U.S. patent number 3,583,821 [Application Number 04/812,808] was granted by the patent office on 1971-06-08 for chip catcher.
Invention is credited to Nicholas F. Bouslough, Melvin H. Shaub.
United States Patent |
3,583,821 |
Shaub , et al. |
June 8, 1971 |
CHIP CATCHER
Abstract
A safety guard and chip catcher to catch and retain dust, chips
and debris resulting from a drilling operation, and having the form
of a receptacle of flexible transparent material attached to the
drill chuck and surrounding the drill bit and forming with the
surface being drilled a sealed enclosure, the flexible walls of the
receptacle being normally resiliently extended but gradually
collapsing as the drilling operation proceeds and the bit
penetrates deeper into the surface being drilled.
Inventors: |
Shaub; Melvin H. (Lancaster,
PA), Bouslough; Nicholas F. (Hollidaysburg, PA) |
Family
ID: |
25210685 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/812,808 |
Filed: |
April 2, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
408/72R;
144/252.1; 451/453; 175/211; 408/67 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B23Q
11/0053 (20130101); B23Q 11/0816 (20130101); Y10T
408/55 (20150115); Y10T 408/50 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B23Q
11/08 (20060101); B23Q 11/00 (20060101); B23b
047/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;77/55 ;145/116.1
;144/252 ;51/268,270 ;175/211 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Husar; Francis S.
Claims
Having thus described the invention and the manner in which it is
used, we now set forth more particularly the novel features of our
invention and what we claim as new is:
1. A safety guard and chip collector for drilling appliances
comprising a collapsible receptacle of flexible plastic material
generally frustoconical in shape and open at opposite ends, means
at the smaller end thereof for detachably connecting the same to a
drill chuck of a drilling rig with which the safety guard is to be
used, means at the larger end of the guard disposed for frictional
engagement with a surface to be drilled, the attachment means at
the smaller end including an antifriction bearing member having
inner and outer relatively rotatable race members, means securing
the smaller end of the safety guard to the outer of said race
members, a removable bushing drivingly fitted within the inner of
said race members, said bushing having an inner diameter
dimensioned to fit snugly upon a drill chuck of a drilling rig with
which the safety guard is to be used, and resilient means for
normally maintaining the frustoconical receptacle extended.
2. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 1 wherein
said frustoconical receptacle is provided at the larger end thereof
with an annular resilient sealing gasket member secured to the
outer surface thereof in concentric relation to the drilling axis
and disposed thereon so as to form a sealing engagement with the
surface to be drilled.
3. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 1 wherein
said receptacle is provided at its larger end with an inturned
annular flange and said resilient means for normally maintaining
said flexible receptacle extended comprises a conical coil spring
member positioned within said receptacle, said spring member having
terminal portions seated respectively upon said inturned flange and
upon the outer race of said antifriction bearing member.
4. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 2 wherein
said coil spring member is laterally dimensioned normally to engage
inner side walls of said frustoconical receptacle to maintain said
walls laterally extended.
5. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 1 wherein
the smaller end of said frustoconical receptacle is provided with a
cylindrical end portion terminating in an inturned annular flange
portion, said cylindrical portion being dimensioned to receive with
a snug fit the antifriction bearing member which is seated on said
flange.
6. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 1 wherein
said frustoconical receptacle member is made of molded plastic
material having the properties of transparent linear polyethylene,
and wherein said resilient means comprises a spiral coil
compression spring and wherein the inner wall surface of said
frustoconical receptacle is provided with an inwardly opening
spiral groove dimensioned and arranged to receive and at least
partially house the convolutions of said coil spring member.
7. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 1 wherein
the frustoconical flexible plastic receptacle is provided at its
upper end portion with a stiffened inturned integral flange portion
and wherein said resilient means comprises a spiral coil
compression spring having an end portion seated upon an inner
surface of said stiffened flange.
8. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 7 wherein
said frictional engagement means is secured to an outer surface of
said stiffened flange.
9. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 5 wherein
said frustoconical flexible plastic receptacle is provided at its
smaller end with an integral inturned stiffened flange, said
antifriction bearing member being seated upon said integral
stiffened flange.
10. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 1
wherein said resilient means and said bearing member are removably
associated with the frustoconical receptacle whereby the resilient
means may be removed from the flexible plastic receptacle and
associated parts for replacement and repair.
11. The safety guard and chip collector described in claim 9
wherein an annular constriction is formed in the wall of the
receptacle at the region of juncture between the frustoconical wall
section and said cylindrical portion to removably confine the
bearing member within said cylindrical portion, the constriction
being disposed with respect to the flange to retain the bearing
member properly seated thereon.
Description
This invention is a safety guard and chip catcher for drilling
appliances and designed for attachment to the drill chuck of a
drilling rig in a manner to form with the surface being drilled a
sealed enclosure about the drill bit and thus catch and retain the
dust, chips and debris resulting from the drilling operation,
especially where the drilling rig is required to be used in an
overhead or inverted position.
It is well known that workmen engaged in drilling operations of the
character described are subject to serious injury, particularly
about the head, face and eyes from falling or flying chips and
debris resulting from such drilling operations. This is
particularly true where high-speed drilling rigs are used in
metal-drilling operations where the resulting chips are extremely
hot and can therefore cause serious injury when coming in contact
with a sensitive part of the workman's body.
With these facts in mind, the invention seeks to provide means in
the form of an attachment for a drilling rig which will catch and
retain all falling or flying debris resulting from a drilling
operation while providing the operator a clear view of the drill
bit and its position with respect to the surface to be drilled at
all times.
A further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of
the character described, a receptacle of flexible transparent
material generally frustoconical or funnellike in shape with means
for attaching the smaller end thereof to the chuck of a drilling
rig and with means at the larger end thereof to form a sealed
engagement with the surface to be drilled.
A further object of the invention is to provide at the smaller end
of the receptacle an antifriction bearing member having an outer
race member secured to the receptacle and an inner race member
fitted with a bushing dimensioned to fit upon the drill chuck of a
drilling rig with which the device is to be used whereby the
receptacle may be held against rotation by the engagement of the
larger end of the receptacle with the surface being drilled while
the drill bit rotates freely within the receptacle.
A further object of the invention is to provide the larger end
portion of the receptacle with a resilient annular cushion of
sealing material so as to conform to irregularities in the surface
to be drilled and at the same time function as a brake to preclude
any tendency of the receptacle to rotate while the drilling rig is
in operation.
A further object of the invention is to maintain the walls of the
flexible receptacle normally extended axially and laterally of the
drill bit by a spiral coil spring enclosed within the receptacle
and maintained therein under compression by engagement with the
bearing member at the smaller end of the receptacle and with an
inturned annular flange on the receptacle at the larger end
thereof.
A further object of the invention is to form the flexible
receptacle of molded, transparent polyethylene plastic and to
provide the inner surface of the receptacle with an inwardly
opening spiral groove dimensioned to receive and at least partially
house the coil spring whereby to better control the collapsing
action of the receptacle wall as a drill bit penetrates the surface
being drilled.
A further object of the invention is to provide the smaller end
portion of the frustoconical wall of the receptacle with a
generally cylindrical portion dimensioned to receive with a snug
fit the antifriction bearing member, said cylindrical portion
terminating in a flange dimensioned and arranged to underlie and
support the bearing member.
A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of
interchangeable chuck-engaging bushings each such chuck member
having an outer diameter dimensioned to fit snugly within the inner
rotatable race member of the antifriction bearing member but each
bushing having a different inside diameter respectively dimensioned
to snugly fit upon drill chuck members of different predetermined
size.
Another object of the invention is to slightly stiffen one or both
flanges provided at the opposite ends of the receptacle to a degree
necessary to resist deformation thereof under the compressive force
of the extension spring, the ends of which bear upon or are
effective against said flanges.
Another object of the invention is to provide in a device of the
character described means for readily detaching or disassembling
the bearing member and spiral spring member from the receptacle for
purposes of replacement and repair of parts, or for collapsing the
receptacle for purposes of storage or shipment.
These and other features of the invention will become apparent from
the following specification when read in the light of the
accompanying drawings wherein we have illustrated a preferred form
of our invention and wherein
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a drilling rig having the
invention attached thereto and showing it in position to operate
upon a horizontal overhead surface,
FIG. 2 is a similar view to that shown in FIG. 1, of the drilling
rig showing the progressive collapse of the chip catcher as the
drill bit penetrates the surface being drilled,
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the drilling rig in operation and
positioned at an angle other than 90.degree. to the surface being
drilled,
FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the invention
taken on a plane passing through the central axis thereof with the
extension spring shown in full lines, and
FIG. 5 is a view showing the invention with the extension spring
removed from the chip catcher and the latter collapsed as for
repair or replacement of parts.
Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein a
preferred form of the invention is illustrated, the safety guard
and chip catcher comprises a generally frustoconically shaped or
funnel-shaped receptacle indicated generally by the reference
character 1. The receptacle is provided with aligned openings at
opposite ends and is preferably made from flexible, molded
transparent linear polyethylene or similar plastic material and is
provided at the smaller end with an integrally formed cylindrical
portion 2 dimensioned to snugly receive an antifriction bearing
member indicated generally at 3. The bearing member 3 is of
conventional construction and includes inner and outer relatively
rotatable race members as shown and is preferably of a known type
of permanently lubricated bearing provided with dust shields 4 and
5.
As shown in FIG. 4, the material of the chip catcher at the smaller
end thereof is formed with an integral inturned annular flange 6
which underlies and supports the bearing member 3. The flange 6 is
preferably stiffened somewhat by ways and means well known to the
workers in the plastic art for a purpose which will hereinafter
appear.
Between the frustoconical portion of the receptacle 1 and the
cylindrical portion 2 thereof, a slight annular constriction 16 may
be provided which is slightly smaller in diameter than the bearing
member 3, but the flexibility and inherent elastic memory of the
plastic material of the receptacle will permit the bearing member 3
to be forced through said restriction into the cylindrical portion
2 without damage to the plastic and the resiliency of the plastic
will retain the bearing in place as shown. The constriction 16 is
disposed with respect to the flange 6 so as to insure proper
seating of the bearing on said flange.
At the larger or upper end of the chip catcher the opening is
surrounded by an integral inturned annular flange 7 which provides
support for an annular sealing ring 8 made of resilient elastomeric
material such as sponge rubber which functions to provide a sealing
engagement with the surface to be drilled and to brake any tendency
of the receptacle to rotate during drilling. The sealing ring 8 is
preferably secured to the upper surface of the flange 7 by any
suitable plastic or adhesive compound not shown. The flange 7 may
be suitably stiffened in a manner suggested in respect to the
flange 6 at the smaller or lower end of the chip catcher.
As previously mentioned, the material from which the chip catcher
is made is preferably a flexible, transparent plastic material such
as linear polyethylene which is molded into the form shown by known
means forming no part of the present invention. In order to
maintain the body of the chip catcher extended both longitudinally
and laterally a spiral coil spring 9 is mounted within the body of
the chip catcher and the opposite terminal portions of said spring
include planar end portions which engage respectively the upper
flange 7 and the upper surface of the bearing seal member 5 as
clearly shown in FIG. 4. The spring 9 is mounted within the body of
the chip catcher under sufficient compression to maintain the wall
or body portion of the chip catcher extended and reasonably taut as
shown. The spring 9 is dimensioned transversely to engage the inner
wall portion of the chip catcher to maintain the same laterally
extended. To insure proper contact between the spring and the side
wall portions of the chip catcher, the latter may be formed during
manufacture with an inwardly open spiral groove dimensioned to
receive and at least partially house the convolutions of the spiral
spring. This is of importance in maintaining proper orientation of
the spring during the collapse of the wall of the chip catcher as
the drill bit penetrates the surface being drilled as clearly shown
in FIG. 2. Also, it is now apparent that the stiffening of the
upper and lower flanges 7 and 6 serves to enable the flanges the
better to resist the compressive force imposed thereon by the
spring 9 as the drilling operation proceeds.
The smaller or lower end portion of the chip catcher is dimensioned
for attachment to the drill chuck on a drilling rig with which the
chip catcher is to be used and to this end the inner diameter of
the bearing 3 is dimensioned to receive with a snug fit a bushing
13 made of plastic or similar suitable material and provided with
an annular flange 14 which underlies the undersurface of the
bearing member 3 as shown. The inner diameter of the bushing 13 is
dimensioned to fit snugly upon the drill chuck 15 of a drilling rig
on which the chip catcher is to be used. In order to accommodate
the different sizes of drill chucks encountered in drilling rigs of
different manufacturers, several interchangeable bushings are
provided all of which have a uniform outer diameter to fit snugly
within the bearing 3, but all of which have different predetermined
inside diameters corresponding respectively to the different sizes
of chucks met within the trade. Thus, the several bushings 13 adapt
the chip catcher for substantial universal use with conventional
and known drilling rigs having key-operated chucks of the character
shown.
The body of the chip catcher is longitudinally dimensioned so that
when in normally extended position it is at least as long as that
portion of the drill bit which extends beyond the chuck so that as
shown in FIG. 1 the chip catcher and surface to be drilled
completely envelop the bit when the drilling operation starts.
The opposite ends of the spring member 9 are arranged to seat
freely upon the flange 7 and the dust shield 5 of the bearing 3 and
is thus free to be removed from the body portion of the receptacle
by laterally or radially collapsing the upper terminal convolution
of the spring sufficiently to draw the spring through the upper
open end of the body portion of the chip catcher and thus
disassemble the associated parts for replacement or repair of the
parts, and for collapse of the body portion of the chip catcher for
storage or shipment as shown in FIG. 5.
In use the chip catcher as shown more particularly in FIG. 4 is
fitted with a bushing 13 dimensioned to fit the chuck 15 of a
drilling rig with which it is to be used, and in a manner to form a
driving fit therewith. If the hole to be drilled is perpendicular
to an overhead horizontal surface, the drilling rig with the chip
catcher attached thereto is held in a position shown in FIG. 1 with
the axis of the drilling rig substantially perpendicular to said
surface and with the point of the drill positioned on the point
which marks the center of the hole to be drilled. It will be
understood that the drill point is clearly visible through the
transparent wall portion of the chip catcher so that this operation
may be readily accomplished.
The drilling rig is then energized and as the drill penetrates the
surface as shown in FIG. 2, the wall of the chip catcher gradually
collapses accompanied by a longitudinal yielding of the spring 9
while all dust, chips and debris falling or being thrown from the
hole being drilled are caught and retained within the chip
catcher.
It is apparent that due to the flexibility of the walls of the chip
catcher and the yieldability of the spring 9, the invention may be
effectively used in instances where it is required to drill a hole
at an angle other than 90.degree. to the surface to be drilled.
This operation is shown in FIG. 3 from which it is clear that the
sealing engagement between the chip catcher and said surface is
maintained in spite of the angle of the drill bit with respect to
said surface.
It is important to note that the funnel-shaped or frustoconical
form of the receptacle has the advantage of permitting holes to be
bored at a wide variety of angles to the surface to be drilled
without interference between the drill bit and the upper annular
end of the receptacle which is engaged with the surface to be
drilled and without destroying the seal connection between said
surface and the receptacle.
While reference has been made herein to "overhead or inverted
drilling operations" it is, of course, apparent that the chip
catcher of the present invention is of general utility in respect
of drilling operations on any surface which is disposed in a
position to cause chips and debris from the drilling operation to
fall or to be thrown from the hole being drilled as the drilling
operation proceeds.
Also, while the drawings illustrate the invention as applied to a
portable electric drilling rig it is of course not limited to
drilling rigs of this type but is equally adaptable for use with
any type of power or manual drilling rig equipped with a
conventional key-operated drill chuck such as employed on portable
drilling rigs of the type shown in the drawings.
* * * * *