Pocket reducing insert for toolholder and the like

Claim 2

In combination, a toolholder or the like of the type including a pocket designed to nestingly accept a first cutting insert of a predetermined size and shape and a clamp-accepting aperture spaced from said pocket, said toolholder pocket having a bottom and two walls which are angularly disposed to one another to nestingly accept a first cutting insert of a predetermined shape and size so that when the first cutting insert is operatively accepted by said pocket, angularly-disposed sides of the cutting insert abut said angularly-disposed walls of said pocket, said clamp-accepting aperture being internally-threaded and one wall of said pocket generally facing away from the longitudinal axis of said clamp-accepting aperture; an adapter including a body having two sides which are angularly disposed relative to one another, being nestingly accepted within said toolholder pocket with each of said body sides in abutting engagement with a corresponding one of said pocket walls and defining a notch; a second cutting insert having an upper face and a lower face, being nestingly accepted within said adapter notch and including a central portion defining a bore extending between said upper and lower faces; and a clamping assembly including screw means in the form of a fastener having a head and a threaded shank extending from said head, said shank being threadably received by said clamp-accepting aperture and insert-engaging means secured to said screw means, said insert-engaging means including a top clamp having an attachment portion and an elongated finger portion extending from said attachment portion, said attachment portion defining a slotted aperture through which said fastener shank is closely received so that said attachment portion is retained between said fastener head and said toolholder, said slotted aperture permitting adjustment of the distance between said elongated finger portion and said fastener shank as said slotted aperture of said attachment portion is guidedly moved along said fastener shank, said elongated finger portion defining a rounded surface for operatively engaging said central portion of said second cutting insert and an internally-threaded bore opening through said rounded surface, said insert-engaging means further including a set screw threadably received by said internally-threaded bore and positionable at a condition at which an end of said set screw protrudes slightly beyond said rounded surface so that when assembling said combination, said set screw and said rounded surface cooperate with said bore of said second cutting insert to locate said elongated finger portion in operative relation to said second cutting insert so that subsequent tightening of said fastener within said clamp-accepting aperture firmly presses said rounded surface against second cutting insert and generally toward said pocket bottom and said one pocket wall.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said internally-threaded bore is inclined at such an angle in relationship to said bore of said second cutting insert that when said second cutting insert is firmly pressed by said rounded surface of aforesaid, subsequent tightening of said set screw presses the protruding end thereof into engagement with said second cutting insert to further press said second cutting insert against said pocket bottom and said one pocket wall.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said attachment end portion defines a toolholder-engaging surface in engagement with said toolholder and arranged in relation to said shanked fastener so that the shank of said fastener is positioned generally between said toolholder-engaging surface and said rounded surface.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 wherein said screw means is moved relative to said toolholder along a linear path as said screw means is tightened within said clamp-accepting aperture and said rounded surface has a portion which is inclined relative to said path of movement of said screw means so that as said screw means is tigthened, said second cutting insert is pressed as aforesaid by said rounded surface.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4 wherein said rounded surface contacts said second cutting insert at a point along the edge of said toolholder bore located closest to said clamp-accepting aperture.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 wherein said bore of said second cutting insert defines an upper edge and said second cutting insert is pressed as aforesaid by the cooperation between rounded surface and said upper edge of said bore.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 wherein said toolholder defines a screw-accepting bore in its pocket bottom, said adaptor body defines a through-hole positioned in alignment with said threaded bore of said toolholder and the combination further includes: a seat screw having a shank which extends through said through-hole and is threadably accepted by said threaded bore so that said adaptor body is held by said seat screw between said bottom of said pocket and the head of said seat screw.

Claim 9

An adapter kit for a toolholder or the like of the type including a pocket and defining an elongated, internally-threaded clamp-accepting aperture spaced from the pocket wherein the tooholder pocket has a bottom and at least two walls which are angularly-disposed relative to one another to nestingly accept a first cutting insert of a predetermined shape and size so that when the first cutting insert is operatively accepted by the pocket, angularly-disposed sides of the first cutting insert abut the angularly-disposed walls of the tooholder pocket, one wall of said pocket generally facing away from the longitudinal axis of the clamp-accepting aperture, said kit comprising: an adapter including a body having a bottom and at least two sides which are angularly disposed relative to one another and of such size and shape to be nestingly received within the pocket of such toolholder with each of said body sides abutting a corresponding one of said pocket walls and defining a notch having a bottom and at least two angularly-disposed walls and of such size and shape to nestingly accept a second cutting insert having a smaller inscribed circle than that of the first cutting insert for which such toolholder is designed, at least two angularly-disposed sides and a central bore oriented generally parallel to each of its angularly-disposed sides whereby operative positioning of said second cutting insert within said body notch places the angularly-disposed sides of said second cutting insert in abutting engagement with said angularly-disposed sides of said notch to limit the directions in which said second cutting insert can be moved relative to said body; and a clamping assembly including screw means in the form of a fastener having a head and a threaded shank extending from said head, said shank being threadably receivable by the clamp-accepting aperture and insert-engaging means securable to said screw means, said insert-engaging means including a top clamp having an attachment portion and an elongated finger portion extending from said attachment portion, said attachment portion defining a slotted aperture through which said fastener shank is closely receivable so that said attachment portion is retained between said fastener head and the toolholder when said fastener shank is threadably received by said clamp-accepting aperture, said slotted aperture permitting adjustment of the distance between said elongated finger portion and said fastener shank as said slotted aperture of said attachment portion is guidedly moved along said fastener shank, said elongated finger portion defining a rounded surface for operatively engaging said second cutting insert and an internally-threaded bore opening through said rounded surface, said insert-engaging means further including a set screw threadably received by said internally-threaded bore and positionable at a condition at which an end of said set screw protrudes slightly beyond said rounded surface so that when assembling said kit, toolholder and second cutting insert, said set screw and said rounded surface cooperate with said bore of said second cutting insert to locate said elongated finger portion in operative relation to said second cutting insert so that subsequent tightening of said fastener within said clamp-accepting aperture firmly presses said rounded surface against said second cutting insert and generally toward said pocket bottom and said one pocket wall.

Claim 10

An adapter kit for a toolholder or the like of the type including a pocket and defining an elongated, internally-threaded clamp-accepting aperture spaced from the pocket wherein the tooholder pocket has a bottom and at least two walls which are angularly-disposed relative to one another to nestingly accept a first cutting insert of a predetermined shape and size so that when the first cutting insert is operatively accepted by the pocket, angularly-disposed sides of the first cutting insert abut the angularly-disposed walls of the tooholder pocket, one wall of said pocket generally facing away from the longitudinal axis of the clamp-accepting aperture, said kit comprising: an adapter including a body having a bottom and at least two sides which are angularly disposed relative to one another and of such size and shape to be nestingly received within the pocket of such toolholder with each of said body sides abutting a corresponding one of said pocket walls and defining a notch having a bottom and at least two angularly-disposed walls and of such size and shape to nestingly accept a second cutting insert having a smaller inscribed circle than that of the first cutting insert for which such toolholder is designed, at least two angularly-disposed sides and a central bore oriented generally parallel to each of its angularly-disposed sides whereby operative positioning of said second cutting insert within said body notch places the angularly-disposed sides of said second cutting insert in abutting engagement with said angularly-disposed sides of said notch to limit the directions in which said second cutting insert can be moved relative to said body; and a clamping assembly including screw means in the form of a fastener having a head and a threaded shank extending from said head, said shank being threadably receivable by the clamp-accepting aperture and insert-engaging means securable to said screw means, said insert-engaging means including a top clamp having an attachment portion and an elongated finger portion extending from said attachment portion, said attachment portion defining a slotted aperture through which said fastener shank is closely receivable so that said attachment portion is retained between said fastener head and the toolholder when said fastener shank is threadably received by said clamp-accepting aperture, said slotted aperture permitting adjustment of the distance between said elongated finger portion and said fastener shank as said slotted aperture of said attachment portion is guidedly moved along said fastener shank, said elongated finger portion defining a rounded surface for operatively engaging said second cutting insert and an internally-threaded bore opening through said rounded surface, said insert-engaging means further including a set screw threadably received by said internally-threaded bore and positionable at a condition at which an end of said set screw protrudes slightly beyond said rounded surface so that when assembling said kit, toolholder and second cutting insert, said set screw and said rounded surface cooperate with said bore of said second cutting insert to locate said elongated finger portion in operative relation to said second cutting insert so that subsequent tightening of said fastener within said clamp-accepting aperture firmly presses said rounded surface against said second cutting insert and generally toward said pocket bottom and said one pocket wall.

Claim 11

The kit as defined in claim 8 wherein said internally-threaded bore is inclinded at such an angle in relationship to said bore of said second cutting insert that when said second cutting insert is firmly pressed by said rounded surface as aforesaid, subsequent tightening of said set screw presses the protruding end thereof into engagement with said second cutting insert to further press said second cutting insert against said pocket bottom and said one pocket wall.