said green compact at a temperature of from 1400 to 1560° C.

Abstract: A twist drill or rotary cutting device, in particular a drill, comprising a tool head or cutting insert consisting of a hard cutting material and a tool shaft which clamps the tool head between two clamp extensions that project axially from said tool shaft in such a way that the tool head is interchangeable. In the fixed position, the interconnected clamping surfaces of the tool head and the clamping extensions of the tool shaft lie on the surface of a truncated cone shaped fixing peg running coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the tool shaft. The fixing peg tapers in the insertion direction, facing the chuck end of the tool shaft.

Abstract: An assembly generally comprises a collet for receiving a cutting tool shank and a lock nut for creating a gripping force between the collet and the cutting tool shank. The collet has a nose and the lock nut has a front face that is substantially flush with the nose. The lock nut further has a fastening element that mates with a fastening element of a coolant sealing ring for attaching the coolant sealing ring to the lock nut so that the coolant sealing ring may be detached from the lock nut.

Abstract: An apparatus for pneumatically amplifying the force acting upon a lock rod to retain a toolholder within a toolholder receiving member has a spindle extending from the toolholder receiving member and at least two in-line dual acting piston/cylinder modules within a cavity within the bore of the spindle. Each module has a piston within an associated cylinder and wherein the lock rod, through a drawbar, is attached to the piston of each module such that when each module is pressurized, the combined force of all of the pistons is applied to the lock rod. The invention is also directed to a method for achieving this task.

Abstract: A cutting insert includes a polygonal body having an upper chip surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral edge surface extending therebetween. The peripheral edge surface intersects the upper chip surface to form a main cutting edge. The upper chip surface defines a chip face including a chip former comprising a wall extending downwardly from an elevated plateau to a cutting edge having a plurality of chip forming grooves and a rib formed between adjacent chip forming grooves. The chip former of the cutting insert effectively controls the formation of a chip by forming the chip to a desired shape and guiding the chip to an obstruction that impedes chip flow until the chip breaks.

Abstract: An assembly for retaining a cutting insert in a pocket of a tool holder includes a locking pin, a spring disposed in the bore of the tool holder, a locking plate disposed in the bore between the spring and the locking pin, and a set screw for retaining the assembly. The locking plate is biased against a ledge of the bore to cause the locking pin to draw and retain the cutting insert in a direction such that the cutting insert is held in a secured position against the pocket of the tool holder. To release the cutting insert, a force is applied to the assembly to counteract the biasing force of the spring. The locking pin or the locking plate may include a flat surface that cooperates with a flat surface on the bore to act as a key to proper orientate the assembly in the bore.

Abstract: A collet and lock nut assembly includes a collet for receiving a cutting tool shank and a lock nut for creating a gripping force between the collet and the shank. The collet has a nose portion and a body portion separated by an annular groove. The lock nut has a plurality of retention tabs and a corresponding number of clear portions. The collet and lock nut assembly can be easily assembled by inserting at least one retention tab within the groove of the collet, and then applying pressure to the collet such that the remaining retention tabs of the lock nut are received within the groove of the collet to place the assembly in a locked position. The collet and cutting tool shank can be drawn from the tool holder by applying rotational torque to the lock nut. The collet is easily removed from the lock nut by applying pressure in any circumferential, lateral direction against the collet.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for releasably holding a toolholder shank having a lockable surface and a releasable surface utilizing an actuating bolt with an associated threaded actuating nut. When the actuating bolt is rotated in a locking direction, the actuating nut is drawn onto the bolt thereby clamping against the lockable surfaces of the toolholder shank. When the actuating bolt is rotated in the releasing direction, a releasing segment acts upon the toolholder thereby ejecting it from the tool support member.

Abstract: An indexable, helical cutting insert includes at least one axial clearance slash extending from a bottom surface to one of said side walls forming a wiper on an edge of the axial clearance slash. In another embodiment, the cutting insert includes at least one inside cutting edge that extends outwardly a distance from the side wall. In another embodiment, the helical cutting insert includes at least one progressive cutting edge. In another embodiment, the cutting insert includes at least one helical cutting edge that is curved inwardly to enable the cutting insert to perform machining operations on cutters having different diameters.

Abstract: A precision cemented carbide threading tap is designed for use in precision tool holders in synchronous high speed tapping. The precision tap includes a fully cylindrical shank without the aid of squares, flats or other notches. The precision tap further includes a threaded body portion and a threaded cutting chamfer portion. The threaded body portion and the threaded cutting chamfer portion of the precision tap are concentric to the cylindrical shank of the tap within a runout of 10 microns. The precision cemented carbide threading tap improves the accuracy, life and speed by which internal screw threads are produced.

Abstract: A cutting tool includes a tool body having a plurality of insert receiving pockets and at least one cutting insert mounted in each pocket. Each pocket includes a pocket base wall, a side wall and a stress relief groove. The tool body also includes a top surface including a first portion and a second portion, and a stress splitter that extends from the stress relief groove and intersects the first and second portions. The stress splitter may be in the form of a sharp peak or ridge, a radiused peak, rounded mass or protuberance, and the like. The stress splitter reduces a maximum amount of stress in an area of the stress relief groove during a machining operation.

Abstract: A cutting tool comprises a tool body having a pocket for supporting an insert. The tool body may have a flute for evacuating chips from a workpiece during a cutting operation. The tool body and the insert may have complimentary shapes to cooperatively form an uninterrupted flute. The tool body may comprise a axial clearance face. The tool body may also comprise a radial clearance face.

Abstract: A rotary tapered tool holder includes a body or shank including a front contact portion and a rear contact portion. An adapter sleeve is disposed about a portion of the shank. The adapter sleeve includes slits that allow radial expansion and contraction of the adapter sleeve. The adapter sleeve includes an inner surface formed at a first non-zero taper angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shank, and an outer surface formed at a second non-zero taper angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shank. The second taper angle is different than the first taper angle such that an interference fit between the shank and the inner surface of the adapter sleeve forces the outer surface of the adapter sleeve into positive contact with a tapered bore of a spindle of the rotary tapered tool holder.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for abrading the inner surface at the intersection region of a branch outlet with the wall of a body having a passageway. Using abrasive flow machining, it is possible to abrade the intersection region to provide a smooth transition between the wall and the branch outlet.

Abstract: The invention proposes a fine grained sintered cemented carbide containing chromium and based on WC and a binder based on Co or CoNiFe, and having at least one additional phase comprising at least one carbide or mixed carbide of tantalum. For improving the high-temperature properties while simultaneously maintaining a good trade-off between hardness and bending strength, it is proposed that the sintered cemented carbide contains approximately 0.3 to 4% Ta, as related to the total mass of the sintered cemented carbide, that the WC has a grain size of between 0.1 and 1.3 ?m, that the binder phase contains the metals W, Cr and Ta, dissolved in solid solution, and that the at least one additional phase comprises a TaC phase visible by optical microscopy. The invention further relates to a powder-metallurgical process for manufacturing the sintered cemented carbide and to the use of the sintered cemented carbide for manufacturing cutting tools having improved high-temperature properties.

Abstract: A coated carbide tap comprises a substrate consisting of tungsten carbide cemented with 12 to 16% by weight cobalt with additions of small amounts of transition metal carbides added to restrain grain growth, and may also contain low levels of impurities that might be picked up during processing. The substrate is coated with a layer of metal nitrides, carbides, carbonitrides, borides and/or oxides, the metal being chosen from one or more of the following: aluminum, silicon and the transition metals from Groups IVa, Va, and VIa of the Periodic Chart. The coating may comprise a monolayer and/or alternating layers optionally with varying chemical composition.

Abstract: A precision cemented carbide threading tap is designed for use in precision tool holders in synchronous high speed tapping. The precision tap includes a fully cylindrical shank without the aid of squares, flats or other notches. The precision tap further includes a threaded body portion and a threaded cutting chamfer portion. The threaded body portion and the threaded cutting chamfer portion of the precision tap are concentric to the cylindrical shank of the tap within a runout of 10 microns. The precision cemented carbide threading tap improves the accuracy, life and speed by which internal screw threads are produced.

Abstract: A low torque tap includes a shank portion with a driving square and a thread cutting portion. The thread cutting portion includes a threaded body with one or more asymmetrical straight flutes that run essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tap. The thread cutting portion also includes one or more short angular flutes or spiral points and a tapered chamfer. For tapping steel alloys, the cutting edges of the straight flutes and the spiral points have a rake or chordal hook angle of between about 5 and 15 degrees. For tapping ferrous materials, the tap is made from molybdenum-enriched high-speed steel and may be coated with a wear-resistant, friction-reducing layer. A second, outer layer, such as molybdenum disulfide, may be applied over the wear-reducing layer for further reduction in friction. For tapping non-ferrous materials, the tap may be coated with a layer of material containing carbon.

Abstract: A torque wrench having structure for facilitating manual rotation of the rotatable output shaft, for rotating the output shaft to an effective angular position which enables an internal ratchet mechanism to operate effectively. This structure preferably is a knurled thumbwheel which slip fits over the output shaft, which is preferably a removable bit. The wrench includes a handle, socket for receiving a bit, and an internal ratchet. The bit is configured to drivably engage the thumbwheel, and to present a non-circular distal terminal for engaging and driving a fastener. Optionally, the thumbwheel is removably secured to the bit by friction fit or in other ways.