Patents by Inventor Douglas J. Woodruff
Douglas J. Woodruff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20200171587Abstract: This invention relates to simple, compact rotary seals that contract to maintain a seal as the sealing elements may wear over time. Embodiments of this invention allow simple elastic rings, such as an O-ring, to be used as the sealing element.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: June 4, 2020Applicant: EIP Holdings, LLCInventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff
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Patent number: 10549361Abstract: This invention relates to cutting tools used to machine materials to produce new surfaces and chips of removed material. Embodiments of this invention allow round rotating cutting inserts to be used in a more economical way, with improved accuracy, with improved sealing, and with greater ease of use. The rotary support device and cutting inserts may be used in either radial or tangential mounting types of cutters. It also provides a built-in, fully sealed means of fine adjustment of the cutting insert that is useful in some applications.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2017Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: EIP Holdings, LLCInventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff
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Publication number: 20200016664Abstract: The flow of heat energy from the cutting edge rim of a self-propelled round annular rotary cutting element (“insert”) to axial-load and radial-load bearings in a cartridge which rotatably supports the insert on a machine tool body is reduced by defining heat flow paths from the insert rim to cartridge components which engages the bearings to have low thermal conductance relative to heat flow paths from the insert rim to other parts of the cartridge. Control over heat flow path thermal conductance is obtained by selection of materials used between the insert rim and the mentioned cartridge components, by reductions in the cross-sectional areas of the critical heat flow paths, and by combinations of those two techniques. Protection of the bearings from heat enables the insert and the cartridge to be reduced in size. Improved mountings of insert-supportive cartridges to tool bodies are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff, John W. Loosemore, Thimmaiah G. Kumbera
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Publication number: 20190232527Abstract: A device for mechanically removing material from a workpiece or bulk feedstock, thereby creating chips of removed material while producing a new surface on the workpiece or bulk feedstock. The device comprises a body and at least one round cutting insert that is tangentially mounted on the body. Location and orientation of the insert is characterized by a reference plane offset and an insert axis angle. The insert has an outwardly-facing rake surface on which chips are formed. A planar flank surface is oriented relative to a cutting motion so as to provide clearance between the cutting insert and the surface created by removal of a layer that is converted into chips. A circular cutting edge lies at the intersection of the flank and rake surfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: EIP Holdings, LLCInventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff, Ryan R. Kroll
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Publication number: 20170348779Abstract: This invention relates to cutting tools used to machine materials to produce new surfaces and chips of removed material. Embodiments of this invention allow round rotating cutting inserts to be used in a more economical way, with improved accuracy, with improved sealing, and with greater ease of use. The rotary support device and cutting inserts may be used in either radial or tangential mounting types of cutters. It also provides a built-in, fully sealed means of fine adjustment of the cutting insert that is useful in some applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2017Publication date: December 7, 2017Applicant: EIP Holdings, LLCInventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff
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Publication number: 20170151614Abstract: This invention relates to face milling tools used to create a generally planar/face surface on a workpiece. Embodiments of this invention allow more teeth per unit tool diameter for certain types of cutting insert mounting styles and generally for larger cutting inserts. In particular, this invention allows the aforementioned while keeping manufacturing cost lower than it could be with some other designs, mainly by allowing manufacture of the face mill using larger tools that approach the face mill from mainly or exclusively the axial direction, thus requiring the equipment used to manufacture the cutter body to be a lower cost three-axis machine as compared to four- and five-axis machines that may be otherwise needed. Embodiments of the invention also permit adjustment of the axial positions of multiple cutting inserts and their support pockets by way of adjustment in the face mill manufacturing process.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2016Publication date: June 1, 2017Applicant: EIP Holdings, LLCInventors: Douglas J. Woodruff, William J. Endres, Nick H. Helminen
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Patent number: 9550240Abstract: A milling tool includes a body which is rotatable about a first axis. At least one cutting tooth mounted on the body having a cutting edge for cutting about the first axis. A wiper tooth extends from the mill body. The wiper tooth includes at least at a portion having a peripheral surface about the second axis and the peripheral surface intersects a face surface defining a cutting edge that is round about the second axis for cutting about the first axis. In some embodiments, the peripheral surface, the face surface and the cutting edge are formed on an insert that is mounted the mill body.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2014Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Rotary Technologies CorporationInventors: Douglas J. Woodruff, Gary W. Pennala, William J. Endres
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Publication number: 20150196962Abstract: A face milling tool includes a body which is rotatable about an axis, at least one wiper tooth, and at least two primary cutting teeth mounted on the body having a cutting edge for cutting about the axis. The primary cutting teeth are staggered radially relative to each other by a radial shift so that a chip load variation during operation is less than 0.7 times a mean primary-tooth chip load. A method for determining the primary cutting tooth radial positions on a face milling tool body is provided such that a chip load variation during operation is less than 0.7 times a mean primary-tooth chip load.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2015Publication date: July 16, 2015Inventors: WILLIAM J. ENDRES, DOUGLAS J. WOODRUFF
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Publication number: 20150104262Abstract: A device for mechanically removing material from a workpiece or bulk feedstock, thereby creating chips of removed material while producing a new surface on the workpiece or bulk feedstock. The device comprises a body that is rotatable about an axis and at least one round cutting insert that is tangentially mounted on the body. Location of the insert is characterized by a reference plane offset and an insert axis angle. The insert has a cylindrical rake surface on which chips are formed. A planar flank surface is oriented relative to a cutting motion so as to provide clearance between the cutting insert and the surface created by removal of a layer that is converted into chips. A circular cutting edge lies at the intersection of the flank and rake surfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2014Publication date: April 16, 2015Inventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff, Ryan R. Kroll
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Publication number: 20140294522Abstract: A milling tool includes a body which is rotatable about a first axis. At least one cutting tooth mounted on the body having a cutting edge for cutting about the first axis. A wiper tooth extends from the mill body. The wiper tooth includes at least at a portion having a peripheral surface about the second axis and the peripheral surface intersects a face surface defining a cutting edge that is round about the second axis for cutting about the first axis. In some embodiments, the peripheral surface, the face surface and the cutting edge are formed on an insert that is mounted the mill body.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: ROTARY TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: DOUGLAS J. WOODRUFF, GARY W. PENNALA, WILLIAM J. ENDRES
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Patent number: 8511946Abstract: A boring tool including a body, at least a cutting element mounted to the body, and at least a pad spring mounted to the body.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2011Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Rotary Technologies CorporationInventors: Douglas J. Woodruff, Gary W. Pennala, William J. Endres
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Patent number: 8439609Abstract: A cutting tool includes an insert defining a flank face, a rake face, and a cutting edge between the flank face and rake face. The cutting tool includes micro-nozzles formed in at least one of the tool body and the insert, and aimed at the cutting edge. Each micro-nozzle generates a micro jet of cutting fluid in close proximity to the cutting edge and adjacent to at least one of the flank face and the rake face.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2011Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Michigan Technological UniversityInventors: Douglas J. Woodruff, Gary W. Pennala, William J. Endres, Nicole Barna, Quincy Schultz, David Thomasini, Matthew Zblewski
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Publication number: 20120082518Abstract: A cutting tool includes an insert defining a flank face, a rake face, and a cutting edge between the flank face and rake face. The cutting tool includes micro-nozzles formed in at least one of the tool body and the insert, and aimed at the cutting edge. Each micro-nozzle generates a micro jet of cutting fluid in close proximity to the cutting edge and adjacent to at least one of the flank face and the rake face.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2011Publication date: April 5, 2012Inventors: Douglas J. Woodruff, Gary W. Pennala, William J. Endres, Nicole Barna, Quincy Schultz, David Thomasini, Matthew Zblewski
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Publication number: 20120051862Abstract: A boring tool including a body, at least a cutting element mounted to the body, and at least a pad spring mounted to the body.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2011Publication date: March 1, 2012Inventors: DOUGLAS J. WOODRUFF, GARY W. PENNALA, WILLIAM J. ENDRES
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Publication number: 20090175695Abstract: The flow of heat energy from the cutting edge rim of a self-propelled round annular rotary cutting element (“insert”) to axial-load and radial-load bearings in a cartridge which rotatably supports the insert on a machine tool body is reduced by defining heat flow paths from the insert rim to cartridge components which engages the bearings to have low thermal conductance relative to heat flow paths from the insert rim to other parts of the cartridge. Control over heat flow path thermal conductance is obtained by selection of materials used between the insert rim and the mentioned cartridge components, by reductions in the cross-sectional areas of the critical heat flow paths, and by combinations of those two techniques. Protection of the bearings from heat enables the insert and the cartridge to be reduced in size. Improved mountings of insert-supportive cartridges to tool bodies are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2009Publication date: July 9, 2009Inventors: William J. Endres, Douglas J. Woodruff, John W. Loosemore, Thimmaiah G. Kumbera