Tool with selectively biased member and method of using the same
AssigneeMakino, Inc.
InventorsGregory Aaron Hyatt, David Wayne Bricker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Cutting tool, such as a gun reamer or a drill, with a rotating cutting blade and a rotating support member for supporting the workpiece, where at least one of the cutting blade and the support member are selectively biased. The selective bias on the blade and/or the support member is preferably effected by selectively pressurized fluid which bears on the blade member and/or the support member.
Claims39
A tool for cutting material from a workpiece comprising:
- at least one blade member including a blade structured to cut material from the workpiece;
- at least one support member structured to at least partially support the workpiece while it is being cut by the blade;
- and
- a selective bias device structured to selectively bias at least one of the blade member and the support member to at least one of a plurality of alternative use positions.
A reamer for boring a hole in a workpiece:
- a reamer head having a central axis which defines axial, angular and radial directions;
- a rotary actuation device structured to drive the reamer head to rotate about its central axis;
- a blade member including a blade structured to cut material from the workpiece, with the blade member being substantially constrained to the reamer head in the axial and angular directions and with the blade being free to move through a range of travel in the radial direction;
- a support member structured to at least partially support the workpiece while it is being cut by the blade;
- and
- a pressurized fluid supply structured to supply selectively pressurized fluid to selectively bias the blade member in the radial direction to at least one of a plurality of alternative use positions.
A tool for cutting material from a workpiece, the tool comprising:
- a blade structured to cut material from the workpiece;
- a support member structured to at least partially support the workpiece while it is being cut by the blade;
- and
- a selective bias device structured to selectively bias the support member to at least one of a plurality of alternative use positions.
A method of using a tool to cut material from a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tool comprising:
- a blade member including a blade;
- a support member;
- and
- a selective bias device structured to selectively bias at least one of the blade member and the support member;
- rotating the blade member and the workpiece relative to one another so that the blade cuts material from the workpiece;
- supporting the workpiece by the support member;
- and
- selectively biasing at least one of the blade member and the support member in order to at least partially control the relative position of the workpiece and the blade to at least one of a plurality of alternative use positions.
A method of using a reamer to bore a hole in a workpiece:
- providing a reamer head having a central axis which defines axial, angular and radial directions;
- constraining a blade member including a blade to the reamer head so that the blade is substantially constrained to the reamer head in the axial and angular directions, and yet is free to move over a range of travel in the radial direction;
- constraining a support member to the reamer head so that the support member is constrained to the reamer head in at least the axial and angular directions;
- rotating the reamer head so that the blade bores a hole in the workpiece;
- and
- causing selectively pressurized fluid to bear on the blade member in order to at least partially control the location of the blade in the radial direction to at least one of a plurality of alternative use positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.