Milling head for thread whirling

• US 6,877,934 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: REM Sales Incorporated
• Original Assignee: REM Sales Incorporated
• Inventors: Gainer, Ronald John
• Primary Examiner(s): Wellington, A. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Application Number:
  US10/306,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20040081519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: B23/G00.1/34, B23/G00.5/18, 407/24, 407/25, 407/31, 407/49, 407/55, 407/56, 407/60, 407/61, 821/10, 821/17, 821/30, 409/65, 409/71, 409/74, 409/76, 409/77, 409/199
• US Class Current: 407/49
• CPC Class Codes: B23G 1/34 with a cutting bit moving in a closed path arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis of the rotating workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: B23G 2200/10 Threading tools comprising cutting inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B23G 2240/60 Thread whirling, i.e. production of a thread by means of an annular tool rotating about an axis not coincident with the axis of the thread being produced
• CPC Class Codes: B23G 5/18 Milling cutters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1938 Wedge clamp element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30056 with planetary cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/302744 and means for operation without manual intervention

Abstract

A milling head for thread whirling, the milling head includes a plurality of cutting elements evenly disposed around a center hole, each cutting element in the plurality of cutting elements includes at least two cutting surfaces formed thereon. Any one of the at least two cutting surfaces is selectable to extend within the center hole for contacting a work-piece. Each cutting element in the plurality of cutting elements is disposed in a recess formed in a face of the milling head, with each recess defining at least two walls. Each of the at least two walls contacts a side of the cutting element to align the cutting element in a predetermined relationship with respect to the milling head. In one embodiment, the plurality of cutting elements include first and second sets of cutting elements. The first set of cutting elements is evenly disposed around the center hole and contact the work-piece to produce a thread form on the work-piece. The second set of cutting elements is evenly disposed around the center hole and contacts the work-piece to remove material proximate the outside diameter of the work-piece.

Claims

1. A milling head for thread whirling, the milling head including:

a plurality of thread cutting elements evenly disposed around a center hole, each thread cutting element in the plurality of thread cutting elements including at least two cutting surfaces formed thereon, any one of the at least two cutting surfaces being selectable to extend within the center hole for contacting a work-piece to produce a thread form on the work-piece;

wherein each thread cutting element in the plurality of thread cutting elements is aligned in a predetermined relationship with respect to the milling head by at least two walls contacting sides of the thread cutting element; and

wherein the at least two walls are formed by a recess disposed in the milling head, each thread cutting element is secured within the recess by a locking wedge, the locking wedge being disposed in a slot contiguous with the recess.

2. The milling head of claim 1, wherein the predetermined relationship includes a cutting height and a rake angle.

3. The milling head of claim 1, wherein each thread cutting element is secured within the recess by a threaded fastener extending through a hole disposed in the thread cutting element.

4. The milling head of claim 1, further comprising:

a removal pin threadably disposed in a hole in the milling head beneath the thread cutting element, rotation of the removal pin forces the thread cutting element away from the milling head.

5. The milling head of claim 1, wherein the thread cutting elements are triangular in shape.

6. The milling head of claim 5, wherein three sides of each thread cutting element include a cutting surface formed thereon.

7. The milling head of claim 1, wherein the thread cutting elements are square in shape.

8. The milling head of claim 7, wherein two sides of each cutting element include a cutting surface formed thereon.

9. The milling head of claim 1, wherein each of the cutting surfaces include trailing side surfaces adjacent thereto, at least one of the trailing side surfaces extends from the cutting surface at a clearance angle relative to the cutting surface.

10. The milling head of claim 1, wherein each of the cutting surfaces include a trailing top surface adjacent thereto, the trailing top surface extends from the cutting surface at a clearance angle relative to the cutting surface.

11. A milling head for thread whirling, the milling head including:

a plurality of thread cutting elements evenly disposed around a center hole, each thread cutting element in the plurality of thread cutting elements including at least two cutting surfaces formed thereon, any one of the at least two cutting surfaces being selectable to extend within the center hole for contacting a work-piece to produce a thread form on the work-piece;

wherein each thread cutting element in the plurality of thread cutting elements is aligned in a predetermined relationship with respect to the milling head by at least two walls contacting sides of the thread cutting element;

wherein the at least two walls are formed by a recess disposed in the milling head, each thread cutting element is secured within the recess by a locking wedge, the locking wedge being disposed in a slot contiguous with the recess; and

wherein the locking wedge is secured to the milling head by a threaded fastener, the threaded fastener including opposing thread directions on opposite ends thereof, rotation of the threaded fastener in a first direction forces the locking wedge toward the milling head, and rotation of the threaded fastener in a second direction opposite the first direction forces the locking wedge away from the milling head.

12. A milling head for thread whirling, the milling head including:

a plurality of thread cutting elements evenly disposed around a center hole, each thread cutting element in the plurality of thread cutting elements including at least two cutting surfaces formed thereon, any one of the at least two cutting surfaces being selectable to extend within the center hole for contacting a work-piece to produce a thread form on the work-piece;

wherein the plurality of thread cutting elements include;

a first set of thread cutting elements evenly disposed around the center hole, the first set of thread cutting elements contacting the work-piece to produce a thread form on the work-piece, and

a second set of thread cutting elements evenly disposed around the center hole, the second set of thread cutting elements contacting the work-piece to remove material proximate the outside diameter of the work-piece.