U.S. patent application number 11/264624 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-03 for adjustable drill template.
This patent application is currently assigned to THE BOEING COMPANY. Invention is credited to Lynn Braunschweig, Bryan G. Dods, Jerry Harmon, Robert W. Scott, Raymond Slesinski.
Application Number | 20070098508 11/264624 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37996503 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070098508 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dods; Bryan G. ; et
al. |
May 3, 2007 |
ADJUSTABLE DRILL TEMPLATE
Abstract
An adjustable drill template has a base plate and a plurality of
drill blocks. The drill blocks are movably coupled to the base
plate. The drill blocks can move along the length of the base plate
so that the drill blocks can be configured to conform to a desired
hole pattern. A locking device coupled to each drill block will
hold each drill block in a desired position.
Inventors: |
Dods; Bryan G.; (Ballwin,
MO) ; Harmon; Jerry; (Kirkwood, MO) ; Scott;
Robert W.; (St. Charles, MO) ; Braunschweig;
Lynn; (St. Louis, MO) ; Slesinski; Raymond;
(Arnold, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WEISS & MOY PC
4204 NORTH BROWN AVENUE
SCOTTSDALE
AZ
85251
US
|
Assignee: |
THE BOEING COMPANY
|
Family ID: |
37996503 |
Appl. No.: |
11/264624 |
Filed: |
November 1, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
408/115R |
Current CPC
Class: |
B23B 2260/068 20130101;
Y10T 408/97 20150115; B23B 47/287 20130101; Y10T 408/567
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
408/115.00R |
International
Class: |
B23B 47/28 20060101
B23B047/28 |
Claims
1. An adjustable drill template comprising: a base plate; a
plurality of drill blocks removably coupled to the base plate
wherein each drill block comprises: a body member; a slot formed in
the body member and running horizontally along a width of the body
member, the slot allows the base plate to move through the slot; a
void area formed on a central bottom surface of the body member,
the void area running from the bottom surface of the body member to
the slot; and an opening formed in a central top surface of the
body member and running though the body member into the void area;
a locking device coupled to each of the plurality of drill blocks;
and a brace removably coupled to any of the plurality of drill
blocks, the brace securing a drill to a desired drill block to keep
a drill bit of the drill approximately perpendicular to a surface
to be drilled.
2. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 1 wherein
the base plate comprises: a plate member; and a first channel
formed in the plate member, the first channel running a majority of
the length of the base plate and along a central area of the width
of the plate member.
3. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 2 wherein
the base plate further comprises a track formed on a top surface of
the plate member to allow the drill blocks to slide along the base
plate and to prevent the drill blocks from sliding off of the base
plate.
4. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 3 wherein
the track comprises a pair of channels formed on the top surface of
the plate member, the pair of channels running a majority of the
length of the plate member, the first channel running between and
approximately parallel to the pair of channels.
5. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 2 wherein
the plate member is semi-rigid.
6. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 1 wherein
the base plate comprises a pair of rails.
7. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 6 wherein
the pair of rails is semi-rigid.
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 8 wherein
each drill block further comprises a pair of holes extending
through the top surface of the body member, through the slot and
out a bottom surface of the body member.
11. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 10
wherein the opening is positioned between the pair of holes.
12. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 8 wherein
each drill block further comprises a busing positioned in the
opening.
13. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 10
wherein the locking device comprises a locking bolt placed in each
of the pair of holes.
14. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 13
wherein the locking device further comprises a threaded insert
placed in each of the pair of holes.
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. An adjustable drill template comprising: a track, wherein the
track is a pair of rails; a plurality of drill blocks removably
coupled to the track wherein each drill block comprises: a body
member; a slot formed in the body member and running horizontally
along a width of the body member, the slot allows the base plate to
move through the slot; a void area formed on a central bottom
surface of the body member, the void area running from the bottom
surface of the body member to the slot; and an opening formed in a
central top surface of the body member and running though the body
member into the void area; a locking device coupled to each of the
plurality of drill blocks; and a brace removably coupled to any of
the plurality of drill blocks, the brace securing a drill to a
desired drill block to keep a drill bit of the drill approximately
perpendicular to a surface to be drilled.
19. (canceled)
20. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 1 further
comprising at least one pin clamp, the pin clamp positioned through
the opening formed in a central top surface of the body member in
one of the plurality of drill blocks to secure the drill template
to an object to be drilled.
21. (canceled)
22. An adjustable drill template in accordance with claim 18
further comprising at least one pin clamp, the pin clamp positioned
through one of the plurality of drill blocks to secure the drill
template to an object to be drilled.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a drill template,
and more particularly, to an adjustable drill template which can be
configured to conform to a plurality of different hole
patterns.
[0003] 2. Background Information
[0004] In many industries, it is difficult to replace existing
components with newer ones due to the difficulty in accurately
aligning and drilling mounting holes in the newer component. This
is especially true in the aerospace industry. In general, aerospace
personnel have difficulty in properly aligning and drilling
mounting holes in new components such as aircraft skins when
replacing existing ones. For large production runs, special
production tools may be designed to properly align and form the
mounting holes on new components. However, these production tools
can be expensive to design and build. Thus, for limited or small
production runs, these production tools are cost prohibitive.
[0005] If production tools are cost prohibitive, mounting holes may
be formed by back drilling. Back drilling is performed by laying an
existing component over the new component. Mounting holes are then
marked and drilled. However, back drilling is a slow process and is
fairly inaccurate. Furthermore, many mounting holes are not
accessible to back drilling due to the location of the mounting
hole, the size/shape of the component, etc. If back drilling cannot
be performed, mounting holes are generally laid out by hand and
hand drilled using drill blocks or eggcups. This technique is a
very slow and inaccurate process. Inaccurate drilling of mounting
holes may lead to the scrapping of the component.
[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a drill template
that overcomes the above problems. The drill template would be
adjustable and could be configured to conform to a plurality of
different hole patterns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An adjustable drill template has a base plate. A plurality
of drill blocks are removably coupled to the base plate. A locking
device is coupled to each of the plurality of drill blocks.
[0008] The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved
independently in various embodiments of the present inventions or
may be combined in yet other embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description and the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an-elevated perspective view illustrating a first
advantageous embodiment of the present invention having a
substantially straight base plate;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view of the first advantageous embodiment
of the present invention having a substantially straight base
plate;
[0012] FIG. 2A is a side view of the first advantageous embodiment
of the present invention having a substantially straight base plate
showing the flexibility of the adjustable drill template;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an elevated perspective view of the first
advantageous embodiment of the present invention having a curved
base plate;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an elevated perspective view illustrating the
first advantageous embodiment of the present invention having an
"L" shaped base plate;
[0015] FIG. 5 is elevated perspective view illustrating a second
advantageous embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first advantageous
embodiment of the drill blocks used in the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a second advantageous
embodiment the drill blocks used in the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a magnified view of drill blocks used in the
present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 8 is an elevated perspective view of the adjustable
drill template of the present invention with a drill press coupled
thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] With reference now to the Figures, and in particular with
reference to FIG. 1, an adjustable drill template 10 is shown. The
drill template 10 has a base plate 12 and a plurality of drill
blocks 14.
[0021] The base plate 12 holds a plurality of drill blocks 14. The
drill blocks 14 are movably coupled to the base plate 12. The drill
blocks 14 can move along the length of the base plate 12 so that
the drill blocks 14 can be configured to conform to a desired hole
pattern and then locked into position.
[0022] The base plate 12 has a first channel 16 formed therein. The
first channel 16 runs a majority of the length of the base plate 12
and along a central area of the width of the base plate 12. The
first channel 16 allows a drill bit to pass through the base plate
12 in order to drill a hole in a desired object.
[0023] The base plate 12 may have a track 18. The drill blocks 14
move in the track 18 allowing the drill blocks 14 to slide along
the base plate 12. The track 18 further keeps the drill blocks 14
from sliding off of the base plate 12. In the embodiment depicted
in FIG. 1, the track 18 has a pair of channels 20. The pair of
channels 20 runs a majority of the length of the base plate 12. The
pair of channels 20 are positioned on the base plate 12 such that
the first channel 16 runs between and approximately parallel to the
pair of channels 20.
[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 1-2A, the base plate 12 is formed of
a thin sheet of material. The material used for the base plate 12
may be a semi-rigid material. This will allow the base plate 12 to
flex as shown more clearly in FIG. 2A. The ability of the base
plate 12 to flex allows the drill template 10 to bend in order to
conform to different contoured surfaces of the object to be
drilled. However, to prevent possible misalignment when drilling
holes, the material should not be too malleable. If the material
used to form the base plate 12 is too malleable, the base plate 12
may bend during usage thus possibly causing misalignment of holes.
For example, when the pressure of a drill is exerted on the drill
template 10, the pressure may cause the base plate 12 to bend. This
may cause inaccuracy in the drilling of the holes. Materials that
may be used for the base plate 12 include, but are not limited to:
sheet metal, aluminum, stainless steel material, plastic, and the
like. The above are given as examples and should not be seen as to
limit the scope of the present invention.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1-2A, the base plate 12 may be
approximately straight. However, the base plate 12 may be formed in
different lengths and configurations. Referring now to FIG. 3, the
drill template 10 has a base plate 12 that has a curved
configuration. The first channel 16 and the pair of channels 20 are
also curved to conform to the curvature of the base plate 12.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 4, the drill template 10 has a base
plate 12 that has an "L" configuration. The first channel 16 and
the pair of channels 20 are also formed to conform to the "L"
configuration of the base plate 12. The first channel 16 has a
first section 16A which runs a majority of the length of the
horizontal member of the "L" shaped base plate 12. The first
channel 16 also has a second section 16B which runs a majority of
the length of the vertical member of the "L" shaped base plate 12.
The pair of channels 20 is formed in a similar manner having a
first section 20A which runs a majority of the length of the
horizontal member of the "L" shaped base plate 12 and a second
section 20B which runs a majority of the length of the vertical
member of the "L" shaped base plate 12.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the base
plate 12' is shown. In this embodiment, the base plate 12' has a
pair of rails 22. The rails 22 hold a plurality of drill blocks 14.
The drill blocks 14 are movably coupled to the rails 22 to allow
the drill blocks 14 to slide along the rails 22 and lock into a
proper location. The drill blocks 14 can move along the length of
the rails 22 so that the drill template 10 can be configured to
conform to a plurality of different hole patterns. The rails 22 may
be formed into a plurality of different lengths and configurations
to allow base plate 12' to have similar configurations to that
shown in the previous Figures.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 6, the drill block 14 used in the previous
Figures is shown in detail. The drill block 14 has a body member
24. The body member 24 may be formed in different sizes and shapes.
In the embodiment depicted in the Figures, the body member 24 is
substantially rectangular in shape. However, this is given as an
example and should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present
invention. The body member 24 may be formed out of a plurality of
different materials. The body member 24 may be formed of nylon,
mylar, plastic, wood, metal or the like. The aforementioned is
given as an example and should not be seen as to limit the scope of
the present invention.
[0029] The body member 24 has a slot 26. The slot 26 runs
horizontally along the width of the body member 24. The slot 26 is
wide enough to allow the base plates 12 and 12' to move through the
slot 26 so that the drill blocks 14 can move along the length of
the base plate 12.
[0030] A void 28 is formed on the bottom surface of the body member
24. The void 28 is centrally located on the bottom surface of the
block 24 and runs up to the slot 26. An opening 30 is formed in the
top surface of the body member 24. The opening 30 is centrally
located on the top surface of the body member 24 and above the void
28. The opening 30 is formed in the top surface of the body member
24 and runs though the body member 24 into the void 28. The void 28
opening 30 allows a drill bit to pass through the body member 24 in
order to drill a hole in a desired object.
[0031] A bushing 40 is placed in the opening 30. The bushing 40 is
generally a metal bushing 40. The bushing 40 is used to guide the
drill bit through the opening 30 in order to drill a hole in a
desired object. The bushing 40 may be a removable bushing 40. This
will allow different size bushings 40 to be placed in the opening
30 to accommodate different size drill bits. Alternatively, a
second bushing may be inserted into the bushing 40 to accommodate
different size drill bits.
[0032] A pair of holes 42 is formed in the top surface of the body
member 24. The pair of holes 42 extends through the top surface of
the body member 24, through the slot 26 and out the bottom surface
of the body member 24. The pair of holes 42 is formed so that the
opening 30 is positioned between pair of holes 42.
[0033] A locking device 44 is placed in each hole 42. The locking
devices 44 are used to secure the drill blocks 14 to the base plate
12 and to lock the drill blocks 14 to lock the base plate 12. In
accordance with one embodiment, the locking device 44 has each hole
42 threaded. A threaded insert 42B may be used to prevent the
threads from stripping. A locking bolt 46 is placed in each
threaded hole 42. Each locking bolt 46 is placed in each threaded
hole 42, so that one of the locking bolts 46 will extend through
each of the pair of channels 20 to secure the drill blocks 14 to
the base plate 12. Alternatively, each locking bolt 46 is placed in
each threaded hole 42, so that one of the locking bolts 46 will
secure each rail 22 in the drill block 14. The drill blocks 14 can
move along the length of the rails 22 so that the drill template 10
can be configured to conform to a plurality of different hole
patterns. By rotating the locking bolt 46 in a first direction, the
locking bolt 46 will lock the drill blocks 14 to the base plate 12
or to each rail 22. By rotating the locking bolt 46 in a second
direction, the locking bolt 46 will allow the drill blocks 14 to
slide along the base plate 12 or along each rail 22 so that the
drill block 14 can be configured to a desired hole pattern. By
continuing to rotate the locking bolt 46 in the second direction,
the locking bolt 46 may be removed from the drill blocks 14 so that
the drill block 14 may be removed from the base plate 12.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 6A, another embodiment of the drill block
14' used in the previous Figures is shown in detail. The drill
block 14' is similar to that drill block 14 previously shown in
FIG. 6. The main difference is that the bottom side edges are
rounded.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 7-8, the use of the drill template 10
will be described. The drill template 10 is configured to a desired
hole pattern. To configure the drill template 10, the locking bolts
44 are loosened to allow the drill blocks 14 to slide along the
base plate 12 or along the rail 22. If required, additional drill
blocks 14 may be added to the base plate 12. To add additional
drill blocks 14, the base plate 12 is inserted into the slot 26 of
the added drill blocks 14. A locking bolt 44 is placed in each
threaded hole 42 of each additional drill block 14 to be added. The
locking bolts 44 will extend through each of the pair of channels
20 to secure the drill blocks 14 to the base plate 12.
Alternatively, each locking bolt 44 is placed in each threaded hole
42, so that one of the locking bolts 44 will secure each rail 22 in
the drill block 14. The added drill blocks 14 are then slid along
the base plate 12 or along the rail 22 to a desired location.
[0036] Once each drill block 14 is placed in a desired location,
the locking bolts 44 are rotated to lock the drill blocks 14 to the
base plate 12 or to each rail 22. The drill template 10 is then
placed on a desired object to where the desired hole pattern is to
be laid.
[0037] The drill template 10 is secured to the object by a clamping
device 48 to prevent the drill template 10 from moving. Any type of
clamping device 48 may be used. For example, a "C" clamp, a claw
clamp, a face clamp, and the like may be used. The listing of the
aforementioned is given as an example and should not be seen as to
limit the scope of the present invention. In accordance with one
embodiment, the clamping device 48 is a pin clamp 48'. The pin
clamp 48' is positioned through the opening 30 as shown in FIG. 8.
The pin clamp 46' is then tightened to secure the drill template 10
to the object.
[0038] A drill 49 is then secured to a desired drill block 14 using
a brace 50. A second bushing 40A is coupled to the end of the brace
50. The second bushing 40A is then inserted into the first bushing
40. The brace 50 and the second bushing 40A are used to keep the
drill bit 52 approximately perpendicular to the surface to be
drilled. Alternatively, the brace 50 is coupled to removable
bushing 40 which is then inserted into the opening 30. The drill 48
is then lowered so that the drill bit 52 is inserted into the
bushing 40 of the desired drill block 14 in order to drill a hole
in a desired object. The process is then repeated for the remaining
drill blocks 14.
[0039] This disclosure provides exemplary embodiments of the
present invention. The scope of the present invention is not
limited by these exemplary embodiments. Numerous variations,
whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by
the specification, such as variations in structure, dimension, type
of material and manufacturing process may be implemented by one of
skill in the art in view of this disclosure.
* * * * *