US 9,789,577 B2Granted

Counterbalance system for upper horizontal surface drilling operations

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsJerome C. Kraft, Andrew P. Newton

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A counterbalance system employs one or more springs to support a large motor drill on an upper horizontal work surface, for example on the tops of drill jigs or bushings. The counterbalance system supports the drill above the work surface where the counterbalance system can slide across the work surface to selectively position the drill over a drill bushing through which a drilling operation is to be performed. A user of the drill supported on the counterbalance system can then push downwardly on the drill to compress the spring and perform a drilling operation. On removal of the downward directed force exerted by the user of the drill, the spring pushes the drill upwardly to disengage the drill from the work surface. The user of the counterbalance system can then slide the counterbalance system and the drill across the top of the work surface.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A counterbalance apparatus for cutting operations on a horizontally oriented surface, the apparatus comprising:

a base plate having a bottom surface that is flat;
a central hole through the base plate, the central hole is configured to receive a cutting bit of a cutting tool therethough;
a spring extending upwardly from the base plate, the spring being moveable between a not compressed position where the spring extends a first distance from a top surface of the base plate and a compressed position where the spring extends a second distance from the top surface, the second distance being smaller than the first distance;
and,
a body on the spring, the body having a support surface configured to support the cutting tool, wherein when the spring is in the not compressed position, the spring positions and holds the body in a first position relative to the base plate where the body is spaced a first distance from the base plate, and wherein when the spring is moved to the compressed position in response to a downwardly directed load exerted on the body, the spring positions and holds the body in a second position relative to the base plate where the body is spaced a second distance from the base plate, the second distance being smaller than the first distance, wherein;
the base plate bottom surface is configured to slide over tops of drill bushings when the body is in the first position;
and,
the central hole is configured to have the cutting tool inserted therethrough to lock the cutting tool to a drill bushing when the body is in the second position.

5 more elements

A counterbalance apparatus for cutting operations in horizontally oriented surfaces, the apparatus comprising:

a base plate, having a bottom surface that is flat;
a central hole through the base plate, the central hole is configured to receive a cutting bit of a cutting tool therethrough;
a guide rod extending upwardly from the base plate along a line that is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base plate;
a body mounted on the guide rod for reciprocating movements along the guide rod between a first position of the body and a second position of the body relative to the base plate, the body being positioned a first distance from the base plate in the first position of the body and the body being positioned a second distance from the base plate in the second position of the body, the second distance being smaller than the first distance, the guide rod positioning and holding the body directly above the top surface of the base plate, the body having a support surface with an opening through the support surface, the support surface being configured to support the cutting tool with the cutting bit extending downwardly from the cutting tool, through the opening through the support surface and into the central hole through the base plate where the guide rod and the support surface of the body position a distal end of the cutting bit in a first position of the distal end of the cutting bit relative to the base plate above the bottom surface of the base plate;
and,
a biasing device on the base plate, the biasing device positioning the body at the first position of the body when no external load is exerted on the body, and the biasing device allowing the body to move from the first position of the body to the second position of the body in response to a external load exerted downwardly on the body, wherein;
the base plate bottom surface is configured to slide over tops of drill bushings when the body is in the first position;
and,
the central hole is configured to have the cutting tool inserted therethrough to lock the cutting tool to a drill bushing when the body is in the second position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/010,580Filed 29 Jan 2016
Published: US 2017/0216985 A13 Aug 2017
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B23Q 9/0028
Portable machines provided with or cooperating with guide means supported directly by the workpiece during action: the guide means being fixed…
B23B 45/001
Hand-held or like portable drilling machines, e.g. drill guns; Equipment therefor: housing of the drill, e.g. handgrip
B25H 1/0028
Stands, supports or guiding devices for positioning portable tools or for securing them to the work: tool balancers
B25H 1/0064
Devices for securing hand tools to the work: stands attached to the workpiece