US3877833A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hole cutter
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
•
Filing: 1973-09-19
•
Granted: 1975-04-15
•
Expires: 1993-09-19
Abstract
Abstract An adjustable hole cutter for use in forming circular openings in workpieces. The hole cutter is characterized by a mount of a substantially planar configuration, positionable into a plane paralleling the working plane of a selected workpiece, a shaft for imparting rotary motion to the mount about an axis of rotation normally related to the working plane, a plurality of stabilizing struts for resiliently supporting the mount in parallelism with the working plane as rotary motion is imparted thereto, a drill bit for drilling a pilot hole concentric with the axis of rotation, and an elongated cutting tool adjustably seated within a radially extended slot.
Inventors
- 👤 George E Thornton
- 👤 Danvis T Newby
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 08:24
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23B; B23B51/00; B23B51/04; B23B51/05; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T408/00; Y10T408/55; Y10T408/564; Y10T408/5653; Y10T408/86; Y10T408/87; Y10T408/8725; Y10T408/8734; Y10T408/875
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
An adjustable hole cutter for use in forming circular openings in workpieces comprising: a tool mount positionable into a plane paralleling the working plane of a selected workpiece; means for imparting rotary motion to said mount about an axis of rotation normal to the working plane; support means affixed to said mount for resiliently supporting the mount against displacement along a linear path extended toward the workpiece as rotary motion is imparted to the mounting member; a elongated cutting tool; means for affixing said cutting tool to said mount in a projected relationship therewith for engaging the workpiece as the mount is displaced along the linear path; said support means including a plurality of stabilizing struts affixed to the mount, and a plurality of spring-biased supports including strut-supporting rollable elements mounted on said struts for engaging selected portions of the surface of the workpiece.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
144 words
An adjustable hole cutter for use in forming circular openings in workpieces comprising: a tool mount positionable into a plane paralleling the working plane of a selected workpiece; means for imparting rotary motion to said mount about an axis of rotation normal to the working plane; support means affixed to said mount for resiliently supporting the mount against displacement along a linear path extended toward the workpiece as rotary motion is imparted to the mounting member; a elongated cutting tool; means for affixing said cutting tool to said mount in a projected relationship therewith for engaging the workpiece as the mount is displaced along the linear path; said support means including a plurality of stabilizing struts affixed to the mount, and a plurality of spring-biased supports including strut-supporting rollable elements mounted on said struts for engaging selected portions of the surface of the workpiece.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The hole cutter of claim 1 wherein said rollable elements comprise wheels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The hole cutter of claim 1 wherein said rollable elements comprise balls.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The hole cutter of claim 1 wherein said means for imparting rotary motion to said mount includes an elongated shank rigidly affixed to the mount and extended in concentric relation with said axis of rotation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The hole cutter of claim 4 further comprising a drill bit rigidly affixed to said mount in coaxial alignment with said shank for drilling a centering hole in the workpiece as the mount is displaced along said linear path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The hole cutter of claim 5 wherein said shank is configured to be received within a chuck of a drill motor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
The hole cutter of claim 1 wherein said mount is of a disk-shaped configuration and said means for affixing said cutting tool to the mount includes means defining a radially extended slot for receiving said cutting tool, whereby the cutting tool in affixed to said mount at a variable distance from said axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
110 words
The hole cutter of claim 2 wherein each of said spring-biased wheels is supported by means including: A. a bifurcated yoke; B. an axle-supported wheel seated in the yoke; C. a guide pin affixed to said yoke extended in parallelism with said axis of rotation; D. a shroud of a cylindrical configuration receiving said guide pin in a concentric relationship therewith; E. a compression spring seated on said yoke and disposed within said shroud, concentrically related to said guide pin for forcing said yoke outwardly from said shroud; and F. means including a motion-limiting pin affixed to said guide pin and supporting said guide pin against displacement from the shroud.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The hole cutter of claim 8 wherein said means for affixing said cutting tool to said mount includes means for adjusting the effective length of the cutting tool.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-14 | 1978-10-14 | 1979-04-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-14 | 1982-10-14 | 1983-04-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-14 | 1986-10-14 | 1987-04-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |