Drill bit sharpening apparatus

Mechanism for feeding drill bits one at a time into a drill bit holder of a drill bit sharpener which includes a grinding wheel, comprising:

• a drill bit carrier movable between a drill bit receiving position and a drill bit inserting position, said carrier including a collet for receiving the shank end of a drill bit when the carrier is in its drill bit receiving position, and means for rotating the collet in position about the drill bit axis;
• means for inserting a drill bit into the collet when the drill bit carrier is in its drill bit receiving position and closing the collet to grip said drill bit;
• locator means for sensing the position of the drill bit in the collet and rotating the collet an amount sufficient to position the point of the drill bit for proper contact with the grinding wheel, said locator means including a stylus positioned to enter a flute of the drill bit, and means for sensing a predetermined position of the stylus in the flute and stopping the rotation of the collet in response to the stylus reaching such predetermined position;
• means for then moving the carrier from its drill bit receiving position into its drill bit inserting position, said drill bit being aligned with the drill bit holder when the carrier is in its drill bit inserting position;
• means for then moving the collet endwise an amount sufficient to insert the drill bit into the drill holder and opening the collet to release the drill bit from the collet;
• means for moving the carrier back into its drill bit receiving position, for receiving another drill bit;
• and
• a bushing for surrounding and supporting the drill bit while it is being rotated;
• and
• a support for the bushing that is mounted for axial movement of the bushing between an extended position in which the drill bit is in the bushing and a retracted position in which said bushing is spaced axially from the drill bit point.

Mechanism for feeding drill bits one at a time into a drill bit holder of a drill bit sharpener which includes a grinding wheel, comprising:

• a drill bit carrier movable between a drill bit receiving position and a drill bit inserting position, said carrier including a collet for receiving the shank end of a drill bit when the carrier is in its drill bit receiving position, and means for rotating the collet in position about the drill bit axis, a generally horizontal arm, and means for swinging the arm in position about a generally vertical axis, for moving it between its drill bit receiving and drill bit inserting positions, and wherein the collet is at one end of the arm;
• means for inserting a drill bit into the collet when the drill bit carrier is in its drill bit receiving position and closing the collet to grip said drill bit, including a conveyor for moving the drill bit into a position of spaced axial alignment with the collet when the drill bit carrier is in its drill bit receiving position, and extendible/retractable pushrod means extendible against the point end of the drill bit, for moving the drill bit endwise from such position toward the collet, and its shank end into the collet, wherein the conveyor is movable in position between an extended position in which a drill bit to be installed into the chuck is in a position of spaced axial alignment with the chuck, and a retracted position spaced laterally away from the extended position;
• locator means for sensing the position of the drill bit in the collet and rotating the collet an amount sufficient to position the point of the drill bit for proper contact with the grinding wheel;
• means for then moving the carrier from its drill bit receiving position into its drill bit inserting position, said drill bit being aligned with the drill bit holder when the carrier is in its drill bit inserting position;
• means for then moving the collet endwise an amount sufficient to insert the drill bit into the drill holder and opening the collet to release the drill bit from the collet;
• means for moving the carrier back into its drill bit receiving position, for receiving another drill bit;
• a bushing for surrounding and supporting the drill bit while it is being rotated;
• and
• a support for the bushing that is movable, for axial movement of the bushing, between a position in which the drill bit is in the bushng and a retracted position in which said drill bit and bushing are spaced out from the drill bit point, such movement of the bushing and its support occurring in a space occupied by a portion of the conveyor when the conveyor is extended, wherein the retraction of the conveyor opens the space for movement of the bushing and its support through the space.

Mechanism for feeding drill bits one at a time into a drill bit holder of a drill bit sharpener which includes a grinding wheel, comprising:

• a drill bit carrier movable between a drill bit receiving position and a drill bit inserting position, said carrier including a collet for receiving the shank end of a drill bit when the carrier is in its drill bit receiving position, and means for rotating the collet in position about the drill bit axis;
• means for inserting a drill bit into the collet when the drill bit carrier is in its drill bit receiving position and closing the collet to grip said drill bit;
• locator means for sensing the position of the drill bit in the collet and rotating the collet an amount sufficient to position the point of the drill bit for proper contact with the grinding wheel;
• means for then moving the carrier from its drill bit receiving position into its drill bit inserting position, said drill bit being aligned with the drill bit holder when the carrier is in its drill bit inserting positions;
• means for then moving the collet endwise an amount sufficient to insert the drill bit into the drill holder and opening the collet to release the drill bit from the collet;
• means for moving the carrier back into its drill bit receiving position, for receiving another drill bit;
• wherein the means for inserting a drill bit into the collet includes a conveyor for moving the drill bit into a position of spaced axial alignment with the collet, and pushrod means extendible against the point end of the drill bit, for moving the drill bit endwise from such position toward the collet, and its shank end into the collet;
• wherein the conveyor is movable in a direction generally perpendicular to the position of the center line axis of the collet when the carrier is in its drill bit receiving position, between an extended position in which a drill bit to be installed into the collet is in a position of spaced axial alignment with the collet, and a retracted position spaced laterally back away from the extended position;
• wherein the locator means includes a bushing and a bushing support which have a retracted position in which the bushing is coaxial with the collet, and is spaced axially away from the collet a distance sufficient to allow the conveyor, when it is extended, to move into the axial space between the collet and the bushing;
• wherein the bushing and its support are extendible toward a drill bit in the collet an amount sufficient to allow the point end portion of a drill bit in the collet to enter through the bushing and project outwardly beyond the bushing;
• and
• wherein during such extension the bushing and its support move through the space vacated by the conveyor when it moves back from its extended position into its retracted position.