Abstract: A cutting tool (20) comprising a tool body (22) and two cutting inserts (24) mounted therein. An insert receiving pocket (26) of the tool body has a pocket base wall (30). An indentation (32) that opens to the pocket base wall has a lower wall (34) that is bounded by first (36), second (38), third (40) and fourth (44) side walls. The cutting insert has an insert base wall (68). A protuberance (69) extends downwards from the insert base wall and has a lower wall (70) bounded by first (72), second (73), third (74) and fourth (75) lateral walls.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cutting tool assembly having a tool shank with an elongated hole extending axially through the tool shank. An elongated support bar having threaded bore at its forward end is retained in the elongated hole. A cutting head having a forward cutting portion and a rear threaded portion is retained in the support bar with its rear threaded portion threadingly engaged with the threaded bore in the forward end of the support bar.

Abstract: A clamping mechanism for clamping a cutting head to an adaptor; the adaptor having a shank receiving bore and three forwardly slanted unthreaded through bores; the cutting head for clamping to the adaptor having a shank with three forwardly slanted threaded bores. The arrangement being such that with the shank inserted into the shank receiving bore the cutting head is clamped to the adaptor by three retaining screws which pass through the unthreaded through bores and are threadingly engaged by the threaded bores.

Abstract: A cutting insert for mounting on a milling cutter has a generally quadrangular shape with top and bottom surfaces, a pair of opposite first side surfaces intersecting the top surface at first cutting edges and a pair of opposite second side surfaces intersecting the top surface at second edges. Each second edge has a front cutting portion oriented substantially transversely to an adjacent first cutting edge and meeting therewith via a cutting corner. Each of the first and second side surfaces has upper and lower sections adjacent respective top and bottom surfaces, which sections have leading portions adjacent their associated cutting corner and trailing portions remote therefrom. The trailing portion of the lower section of each second side surface is at least slightly inwardly depressed relative to the leading portion of the lower section and is substantially inwardly depressed relative to the associated trailing portion of the upper section of the second side surface.

Abstract: A cutting insert for mounting on a tool holder of a cutting tool, comprises a front cutting portion having an operative front surface associated with at least one cutting edge, and a trailing mounting portion. The trailing mounting portion has upper, lower and side walls extending from the front cutting portion to a rear abutment wall of the trailing mounting portion oriented generally co-directionally with said operative front surface. The side walls of the trailing mounting portion meet with the rear abutment wall at rear edges. The rear abutment wall comprises two lateral surfaces and a central surface therebetween, the lateral surfaces converging from the rear edges in the direction towards the front cutting portion, and the central surface protruding, in the direction away from the front cutting portion, rearwardly from the lateral surfaces and meeting therewith at merging edge regions.

Abstract: A slotting cutter and a method for constructing the slotting cutter. The slotting cutter is structurally divided into two portions, a central adapter portion and a cutter portion. The central adapter portion is a disk with an F-type or S-type adapter. The cutter portion is an annular ring provided with cutting insert receiving pockets, or cartridge receiving pockets. The cutter portion and a body portion are manufactured separately and combined to form the slotting cutter by a heat shrinkage method.

Abstract: A tangential cutting insert has a body with an operative front surface associated with upper and lower main cutting edges, side auxiliary cutting edges and corner cutting edges therebetween. All cutting edged have rake surfaces formed at the front surface and extending from their associated cutting edges in an inward direction of the cutting insert. The cutting insert has an imaginary reference plane passing through extremities of the cutting corner edges thereof. Each of the main cutting edges extends from its associated comer edges in an inward direction of the cutting insert away from the reference plane.

Abstract: A modular cutting tool assembly includes a tool holder (50) having at least one insert receiving pocket (52) and first (10,80) second cutting (100,102) inserts alternately receivable within the pocket (52). The first cutting (10,80) insert has a peripheral flank surface (18) configured to provide abutment features with m×n-fold rotational symmetry about the insert's central axis so that it can be restrained against the lateral support surfaces (56,58,60) in any of mn× angular positions, for at least one value of each of n and m where n≧3 and m≧2. The second cutting (100,102) insert has a peripheral flank surface (110) configured to provide reduced-symmetry abutment features with only n-fold rotational symmetry so that the second cutting insert can be restrained against the lateral support surfaces in only n angular positions.

Abstract: A cutting tool assembly rotatable about an axis of rotation having a tool in which a replaceable insert is mountable. The tool has two clamping jaws spaced apart by an insert receiving slot. The insert has top and bottom surfaces each of which has two abutting surfaces. The abutting surfaces have a rear abutting portion and a front abutting portion and in accordance with one embodiment the insert is thicker at its rear abutting portion than at its front abutting portion. This structure of the insert provides positive axial locking of the insert, ensuring no axial movement of the insert relative to the tool during machining. The abutting surfaces of the top surface slope towards each other and inwardly towards a central portion of the insert. Similarly, the abutting surfaces of the bottom surface slope towards each other and inwardly towards the central portion of the insert. The insert is thereby effectively radially clamped by the clamping jaws in a double dove-tail manner.

Abstract: A cutting insert has an upper surface bounded by a cutting edge, a base, and a peripheral flank surface. The shape of the peripheral flank surface varies along the height of the cutting insert. Near the top of the peripheral flank surface, it conforms to the round or polygonal geometry of the cutting edge so as to provide support for the cutting edge. Lower down the cutting insert, the peripheral flank surface is shaped to provide transverse bearing surfaces which have considerably lower pressure angles, i.e., resistance to turning moments, than would be provided by the inherent geometry of the cutting edge. Preferably, these transverse bearing surfaces are formed by recessed features such as channels, and most preferably, as chevron-type channels. This latter possibility leads to a lower cross-sectional geometry which approximates to an n-pointed star.

Abstract: A modular cutting tool assembly inludes a tool holder having at least one insert receiving pocket, and at least two cutting inserts interchangeably receivable within the pocket. The pocket has a first lateral support surface forming an angle .theta. with a second lateral support surface as measured in a plane perpendicular to the pocket axis. Each of the cutting inserts has a peripheral flank surface configured to provide a number of abutment features appropriately angled for positioning in abutment with the lateral support surfaces. The peripheral flank surface of one cutting insert is further configured to provide at least two cutting points having a first nose angle, and the peripheral flank surface of the other cutting insert is further configured to provide at least two cutting points having a second nose angle different from the first nose angle.

Abstract: A rotary cutting tool with a longitudinal axis of rotation, has a cutting head formed with at least two chip evacuation flutes and at least two body portions therebetween. The body portions bear, at a front face of the cutting head, a plurality of cutting inserts mounted so that their operative cutting edges lie substantially in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. A first body portion bears a first outer cutting insert and a second body portion bears a second outer cutting insert. The operative cutting edge of the second outer cutting insert is substantially shorter than the operative cutting edge of the first outer cutting insert, and their outermost ends are substantially equidistant from the axis of rotation and are spaced therefrom at a distance defining a cutting radius of the cutting tool.

Abstract: An exchangeable cutting insert comprises a front cutting portion having an operative front surface with two lower corners and at least one upper corner, and a trailing mounting portion extending rearwardly therefrom. The front cutting portion is formed with a major cutting edge extending between the two lower corners and a minor side edge extending between one of the lower corners and said upper corner. The minor side edge is substantially perpendicular to the major cutting edge. The major cutting edge has two trailing extremities associated with the lower corners, and having a leading extremity which protrudes outwardly and is raised upwardly relative to the trailing extremities.

Abstract: A drilling head has a cylindrical body with a longitudinal axis, tapering towards a leading end thereof. The drilling head comprises at least two chip evacuation flutes and at least two lands therebetween. Each flute has a first side all facing in the direction of rotation of the drilling head and a second side wall diverging outwardly from the first side wall and merging therewith via a web-thinning recessed surface extending towards this leading end. Each land is bound by the first wall of one adjacent flute and the second wall of another adjacent flute and has a generally radially extending and axially inclined front flank face tapering towards the leading end. The front flank face of each land intersects the first wall of one flute at a primary cutting edge, the web-thinning recessed surface of this flute at a secondary cutting edge, and the front flank face of the other land at a chisel edge which is disposed at the leading end of the drilling head and which passes through the longitudinal axis thereof.

Abstract: A cutting tool including a cutting tool body having a peripheral surface formed with a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive an insert receiving cartridge. Each cartridge has transversely directed first and second side surfaces with an imaginary bisector plane therebetween defining a leading cartridge portion associated with the side surface and a trailing cartridge portion associated with the side surface. The leading cartridge portion includes a chip clearance wall and the trailing cartridge portion includes an insert receiving pocket with a cutting insert having a peripheral cutting edge which protrudes in respect of the peripheral surface. Each recess has leading and trailing surfaces converging away from the peripheral surface and against which abut the side surfaces of its associated cartridge received therein. Both the side surfaces are co-extensive with the leading and trailing surfaces.

Abstract: A milling cutting insert including a substantially prismatic body portion having an upper surface, a lower surface and at least two pairs of adjacent side surfaces; a pair of spaced apart co-planar abutment surfaces formed along a first side of a first of the pairs of side surfaces and at least one planar abutment surface formed along a second side of the first pair of side surfaces; and a cutting corner defined between the side surfaces of a second pair of side surfaces and including a front cutting edge protruding outwardly with respect to a first side of the other pair of side surfaces opposite the first side of the first pair of side surfaces, the front cutting edge being parallel to the spaced apart co-planar abutment surfaces.

Abstract: An adjustment mechanism for adjusting an insert pocket wall's abutment surface in order to alter the location of an insert mounted in the pocket. The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw and adjustment ball located in an adjustment bore. The adjustment ball is located in the vicinity of the pocket wall and on tightening the adjustment screw the adjustment ball is forced against the pocket wall. The force applied by the adjustment ball deforms the pocket wall in the region of contact between the adjustment ball and the pocket wall resulting in the required adjustment of the abutment surface.

Abstract: A milling cutting insert including a substantially prismatic body portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, side surfaces and at least one protruding nose-like cutting corner, having a rake surface merging with the upper surface and a wraparound relief flank surface having portions merging respectively with adjacent side surface meeting at the cutting corner, front and side cutting edges formed by the intersection between the rake surface and the wraparound relief flank surface, the cutting edges protruding outwardly relative to their respective side surface surfaces and being elevated relative to the upper surface with at least the side cutting edge sloping towards the lower surface.

Abstract: A cutting insert for mounting in a cutting tool, comprises a cutting head portion with a substantially arcuate cutting edge and a substantially trapezoidal mounting body portion integrally formed therewith. The mounting body portion has substantially planar upper and lower surfaces and substantially straight side surfaces converging in the direction away from the cutting head portion. The entire cutting edge of the cutting head portion lies on a sphere and defines an arc substantially less than 90.degree., the cutting head portion having an imaginary chordal plane passing through peripheral ends of the arc. The side surfaces of the mounting body portion are directed substantially radially with respect to a center of the sphere and are substantially shorter than the length of the chordal plane.

Abstract: A cutting insert has upper, lower and side surfaces and at least one cutting edge formed adjacent the insert lower surface and extending between two adjacent insert corners so as to, at least partially, protrude outwardly therefrom. The cutting edge lies in a plane which slopes upwardly from the insert lower surface at an exterior acute angle .alpha. and which intersects the insert lower surface at an intersection line passing through end points of the cutting edge associated with the insert corners.