Vacuum drilling system and methods
AssigneeAllied Machine & Engineering Corp.
InventorsPaul W. Best, Richard D. Polilli, David J. Carlisle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum drilling system and methods is provided that may utilize both a through tool coolant supply as well as a central vacuum extraction system. The system may include a cutting head provided on a hollow tube and a vacuum source to apply vacuum pressure to the area of the cutting head via one or more chip inlets arranged proximate to the cutting head. Sealed coolant containment channels supply coolant to the area of the cutting head.
Claims14
A drilling system for performing a drilling operation, comprising a body member, a cutting head at the front end of the body member having cutting edges formed thereon to drill a hole in a workpiece, the body member having a central hollow region, and the body member having an outside diameter, the hollow region extending through the body member to the cutting head with at least one opening in the body member adjacent the cutting head, a coolant adapter to provide a coolant fluid through first and second sealed channels on the outside diameter of the body member exterior to the central hollow region, the channels formed by a coolant containment system mated to the exterior of the body to create the first and second sealed channels, the first and second channels providing a, controlled flow of a coolant fluid to the area of the at least one cutting edge, and the containment system further providing one or more air intake channels, and a vacuum source connected to the central hollow region to apply vacuum pressure through the at least one opening and hollow region.
A method of performing a drilling operation comprising providing a drilling tool having a cutting head at a front end of the tool having cutting edges extending from the rotational axis, and a body member having a hollow central region with at least one opening adjacent the cutting head and first and second channels formed on the outer diameter, and a containment sleeve mated to a coolant inducer sleeve positioned on the exterior of the body member, and providing a coolant adapter to allow a flow of coolant from a coolant source through the coolant inducer sleeve and into the first and second channels formed on the body member and sealed by the containment sleeve mated to a coolant inducer sleeve and wherein the containment sleeve includes one or more air intake channels,
- supplying a source of coolant fluid to the coolant adapter and through the sealed channels to the area of the cutting head, and
- coupling a vacuum source to the hollow central region to extract cuttings formed at the cutting head and the coolant fluid supplied to the area of the cutting head through the sealed channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.