Timed intermittent air propelled liquid coolant system for machine tools

Claim 2

A liquid coolant and lubricant system for machine tools which comprises a container receiving liquid coolant and lubricant from the machine tool to form a column of liquid in the container, an outlet for feeding liquid from the column to the machine tool, and means for introducing air under pressure to the top of the column and for releasing air pressure from the container at a selected frequency and for a selected duration to intermittently feed the liquid coolant and lubricant under pressure to the machine tool and workpiece.

Claim 5

A timed intermittent air propelled liquid cooling system for machine tools which comprises an upright container for housing a column of liquid coolant, a bottom inlet in said container for feeding coolant from a machine tool to the bottom of the container, a check valve controlling said inlet to prevent back flow from the container, a bottom outlet in said container for delivering liquid coolant from the bottom of the column of liquid in the container to a machine tool, an air valve for selectively admitting air pressure to the top of the container over the column of coolant therein and for venting the interior of the container to the atmosphere, and means for automatically shifting said valve to intermittently pressurize the column of coolant in the container at a selected frequency and to vent the container to the atmosphere after a selected duration of air pressure in the container.

Claim 6

A timed intermittent air propelled liquid cooling system for machine tools which comprises an upright container for housing a column of liquid coolant, a bottom inlet in said container for feeding coolant from a machine tool to the bottom of the container, a check valve controlling said inlet to prevent back flow from the container, a bottom outlet in said container for delivering liquid coolant from the bottom of the column of liquid in the container to a machine tool, an air valve for selectively admitting air pressure to the top of the container over the column of coolant therein and for venting the interior of the container to the atmosphere, and means for automatically shifting said valve to intermittently pressurize the column of coolant in the container at a selected frequency and to vent the container to the atmosphere after a selected duration of air pressure in the container.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1 including a fluidics device operated by air pressure to control the means for introducing air under pressure to the top of the column and for releasing air pressure from the container.

Claim 12

The system of claim 2 wherein the fluidics device has an oscillator portion controlling frequency and a vibratory portion for controlling duration within the frequency.

Claim 13

The system of claim 1 including a pair of manually adjusted needle valves controlling said means for introducing air under pressure to the top of the column and for releasing air pressure from the container to vary the frequency and the duration of coolant and lubricant feed to the machine tool and workpiece.

Claim 14

The system of claim 1 wherein a three-way valve introduces air to the top of the column and releases air from the container and a fluidics control device shifts said valve to vary the frequency and the duration of coolant feed.

Claim 15

The system of claim 1 including a machine shop air pressure line to supply air to said means and an air actuated fluidics control device to regulate said means.

Claim 16

The device of claim 2 wherein the means for selectively introducing air under pressure to the top of the container and bending the top of the container to the atmosphere is a three-way valve shifted by said fluidics control.

Claim 17

The device of claim 2 wherein the fluidics control is actuated by air from the means for introducing air.

Claim 18

The device of claim 2 wherein the container has hose connections with the machine tool and with a machine shop air source.

Claim 19

The device of claim 2 wherein the fluidics control includes a clock and a one shot vibrator.

Claim 20

The system of claim 3 wherein the air valve has a hollow spool with valve heads at opposite ends cooperating with seats and a diaphragm controls the shifting of the spool valve.

Claim 21

The system of claim 2 wherein the outlet in the container communicates directly through a hose with the hollow stem of a drill in said machine tool.

Claim 22

The system of claim 3 wherein the machine tool is a spade drill press having a hollow spindle, a rotary coupling and a hose attached to said coupling joins the bottom outlet of the container with the interior of the spindle.

Claim 23

The system of claim 2 wherein the machine tool has a hollow stem spade drill with the stem receiving coolant from the column in the container and discharges the coolant over the side faces of the spade drill head into the hole being drilled.

Claim 24

The method of claim 4 including the step of flowing the liquid coolant through a hollow drill stem to a spade drill head mounted on the stem for cascading coolant over the drill head into the hole being drilled in the workpiece.

Claim 25

The method of claim 4 including the step of feeding the coolant from the bottom of said column to the tool of the machine tool.

Claim 26

The method of claim 4 including the step of recirculating the coolant from the machine tool to the bottom of said column.

Claim 27

The method of claim 4 including the step of using air pressure to control the frequencies and the durations of a coolant feed.

Claim 28

The method of claim 4 including the added step of pressure feeding the coolant through the hollow stem of a tool against the workpiece.

Claim 29

The method of claim 4 including the step of feeding the coolant through the hollow stem of a spade drill and discharging the coolant under pressure from said stem over the sides of the spade drill tip against the workpiece in the hole being drilled.

Claim 30

The method of claim 5 including the step of preventing back flow of coolant from the bottom of said column to the machine tool.

Claim 31

The method of claim 5 including the use of air pressure to control the feeding of air to the top of the column and the venting of the air from said top of the column.