Drill apparatus for use with computer controlled plotter

Drill apparatus for use with a computer controller plotter drilling holes in material resting on a plotter table of the plotter at selected positions established by operation of the plotter, the plotter including a movable carrier mechanism having retaining means for holding a conventional plotter instrument, said drilling apparatus comprising:

• a drill motor having a drill bit and a turbine operatively connected for rotating the drill bit, the turbine operating from pressurized gas applied thereto;
• means associated with the drill motor and cooperative with the retaining means of the carrier mechanism for locating the drill motor on the carrier mechanism with the drill bit extending toward the plotter table and with an axis of the drill bit occupying a predetermined position;
• means connected to the carrier mechanism for conducting pressurized gas to the carrier mechanism;
• coupling means connected to the carrier mechanism and operative for connecting the drill motor to the supply of pressurized gas;
• actuator means operatively connected between the carrier mechanism and the drill motor and operative for selectively moving the drill bit toward the plotter table;
• aligning means connected to the carrier mechanism and operative for selectively aligning the axis through the drill bit at a predetermined angle relative to the plotter table;
• said drill motor including a fitting having an opening through which the pressurized gas is supplied to the turbine;
• said coupling means further includes a housing defining an interior chamber, means for applying the pressurized gas to the interior chamber, a slider member operatively positioned within the interior chamber to move within the interior chamber upon the application of gas pressure to the interior chamber, a passageway extending through the slider member, and supporting means extending from the housing and operative for contacting and supporting the fitting;
• and
• the connection of the coupling means to the drill motor is created by movement of the slider member toward the fitting while the fitting is restrained against movement in the opposite direction by the supporting means;
• and
• sealing means surrounding the passageway of the slider member and the opening of the fitting for creating a pneumatic seal when the coupling means and the drill motor achieve a connection.

Drill apparatus for use with a computer controlled plotter for drilling holes in material resting on a plotter table of the plotter at selected positions located by the plotter, the plotter including a movable carrier mechanism having retaining means for holding a conventional plotter instrument, the carrier mechanism including an instrument-holding portion pivotably connected to a slide portion, the plotter conventionally including means for pivoting the instrument-holding portion relative to the slide portion to contact a marking point of a conventional pen with material on the plotter table, and said drill apparatus is operatively selectively connected to the instrument-holding portion and comprises:

• a drill motor having a drill bit operatively connected thereto;
• means associated with the drill motor and cooperative with the retaining means of the carrier mechanism for locating the drill motor on the instrument holding portion of the carrier mechanism with an axis through the drill bit of the drill motor in a predetermined position and with the drill bit extending toward the plotter table;
• coupling means connected to the carrier mechanism and operative for coupling energy to the drill motor for rotating the drill bit;
• actuator means operatively connected between the carrier mechanism and the drill motor and operative for selectively moving the drill bit toward the plotter table;
• aligning means connected to the carrier mechanism and operative for selectively aligning the axis through the drill bit of said drill motor at a predetermined angle relative to the plotter table, said aligning means including a wedge element and means connected to the wedge element and selectively operative for inserting the wedge element between the instrument-holding portion and the slide portion to pivot the instrument-holding portion a predetermined amount to align the axis through the drill bit at the predetermined angle relative to the plotter table.

Drill apparatus for use in a computer controlled plotter having a carrier mechanism with retaining means for holding conventional plotter instruments such as a pen above a plotter table, comprising:

• a jacket;
• a drill motor including a drill bit, the drill motor operatively positioned within the jacket for longitudinal movement relative to the jacket along an axis through the drill bit;
• and
• locating means extending from the jacket and adapted for operatively engaging the retaining means of the carrier mechanism to position the jacket at a predetermined fixed location on the carrier mechanism and to allow the drill motor to move relative to the jacket along the drill bit axis toward the plotter table.

Drill apparatus for use with a computer controlled plotter for drilling holes in material resting on a plotter table of the plotter at selected positions established by operation of the plotter, the plotter including a movable carrier mechanism having retaining means for holding a conventional plotter instrument transferred to the carrier mechanism during use of the plotter and for allowing the automatic transfer of the conventional plotter instrument to and from the carrier mechanism during operation of the plotter, said drilling apparatus comprising:

• a drill operatively connected thereto;
• and
• a housing within which the drill motor is positioned, the jacket having means to be received on the carrier mechanism and held by the retaining means, the jacket also including locating means for locating the axis of the drill bit substantially coincident with the predetermined location of an operative axis of a conventional instrument when retained on the carrier mechanism;
• and
• said locating means adapted to cooperate with the retaining means to allow the drill motor and jacket to be automatically transferred to and from the carrier mechanism under control of the plotter and in substantially the same manner as a conventional plotter instrument is transferred to and from the carrier mechanism under control of the plotter.