Curved bore drilling method and apparatus

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore within a material comprising:

• (a) housing means;
• (b) rotary drive means;
• (c) drill shaft means having one end adapted for connection to said rotary drive means, said drill shaft means having a distal flexible end section;
• (d) cutting tip means secured to said flexible end section;
• (e) means mounting said drill shaft means within said housing means for reciprocal movement therein;
• (f) curved guide means located within said housing means adjacent to said flexible end section;
• (g) means pivotally mounting said curved guide means within said housing for movement of said curved guide means along a curved path;
• and
• (h) means acting between said curved guide means and said flexible end section to guide said flexible end section and said cutting tip means along said curved path when said drill shaft means is reciprocated concurrently with pivoting said curved guide means.

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore within a material comprising:

• (a) an elongated tubular drill shaft housing;
• (b) drill shaft drive means;
• (c) drill shaft means having a rigid shaft section adapted for connection to said drill shaft drive means at one end thereof and having a distal flexible end section connected to an opposite end thereof, said drill shaft means being contained within said drill shaft housing and guided for reciprocation along a rectilinear path therein;
• (d) cutting tip means connected to a distal end of said flexible shaft section;
• (e) a generally arcuate curved channel shaped guide member pivotally mounted within said housing adjacent to said cutting tip means for movement along a predetermined arcuate path which is generally tangential to said rectilinear path of said flexible end section, said guide member being in retaining engagement with said flexible end section behind said cutting tip means to guide said cutting tip means and said flexible end section through said arcuate path as said drill shaft means is advanced through said material;
• and
• (f) actuation means carried by said drill shaft housing to simultaneously advance said drill shaft means and said guide member to form said curved bore, said cutting tip means being greater in diameter than said guide member to permit said guide member to move freely within said curved bore.

A method for forming a curved bore within a material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) directing a drill shaft having a flexible distal end section with cutting means thereon as long a rectilinear approach path at a given angle of approach to a surface of said material;
• (b) maintaining a portion of said drill shaft within said rectilinear approach path;
• and
• (c) simultaneously guiding said flexible distal end section and said cutting means through a curved path, said cutting means forming a curved bore into said material, said drill shaft being capable of being advanced and retracted to form said curved bore without requiring an alteration of said angle of approach.

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore within a material comprising:

• (a) a rotary drive means;
• (b) housing means;
• (c) drill shaft means mounted for reciprocation along a rectilinear path within said housing means, said drill shaft means having one end adapted for connection to said rotary drive means, said drill shaft means having a distal flexible end section;
• (d) cutting means secured to said flexible end section;
• (e) a curved guide member pivotally mounted within said housing means adjacent said cutting means for movement in a predetermined curved path generally tangential to said rectilinear path of said flexible end sections, aid curved guide member being in retaining engagement with said flexible end section to guide said cutting means and said flexible end section away from said rectilinear path toward said predetermined curved path as said drill shaft means is advanced through said material.

An apparatus for forming a curved bore within a material comprising:

• (a) cutting means;
• (b) housing means;
• (c) bore forming means mounted for reciprocation along a rectilinear path within said housing means, said bore forming means having a distal flexible end section with said cutting means associated therewith;
• (d) a generally arcuate curved guide means pivotally mounted within said housing means adjacent to said flexible end section for movement along a predetermined arcuate path generally tangential to said rectilinear path of said bore forming means, said guide means being in retaining engagement with said flexible end section to guide said cutting means and said flexible end section along said predetermined arcuate path as said bore forming means is advanced through said material.

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore within a material comprising:

• (a) housing means;
• (b) cutting means;
• (c) rotary drill shaft means mounted for reciprocation along a rectilinear path within said housing means, said rotary drill shaft means having a distal flexible end section whereupon said cutting means are attached;
• (d) a curved guide means pivotally mounted within said housing means adjacent to said cutting means for movement along a predetermined curved path, said predetermined curved path being generally tangential to said rectilinear path of said flexible end section, said guide means being in retaining engagement with said flexible end section to guide said cutting means from said rectilinear path through said predetermined curved path as said rotary drill shaft means is advanced through said material.

A method for forming a curved bore within a material comprising the steps of:

• (a) directing a bore forming means having a flexible distal end section with cutting means associated therewith through a rectilinear approach path at a given angle of approach to a surface to be bored;
• (b) maintaining a portion of said bore forming means within said rectilinear path;
• and
• (c) simultaneously guiding said flexible distal end section and said cutting means through a curved path, said cutting means forming a curved bore into said material, said bore forming device being capable of being advanced and retracted to form said curved bore without requiring an alteration of said angle of approach.

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore through a material comprising:

• (a) a rotary drive means;
• (b) cutting means;
• (c) drill shaft mean shaving one end thereof adapted for connection to said rotary drive means, said drill shaft means having a distal flexible end section with said cutting means attached thereon;
• (d) mounting means for directing said drill shaft means along an approach path within said mounting means relative to a surface of said material;
• and
• (e) guide means carried by said mounting means to guide said flexible end section and said cutting means from said approach path along a curved path upon entry into said material, said drill shaft means being moved along said approach path with respect to said mounting means.

A method for forming a curved bore within a material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) directing a bore forming means having a flexible distal end section with cutting means associated therewith through an approach path relative to a surface to be bored:
• (b) maintaining a portion of said bore forming means along in said approach path;
• and
• (c) simultaneously guiding said flexible distal end section and said cutting means through a curved path, said cutting means forming a curved bore into said material, said bore forming device being capable of being advanced and retracted to form said curved bore without requiring an alteration of said orientation of said approach path.

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore within a material comprising:

• (a) rotary drive means;
• (b) cutting tip means;
• (c) drill shaft housing means;
• (d) drill shaft means adapted for connection at one end thereof to said rotary drive means, said drill shaft means having a distal flexible end section, said cutting tip means being attached to said flexible end section;
• (e) means mounting said flexible end section of said drill shaft means within said drill shaft housing means for reciprocal movement therein;
• (f) curved guide means located within said drill shaft housing means adjacent to said flexible end section;
• (g) means pivotally mounting said curved guide means within said drill shaft housing means for rotation along a curved path;
• (h) drive means for rotating said guide means;
• and
• (i) engaging means acting between said curved guide means and said flexible end section;
• (j) whereby rotation of said curved guide means advances said flexible end section and said cutting tip means along said curved path to form said curved bore.

An apparatus for drilling a curved bore within a material, comprising:

• (a) rotary drive means;
• (b) cutting means;
• (c) drill shaft means having one end adapted for connection to said rotary drive means, said drill shaft means having a distal flexible end section with said cutting means attached thereto;
• (d) mounting means for directing said drill shaft means along in rectilinear path which is substantially normal to a surface of said material, and
• (e) guide means carried by said mounting means to guide said flexible end section and said cutting means from said rectilinear path along said curved path upon entry into the surface of the material to be drilled, said mounting means maintaining the remainder of the drill shaft in the rectilinear path throughout the drilling operation.