US 6,030,276 A · Automated drill bit re-shapening and verification system

Abstract

A completely automated apparatus for verifying the identity and geometry of drill bits, re-sharpening the cutting tip of a drill bit and re-positioning a locating ring upon the shank portion of the drill bit subsequent to the re-sharpening of the cutting tip thereof. The apparatus comprises a housing having a pair of cassette trays, a pair of grinding assemblies, a pair of optical assemblies, a pair of primary cleaning assemblies, a pair of secondary cleaning assemblies, a pair of inversion assemblies, a pair of workhead assemblies, a bumping assembly, and a loader assembly attached thereto. The workhead and loader assemblies are used to transport drill bits between the cassette trays and other assemblies in a selected sequence which is controlled and coordinated by a programmable control device. The control device is electrically interfaced to each of the assemblies and allows the cutting tip re-sharpening and locating ring repositioning processes to be conducted simultaneously on at least two drill bits.

Claims44

Dependent claims

An automated apparatus for re-sharpening a drill bit having a shank portion and a fluted portion which defines a cutting tip, the apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a drill bit storage location, the drill bit being positionable within the storage location;
at least one grinding assembly attached to the housing for grinding the cutting tip;
at least one optical assembly attached to the housing and having at least one camera for generating images which are used to conduct an initial inspection of the cutting tip prior to the grinding thereof and a final inspection of the cutting tip subsequent to the grinding thereof;
at least one workhead movably attached to the housing for selectively transporting the drill bit between the optical and grinding assemblies;
and
a loader assembly movably attached to the housing for selectively transporting the drill bit between the storage location and the workhead assembly.

3 more elements

An automated apparatus for re-sharpening a drill bit having a shank portion and a fluted portion which defines a cutting tip, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;
a least one cassette tray attached to the housing, the drill bit being positionable upon the cassette tray;
at least one grinding assembly attached to the housing for grinding the cutting tip;
at least one optical assembly attached to the housing and having at least one camera for generating images which are used to conduct an initial inspection of the cutting tip prior to the grinding thereof and a final inspection of the cutting tip subsequent to the grinding thereof;
at least one cleaning assembly attached to the housing for cleaning the cutting tip prior to both the initial and final inspections thereof;
at least one workhead assembly movably attached to the housing for selectively transporting the drill bit between the optical and grinding assemblies;
and
a loader assembly movably attached to the housing for selectively transporting the drill bit between the cassette tray, the cleaning assembly, and the workhead assembly.

5 more elements

An automated method of re-sharpening a drill bit having a shank portion and a fluted portion which defines a cutting tip using an automated re-sharpening apparatus which includes at least one cassette tray, at least one grinding assembly, at least one optical assembly, at least one primary cleaning assembly, at least one secondary cleaning assembly, at least one workhead assembly, and a loader assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning at least one drill bit on the cassette tray;
(b) removing the drill bit from the cassette tray via the loader assembly;
(c) cleaning the cutting tip via the primary cleaning assembly;
(d) transferring the drill bit from the loader assembly to the workhead assembly;
(e) inspecting the fluted portion and the cutting tip of the drill bit via the optical assembly;
(f) grinding the cutting tip via the grinding assembly;
(g) cleaning the cutting tip via the secondary cleaning assembly;
(h) inspecting the fluted portion and the cutting tip via the optical assembly;
and
(i) transporting the drill bit from the workhead assembly to the cassette tray via the loader assembly.

7 more elements

An automated method of re-sharpening a drill bit having a shank portion and a fluted portion which defines a cutting tip using an automated re-sharpening apparatus which includes a pair of cassette trays, a pair of grinding assemblies, a pair of optical assemblies, a pair of primary cleaning assemblies, a pair of secondary cleaning assemblies, a pair of workhead assemblies, and a loader assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning multiple drill bits on respective ones of the cassette trays;
(b) removing the drill bits from each of the cassette trays via the loader assembly;
(c) cleaning the cutting tips via respective ones of the primary cleaning assemblies;
(d) transferring the drill bits from the loader assembly to respective ones of the workhead assemblies;
(e) inspecting the fluted portions and the cutting tips of the drill bits via respective ones of the optical assemblies;
(f) grinding the cutting tips via respective ones of the grinding assemblies;
(g) cleaning the cutting tips via respective ones of the secondary cleaning assemblies;
(h) inspecting the fluted portions and the cutting tips via respective ones of the optical assemblies;
and
(i) transporting the drill bits from the workhead assemblies to respective ones of the cassette trays via the loader assembly.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated drill bit re-shapening and verification system

Life of this patent

Automated drill bit re-shapening and verification system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44