Back to results
US 10,010,953 B2Granted
Wedge clamp and insert cartridge for cutting tool
AssigneeKennametal Inc.
InventorsMichael Glenn Morrison, Jeffrey Francis Kovac
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cutting tool includes a pocket with a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and a rear wall. The cutting tool has an insert cartridge and a wedge clamp. The threaded member exerts a force vector in a radial direction when threaded into the wedge clamp to place the cutting tool in a locked condition, and the wedge clamp exerts a force vector into the body of the cutting tool radially inward of an adjacent pocket, thereby reducing deflection of the adjacent pocket when the cutting tool is placed in the locked condition.
Claims21
A cutting tool including a body, the cutting tool comprising:
- a pocket including a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and a rear wall, the side wall of the pocket including a recess;
- an insert cartridge which accommodates a blade or cutting insert, the insert cartridge including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall of the insert cartridge, a pair of opposing side walls extending between the top wall of the insert cartridge and the bottom wall of the insert cartridge;
- and
- a wedge clamp including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall of the wedge clamp, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall of the wedge clamp, and a pair of opposing side walls extending between the top wall of the wedge clamp and the bottom wall of the wedge clamp, the rear wall of the wedge clamp including a cylindrical member extending therefrom, the cylindrical member received in the recess of the side wall of the pocket,
- wherein a threaded member exerts a first force vector in a radial direction when threaded into the wedge clamp causing the wedge clamp to move in the radial direction relative to the insert cartridge to place the cutting tool in a locked condition,
- the cylindrical member being defined by a central longitudinal axis which is parallel to the bottom wall of the pocket,
- the radial direction of the first force vector being parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member and to the bottom wall of the pocket,
- wherein, in the locked condition:
- the bottom wall of the wedge clamp engages the top wall of the insert cartridge,
- the bottom wall of the insert cartridge engages the bottom wall of the pocket, and
- the cylindrical member of the wedge clamp engages the recess of the body and exerts a second force vector into the body of the cutting tool at a location that is radially inward with respect to an adjacent pocket, thereby reducing deflection of the adjacent pocket when the cutting tool is placed in the locked condition,
- the second force vector being substantially perpendicular to the first force vector,
- the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member and the bottom wall of the pocket,
- wherein the top wall of the insert cartridge includes a first portion extending from one of the pair of opposing side walls of the insert cartridge and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first and second portions not coinciding with a blade or cutting insert,
- wherein the second portion is formed at an acute and non-zero angle with respect to the first portion, and
- wherein the second portion acts as a seating surface for the wedge clamp to resist the insert cartridge from sliding out of the pocket during a cutting operation.
13 more elements
A cutting tool including a body, the cutting tool comprising:
- a pocket including a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and a rear wall, the side wall of the pocket including a recess;
- an insert cartridge which accommodates a blade or cutting insert, the insert cartridge including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall of the insert cartridge, a pair of opposing side walls extending between the top wall of the insert cartridge and the bottom wall of the insert cartridge;
- and
- a wedge clamp including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall of the wedge clamp, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall of the wedge clamp, and a pair of opposing side walls extending between the top wall of the wedge clamp and bottom wall of the wedge clamp, the rear wall of the wedge clamp including a cylindrical member extending therefrom, the cylindrical member received in the recess of the side wall of the pocket, the front wall of the wedge clamp including a threaded bore and the cylindrical member including a threaded inner surface for receiving a threaded member,
- the cylindrical member being defined by a central longitudinal axis which is parallel to the bottom wall of the pocket,
- wherein the threaded member causes the wedge clamp to move in a radial direction relative to the insert cartridge to place the cutting tool in a locked condition, and
- wherein the movement of the wedge clamp in the radial direction causes the bottom wall of the wedge clamp to engage the top wall of the insert cartridge, thereby causing the wedge clamp to exert a force vector in an axial direction against the insert cartridge, thereby resulting in the downward force vector and a side force vector to be generated by the insert cartridge against the bottom wall of the pocket and the side wall of the pocket, respectively, thereby securing the insert cartridge in the pocket,
- wherein the cylindrical member of the wedge clamp engages the recess of the body and exerts a force vector into the body of the cutting tool at a location that is radially inward with respect to an adjacent pocket, thereby reducing deflection of the adjacent pocket when the cutting tool is placed in the locked condition,
- wherein the top wall of the insert cartridge includes a first portion extending from one of the pair of opposing side walls of the insert cartridge and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first and second portions not coinciding with a blade or cutting insert,
- wherein the second portion is formed at an acute and non-zero angle with respect to the first portion, and
- wherein the second portion acts as a seating surface for the wedge clamp to resist the insert cartridge from sliding out of the pocket during a cutting operation.
8 more elements
A cutting tool including a body, the cutting tool comprising:
- a pocket including a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and a rear wall, the side wall of the pocket including a recess;
- an insert cartridge which accommodates a blade or cutting insert, the insert cartridge including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall of the insert cartridge, a pair of opposing side walls extending between the top wall of the insert cartridge and the bottom wall of the insert cartridge;
- and
- a wedge clamp including a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall of the wedge clamp, a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall of the wedge clamp, and a pair of opposing side walls extending between the top wall of the wedge clamp and bottom wall of the wedge clamp, the rear wall of the wedge clamp including a cylindrical member extending therefrom, the cylindrical member received in the recess of the side wall of the pocket, the front wall of the wedge clamp including a threaded bore and the cylindrical member including a threaded inner surface for receiving a threaded member,
- the cylindrical member being defined by a central longitudinal axis which is parallel to the bottom wall of the pocket,
- wherein movement of the wedge clamp in a radial direction relative to the insert cartridge causes the cylindrical member of the wedge clamp to exert a force vector into the body of the cutting tool at a location that is radially inward with respect to an adjacent pocket of the cutting tool, thereby reducing deflection of the adjacent pocket of the cutting tool when the cutting tool is placed in a locked condition,
- wherein, in the locked condition, the bottom wall of the insert cartridge engages the bottom wall of the pocket,
- wherein the top wall of the insert cartridge includes a first portion extending from one of the pair of opposing side walls of the insert cartridge and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first and second portions not coinciding with a blade or cutting insert,
- wherein the second portion is formed at an acute and non-zero angle with respect to the first portion, and
- wherein the second portion acts as a seating surface for the wedge clamp to resist the insert cartridge from sliding out of the pocket during a cutting operation.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.