Shaper cutter

A tool for cutting metal, said tool comprising, a generally conical body having a larger end and a smaller end, a plurality of outwardly projecting teeth formed on the periphery of said larger end of said body and angularly spaced around the latter, the larger end of said body being concave and forming a shallow conical surface, a thin sheet metal wafer overlying said larger end of said body and having a plurality of cutting teeth formed along the periphery thereof and being equal in number to the teeth on said body, each cutting tooth on said wafer being larger at its ends, sides and roots than the corresponding tooth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer extend slightly beyond the ends, sides and roots of the teeth on the body, said wafer being flexible to conform to the shape of said larger end and to lie against the latter, and means adjacent the larger end of said body and disposed radially inwardly of the cutting teeth on said wafer for flexing said wafer to cause the wafer to lie against said conical surface on said larger end and to clamp the wafer to said body, the flexing of said wafer producing a spring force holding the wafer against said larger end across the full width of the latter, the cutting teeth on said wafer when the wafer is flexed generally conforming to the teeth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer are backed by the teeth on the body and are operable to cut a workpiece as the body is advanced longitudinally in such a direction as to maintain said wafer cutting teeth against said body teeth.

A tool for cutting metal, said tool comprising, a generally conical body having a larger end and a smaller end, a plurality of radially projecting teeth formed on the periphery of said larger end of said body and angularly spaced around the latter, a concave face formed on the larger end of said body and forming a shallow conical surface, a thin sheet metal wafer overlying said face and having a plurality of cutting teeth formed around the periphery thereof, the cutting teeth on said wafer being equal in number to the teeth on said body, each cutting tooth on said wafer being larger at its ends, sides and roots than the corresponding tooth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer extend slightly beyond the ends, sides and roots of the teeth on the body, said wafer normally being flat and being flexible to conform to the shape of said face and to lie against the latter, an annular member overlying said wafer radially inwardly of said cutting teeth and having a surface opposing said face whereby the wafer is disposed between said surface and said face, said surface being convex and generally complemental to said face, and means for drawing said member toward said body thereby to flex said wafer and clamp the wafer between said surface and said face, the cutting teeth on said wafer when the wafer is flexed generally conforming to the teeth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer are backed by the teeth on the body and are operable to cut a workpiece as the body is advanced longitudinally in such a direction as to maintain said wafer cutting teeth against said body teeth.

A tool for cutting metal, said tool comprising, a generally conical body having a larger end and a smaller end, a plurality of radially projecting teeth formed on the periphery of said larger end of said body and angularly spaced around the latter, a concave face formed on the larger end of said body and forming a shallow conical surface, a thin sheet metal wafer overlying said face and having a plurality of cutting teeth formed along the periphery thereof, the cutting teeth on said wafer being equal in number of teeth on said body, each cutting tooth on said wafer being larger at its ends, sides and roots than the corresponding tooth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer extend slightly beyond the ends, sides and roots of the teeth on the body, said wafer normally being flat and being flexible to conform to the shape of said face and to lie against the latter, a cylindrical counterbore formed in said body to extend longitudinally thereof and opening through said face, a central hole formed in said wafer, said hole being alined with and the same diameter as said counterbore, a cylindrical bushing having the same diameter as said counterbore and projecting through said hole and into the counterbore, a radial flange formed on said bushing and having a complementary surface overlying said wafer radially inwardly of the teeth thereof, and means coacting with said bushing to clamp said complementary surface of said flange against said wafer thereby flexing the wafer and causing the latter to lie against said conical face, the cutting teeth on said wafer when the wafer is flexed generally conforming to the teeth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer are backed by teeth on the body and are operable to cut a workpiece as the body is advanced longitudinally in such a direction as to maintain said wafer cutting teeth against said body teeth.

A tool for cutting helical teeth on a workpiece, said tool comprising, an elongated body having a circular cross section and a forward end, a plurality of outwardly projecting teeth formed on the periphery of said forward end of said body and angularly spaced around the latter, the face of each of said teeth being inclined at the forward end of said body rearwardly from the leading edge of the tooth to the trailing edge, said teeth being stepped whereby the ends of the teeth lie in a common transverse plane, a thin sheet metal wafer lying against the forward end of said body inwardly of said teeth and having a plurality of flexible fingers projecting outwardly toward the teeth, there being a finger for each of said teeth, a plurality of second teeth, one formed on the outer end of each of said fingers as an integral part of said wafer, the teeth on said wafer being cutting teeth overlying the faces of the teeth on said body, each cutting tooth on said wafer being larger at its ends, sides and roots than the corresponding tooth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer extend slightly beyond the ends, sides and roots of the teeth on the body, and means located radially inwardly of said cutting teeth and operable to clamp said wafer against the forward end of said body and to flex said fingers to hold the cutting teeth on the wafer against the faces of the teeth on the body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer are backed by the teeth on the body and are operable to cut a workpiece as the body is advanced longitudinally in such a direction as to maintain said wafer cutting teeth against said body teeth.

A tool for cutting helical teeth on a workpiece, said tool comprising, an elongated conical body having a larger forward end, a plurality of outwardly projecting teeth extending helically along the periphery of said forward end of said body and angularly spaced around the latter, the face of each of said teeth being inclined at the forward end of said body inwardly from the leading edge of the tooth to the trailing edge, said teeth being stepped whereby the ends of the teeth lie in a common transverse plane, a first annular recess formed in said forward end behind said teeth, a first annular surface formed on said forward end radially inwardly of said recess, a thin sheet metal wafer having an annulus lying against said annular surface, said wafer having a plurality of fingers projecting outwardly from said annulus to overlie said recess, there being a finger for each of said teeth, a plurality of cutting teeth, one cutting tooth being formed on the outer end of each of said fingers and each overlying the face of a tooth on said body, each cutting tooth on said wafer being larger at its ends, sides and roots than the corresponding tooth on said body whereby the cutting teeth on the wafer extend slightly beyond the ends, sides and roots of the teeth on the body, a clamping ring opposing said forward end and having a second annular surface opposing said first annular surface and a second annular recess opposing said first annular recess, a plurality of radial projections on the periphery of said ring with each opposing the inner portion of a tooth in said body, said projections having faces opposing and complemental with the faces of the teeth on said body and lying within the confines of the latter faces, and means to clamp said wafer between said ring and said forward end thereby to twist said fingers in the space defined by said recesses and hold the cutting teeth on the wafer against the faces of the teeth on the body so that the cutting teeth on the wafer are backed by the teeth on the body and are operable to cut a workpiece as the body is advanced longitudinally in such a direction as to maintain said wafer cutting teeth against said body teeth.