U.S. patent number RE44,289 [Application Number 12/783,965] was granted by the patent office on 2013-06-11 for pocket hole drilling machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Allen IP Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Joon Park. Invention is credited to Joon Park.
United States Patent |
RE44,289 |
Park |
June 11, 2013 |
Pocket hole drilling machine
Abstract
A pocket-hole drilling apparatus for drilling pocket-holes in a
workpiece is disclosed. In one embodiment, an initiation switch
actuates clamping the workpiece and the movement of a drilling
module to cut a pocket-hole. The drilling module has a motor and a
step-drill mounted thereon, which is slidably mounted on a guide
module. The axis of the drilling module movement intersects work
surface. In another embodiment, a movable fence provides the
adjustability of pocket-hole depth. In yet another embodiment, two
actuator tips are disposed in a fence to prevent the drilling of a
pocket-hole through the sidewall of a workpiece. In still another
embodiment, a short stroke clamping actuator is used to prevent
human finger injury. In still another embodiment, a blower or an
ejector pump is used to remove wood chips, wherein the blower is
either attached to a drilling motor or to a separate blower motor;
the ejector pump is mounted near the drill guide. In still another
embodiment, two pocket-drills are slidably mounted on a block so as
to drill two pocket-holes and to adjust pocket-hole spacing. In
still another embodiment, a mounting structure is disposed either
underneath or above the work surface to mount drilling module(s) so
as to drill multiple pocket-holes into a wide workpiece at one
setup. In still another embodiment, a drill guide forms a clearance
for the cutting edges of the step-drill to minimize wear on the
edges. In a further embodiment, an actuator provides both clamping
and drilling movements, wherein the actuator is an electric motor
or a hand lever.
Inventors: |
Park; Joon (Glendale, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Park; Joon |
Glendale |
CA |
US |
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Assignee: |
Allen IP Inc. (Huxley,
IA)
|
Family
ID: |
39387538 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/783,965 |
Filed: |
May 20, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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60582332 |
Jun 23, 2004 |
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Reissue of: |
11158403 |
Jun 21, 2005 |
7374373 |
May 20, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
408/12; 408/115R;
408/53; 408/46; 408/87; 408/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B23B
41/00 (20130101); B23B 47/28 (20130101); B23Q
11/0046 (20130101); B23B 39/161 (20130101); B27C
3/06 (20130101); B23B 39/003 (20130101); B23B
47/287 (20130101); B23B 2247/10 (20130101); Y10T
408/567 (20150115); Y10T 408/561 (20150115); Y10T
408/385 (20150115); Y10T 408/3811 (20150115); Y10T
408/563 (20150115); Y10T 408/173 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B23B
47/28 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;408/12-13,46,51-53,87,95,97-98,103,115R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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EP |
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1595627 |
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JP |
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9212816 |
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Aug 1992 |
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WO |
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Other References
Declaration of Charles V. Miller, 4 pages (Southern District
California Federal Court). cited by applicant .
Declaration of Mike Peachy, 4 pages (Southern District California
Federal Court). cited by applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Declaration of Brad Lilienthal and accompanying
Exhibits 1-6, Filed Mar. 19, 2010, 78 pages, Southern District of
California Federal Court, Case No. 3:08-CV-0385 DMS NLS. cited by
applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Build with Precision, Product Brochure, 4 pages,
prior to Aug. 24, 2005. cited by applicant .
Porter-Cable Professional Power Tools, Production Pocket Cutter
Instruction Manual, 2001, pp. 1-21, Porter-Cable Corporation. cited
by applicant .
Drill Press Foot Pedal, Shop Notes, Nov. 1993, see pp. 8-9, vol. 2,
Issue 12, Donald B. Peschke, Des Moines, Iowa. cited by applicant
.
Plate Jointer Table, Shop Notes May 1997, see pp. 16-25, vol. 6,
Issue 33, Donald B. Peschke, Des Moines, Iowa. cited by applicant
.
Kreg Tool Company, Kreg Tool Catalog, 16th Edition, Product Nos.
K200 & DB50, Nov. 2003, 32 pages, Wood Magazine. cited by
applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Kreg Tool Catalog, 12th Edition, Product Nos.
Foreman DB50 Pocket Machine, 28 pages, published prior to Jul.
2003. cited by applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Kreg Tool Catalog, 14th Edition, Product Nos.
Foreman DB50 Pocket Machine, Jul. 2003, 32 pages. cited by
applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Kreg Foreman Pocket Machine brochure, Foreman
DB50 pocket machine, Jul. 2002, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Press Release entitled Kreg Tool Announces
Introduction of Foreman Semi-Automatic Pocket Hole Machine, Jun.
28, 2002, 1 page. cited by applicant .
Kreg Tool Company, Kreg Foreman DB50 Pocket Hole Machine Operating
Manual, 8 pages, Lilienthal Declaration implies publication in Aug.
2002. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Howell; Daniel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zarley Law Firm, P.L.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application fully incorporates by reference the contents of
and relies for priority on U.S. Provisional Application No.
60/582,332, entitled "Pocket-hole drilling machine" filed Jun. 23,
2004.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for drilling pocket-holes into a workpiece for use
cooperatively with a .[.step-.]. drill, comprising: a body.[., said
body.]. having a .Iadd.planar .Iaddend.work surface .[.defining a
plane.].; a drilling module .Iadd.positioned below said work
surface at an acute angle .Iaddend.for cutting the pocket-hole,
said drilling module having a motor for driving the .[.step-.].
drill, .[.wherein.]. said drilling module .[.is.]. movable in a
drilling direction .[.from a first position to a second position.].
by an actuator, .[.wherein the step-drill.]. .Iadd.whereby the
drill is below the work surface in a first position and at least a
portion of the drill .Iaddend.intersects said .[.plane.].
.Iadd.planar work surface in a second position.Iaddend.; a fence
.Iadd.for positioning a workpiece, said fence .Iaddend.mounted on
said work surface at substantially a right angle .[.with respect.].
to said drilling direction .[.to position a workpiece.].; and at
least one .Iadd.initiation .Iaddend.switch disposed on said work
surface and having a relationship with .[.the.]. .Iadd.said
.Iaddend.workpiece so as to .[.cause the.]. .Iadd.permit
.Iaddend.said actuator to move said drilling module when the
workpiece .[.urges.]. .Iadd.actuates .Iaddend.said switch.
2. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 1,
wherein said .Iadd.initiation .Iaddend.switch is disposed in said
fence.
3. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 2.[.,
further comprising.]. .Iadd.wherein said initiation switch includes
.Iaddend.two actuator tips .[.having a relationship with said
switch, wherein.]..Iadd., .Iaddend.the distance between said two
actuator tips .[.is.]. sized to activate said switch when the
workpiece is placed to .[.urge.]. .Iadd.actuate .Iaddend.both said
tips .[.to prevent drilling the pocket-hole on the sidewall of the
workpiece.]..
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switch is
selected from the group consisting of a pneumatic switch, an
electric contact switch, an electronic non-contact switch, and a
mechanical switch.
5. An apparatus for drilling pocket-holes into a workpiece for use
cooperatively with a .[.step.]. drill, comprising: a body.[., said
body.]. having a .Iadd.planar .Iaddend.work surface .[.defining a
plane.].; a drilling module for cutting the pocket-hole, said
drilling module having a first motor for driving a .[.step-.].
drill, .[.wherein.]. said drilling module .[.is.]. .Iadd.and drill
.Iaddend.movable .Iadd.by an actuator .Iaddend.in a drilling
direction .Iadd.toward said work surface .Iaddend.from a first
position .Iadd.in which the drill is below the work surface
.Iaddend.to a second position .[.by an actuator, wherein.].
.Iadd.in which at least a portion of .Iaddend.the .[.step-.]. drill
intersects said .[.plane.]. .Iadd.work surface.Iaddend.; a guide
module, said drilling module slidably mounted thereon.[., said
drilling module engaging with respect to said guide module.].
.Iadd.for movement .Iaddend.in said drilling direction; and an
adjustable fence mounted on said work surface.Iadd., said fence
adjustable from above the work surface .Iaddend.to position the
workpiece so that the depth of drilling can be .[.adjustable.].
.Iadd.adjusted based on workpiece thickness.Iaddend..
6. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 5,
further comprising at least one gauging structure mounted on said
work surface, .[.wherein said gauging structure is.]. .Iadd.and
.Iaddend.movable with respect to said work surface to adjust the
.[.distance.]. .Iadd.position .Iaddend.of said fence .[.from.].
.Iadd.on .Iaddend.said .[.gauging structure.]. .Iadd.work surface
based on workpiece thickness.Iaddend..
7. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 5,
further comprising .[.a.]. .Iadd.an initiation .Iaddend.switch
disposed in said fence so as to cause .[.the.]. said actuator to
move said drilling module .[.by said actuator.]. when the workpiece
.[.urges.]. .Iadd.actuates .Iaddend.said switch.
8. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 5,
further comprising a hollow output spindle disposed in said first
motor so as to mount the .[.step-.]. drill.
9. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 5,
further comprising a drill guide disposed within said guide module
to guide .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.step-drill.[., wherein.].
.Iadd.having .Iaddend.a first bore and a second bore formed
coaxially in said drill guide, said first bore being sized to
.[.fit.]. .Iadd.receive .Iaddend.the step-drill and said second
bore being positioned in a direction toward said .[.plane.].
.Iadd.work surface.Iaddend., wherein said second bore is formed by
at least one of a substantial clearance with respect to the
step-drill.[., and.]. .Iadd.or .Iaddend.a softer material than that
of said first bore so as to minimize wear on edges of the
step-drill.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a drill
guide disposed within said guide module to guide the .[.step-.].
drill, and a lateral coupling disposed between an output shaft of
said first motor and the .[.step-.]. drill so as to compensate
misalignment of said .[.step-.]. drill with respect to said drill
guide.
11. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim
.[.5.]. .Iadd.9.Iaddend., further comprising a chip remover
disposed in said body to remove wood chips generated from workpiece
drilling by the .[.step-.]. drill, wherein .[.at least.]. one chip
hole is formed within said guide module to connect to said chip
remover.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wood chips
are removed by at least one of a blower, and an ejector pump,
wherein said blower is attached to a motor, wherein said ejector
pump is disposed in said chip remover and the supply of air to said
ejector pump is selected from the group consisting of a blower
attached to a motor, an exhaust air from an air motor and shop
air.
.[.13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a
clamp which is movable to secure the workpiece, wherein said
actuator provides a first point, a second point and a third point,
wherein the movement of said actuator from said first point to
second point causes clamping the workpiece by said clamp and the
movement of said actuator from said second point to third point
causes said drilling module to move to cut the pocket-hole in the
workpiece by said first motor..].
14. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim
.[.13.]. .Iadd.5.Iaddend., .Iadd.further comprising a clamp above
said work surface and the workpiece, said clamp downwardly movable
to secure the workpiece on said work surface, and .Iaddend.wherein
said actuator is a .Iadd.hand operated .Iaddend.lever which
.[.provides.]. .Iadd.causes .Iaddend.movement of said clamp and
said drilling module.
15. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim
.[.13.]. .Iadd.5.Iaddend., wherein said actuator is a second
electric motor which .[.provides.]. .Iadd.causes .Iaddend.movement
of said clamp and said drilling module.[., wherein.]. .Iadd.and
.Iaddend.said first motor provides rotational torque to turn the
.[.step-.]. drill.
16. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 15,
further comprising an initiation switch disposed in said fence so
as to .[.turn.]. .Iadd.power on .Iaddend.said first and second
motors .[.power on.]. when the workpiece .[.urges.]. .Iadd.actuates
.Iaddend.said initiation switch.
17. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim
.[.13.]. .Iadd.16.Iaddend., further comprising a reversing switch
which turns said first motor power off when said drilling module
.[.urges.]. .Iadd.actuates .Iaddend.said reversing switch.[.,
wherein said first motor is driven by compressed air.]..
18. An apparatus for drilling pocket-holes into a workpiece for use
cooperatively with a .[.step-.]. drill, comprising: a body.[., said
body having a work surface defining a plane.]. .Iadd.having a
planar work surface.Iaddend.; a drilling module for cutting the
pocket-hole, said drilling module having a motor for driving at
least one .[.step-.]. drill, said drilling module movable in a
drilling direction by an actuator, wherein the .[.step-.]. drill
intersects said .[.plane.]. .Iadd.work surface.Iaddend.; a guide
module .Iadd.having a guide block including at least one drill
guide disposed within said guide block to guide the drill.Iaddend.,
said drilling module .Iadd.slidably .Iaddend.mounted thereon.[.,
said drilling module slidably engaging with respect to said guide
module in said drilling direction, and.]..Iadd.;.Iaddend. a
mounting structure disposed in said body substantially at a right
angle with respect to said drilling direction .[.to mount.].
.Iadd.for mounting a guide block of .Iaddend.at least one said
guide module.Iadd.; and further comprising a rail mounted on said
work surface substantially parallel to said mounting structure,
wherein said rail is movable so that the depth of drilling is
adjustable.Iaddend..
19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising at
least two dowel drillers mounted on said body so as to drill
dowel-holes parallel to said work surface on an edge-wall of the
workpiece.
20. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 18,
further comprising a rail mounted on said work surface
substantially parallel to said mounting structure .[.so as to
position.]. .Iadd.permitting the positioning of .Iaddend.the
workpiece .[.thereto.]. .Iadd.thereagainst.Iaddend., and .[.a
channel formed therein so as to mount.]. at least one clamping
actuator .Iadd.mounted .Iaddend.thereon .Iadd.for securing the
workpiece in position.Iaddend..
.[.21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a
rail mounted on said work surface substantially parallel to said
mounting structure, wherein said rail is movable so that the depth
of drilling can be adjustable..].
22. The apparatus .[.as claimed in.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.claim 18,
further comprising two drill holders each for mounting a
.[.step-.]. drill in said drilling module and to .Iadd.slidably
.Iaddend.move in a .[.sliding.]. direction which is at
substantially .Iadd.at .Iaddend.a right angle with respect to said
drilling direction, wherein said guide module has two guide
adapters each for guiding the .[.step-.]. drill .[.and to move in
said sliding direction.]., wherein said two drill adapters
.Iadd.are .Iaddend.connected to be driven by said motor .Iadd.and
.Iaddend.are mounted so that the distance between the two
.[.step-.]. drills can be adjusted.
23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a
rotatable screw that have oppositely pitched threads formed therein
so as to engage and to move said two drill holders toward and away
from each other in said sliding direction.
.Iadd.24. A clamp and drilling system for use with wood workpieces
comprising: a substantially planar work surface on which the
workpiece may be disposed, said surface having at least one
opening; a drilling module mounted below the work surface including
a motor for driving a drill, the axis of the drill at an acute
angle to the work surface, said drilling module movable from a
first position to a second position at which the drill intersects
the work surface through the opening in said work surface; an
actuator for moving said drilling module; a fence mounted on said
work surface at a substantially right angle to the drill axis, said
fence adjustable on said work surface toward and away from said
opening so as to permit setting the fence from above the work
surface based on the thickness of the workpiece..Iaddend.
.Iadd.25. The system of claim 24 additionally comprising a clamping
assembly mounted on said work surface and having a clamp pad
positioned above the workpiece when the workpiece is in a position
to be drilled, said clamping assembly activated by said actuator to
cause said pad to contact the workpiece to secure it during the
drilling operation..Iaddend.
.Iadd.26. The system of claim 25 additionally comprising a home
switch mounted below said work surface and positioned so that when
the drilling module is in the first position the home switch is off
and the motor is deactivated and movement of said drilling module
turns said home switch on and activates the motor..Iaddend.
.Iadd.27. The system of claim 26 wherein activation of said
actuator immediately moves said drilling module causing activation
of said home switch and said clamping assembly..Iaddend.
.Iadd.28. The system of claim 27 wherein said clamping assembly
causes said pad to contact the workpiece no later than said drill
contacts said workpiece..Iaddend.
.Iadd.29. The system of claim 28 wherein said home switch is
activated prior to contact of the drill with the
workpiece..Iaddend.
.Iadd.30. The system of claim 29 wherein initial movement of said
drilling module and activation of said home switch is
simultaneous..Iaddend.
.Iadd.31. An apparatus for drilling pocket-holes into a workpiece
for use cooperatively with a drill, comprising: a body having a
planar work surface a drilling module for cutting the pocket-hole,
said drilling module having a motor for driving at least one drill,
said drilling module movable in a drilling direction by an
actuator, wherein the drill intersects said work surface; a guide
module, said drilling module slidably mounted thereon further
comprising: two drill holders having two drill adapters each for
mounting a drill in said drilling module and wherein the drill
holders slidably move in a direction which is at substantially at a
right angle with respect to said drilling direction, wherein said
guide module has two guide adapters and two drill guides each
slidably mounted within a guide block and intersecting the planar
work surface for guiding the drill wherein said two drill adapters
are connected to be driven by said motor and are mounted rotatably
in said drill holders so that the distance between the two drills
can be adjusted wherein the drill guides move laterally within the
guide block to follow the movement of the drill
holders..Iaddend.
.Iadd.32. A pocket hole drilling machine, comprising: a body having
a frame; a clamping module connected to the frame; a guide module
connected to the frame; a drilling module slidably connected to the
guide module; an adjustable fence connected to the frame; an
actuation switch operatively connected to the fence..Iaddend.
.Iadd.33. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 32 wherein the
fence is adjustable from a side other than a bottom surface of the
fence..Iaddend.
.Iadd.34. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 32 further
comprising gauging structure connected to the body and operatively
associated with the adjustable fence..Iaddend.
.Iadd.35. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 32 further
comprising a sensor operatively connected to the body such that
when activated the drilling module stops..Iaddend.
.Iadd.36. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 32 further
comprising a sensor operatively connected to the body such that
when activated the drilling module reverses..Iaddend.
.Iadd.37. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 32 further
comprising a chip hole connected to the guide module..Iaddend.
.Iadd.38. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 32 wherein
activation of the actuation switch simultaneously actuates the
clamping module and the drilling module..Iaddend.
.Iadd.39. A pocket hole drilling machine, comprising: a body having
a frame; a clamping module connected to the frame a guide module
connected to the frame; a drilling module extending from a first
end to a second end in a drilling direction slidably connected to
the guide module; an adjustable fence connected to the frame; a
sensor operatively connected to the second end of the drilling
module such that when activated the drilling module
stops..Iaddend.
.Iadd.40. A dual drilling module for a pocket hole drilling
machine, comprising: a drilling module having a first drill holder
and a second drill holder positioned in parallel spaced alignment;
an adjustment member operatively connected to the first drill
holder and the second drill holder such that when actuated the
distance between the first drill holder and second drill holder is
adjusted and two drill guides and guide adapters each slidably
mounted within a guide block and intersecting a planar work surface
for guiding a drill move laterally within the guide block to follow
the movement of the drill holders..Iaddend.
.Iadd.41. The dual drilling module for a pocket hole drilling
machine of claim 40 further comprising a motor operatively
connected to the first drill holder and the second drill
holder..Iaddend.
.Iadd.42. The dual drilling module for a pocket hole drilling
machine of claim 40 further comprising a first driven pulley
connected to the first drill holder and a second driven pulley
connected to the second drill holder..Iaddend.
.Iadd.43. The dual drilling module for a pocket hole drilling
machine of claim 40 wherein the adjustment member has a
knob..Iaddend.
.Iadd.44. The dual drilling module for a pocket hole drilling
machine of claim 40 wherein the adjustment member has a
screw..Iaddend.
.Iadd.45. A pocket hole drilling machine, comprising: a body having
a frame; a clamping module connected to the frame; a guide module
connected to the frame; a drilling module slidably connected to the
guide module which slides in a drilling direction; an adjustable
fence connected to the frame; a mounting structure positioned
within the body and extending in a generally perpendicular
direction to the drilling direction and disposed laterally within
the frame such that a plurality of guide modules are mounted to and
are slidably and laterally positioned on the mounting
structure..Iaddend.
.Iadd.46. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 45 wherein the
mounting structure is a rail..Iaddend.
.Iadd.47. The pocket hole drilling machine of claim 45 wherein the
mounting structure extends upwardly from a bottom of the
body..Iaddend.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a pocket-hole drilling machine that
clamps a wood workpiece to be drilled and generates pocket-hole
openings for subsequent fastening to another workpiece by
screws.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Two wood workpieces are sometimes fastened together by means of a
pocket joint. A pocket joint is a pocket-hole in the first piece,
with a screw in the pocket-hole extending into the second
workpiece. A pocket-hole is one that is made at an angle in the
first piece of wood, entering from one surface and exiting out of
the edge-wall. Usually the pocket is sufficiently large to fully
contain the head of the screw so that when the screw is recessed in
the hole, it is not exposed.
Generally, pocket-holes have been generated by pocket-hole jigs
with a portable drill motor or by pocket-hole drilling machines
that take advantage of speed and easy setup. The commercially
available pocket-hole drilling machines require a foot switch to
start a cycle. Furthermore, these drilling machines do not allow a
user to adjust the vertical location or depth of a pocket-hole on a
workpiece according to its thickness.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a machine with flexibility to
drill pocket-holes in a speedy and efficient manner with one or
more of the following features: 1) the ability to start and finish
a cycle without a foot or hand operated switch; 2) an adjustable
fence; 3) improved clamping; 4) the ability to remove wood chips;
5) the ability to adjust the spacing between two pocket-holes; 6)
the ability to drill plural pocket-holes simultaneously in a wider
workpiece; 7) the ability to drill plural pocket-holes and
dowel-holes simultaneously in a wide board that is to be joined to
a side panel; 8) a radial clearance in the drill guide to extend
the life of a step-drill, and 9) use of a lever or a secondary
electric motor to eliminate use of compressed air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, a
pocket-hole drilling implement for drilling pocket-holes in a
workpiece is provided. The implement includes a body with a top
surface, a drilling module consisting of a motor and one step-drill
mounted thereon, a fence movably mounted on the top surface,
wherein drilling module is slidably mounted on a guide module,
wherein the guide module with a drill guide that intersects said
top surface, and at least one initiation switch that actuates
clamping a workpiece and movement of the drilling module to form a
pocket-hole within, wherein the initiation switch is disposed in
the fence.
In another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention,
a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides a movable fence,
wherein the fence having a relationship with the drilling depth of
the step-drill so as to handle different thickness of
workpieces.
In yet another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides a
short stroke clamping actuator to clamp a workpiece prior to
drilling so that a human finger cannot be placed between underneath
a clamp pad and on top of a workpiece.
In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides a
clamp pad sized to the width of a pocket-hole and two actuator tips
that actuates drilling only when a workpiece is placed above the
step-drill to prevent drilling a pocket-hole on the sidewall of a
workpiece, wherein an actuation switch has a relationship to the
two actuator tips.
In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides a
blower or an ejector pump to remove wood chips, wherein the blower
is either attached to the motor shaft or a separate blower to
operate the same mode as the motor does, wherein the ejector pump
is mounted near the drill guide.
In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides two
pocket-drills that are laterally slidably mounted on a drilling
block so that a user can adjust the pocket-hole spacing
in-between.
In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides a unit
module that includes a drilling module and a guide module, wherein
the drilling module is slidably mounted on a guide module, and the
unit module is detachably mounted onto a mounting structure,
wherein the mounting structure is at a right angle with respect to
the drilling direction. A user can select a number of the unit
modules and mount them on the mounting structure to drill multiple
pocket-holes into a wide workpiece in one setup.
In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides at
least two horizontally slidable dowel drilling heads that drill
dowel-holes on the edge of a board that is to be joined to a side
panel, wherein the dowel drilling heads are mounted opposite to the
drilling module.
In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides a
drill guide that has a clearance for cutting edges of the
step-drill so that the wear of the step-drill is minimized.
In a further exemplary embodiment according to the present
invention, a pocket-hole drilling implement further provides an
actuator that provides clamping and drilling movements, wherein the
actuator is an electric motor or a lever.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be understood
from the following specification and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other aspects of the invention may be described in
reference to the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a top view of a first exemplary embodiment 1 of a
pocket-hole drilling implement in accordance with the present
invention, showing a frame 1A without a removable plate, a drilling
module 1B, a guide module 1C, a fence module 1D, and a clamping
module 1E.
FIG. 2A is a side cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of
FIG. 1, showing the drilling module 1B at home position and a first
wood workpiece placed on the main plate.
FIG. 2B is an enlarged partial side cross-sectional view showing a
step-drill rigidly mounted on an output shaft of the motor.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged top sectional view taken along the line 3-3
of FIG. 2A, showing the relationship between a bar tie at home
position and at drilling position noted as I and II,
respectively.
FIG. 4 is a front view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, showing
the clamping module 1E and the fence module 1D.
FIG. 5 is a top view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing
the positional relationship among a first workpiece with drilled
pocket-hole, an actuation plunger, a clamp pad, a step-drill, a
fence without its cover, and a turret.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 6 of FIG.
2A, showing the cross-section of the guide module 1C and the
partial view of a bar tie and an L-bracket.
FIG. 7 is a top view of a second relatively narrow workpiece
showing two pocket-holes drilled adjacent to each other.
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 10
of a second exemplary embodiment 2 of a two pocket-hole drilling
implement in accordance with the present invention, showing the
relationship among a frame 2A, a dual drilling module 2B, a dual
guide module 2C, a fence module 2D, and a clamping module 2E.
FIG. 9 is a top view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8, showing
the drilling module 2B and the guide module 2C without a removable
plate and a main plate.
FIG. 10 is a front view taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 8,
showing two driven pulleys connected to a drive pulley by a belt in
the drilling module 2B.
FIG. 11 is a top view of a third exemplary embodiment 3 of a
multiple pocket-hole drilling implement in accordance with the
present invention, showing two unit modules that consist of a
drilling module 3B and a guide module 3C, a standoff, a unit module
3BB and 3CC, which are mounted on a rail.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view taken along the
line 12-12 of FIG. 11, showing that the drilling module 3B and the
guide module 3C are detachably mounted on a mounting structure, a
fence module 3D is mounted on the top of a main plate, and a
clamping module 3E is mounted on a rail that is an extension formed
in the fence module 3D.
FIG. 13 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a fourth
exemplary embodiment 4 of a drill guide implement in accordance
with the present invention, showing the relationship between a
step-drill and the drill guide that has a radial clearance for the
cutting edges of the major diameter of a step-drill.
FIG. 14 is a top view of a fifth exemplary embodiment 5 of a
pocket-hole drilling implement in accordance with the present
invention, showing a frame 5A without a removable plate, a drilling
module 5B, a guide module 5C, a fence module 5D and an actuation
module 5E.
FIG. 15 is a side sectional view of FIG. 14, with parts broken away
substantially along the centerline of the drill guide and partial
view of the clamp bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
The pocket-hole drilling implement in exemplary embodiments
according to the present invention provides: efficiency, ease of
use, quickness in application by introduction of a workpiece
sensor/initiation switch when a workpiece is placed, which replaces
a foot or a hand operated switch; capability to handle different
thickness of a workpiece by a movable stop fence that adjusts the
drilling depth; safety to prevent human finger injury by a short
stroke clamping actuator; the assurance of not drilling
pocket-holes on the sidewall of a workpiece by a W-shaped plunger
57 that is disposed inside of a fence 50 and an initiation switch
52 mounted therein; a clamp pad sized to the width of pocket-holes
or the diameter of a step-drill to prevent drilling pocket-hole on
the sidewall of a workpiece; a blower or an ejector pump to remove
wood chips; the ability to drill two pocket-holes into a workpiece
where a user can adjust the pocket-hole spacing in-between; the
ability to drill multiple pocket-holes into a wide workpiece in one
setup by detachably mounted drilling/guide modules on a rail that
is at a right angle with respect to the drilling direction; the
ability to drill at least two dowel-holes on the edge of a board
that is to be joined to a side panel in addition to multiple
pocket-hole drilling; extended usage/life of a step-drill by having
a clearance in a drill guide bore for the cutting edges of a major
diameter of the step-drill; and a lever or a secondary electric
motor that eliminates the use of shop air to operate the
machine.
In order to aid in understanding the description, the following
definitions are suggested: the longitudinal direction is identical
to the Y'-direction; the drilling direction is identical to the
Y-direction; the lateral direction is identical to the X-direction;
the front is identical to the -Y'-direction; the rear is identical
to the +Y'-direction; and the vertical direction is identical to
the Z'-direction. The angle between the Y-direction and
Y'-direction is approximately 15 degrees.
A pocket-hole drilling implement 1 (or a body thereof) in a first
exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6. FIGS. 1 and 2B show a body 1, a
frame 1A, a drilling module 1B, a guide module 1C, a fence module
1D and a clamping module 1E as a top and a side cross-sectional
view, respectively. FIG. 2B shows a step-drill 36 rigidly mounted
on an output shaft 37 of the motor 30, and the guide block 40 that
has a clearance bore formed therein without a drill guide. FIG. 3
shows a top view of the drilling module 1B, the guide module 1C,
and the positional relationships of a bar tie 34 locations "I" and
"II". FIG. 4 shows a front view of the clamping module 1E and the
fence module 1D. FIG. 5 shows a top view of the positional
relationships among a first workpiece 20 with a drilled pocket-hole
21, an actuation plunger 57, an initiation switch 52, a clamp pad
74, and a step-drill 36, a fence module 1D without its cover 51a,
and a turret 60. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional front view of the
guide module 1C.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, the body 1 may include a generally
rectangular shaped frame 1A, a removable plate 25, a work surface
or a main plate 24, a drilling module 1B, a guide module 1C, a
fence module 1D and a clamping module 1E. Two plates 25 and 24 may
be fastened onto a flange portion of the frame 1A. The drilling
module 1B may include a motor 30, a gear box 31, a motor bracket
32, two guide bars 33, a bar tie 34, a lateral coupling 35 and a
step-drill 36. The guide module 1C may include a guide block 40,
two guides 40a, a drill guide 42, a linear actuator such as air
cylinder 45, a home switch 46, and a chip remover 44, which may be
mounted onto the main plate 24 by fasteners 27. The fence module 1D
may include a fence 50, an initiation switch 52, a L-bracket 53,
two fasteners 54 that hold the fence 50 and the L-bracket 53, and
two fasteners 61 that connect fence extensions 55 and turrets 60
onto a reinforcement plate 24a. The clamping module 1E may include
a clamp bracket 70, fasteners 71 to mount the clamp bracket 70 onto
the main plate 24, a clamping actuator such as air cylinder 72, a
pad 74, and a fastener 73 that secure the air cylinder 72 in the
clamp bracket 70.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 3, and 6, an electric or air motor 30 may
be mounted on the motor bracket 32 and transmits rotational torque
to right angle gears in gear box 31, which rotates the step-drill
36. The right angle output shaft from the gear box 31 provides a
shorter length of the motor 60 in the Y-direction and the
capability to mount the step-drill 36 rigidly thereon. A lateral
coupling 35 may be disposed in between the step-drill 36 and the
output shaft from gear box 31 to compensate lateral/angular
misalignment for the step-drill 36 between the output shaft from
the gear box 31 and the drill guide 42 in the drilling module
1C.
Two guide bars 33 may be attached to the motor bracket 32 at one
end (-Y) and to the bar tie 34 at the other end (+Y), which may be
slidably mounted onto two guides 40a that is disposed in the guide
block 40. An initiation switch 52 is disposed inside of the fence
50 so that its urge with a workpiece 20 causes the following
sequences: 1) actuation of clamp air cylinder 72 to secure
workpiece by the pad 74; 2) turning the motor 30 power "on" at home
position "I"; 3) movement (+Y) of the drilling module 1B by the air
cylinder 45 toward end position "II" while cutting a pocket-hole 21
in workpiece (home position of bar tie 34 is indicated as "I" shown
in full lines and forwarded end position of the bar tie 34' is
indicated as "II" shown in dashed lines); 4) reverse movement (-Y)
of the module 1B after the bar tie 34 contacts with the reversing
switch 47; 5) turning the motor power "off" at position "I" after
the bar tie 34 urges with the home switch 46, and 6) releasing the
pad 74 from the workpiece and finishing one drilling cycle. The
axis (Y) of the drilling module 1B movement and its step-drill
intersect the main plate 24 at approximately 15 degrees.
The home switch 46 and reversing switch 47 are mounted on the guide
block 40 and L-bracket 53, respectively, but they may be mounted on
the bar tie 34 to function the same as above, which is demonstrated
in FIGS. 11 and 12.
Therefore, introduction of a sensor/initiation switch 52 enables
drilling a pocket-hole into a workpiece with greater efficiency,
ease of use, and speed in application, which eliminates use of a
foot or hand operated switch.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 3, and 5, two longitudinal through slots
28 may be formed in the main plate 24 to fasten the L-bracket 53 to
the fence 50 by two fasteners 54, which enables the fence 50 and
L-bracket 53 to move together longitudinally when fasteners 54 are
loosened.
The fence 50 may have two extensions 55 and there are two
longitudinal through slots 56 formed in fence rear 51d (+Y'). A
gauging structure such as a turret 60 may be positioned above the
fence rear 51d and may be secured to the plates 24 and 24a by the
fastener 61. A simple screw that is movable about a nut mounted on
the main plate 24 may replace the turret 60.
The turret 60 may have four stop fences 63, 64, 65 and 66
corresponding to workpiece thickness, which are also illustrated as
"1 (1/2)", "2 (5/8)", "3 (3/4)" and "4 (+1)", numeric notes, on
top. The distance between the center of fastener 61 and each of
four stop fences 63, 64, 65 and 66 is selected to position the
longitudinal placement of the workpiece against fence face 51b. As
an example, FIGS. 1 and 2A show the pocket-hole drilling in a 25 mm
(1 inch) thick workpiece. To drill a pocket-hole in a 13 mm (1/2
inch) thick workpiece, loosen fasteners 54 and 61, move the fence
50 in the -Y'-direction, rotate turrets 60 180 degrees, move the
fence in the +Y'-direction for the fence rear 51d to urge with the
stop face 63, fasten fasteners 54 and 61 to lock the position of
fence and L-bracket, then lower the air cylinder 72 to reach the
pad 74 approximately 5 mm ( 3/16 inch) above workpiece by loosening
and tightening fastener 73.
Alternatively, the vertical adjustment of the pad 74 and the air
cylinder 72 according to the thickness of workpiece may be achieved
by having two rods mounted on the main plate 24 and by having two
bores formed in the clamp bracket 70 at the same position where
there are fasteners 71, wherein the location of two bores are
corresponding to the location of the two rods and the two bores are
sized to slide on the rods.
Therefore, the depth of a pocket-hole in a workpiece corresponding
to its thickness can be achieved automatically by longitudinal
adjustment of the fence module 1D.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the W-shaped plunger 57 may be placed
inside of fence 50 and an initiation switch 52 disposed thereafter.
The W-shaped plunger 57 may have two wings 57d and a central recess
57c in between two actuator tips 57a and 57b that may extend beyond
fence face 51b in the -Y-direction to be able to engage with an
edge-wall 20c of workpiece 20. A drilled pocket-hole 21 is shown in
a dashed line and is located close to sidewall 20a. FIG. 5 shows
that edge-wall 20c is placed against fence face 51b, which causes
one tip 57a to move backward (+Y') to a new position 57a' and is
shown in a dashed line for the W-shaped plunger 57', which may not
be able to activate the initiation switch 52 that may set to
activate only when both tips 57a and 57b move backward
together.
A full movement of both tips 57a and 57b, which causes an actuation
of switch 52 movement in the -Y-direction by urge with the
workpiece 20 may result in generation of drilling a pocket-hole
inside of sidewall 20b. This may take place only when the workpiece
is placed above the angularly truncated side inner bore of the
drill guide 42 or above the major diameter of the step-drill 36.
This also may be achieved by two tips 57a and 57b that activate the
initiation switch 52 or by having two separate initiation switches
52. The initiation switch 52 may comprise a pneumatic switch, an
electric contact switch, an electronic non-contact switch, and a
mechanical switch.
The width of pad 74 may be sized to be substantially the same as
that of major diameter of step-drill 36, which may help a user
place workpiece in proper lateral location (X-direction) for
drilling pocket-holes as shown in FIG. 4. Pad 74 may be mounted on
non-rotating rod of an air cylinder 72. Often a user's finger
placed in-between top of workpiece 20 and underneath pad 74 may
cause finger injury if the stroke of a clamping actuator is more
than 14.3 mm (3/8 inch), which may be prevented by limiting the
stroke of a clamping actuator.
Therefore, positioning and drilling a pocket-hole within a
workpiece sidewall can be achieved by the use of two tips 57a and
57b, or by use of the pad 74 whose lateral width is substantially
the same as the step-drill diameter. Also, use of 14.3 mm (3/8
inch) or shorter stroke air cylinder for clamping a workpiece may
prevent finger injury to the user.
It is found in practice that the heat treated harden steel drill
guide 42 may be eliminated from the guide block 40 by increasing
bending strength of the step-drill and/or by firmly mounting the
step drill on the output spindle of the motor. As shown in FIG. 2B,
the step-drill 36 may be firmly mounted on a hollow output spindle
37 by a split-collet/chuck 38a and an additional split-sleeve/chuck
38b to resist a lateral load from the workpiece. The guide block 40
may have a clearance bore 41 corresponding to the shape of the
step-drill 36. Also, the removal and mounting the step-drill 36 are
easy with the tubular output shaft 37.
As shown in FIGS. 2A, 3 and 6, a wood chip remover 44 coupled with
a blower 39 may help to remove chips that are generated from
cutting a pocket-hole 21. The blower 39 may be disposed in the
motor 30 and an impeller 39c may be mounted onto the motor shaft,
which generates vacuum to pull chips from the chip exit 44c to the
blower entrance 39a. As the motor turns on, wood chips generated
from the drill 36 advancement (+Y) are pulled through chip holes 43
and the chip exit 44c, enters the blower entrance 39a, are thrown
out of the blower exit 39b by the centrifugal force from an
impeller 39c, and may be collected into a bag (not shown). There
may be flexible tubing connected from the chip exit 44c to the
blower entrance 39a and from the blower exit 39b to the bag. FIGS.
1, 3 and 6 show that the air cylinder 45 is positioned off center
in between two guides 40a for a vertical chip exit 44d to be
disposed under the chip hole 43 for easy chip removal. This is also
shown in FIG. 15 where a lateral chip exit 180 and a vertical chip
exit 182 are disposed in the guide module 5C. Wood chips may be
pulled from either chip exit 180 or 182 to the blower inlet
184.
An alternative is that an ejector pump may be installed near frame
1A, in between an air-inlet 44a and the chip exit 44c or near the
chip hole 43. The air to the ejector pump may be supplied by the
blower 39 that is disposed in electric motor 30, by exhaust air
from an air motor if air motor is used for the electric motor, or
by shop air.
Therefore, wood chips generated from drilling a workpiece can be
removed efficiently and effectively from body 1 by the blower or by
the ejector pump.
A pocket-hole drilling implement 2 (or a body thereof) in a second
exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 10.
FIG. 7 shows two pocket-holes 22a and 22b that are drilled in a
relatively narrow in width workpiece 22, which is typically used in
attaching a rail to a stile of a cabinet or a leg of a table. A
user may select the distance between two pocket-holes according to
the width of a workpiece and drill two holes simultaneously and
efficiently by use of this body 2.
FIG. 8 shows a body 2, a frame 2A, a dual drilling module 2B, a
dual guide module 2C, a fence module 2D and a clamping module
2E.
FIG. 9 shows the dual drilling module 2B and the dual drilling
module 2B without removable plate 89 and a main plate 90. A cutout
90a is shown in a double-dashed line, which is formed in the main
plate 90 for the clearance for two upper surfaces 93a whose
vertical elevation are the same as the main plate 90, which is also
shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 shows the dual drilling module 2B with details of two
driven pulleys 86b and 86c that are connected to a drive pulley 86a
by a belt 87 and two drill holders 82a and 82b that are connected
by a screw 85 in the drilling module 2B.
The apparatus and functionality of frame 2A, fence module 2D,
clamping module 2E, the wood chip removal, the bar tie 34 and the
L-bracket 53 coupled with the air cylinder 45 in FIG. 8 of this
second exemplary pocket-hole drilling implement 2 are the very same
as the first exemplary pocket-hole drilling implement 1 in FIG.
2.
As shown in FIGS. 8 through 10, an electric or air motor 80 may be
mounted parallel to the drilling direction on a motor bracket 80a
and transmit rotational torque from a pulley 86a that is attached
to motor shaft to two driven pulleys 86b and 86c by a belt 87,
which rotates step-drills 36a and 36b. Two drill holders 82a and
82b may move closer to or farther from each other by an arrangement
of a right-hand and left-hand screw 85 and by rotation of a knob
85a, which may be slidably mounted on one pair of first guide way
84 that are disposed in the lateral direction (X-axis) in between
the drilling block 81 and the drill holders 82a and 82b.
The drill adapter 83a is rotatively coupled to radial bearings that
are mounted in the drill holder 82a; has a driven pulley 86b
attached on one end (-Y), and has an inner bore at the other end
(+Y) to fasten the shank of a step-drill 36a. Two step-drills 36a
and 36b that may be securely mounted in the drill adapters 83a and
83b, and also they are guided by two drill guides 42a and 42b,
respectively. Two guide bars 33a may be mounted to motor bracket 32
at one end (-Y) and to bar tie 34 at the other end (+Y), which may
be slidably mounted onto two guide bushings that are disposed in
guide block 91.
The shuttle movement of drilling module 2B in the longitudinal
direction may be carried by air cylinder 45, which is initiated by
the initiation switch and is controlled by the home and reversing
switches as demonstrated in the body 1.
The guide block 91 may have two opposite upper surfaces 93a on
which threaded holes are formed to be mounted underneath main plate
90 by plural fasteners 96.
Two guide adapters 92 may be slidably mounted on one pair of second
guide way 94 that are disposed in the lateral direction (X-axis) in
between two opposite upper surfaces 93a of guide block 91, and may
move laterally to follow as drill holders 82a and 82b move closer
to or farther from each other, which may be locked to their
positions by fastening set screw 95 that is disposed in guide
adapters 92. Each guide adapter 92 may have an upper surface 93a
whose vertical elevation is the same as the main plate 90 and an
angularly truncated surface of the drill guide 42a, and a second
surface 93b that provides clearance underneath the main plate
90.
Lateral distance between two step-drills 36a may be adjusted by
movement of the two drill holders 82a and 82b, by turning the knob
85a, which is shown in dashed lines after adjustment for the
position of two driven pulleys 86b', belt 87', drive pulley 86a'
and motor 80'. When the distance between two pulleys 86b and 86c
get closer, the position of the drive pulley 86a' moves downwardly
(-Z) to maintain the tension of the belt 87, which may be set by a
spring 80d disposed in between the drilling block 81 and motor
bracket 80a.
Once an adjustment is being performed, the following may takes
place prior to drilling: fasten set screw 80c to lock the bracket
80a onto guide 80b, fasten set screws 82c to lock the drill holder
82a and 82b onto the drilling block 81, and fasten set screws 95 to
lock the guide adapters 92 onto the guide block 91. Thus, the
lateral position of drill guides 42a and 42b is shown in full lines
for a wider space in-between and that of drill guides 42a' and 42b'
is shown in dashed lines for a narrower space in-between in FIG. 9;
the distance between the drill guides 42a and 42b or two pulleys
86b and 86c is 50.8 mm (2.0 inch), and that of 42a' and 42b' or two
pulleys 86b' and 86c' is 17.5 mm (0.69 inch), wherein the diameter
of step-drill is 9.5 mm (0.38 inch).
Another approach to provide two drilling capability with one motor
is to dispose two separate bars whose one ends of both bars are
mounted on the pivot of the motor 80 shaft and the other ends of
each bars are mounted on the pivot of drill adapters 83a and 83b,
wherein the distances between the motor and each drill adapters are
fixed. Two separate belts may connect two pulleys connected in
series on the motor 80 shaft to two separate driven pulleys 86b and
86c to transmit the rotational torque from a motor to each driven
pulley, which may not require adjusting belt tension or need having
the spring 80d.
Therefore, the lateral adjustability of the two drill guide
adapters that are slidably mounted in a base or a block with or
without provision of space adjustment capability between two drill
guide adapters may enable a user to select the distance between two
pocket-holes.
A pocket-hole drilling implement 3 (or a body thereof) in a third
exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a top view with a main
plate 103 and a removable plate 102 partially broken and shows the
body 3, a frame 3A, two unit modules 3B and 3C, a unit module 3BB
and 3CC, a standoff 118, a fence module, and a clamping module 3E
in a frame 3A. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the
line 12-12 of FIG. 11 and shows body 3, a frame 3A, the drilling
module 3B and the guide module 3C that may be detachably mounted on
a mounting structure 110, which includes a pair of bars, a fence
module 3D that may be slidably mounted on top of main plate 103 and
a T-bracket 126, and a clamping module 3E that may be mounted on a
rail 130 that is an extension formed in the fence module 3D. A unit
module may include a drilling module and a guide module
thereafter.
The apparatus and functionality of this third exemplary pocket-hole
drilling implement 3 may be very similar to the first exemplary
pocket-hole drilling implement 1 and the second exemplary
pocket-hole drilling implement 2; especially the functionality of
the unit modules 3B/3C and 3BB/3CC are the same as described in the
body 1 and the body 2, respectively.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the frame 3A may be laterally (X-axis)
wider in length than its longitudinal direction to accommodate a
wider workpiece and to drill multiple pocket-holes in one setup. A
mounting structure 110 is disposed laterally in the frame 3A and
may form a T-channel to accept the head of drop-in-and-turn T-bolts
114 within. The lower end (-Z') of a guide block 108 and a standoff
118 may have through holes 115 to accept T-bolts 114 and may be
slidably and laterally positioned by a tongue and groove
arrangement with the mounting structure 110, which may be locked by
fastening T-bolts 114 and nuts 116.
To provide for a user to select a plurality of units to be mounted
on and demounted from the mounting structure 110, the following
provision/changes may be made to be functional as an independent
portable unit module: the mounting structure 110 may be disposed
laterally in the frame 3A to mount unit modules; the guide module
3C/3CC may have a stop surface 121 to engage with a home switch
123; the home switch 123 and a reversing switch 124 may be mounted
in a bar tie 122 that is a part of the drilling module 3B/3BB; the
removable plate 102 may provide a clearance opening(s) for guide
block top surfaces 109/109a and standoff top surface 119; a
substantially long T-bracket 126 may be disposed underneath the
main plate 103 to engage with the reversing switch 124 and the bar
tie 122 and also to serve as mounting means for the rail 130.
A rail 130 may have a U-shaped channel to serve as a fence module
3D at its front half (-Y'), a set of opposing tongues 132 to mount
clamping module 3E at its rear half (+Y'), and plural through holes
for fasteners 128 therein. The fence module 3D may have at least
one actuation switch inside of the U-shaped channel and a cover 127
thereon. A leaf spring 134 may be disposed at near tongue/grove 132
to resist free lateral movement of the clamping module 3E. The main
plate may have plural through slots 104 formed longitudinally
(Y'-axis) through which fasteners 128 may connect the rail 130 to
the T-bracket 126, which enables the rail 130 and the T-bracket 126
to move/adjust together according to the thickness of
workpiece.
Thus, the drilling/retraction operations can be made as stated in
body 1 and this is generally shown as position "I" and "II". The
top surfaces 109, 109a and 119 provide substantially the same
vertical (+Z') elevation as the plates 102 and 103, which enables a
user to place/move a workpiece without difficulty. The mounting
structure 110, guide block 108 with chip hole 106, T-bracket 126,
cover 127 and rail 130 may be made of extruded aluminum whose
cross-sections may be built similar to those as shown in FIG.
12.
Even though individual actuator mounted on each guide module 3C or
3CC carries the movement of each drilling module 3B or 3BB, this
may be carried by an actuator mounted on one of guide module 3C or
on the mounting structure 110.
Therefore, a user can select the number of unit modules for the
multiple pocket-hole drilling in a relatively wide workpiece in a
set up, wherein each unit module is portable and easy to
mount/demount on/from the rail.
High production case goods, both knockdown (KD) and pre-assembled
furniture, use a set of rotating cam and dowel to lock a face board
and a side panel together. The face board uses 16 mm or 19 mm holes
on one side of major surfaces for the cam and 8 mm dowel-holes from
edge-wall, which requires drillings from two directions. Use of the
pocket-hole can be as efficient as the cam and dowel set if at
least two dowel-holes can be drilled from the edge-wall of the face
board while drilling the pocket-holes simultaneously. The number of
pocket-holes can be arbitrary, but two dowels that are placed
across the width of the board can be served not only for the
alignment of the board and the panel prior to driving screws from
the board onto the panel but also for the load carrying
purpose.
A wide workpiece 100 may have pocket-holes 100a on its major
surface by the drilling module 3B and at least two dowel-holes 101b
on the edge-wall 101a in the .+-.X-direction by two dowel drillers
(not shown) that are slidable in the .+-.Y'-direction as shown in
FIG. 12. The dowel drillers may be mounted on the main plate
103.
Therefore, in one set up, the body 3 can drill numerous
pocket-holes on the face and dowel-holes from the edge-wall of a
board.
In the practice of my invention, the pocket-hole drilling implement
3 may extend and apply its merits to the implement 1 and 2; the
guide module 1C or 2C may be mounted on the mounting structure 110
instead of being mounted on the main plate 24 or 90; the guide
module 1C or 2C may be made of extruded aluminum with the chip exit
44c formed within; the rail 130 may be used to mount the clamping
module 1E; the T-bracket 126 may replace the L-bracket 53, and both
the home switch 46 and reversing switch 47 may be mounted on the
bar tie 34.
Similarly, a popular 32 mm (center to center dowel drilling or)
boring head can be mounted on the mounting structure 110 to drill a
plurality of pocket-holes as shown in FIG. 12. The boring head that
has a plurality of spindle may be called hereafter as the drilling
module 3B, and user may choose a number of step-drills to mount on
selected spindles. Due to the rigidity of the boring spindle, this
boring head may not need to have the guide module 3C to guide the
step-drill. Therefore, utilization of the commercially available
boring head with the adjustable fence module 3D may achieve
effective drilling on a wide board requiring a plurality of
pocket-holes in one setup.
In the present form of the invention, however, the mounting
structure 110, drilling module 3B, guide module 3C, and the boring
head may be invertedly mounted above the plates 102 and 103 so that
the top surface does not need any cutout. An inverted mount
configuration is easier to mount, remove, maintain and adjust
modules 3B, 3BB, 3C and 3CC than modules mounted under the top
surface as shown in FIG. 12. Furthermore, the vertical movement
(+Z) of the mounting structure 110 may eliminate the need of
clamping module 3E because the down position (-Z) of the mounting
structure 110 may hold the workpiece in place. The drilling
direction for this inverted configuration is +Y''-direction as
indicated in FIG. 12.
A pocket-hole drilling implement 4 (or a body thereof) in a fourth
exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 13 as a side cross-sectional view. As shown in
FIG. 13, a workpiece 140 is placed above a guide block 150 in which
a drill guide 152 is disposed, and the cutting edges 158 of a
step-drill 156 is positioned beyond the major bore 153 in the
+Y-direction, which shows at rest position of the step-drill 156
prior to drilling. The drill guide 152 may comprise a first or
major bore 153, a second or enlarged bore 154, a chip hole 155 and
a truncated exit 159. The step-drill 156 has major diameter cutting
edges 158 for a pocket hole 144 and a pilot drill 157 thereafter
for a pilot hole 146. When the step-drill 156 starts and repeats
cutting/advancing into a workpiece 140, and is subject to a lateral
load from a workpiece in the -Z-direction, it may cause the cutting
edges 158 subject to wear by its friction with the first bore 153.
To extend the life of the step-drill, the second bore 154 for the
clearance for the cutting edges 158 is formed in the drill guide
152.
This also may be implemented by providing a cylindrical shape drill
guide 152 that terminates its one end in the -Y-direction to avoid
contacting with the cutting edges 158. The exit bore 154 may be
formed in the guide block 150 that is made of soft material such as
aluminum or thermoplastic, wherein the drill guide 152 is made of
hardened steel material.
Therefore, the provision of the clearance formed in the drill guide
or use a longitudinally short drill guide that avoids contacting
with the cutting edges of the step-drill may extend the life of the
step-drill.
A pocket-hole drilling implement 5 (or a body thereof) in a fifth
exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 shows a body 5, a frame 5A,
a drilling module 5B, a guide module 5C and an actuation module 5E.
FIG. 12 is a side sectional view, with parts broken away
substantially along the centerline of the drill guide and partial
view of the clamp bracket 161. The apparatus and functionality of
this fifth exemplary pocket-hole drilling implement 5 may be very
similar to the first exemplary pocket-hole drilling implement
1.
As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the drilling module 5B may be slidably
mounted on the guide module 5C. The actuation module 5E may include
a bracket 161, a lever 162, a pivot pin 163, a torsion spring 164,
a swivel pad 167, a thread rod 168, a steel wire cable 170, a first
cable tie 171, a second cable tie 172, a compression spring 173,
and a cable bracket pulley 174.
The bracket 161 is mounted on a main plate 169 and has two
extensions (+Z' and -Y' in FIG. 15) on which the pivot pin 163 is
mounted laterally in the X-direction. A double torsion, spring 164
and the hand lever 162 are rotatively coupled on the pivot pin 163.
Two ends of the torsion spring 164 may be secured to the lever 162
and may form an extension at its middle to mount the pad 167. A
first cable tie 171 and a second tie 172 may be attached to a motor
bracket in the drilling module 5B and a lever rear 162a,
respectively, and the wire cable 170 in-between both ties 171 and
172 may be guided by a bracket pulley 174. A cable casing that is
fixed on the guide block 5C and the bracket 161 to guide the wire
cable 170 may replace the bracket pulley 174.
The lever 162 may rotate on the pivot pin 163 from at rest or a
first point `A` (162) shown in full lines in FIG. 15 to a clamping
or a second point `B` (162') shown in dashed lines and to the end
of drilling or a third point `C` (162'') shown in double-dashed
lines therein. When the lever 162 is pulled in the -Y'-direction
from at rest or the first point `A` to the second point `B`, the
swivel clamp 167 may engage/secure a workpiece 160 onto the main
plate 169. Further rotation of the lever 162 in the -Y'-direction
from the second point `B` to a third point `C` may pull the
drilling module 5B in the drilling direction (+Y) to turn motor
power "ON" as a bar tie 177 separates from a home switch 178 at
home or rest position "I" and reaches to the end of drilling stroke
or an end position "II". Reverse (+Y) rotation of lever 162 from
the point `C` to `B` may cause the drilling module 5B to move in
the -Y-direction by a compression spring 173 and turns motor power
"OFF" as the bar tie 177 urges the home switch 178. As the lever
162 rotates from the point `B` to `A`, the pad 167 releases to move
the workpiece.
The pad 167 may be attached to a thread rod 168, which may be
adjusted by its vertical position (.+-.Z') according to the
thickness of a workpiece. A cam may replace the torsion spring 164.
This cam can be configured not to require any further rotational
force after clamping the workpiece 160 as the lever 162 rotates
between positions `B` and `C.` The torque of the spring 164
increases as it is being rotated.
It is practical to use this pocket-hole drilling machine with
electricity and without shop air because electricity is more
readily available, much less expensive to run, and quieter than the
compressed air. The function of the lever 162 can be replaced by a
secondary electric motor that has built-in speed reduction gearings
and thrust nut/screw manipulations, which provides high thrust
force or torque to clamp a workpiece 160 in addition to pulling the
cable 170 for the drilling module 5B to drill a pocket-hole. This
secondary motor, not shown, may be mounted on the frame 5A.
Therefore, the use of a lever or a secondary electric motor for the
actuation of the clamping and drilling movement enables body 5 to
eliminate use of shop air to operate this pocket-hole drilling
implement.
Even though the exemplary embodiments 1, 2, 3 and 5 are illustrated
based on the use of electric motors for the drilling modules 1B,
2B, 3B, 3BB and 5B, continuous operations or certain circumstances
may require using air motors. Utilization of the reversing switches
47 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3 not only enables the reverse movement
of the air motor 30, but also shuts the air supply when it reaches
at end of drilling position II to save the compressed air
consumption.
It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that
the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential character hereof. The
present description is therefore considered in all respects to be
illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is
indicated by the appended claims, and all changes that come within
the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be
embraced therein.
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