Internal gears and splines and milling method and apparatus for manufacturing same
OwnerArnold F. Klammerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for milling internal gears and splines using a pair of opposed milling cutters disposed internally in a gear or spline blank. The apparatus generally milling gear teeth on generally opposite sides of the blank with an indexing mechanism for manipulating the orientation of the milling apparatus with respect to the blank. Also disclosed are internal gears having milled teeth which are manufactured using the apparatus and the method.
Claims16
An apparatus for cutting inside a bore of a blank, having a bore diameter and an inside cylindrical surface, having a bore height, the apparatus comprising:
- a first milling assembly, disposed inside said bore of said blank, said assembly having a first rotating milling tool for cutting teeth in said inside cylindrical surface;
- said first rotating milling tool rotates about an axis which is perpendicular to a bore diameter line and a line of vertical gear height adjustment;
- and,
- a second milling assembly, disposed inside said bore of said blank, said second milling assembly being mounted on a vertically aligned hinge for pivoting and having a second rotating milling tool for cutting teeth in said inside cylindrical surface.
A method of cutting teeth inside a blank having a bore therein, the bore having a bore diameter line, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first rotating cutting tool;
- positioning said first rotating cutting tool inside said bore to a first predetermined position on said bore diameter line;
- engaging said first rotating cutting tool with said blank so that material is removed from said blank at said first predetermined position;
- disengaging said first rotating cutting tool from said bore;
- repositioning said first rotating cutting tool to a second predetermined position inside said bore, and along a bore diameter line, by causing relative revolutionary motion to occur between said first cutting tool and said blank around a bore axis which is perpendicular to a diameter line of said bore;
- engaging said first rotating cutting tool with said bore so that material is removed from said blank at said second predetermined position, and
- providing a second rotating cutting tool mounted on a milling assembly, said milling assembly being mounted on a vertically aligned hinge for pivoting.
An apparatus for cutting gear teeth on an inside surface of a bore of a gear blank comprising:
- first means for milling material from said gear blank at a predetermined location, on a diameter line of said bore, inside of said gear blank
- a second means for milling material from said gear blank at a predetermined location inside said gear blank,
- means for adjusting an orientation characteristic of said second means for milling so as to be oriented along an alternate cutting direction line which is not co-linear with said diameter line, and said second means being supported by a second milling assembly mounted on a vertically aligned hinge for pivoting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.