A ball nose cutter for being connected with a torque transmitting machine, said ball nose cutter comprising:
- a cutter body comprising:
- shank means for connecting with the torque transmitting machine, said shank means defining a centerline of rotation, said centerline of rotation defining an axis of said cutter body;
- and
- an insert holder connected with said shank means, said insert holder being provided with a groove having a first predetermined shape;
- a generally disc shaped cutter insert having a first portion and an opposite second portion, said second portion having a second predetermined shape that is reciprocal to that of said first predetermined shape so that said second portion is seatable within said groove in at least two relative orientations with respect thereto, said at least two relative orientations comprising a first relative orientation and a second relative orientation, said cutter insert having a center, a first side, a second side and a central plane bisecting said cutter insert between said first and second sides thereof, said cutter insert further comprising:
- cutting edge means located on said first portion for cutting a workpiece in response to rotation of said shank by the torque generating machine;
- and
- a pair of cutting tips connected with said cutting edge means, each cutting tip of said pair of cutting tips being located at said a central plane of said cutter insert, said pair of cutting tips being mutually nondiametrically opposed in said central plane with respect to said center;
- and
- means for releasably connecting said cutter insert to said cutter body when said second portion of said cutter insert is seated in said groove at a selected one of said first and second relative orientations;
- wherein when said second portion of siad cutter insert is at said first orientation said first and second sides thereof have a first relative placement with respect to said groove and a selected one of said cutting tips is located at said centerline of rotation, and when said second portion of said cutter insert is at said second orientation said first and second sides thereof have a second relative placement with respect to said groove that is reversed with respect to said first relative placement and the other of said cutting tips is located at said centerline of rotation;
- and
- wherein said means for releasably connecting comprises:
- said insert holder having a threaded holder bore oriented at an oblique angle with respect to said cutter body axis, said holder bore communicating with said groove;
- an insert bore located in said central plane, passing through said center of said cutter insert and extending along a diameter of said cutter insert, said insert bore being aligned with respect to said center and a medial location between said pair of cutting tips, said insert bore being aligned with said holder bore at each of said first and second relative orientations, said insert bore being located substantially adjacent each cutting tip of said pair of cutting tips;
- and
- a holding screw dimensioned to pass through said insert bore and threadably engage with the threads of said holder bore.