Drill bushing for use in a metal tooling plate

Claim 2

A drill bushing for use in a metal tooling plate comprising a unitary body of hardened metal having an external shape generally in the form of a cylinder with opposite end faces and a circular cylindrical internal drill guiding passage open at both ends and extending substantially from one end face to the other, said bushing having: a circular cylindrical external surface coaxial with the guiding passage and extending from a first location adjacent one end face to a second location between the mid-point of the bushing and the other end face; a knurled cylindrical external surface coaxial with the guiding passage and extending from a third location adjacent said other end face to a fourth location between said second and third locations, the knurled surface having teeth extending parallel to the axis of said circular cylindrical external surface and said teeth having roots substantially aligned with said circular cylindrical external surface and tips extending outwardly beyond said circular cylindrical external surface; an annular groove in the external surface of the bushing, said groove being located between said second and fourth locations and immediately adjacent said fourth location; the teeth of the knurled section having radially extending end faces at said fourth location forming an angle between about zero degrees and five degrees positive with respect to a plane perpendicular to said cylindrical external surface whereby said teeth are able to cut into the internal surface of a cylindrical hole in the tooling plate, forming chips which are received in said groove when the bushing is pressed into the tooling plate.

Claim 3

A drill bushing according to claim 1 the external surface of which has a circular cylindrical lead section extending through a short distance substantially from said one end face to said first location adjacent said one end face, said lead section having an outer diameter slightly less than that of said circular cylindrical external surface.

Claim 4

A drill bushing according to claim 1 in which the internal drill guiding passage is countersunk at both ends.

Claim 5

A drill bushing according to claim 1 in which the axial length of said circular cylindrical external surface is between approximately 2/3 and 9/10 of the distance between said end faces.

Claim 6

In combination with a metal tooling plate having flat, parallel faces on opposite sides and at least one cylindrical through hole extending from one of said faces to the other, a drill bushing comprising a unitary body of hardened metal having an external shape generally in the form of a cylinder with opposite end faces and a circular cylindrical internal drill guiding passage open at both ends and extending substantially from one end face to the other, said bushing having: a circular cylindrical external surface coaxial with the guiding passage and extending from a first location adjacent one end face to a second location between the mid-point of the bushing and the other end face; a knurled cylindrical external surface coaxial with the guiding passage and extending from a third location adjacent said other end face to a fourth location between said second and third locations, the knurled surface having teeth extending parallel to the axis of said circular cylindrical external surface and said teeth having roots substantially aligned with said circular cylindrical external surface and tips extending outwardly beyond said circular cylindrical external surface; an annular groove in the external surface of the bushing, said groove being located between said second and fourth locations and immediately adjacent said fourth location; the teeth of the knurled section having radially extending end faces at said fourth location forming an angle between about zero degrees and five degrees positive with respect to a plane perpendicular to said cylindrical external surface whereby said teeth are able to cut into the internal surface of said cylindrical through hole in the tooling plate, forming chips when the bushing is pressed into the tooling plate; at least part of said circular cylindrical external surface being located in said through hole and in press-fit relationship therewith, and said knurled surface being also located in said through hole with its teeth embedded in the wall of said through hole, said chips being received by and located in said groove.

Claim 7

In combination with a metal tooling plate having flat, parallel faces on opposite sides and at least one cylindrical through hole extending from one of said faces to the other, a drill bushing comprising a unitary body of hardened metal having an external shape generally in the form of a cylinder with opposite end faces and a circular cylindrical internal drill guiding passage open at both ends and extending substantially from one end face to the other, said bushing having: a circular cylindrical external surface coaxial with the guiding passage and extending from a first location adjacent one end face to a second location between the mid-point of the bushing and the other end face; a knurled cylindrical external surface coaxial with the guiding passage and extending from a third location adjacent said other end face to a fourth location between said second and third locations, the knurled surface having teeth extending parallel to the axis of said circular cylindrical external surface and said teeth having roots substantially aligned with said circular cylindrical external surface and tips extending outwardly beyond said circular cylindrical external surface; an annular groove in the external surface of the bushing, said groove being located between said second and fourth locations and immediately adjacent said fourth location; the teeth of the knurled section having radially extending end faces at said fourth location forming an angle between about zero degrees and five degrees positive with respect to a plane perpendicular to said cylindrical external surface whereby said teeth are able to cut into the internal surface of said cylindrical through hole in the tooling plate, forming chips when the bushing is pressed into the tooling plate; at least part of said circular cylindrical external surface being located in said through hole and in press-fit relationship therewith, and said knurled surface being also located in said through hole with its teeth embedded in the wall of said through hole, said chips being received by and located in said groove.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 5 in which each end face of the bushing is substantially flush with a face of the tooling plate.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 5 in which said other end face of the bushing is substantially flush with one face of the tooling plate, and the length of the bushing is greater than the thickness of the tooling plate so that said one end face of the bushing is spaced outwardly from the other face of the tooling plate.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 5 in which said chips are tightly packed in said groove whereby the bushing is locked against axial movement in said through hole.