Drill bit assembly
AssigneeTooling Technology Centre, Inc.
InventorLeslie T. Davey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drill bit assembly has a housing having a central passageway including a pressure chamber and a vacuum chamber. The pressure chamber is connectable with a pressure source and the vacuum chamber is connectable with a vacuum source. The pressure chamber and vacuum chamber are in fluid communication with each other. A bearing assembly has an outer race rigidly mounted within the pressure chamber and an inner race for frictionally engaging the drill bit. A bracket mounts the housing with the drill bit extending through the central passageway. A seal is formed between the pressure chamber and the vacuum chamber as fluid, such as air, from the pressure source flows into the pressure chamber to the vacuum chamber for exhausting to the vacuum source.
Claims14
A drill bit assembly for guiding a drill bit of a drill, said assembly comprising
- a housing having a central passageway including a pressure chamber in fluid communication with a vacuum chamber, said pressure chamber connectable with a pressure source and said vacuum chamber connectable with a vacuum source,
- a bearing assembly having an outer race mounted within the pressure chamber and an inner race for frictionally engaging said drill bit, and
- a bracket for mounting said housing such that said drill bit extends through said central passageway,
- whereby an air seal is formed between the pressure chamber and the vacuum chamber as fluid flows from said pressure chamber to said vacuum chamber substantially preventing ingress into the pressure chamber of debris generated by said drill bit.
A self-guiding drill bit assembly comprising
- a housing having a central passageway extending therethrough, said passageway comprising a pressure chamber in fluid communication with a vacuum chamber, said pressure chamber connectable with a pressure source and said vacuum chamber connectable with a vacuum source, said pressure source for effecting a fluid flow from said pressure chamber to said vacuum chamber substantially preventing debris within the vacuum chamber from entering the pressure chamber, and
- a bushing journal mounted within said pressure chamber, said journal mount comprising a ball bearing assembly having an inner race engaging said bushing, wherein said housing is mountable to position a drill bit to extend through said central passageway and to frictionally engage with said bushing maintaining axial alignment of said drill bit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.