Circular arc groove cutting machine

Claim 2

A groove cutting machine for cutting a circular arc groove of constant depth extending between two apertures in a workpiece comprising a tool head rotatable about an axis coincident with the center line of the circular arc groove to be cut, a plurality of relatively movable cutting teeth, means on said tool head for locating said teeth to cut in a tangential direction at radii from said axis equal to the radii of the groove to be cut and for guiding movement of said teeth in directions parallel to said axis, said teeth contained within a circular arc about said axis that does not overlap the arc of the groove to be cut between the two apertures in the workpiece, each of said teeth having a cam follower, stationary cam means having a circular cam track centered on said axis, said cam track having axially oppositely facing cam surfaces for engaging said cam followers to positively maintain said cutting teeth in fixed cutting positions throughout a circular arc the length of the groove to be cut and maintain said cutting teeth in retracted positions clear of the workpiece throughout the remaining circular arc between the two apertures in the workpiece in directions parallel to said axis and to extend and retract said cutting teeth between said retracted positions and said cutting positions as they traverse the apertures in the workpiece all within one tool head revolution, and said teeth having a progressively increasing cutting depth in a direction opposite the direction of tool head turning measured parallel to said axis from a fixed reference when said teeth arE in their cutting positions whereby a circular arc groove of constant depth equal to the largest cutting depth of said teeth is cut between the two apertures in the workpiece by the teeth being successively extended to their cutting positions as they traverse one of the apertures and thereafter taking progressively deeper cuts in the workpiece and then being retracted to their retracted positions as they traverse the other aperture all within less than one complete tool head revolution.

Claim 3

A groove cutting machine for cutting a circular arc groove of constant depth extending between two apertures in a workpiece comprising a tool head rotatable about an axis coincident with the center line of the circular arc groove to be cut, a plurality of relatively movable cutting teeth, means on said tool head for locating said teeth to cut in a tangential direction at radii from said axis equal to the radii of the groove to be cut and for guiding movement of said teeth in directions parallel to said axis, said teeth contained within a circular arc about said axis that does not overlap the arc of the groove to be cut between the two apertures in the workpiece, each of said teeth having a cam follower, stationary cam means having a circular cam track centered on said axis for engaging said cam followers to positively extend said cutting teeth throughout a circular arc the length of the groove to be cut and retract said cutting teeth throughout the remaining circular arc between the two apertures in the workpiece in directions parallel to said axis within one tool head revolution, said cam track having a tooth retracted portion extending through a circular arc at least as long as the remaining arc between the two apertures in the workpiece for maintaining said teeth in retracted positions clear of the workpiece when said teeth are not traversing the circular arc of the groove to be cut as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc at least as long as the arc of the groove to be cut at a fixed axial location for positioning the maintaining said teeth in fixed cutting positions from one end of the groove to be cut to the other end as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extending portion between one end of said tooth retracted portion and one end of said tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location for moving said teeth from their retracted positions to their cutting positions while they traverse one of the apertures as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth retracting portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location for moving said teeth from their cutting positions to their retracted positions while they traverse the other aperture in the workpiece as said tool head turns, and said teeth having a progressively increasing cutting depth in a direction opposite the direction of tool head turning measured parallel to said axis from a fixed reference when said teeth are in their cutting positions whereby a circular arc groove of constant depth equal to the largest cutting depth of said teeth is cut between the two apertures in the workpiece by the teeth being successively extended to their cutting positions as they traverse one of the apertures and thereafter taking progressively deeper cuts in the workpiece and then being retracted to their retracted positions as they traverse the other aperture all within less than one complete tool head revolution.

Claim 4

A groove cutting machine for cutting a circular arc groove of constant depth extending between two apertures in a workpiece comprising a tool head rotatable about an axis coincident with the center line of the circular arc groove to be cut, a plurality of relatively movable cutting teeth, means on said tool head for locating said teeth to cut in a tangential direction at radii from said axis equal to the radii of the groove to be cut and for guiding movement of said teeth in directions parallel to said axis, said teeth contained within a circular arc about said axis that does not overlap the arc of the groove to be cut between the two apertures in the workpiece, each of said teeth having a cam follower, stationary cam means having a circular cam track centered on said axis for engaging said cam followers to positively extend said cutting teeth throughout a circular arc the length of the groove to be cut and retract said cutting teeth throughout the remaining circular arc between the two apertures in the workpiece in directions parallel to said axis within one tool head revolution, said cam track having a tooth retracted portion extending through a circular arc at least as long as the remaining arc between the two apertures in the workpiece for maintaining said teeth in retracted positions clear of the workpiece when said teeth are not traversing the circular arc of the groove to be cut as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc at least as long as the arc of the groove to be cut at a fixed axial location for positioning the maintaining said teeth in fixed cutting positions from one end of the groove to be cut to the other end as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extending portion between one end of said tooth retracted portion and one end of said tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location for moving said teeth from their retracted positions to their cutting positions while they traverse one of the apertures as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth retracting portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location for moving said teeth from their cutting positions to their retracted positions while they traverse the other aperture in the workpiece as said tool head turns, and said teeth having a progressively increasing cutting depth in a direction opposite the direction of tool head turning measured parallel to said axis from a fixed reference when said teeth are in their cutting positions whereby a circular arc groove of constant depth equal to the largest cutting depth of said teeth is cut between the two apertures in the workpiece by the teeth being successively extended to their cutting positions as they traverse one of the apertures and thereafter taking progressively deeper cuts in the workpiece and then being retracted to their retracted positions as they traverse the other aperture all within less than one complete tool head revolution.

Claim 5

A groove cutting machine for cutting a circular arc groove of constant depth extending between two apertures in a workpiece comprising a tool head rotatable about an axis coincident with the center line of the circular arc groove to be cut, a plurality of relatively movable cutting teeth, means on said tool head for locating said teeth to cut in a tangential direction At radii from said axis equal to the radii of the groove to be cut and for guiding movement of said teeth in directions parallel to said axis, said teeth contained within a circular arc about said axis that does not overlap the arc of the groove to be cut between the two apertures in the workpiece, each of said teeth having a cam follower, stationary cam means having a circular cam track centered on said axis, said cam track having axially oppositely facing cam surfaces for engaging said cam followers to positively extend said cutting teeth throughout a circular arc the length of the groove to be cut and retract said cutting teeth throughout the remaining circular arc between the two apertures in the workpiece in directions parallel to said axis within one tool head revolution, said cam track having a tooth retracted portion extending through a circular arc at a first axial location on said tool head at least as long as the remaining arc between the two apertures in the workpiece for maintaining said teeth in retracted positions clear of the workpiece when said teeth are not traversing the circular arc of the groove to be cut as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc at least as long as the arc of the groove to be cut at a second axial location on said tool head to one side of said first axial location toward the groove to be cut and spaced from said first axial location a distance equal to the depth of the groove to be cut plus the smallest clearance between said teeth and the workpiece when said teeth are in their retracted positions for positioning and maintaining said teeth in fixed cutting positions from one end of the groove to be cut to the other end as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extending portion between one end of said tooth retracted portion and one end of said tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location between said two fixed axial locations for moving said teeth from their retracted positions to their cutting positions while they traverse one of the apertures as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth retracting portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location between said two fixed axial locations for moving said teeth from their cutting positions to their retracted positions while they traverse the other aperture in the workpiece as said tool head turns, and said teeth having a progressively increasing cutting depth in a direction opposite the direction of tool head turning measured parallel to said axis from a fixed reference when said teeth are in their cutting positions whereby a circular arc groove of constant depth equal to the largest cutting depth of said teeth is cut between the two apertures in the workpiece by the teeth being successively extended to their cutting positions as they traverse one of the apertures and thereafter taking progressively deeper cuts in the workpiece and then being retracted to their retracted positions as they traverse the other aperture all within less than one complete tool head revolution.

Claim 6

A groove cutting machine for cutting a circular arc groove of constant depth extending between two apertures in a workpiece comprising a tool head rotatable about an axis coincident with the center line of the circular arc groove to be cut, a plurality of relatively movable cutting teeth, means on said tool head for locating said teeth to cut in a tangential direction At radii from said axis equal to the radii of the groove to be cut and for guiding movement of said teeth in directions parallel to said axis, said teeth contained within a circular arc about said axis that does not overlap the arc of the groove to be cut between the two apertures in the workpiece, each of said teeth having a cam follower, stationary cam means having a circular cam track centered on said axis, said cam track having axially oppositely facing cam surfaces for engaging said cam followers to positively extend said cutting teeth throughout a circular arc the length of the groove to be cut and retract said cutting teeth throughout the remaining circular arc between the two apertures in the workpiece in directions parallel to said axis within one tool head revolution, said cam track having a tooth retracted portion extending through a circular arc at a first axial location on said tool head at least as long as the remaining arc between the two apertures in the workpiece for maintaining said teeth in retracted positions clear of the workpiece when said teeth are not traversing the circular arc of the groove to be cut as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc at least as long as the arc of the groove to be cut at a second axial location on said tool head to one side of said first axial location toward the groove to be cut and spaced from said first axial location a distance equal to the depth of the groove to be cut plus the smallest clearance between said teeth and the workpiece when said teeth are in their retracted positions for positioning and maintaining said teeth in fixed cutting positions from one end of the groove to be cut to the other end as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth extending portion between one end of said tooth retracted portion and one end of said tooth extended portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location between said two fixed axial locations for moving said teeth from their retracted positions to their cutting positions while they traverse one of the apertures as said tool head turns, said cam track further having a tooth retracting portion extending through a circular arc less than the arc of the apertures in the workpiece at a varying axial location between said two fixed axial locations for moving said teeth from their cutting positions to their retracted positions while they traverse the other aperture in the workpiece as said tool head turns, and said teeth having a progressively increasing cutting depth in a direction opposite the direction of tool head turning measured parallel to said axis from a fixed reference when said teeth are in their cutting positions whereby a circular arc groove of constant depth equal to the largest cutting depth of said teeth is cut between the two apertures in the workpiece by the teeth being successively extended to their cutting positions as they traverse one of the apertures and thereafter taking progressively deeper cuts in the workpiece and then being retracted to their retracted positions as they traverse the other aperture all within less than one complete tool head revolution.