Drilling apparatus
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn Matthew Sassatelli, Mark Edward Burnett, Jay Waylett, Roger Dean Eglin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drilling apparatus capable of having a minimal axial length to permit its use within limited confines. The drilling apparatus includes a housing with a housing bore and a first housing end, a spindle rotatably supported within the housing bore, bearing elements within the housing bore and surrounding the spindle to rotatably support the spindle within the housing, and a drive unit for rotating the spindle. The spindle is configured to secure a shank of a drill bit at a first end thereof exposed at the first housing end, and the drive unit is transversely offset from an axis of rotation of the spindle.
Claims20
A drilling apparatus configured to be mounted between first and second workpiece structures, the drilling apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising oppositely-disposed first and second housing ends and a housing bore therebetween;
- a spindle rotatably supported within the housing bore, the spindle comprising means for securing a shank of a drill bit to the spindle at a first end thereof exposed at the first housing end, the spindle further comprising a flange that protrudes from a circumference of the spindle between the first end thereof and an oppositely-disposed second end thereof;
- bearing means within the housing bore and surrounding the spindle so as to rotatably support the spindle within the housing, the bearing means being disposed on either side of the flange of the spindle and abutting the flange to support axial loads imposed on the spindle;
- drive means for rotating the spindle, the drive means being transversely offset in a radial direction from an axis of rotation of the spindle;
- a support structure attached to the housing and supporting the drive means therefrom;
- a mounting structure adapted for securing the drilling apparatus to the first workpiece structure, the mounting structure being axially spaced from the second housing end and configured to orient the housing relative to the first and second workpiece structures so that the housing and the mounting structure are between the first and second workpiece structures and the first housing end and the shank securing means face away from the first workpiece structure toward the second workpiece structure;
- and
- means coupled to the mounting structure and the housing for moving the housing, the support structure and the drive means in unison toward and away from the mounting structure in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the spindle.
A drilling apparatus configured to be mounted between first and second workpiece structures, the drilling apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising a first housing bore having a longitudinal axis and defining first and second housing openings at oppositely-disposed first and second housing ends of the housing;
- a spindle rotatably supported within the first housing bore for rotation on the longitudinal axis of the first housing bore, the spindle having a spindle bore therein that defines a spindle opening at a first spindle end of the spindle and exposed at the first housing end of the housing, the spindle having a second spindle end protruding from the second housing end of the housing, the spindle having an annular flange that protrudes from a circumference of the spindle between the first and second spindle ends, the spindle bore and spindle opening being configured to receive a shank of a drill bit and the spindle bore comprising means for securing the shank of the drill bit to the spindle;
- bearing means within the first housing bore and surrounding the spindle so as to rotatably support the spindle within the housing, the bearing means being disposed on either side of the annular flange of the spindle and abutting the annular flange to support axial loads imposed on the spindle;
- means coupled to the second spindle end for rotating the spindle within the housing;
- a motor for driving the rotating means, the motor being transversely offset from the longitudinal axis of the first housing bore;
- a support structure attached to the housing and supporting the drive means therefrom;
- a mounting plate adapted for securing the drilling apparatus to the first workpiece structure, the mounting plate being axially spaced from the second housing end and adapted for orienting the housing relative to the first and second workpiece structures so that the housing and the mounting plate are between the first and second workpiece structures and the first housing end and the shank securing means face away from the first workpiece structure toward the second workpiece structure;
- and
- means coupled to the mounting plate and the housing for moving the housing, the support structure and the drive means in unison toward and away from the mounting plate in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the spindle;
- wherein the mounting structure and the moving means define a maximum axial length of the drilling apparatus along the axis of rotation of the spindle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.