Positive feed tool having a clutch
AssigneeCooper Technologies Company
InventorsBruce A. Thames, Sam C. Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for limiting the transmission of power from a motor to a spindle of a positive feed drill when a high torque situation develops, as well as an apparatus and method for causing the spindle to automatically retract when the high torque situation develops.
Claims27
A positive feed tool, comprising:
- a threaded spindle;
- a motor;
- and
- a drive train that rotatably connects said motor and said threaded spindle, said drive train at least including:
- a spindle drive gear coupled to said spindle such that said spindle and said spindle drive gear rotate together;
- a spindle feed gear threaded on said spindle;
- a differential drive gear engaged with said spindle drive gear;
- a differential feed gear engaged with said spindle feed gear, at least one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear being moveable from a first position to a second position, said differential feed gear being coupled to said differential drive gear when said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear is located at said first position such that said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear rotate together, said differential feed gear not being coupled to said differential drive gear when said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear is located at said second position;
- and
- a clutch for limiting transmission of power from said motor along said drive train when torque on said spindle or in said drive train exceeds a predetermined value and when said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear is located at said first position.
A positive feed tool, comprising:
- a spindle;
- a motor;
- a drive train rotatably connecting said motor and said spindle;
- and
- means for causing said spindle to retract when torque on said spindle or in said drive train exceeds a predetermined value.
A method in a positive feed tool having a spindle, a motor, a drive train rotatably connecting the motor to the spindle, the drive train having a clutch and a differential feed gear engageable with a differential drive gear, the method comprising:
- feeding the spindle while the differential feed gear is engaged with the differential drive gear, and
- retracting the spindle by automatically disengaging at least one of the differential feed gear and the differential drive gear from the other of the differential feed gear and the differential drive gear when an amount of torque on the spindle or in the drive train exceeds a predetermined value and causes the clutch to limit transmission of power from the motor along the drive train.
A positive feed tool, comprising:
- a threaded spindle;
- a motor;
- and
- a drive train that rotatably connects said motor and said threaded spindle, said drive train at least including:
- a spindle drive gear coupled to said spindle such that said spindle and said spindle drive gear rotate together;
- a spindle feed gear threaded on said spindle;
- a differential drive gear engaged with said spindle drive gear;
- a differential feed gear engaged with said spindle feed gear, at least one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear being moveable from a first position to a second position, said differential feed gear being coupled to said differential drive gear when said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear is located at said first position such that said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear rotate together, said differential feed gear not being coupled to said differential drive gear when said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear is located at said second position;
- a clutch for limiting transmission of power from the motor along the drive train, said clutch being operatively associated with said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear to move said one of said differential feed gear and said differential drive gear from said first position to said second position when said clutch limits transmission of power from the motor along the drive train.
A positive feed tool, comprising:
- a spindle;
- a motor;
- and
- a drive train rotatably connecting said motor and said spindle, said drive train including means for preventing transmission of power from said motor along said drive drain when torque on the spindle or torque in the drive train exceeds a predetermined value during feeding of the spindle.
A method in a positive feed tool having a spindle, a motor, and a drive train rotatably connecting the motor to the spindle, the drive train having a differential feed gear engageable with a differential drive gear, the method comprising:
- feeding the spindle while the differential feed gear is engaged with the differential drive gear, and
- limiting transmission of power from said motor along said drive train when an amount of torque on the spindle or in the drive train exceeds a predetermined value and when the differential feed gear is engaged with the differential drive gear.
A method in a positive feed tool having a spindle, a motor, and a drive train rotatably connecting the motor to the spindle, the drive train including a clutch and a differential feed gear engageable with a differential drive gear, the method comprising:
- feeding the spindle while the differential feed gear is engaged with the differential drive gear, and
- retracting the spindle by pneumatically disengaging the differential feed gear from the differential drive gear when an amount of torque on the spindle or in the drive train exceeds a predetermined value and causes the clutch to limit transmission of power from the motor along the drive train.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.