# US 4,397,074 A · Method of forming a gang cutting tool assembly and tool formed thereby > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,397,074 A - Document ID: US4397074A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/231,340 - Filed: 1981-02-04 - Granted: 1983-08-09 - Earliest claimed: 1981-02-04 - Assignees: Ashcombe Products Company - Inventors: Henry M. Thornton; John S. Thornton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397074A ## CPC - B23Q 35/02: Copying discrete points from the pattern, e.g. for determining the position of holes to be drilled - B23B 39/161: {with parallel work spindles} - B23Q 5/06: driven essentially by fluid pressure or pneumatic power - B26F 1/16: Perforating by tool or tools of the drill type - H05K 3/0047: {Drilling of holes} - H05K 2203/1536: Temporarily stacked PCBs - Y10T 29/5136: Separate tool stations for selective or successive operation on work - Y10T 408/08: with means to regulate operation by use of templet, tape, card, or other replaceable information supply - Y10T 409/303416: Templet, tracer, or cutter - Y10T 409/303696: Templet - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - B23B: TURNING; BORING (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A gang tool assembly for drilling a precise pattern of holes in a workpiece or otherwise cutting surfaces and the like on such workpiece and including a mounting panel of rigid sheet material having a pattern of holes formed therein to receive supports for powered tool heads to detachably support the same to form a gang pattern of either drills or cutters for simultaneously drilling a pattern of holes in a workpiece or forming a contoured surface thereon. The mounting panel is formed by at least pricking with pins a pattern of holes upon a sheet-like pattern of all holes to be drilled and forming partial patterns of the entire pattern separately upon said sheet-like pattern and digitizing the same upon a tape for use in a numerically controlled machine operable to successively drill a series of rigid sheet-like support plates for holding powered drill heads in partial patterns of said entire pattern and comprising a set thereof for use to drill patterns of holes in sets of test and base plates respectively requiring holes of different diameters for use in ultimately drilling holes in prodcut sheet material having the entire required pattern of holes therein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Mechanism for forming product sheets of rigid material having a pattern of holes uniformly formed therein comprising in combination: (a) a pattern sheet containing an entire pattern of locations for holes to be formed in said sheets, (b) a plurality of plug-like members having a diameter at least equal to the diameter of powered tool heads to be used to form said holes in gang multiple head manner in said product sheets and provided with a central sharp projection on one end thereof adapted to be positioned on selected locations of holes of said pattern sheet without interference between any of the members for at least pricking said pattern sheet at selected hole locations on said sheet to form sets of partial patterns of holes, a series of sets of partial patterns of holes comprising the entire pattern thereof on said pattern sheet, (c) a perforated tape for a numerically controlled drilling machine on which the locations of said sets of partial patterns of holes are digitized for use in a numerically controlled drilling machine, and operable to drill respectively on a set of rigid support plates partial patterns of attachment holes, (d) a plurality of powered tool heads of uniform diameter, (e) means to connect said tool heads to said patterns of attachment holes in said support plates to form a set of patterned gangs of tool heads on said plates, (f) base plates to support one or more product sheets of material, (g) a series of reciprocable machine heads respectively adapted to support and reciprocate said series of patterned gangs of tool heads, and (h) means to move said base plates with product sheets thereon sequentially beneath said machine heads to have partial patterns of holes machined therein ultimately to form complete patterns of holes in said product sheets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mechanism according to claim 1 in which said powered tool heads comprise fluid-operated turbines, and including means to connect a supply of operating fluid under pressure to said tool heads. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mechanism according to claim 1 in which said means to connect said tool heads to said support plates comprise shafts extending from the normally upper ends of said powered tool heads and said shafts extending through said attachment holes in said support plates and detachably secured thereto.