Side-activated modular drill

#A great variety of drills with replaceable cutting tips (or cutting inserts) are known conventionally. Illustrative examples may be appreciated via U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,309,196 and 7,467,915 to Frota de Souza, Filho, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,205,498 to Jaeger. Such drills involve replaceable cutting heads which are mounted on shanks. Typically, though by no means exclusively, the cutting heads and shanks can display continuous and complementing configuration as fluted drills. Each shank will normally include a structure for retaining and rotating an associated cutting head, while the associated cutting head will have a complementing structure for being retained and rotated by the shank.

#Often, challenges are encountered conventionally with respect to deformation and failure during the service life of a drill, due (at least in part) to a concentration of stresses imposed on the retaining and drive structure of the shank during ordinary service. This may unduly limit the useful service life of the drill, thus relevant improvements and modifications continue to be sought that might help mitigate the effect of known problems and constraints.

#In summary, one aspect of the invention provides a rotary cutting tool comprising: a shank; and an interchangeable cutting tip; the shank comprising a pocket which receives the interchangeable cutting tip via an interference fit; the pocket comprising two centering wall portions which, when viewed along a central longitudinal axis of the shank, are oriented at a first angle with respect to one another, the first angle being greater than zero; the interchangeable cutting tip being axially displaceable between: an initial position, which is assumed by the interchangeable cutting tip upon being received in the pocket of the shank; a clamped position, wherein the interchangeable cutting tip is fixedly held with respect to the shank; and a bump-off position, wherein the interchangeable cutting tip is not fixedly held with respect to the shank; a holding element which holds the interchangeable cutting tip in the clamped position; and a bump-off element which displaces the interchangeable cutting tip between the clamped position and the bump-off position.

#FIG. 1 provides an elevational view of a rotary cutting tool which includes a shank and an interchangeable cutting insert.

#FIG. 2 provides an elevational view of a shank and cutting insert in a cutting tool 110.

#FIG. 3 provides a plan view of a conventional cutting tool with a shank, and a cutting insert installed therein.

#It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments of the invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations in addition to the described exemplary embodiments. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

#Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” (or the like) means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or the like in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

#Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in at least one embodiment. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art may well recognize, however, that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without at least one of the specific details thereof, or can be practiced with other methods, components, materials, et cetera. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.