Flail sanding tool
A flail sanding tool suitable for use with a driver such as a portable drill or bench drill, the flail sanding tool assembly being suitable for work operations such as grinding, polishing, sanding, finishing and the like. The flail sanding tool provides a central shaft with a disk fixed at each end and a drive spindle at one end. The flail sanding tool provides a plurality of vertical tendons at the perimeter to capture and present abrasive/polishing elements to a work piece, such vertical tendons being permanently attached to the disk at one end but releasable from suitably shaped slots in the disk at the other end, for the purpose of loading and unloading the abrasive/polishing elements. Each vertical tendon is shaped in a way to provide an outward bias to ensure positive location when engaged in a retaining slot.
This invention is an improved flap sanding device with replaceable sanding tubes and other working elements, to be used in workshop machines such as a pedestal drill, a portable powered drill or similar tool, for example:
This invention provides an upper and lower circular metal plate, a central drive shaft, retaining wires, removable wires, a retaining cup washer and a drive spindle. The upper metal plate has a number of holes presented at equidistant intervals around the outer perimeter. For the purpose of this example six holes. The lower metal plate has a number of slots of a particular shape presented around the outer perimeter. For the purpose of this example six shaped slots. The shaped slots in the lower metal plate are open to the outer edge. The end of the shaped slot will align with the corresponding hole above in the upper metal plate. The upper end of the drive shaft presents a female thread. The lower end of the drive spindle has a male thread and the opposite end a plain shaft with a central locking nut between the two.
Both the upper and lower metal plates are permanently fixed at their centres to the drive shaft.
There are six retaining wires of a suitable tensile strength and of a particular shape so as to span the upper and lower metal plates and hold in place the sanding or interchangeable working elements. Each 2 retaining wires are fabricated from a single length of wire and have a V shape at the top end. When the open ends of the V are placed down through two of the holes in the upper metal plate, the V shaped upper end secures and positions the two open ends into their correct alignment. This process is repeated for the remaining wires. A retaining cup washer is then placed on top of the V shaped ends above the upper metal plate and the male threaded end of the drive spindle passed through the central hole in the washer and screwed into the female end of the drive shaft and tightened securely. This process holds the V shaped ends of the retaining wires firmly in place. The unthreaded shaft end of the drive spindle will engage the chuck of the driving tool.
The fabrication of the upper ends of the retaining wires allows the lower single ends of those wires to be presented to the rear and outwards from the lower metal plate. This allows the abrasive tubes, chosen elements or the additional wires to be easily fitted. The lower ends of the retaining wires can then be relocated into their respective shaped slots in the lower metal plate.
It is a simple process to release only the lower ends of the retaining wires to change to the chosen element.
This device when loaded with either abrasive tubes, or small cut to size sheets of leather, scouring material, fabric or abrasive paper, will achieve sanding, shaping, cleaning, burnishing or polishing, depending on the element used.
If abrasive tubes are the chosen elements to load into this device the design allows for each tube to rotate on its own retaining wire as the work piece is applied enabling all of the abrasive surface to be utilised. In the case of other single sheet elements, they can be removed, turned over and or around and refitted to fully utilise their surface. Alternatively the inner edge of a single sheet can be folded over and glued or stapled in place. The opening created by the fold allows the sheet to be fitted onto the retaining wire.
To assist with understanding the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show examples of the invention.
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The retaining wires 6, 7 and 8 are of a specific tensile strength and shape, the uninstalled retaining wire 6 is an example. Installation of retaining wire 6 is achieved by passing the lower ends 9 and 10 down through the holes 11 and 12 so that the lower ends 9 and 10 engage into the shaped slots 13 and 14. The other retaining wires 7 and 8 are shown assembled into position in their respective shaped slots.
After assembling retaining wires 6. 7 and 8 down through the upper circular metal plate 1 the cup washer 15 is placed down onto the upper circular plate 1 and over the upper end of the retaining wires 6, 7 and 8.
The threaded end of the drive spindle 16 is then passed through the central hole 17 in the cup washer 15 and tightened down by way of the central nut 18 on the drive spindle 5.
The plain shaft end 19 of the drive spindle 5 will engage into the chuck of the driving tool.
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The lower ends of the retaining wires 6, 7 and 8 have been located into their respective shaped slots 13 & 14 ( two of the six) showing the device without the abrasive tubes or chosen elements fitted.
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Side elevation of retaining wire 6 shows the approximate outward angle 23 the retaining wire 6 will achieve having been released from its shaped slot 14 in the lower circular metal plate 2 ready for an abrasive tube or chosen element to be loaded. When the lower end of retaining wire 6 is loaded and located into its shaped slot 14 the outward and rearward force caused by the tension in the retaining wire will ensure it is securely held in place. In addition the device is driven in a clockwise direction adding to the rearward force further enhancing the security of the lower end of the retaining wire 6 in the shaped slot 14.
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Finally, it is to be understood that the inventive concept in any of its aspects can be incorporated in many different constructions so that the generality of the preceding description is not to be superseded by the particularity of the attached drawings. Various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.
Claims
1. A flail sanding tool suitable for use with a driver, the tool assembly being suitable for work operations such as grinding, polishing, sanding, finishing and the like,
- the flail sanding tool providing a central shaft positioning a disk at each end and a drive spindle at one end, and the flail sanding tool providing a plurality of vertical tendons at the perimeter of the disks to capture and present abrasive/polishing elements to a work piece,
- such vertical tendons being permanently attached to the disk at one end but releasable from the disk at the other end for the purpose of loading and unloading the abrasive/polishing elements,
- such tendons having a shape to provide an outward bias so as to assure a positive location in the disk at the releasable end.
2. A flail sanding tool according to claim 1 wherein the flail sanding tool is suitable for use with a driver which includes a drilling machine including a motor, a drive spindle, and a drill chuck; the drive drum being operatively connectable to the drill chuck by the provided drive spindle.
3. A flail sanding tool according to claim 1 where the abrasive/polishing elements may be tubular sleeves.
4. A flail sanding tool according to claim 1 where the abrasive/polishing elements may be sheet materials.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 29, 2008
Publication Date: Apr 9, 2009
Inventors: Terry Gosschalk (Gleniffer), Terence James Walker (Bellingen)
Application Number: 12/231,038