CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/354,939, filed 23 June 2022, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] This relates in general to cutting tools. One category of cutting tools is generally planar cutting tools, such as circular saws, band saws, reciprocating saws, and the like. Such tools generally include a generally planar main body with cutting teeth along at least one edge.

SUMMARY

[0003] This relates more particularly to a cutting tool with inserted cutting teeth.

[0004] In at least one embodiment a cutting tool includes a main body having a pocket with a multi-faced bottom surface and a multi-faced back surface. A tooth is disposed in the pocket and has a corresponding multi-faced bottom surface and a multi-faced back surface.

[0005] In at least one embodiment the multi-faced bottom surfaces and multi-faced back surfaces on the pocket and on the tooth cooperate, respectively, to center a tip of the tooth relative to a plane of the main body.

[0006] In at least one embodiment the multi-faced bottom surfaces and multi-faced back surfaces on the pocket and on the tooth have reciprocal geometry, respectively.

[0007] In at least one embodiment the tooth is press fit into the pocket.

[0008] In at least one embodiment the tooth is retained in the pocket with an interference fit that urges the tooth toward the bottom surface of the pocket and the back surface of the pocket. [0009] In at least one other embodiment a cutting tool includes a main body having plurality of insert seats. Each seat has a longitudinal mating surface and vertical mating surface with a recess formed therebetween. The tool also includes a plurality of insert assemblies, each disposed in a respective insert seat. Each insert assembly has a bottom mating surface reciprocal to the longitudinal mating surface, and has a back mating surface reciprocal to the vertical mating surface. A cutting portion of the insert assembly extends beyond the vertical mating surface, and a retention portion of the insert assembly extends partially into the recess where the insert assembly is retained in tension relative to the main body.

[0010] The longitudinal mating surface may include a longitudinally extending peak disposed centrally along the transverse of the main body.

[0011] The bottom mating surface may include a reciprocal longitudinally extending valley disposed centrally along the transverse of the insert assembly.

[0012] The vertical mating surface may include a vertically extending peak disposed centrally along the transverse of the main body.

[0013] The back mating surface may include a vertically extending valley disposed centrally along the transverse of the insert assembly.

[0014] In at least one further embodiment, a method for using a cutting tool includes the steps of: providing a main body having plurality of tooth seats forming a pocket, each seat having a longitudinal mating surface and vertical mating surface with a recess formed therebetween; providing a plurality of tooth inserts, each tooth insert having a bottom mating surface reciprocal to the longitudinal mating surface, and having a back mating surface reciprocal to the vertical mating surface; and pressing each tooth insert into a respective tooth seat such that a cutting portion of the tooth insert extends beyond the vertical mating surface, and a retention portion of the insert assembly extends partially into the recess where the insert assembly is retained in tension relative to the main body, and the tooth insert is laterally centered within the pocket.

[0015] The extension portion of the tooth insert may extend only partially into the recess such that there is an open space between the retention portion and a portion of the pocket, and the method further include the step of placing a tool in at least one open space and using the tool to eject at least one tooth insert from its respective pocket.

[0016] The method of may further include the step of: pressing a new tooth insert into the pocket from which the previous tooth insert was ejected.

[0017] Further, the longitudinal mating surface may include a longitudinally extending peak disposed centrally along the transverse of the main body, and the bottom mating surface may include a reciprocal longitudinally extending valley disposed centrally along the transverse of the tooth insert, and prior to the pressing the longitudinal peak and longitudinal valley may be axially aligned.

[0018] Further the vertical mating surface may include a vertically extending peak disposed centrally along the transverse of the main body, and the back mating surface may include a vertically extending valley disposed centrally along the transverse of the tooth insert, and prior to the pressing the vertical peak and vertically valley may be aligned parallel.

[0019] Various aspects will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Fig. l is a schematic representation of a portion having a tooth pocket of a body of a cutting tool.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a tooth for insertion into the pocket in Fig. 1.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the assembly of the tooth of Fig. 2 in the pocket in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0023] Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in Figs. 1 -3 an exemplary cutting tool. As shown in Figure 1, a pocket of a main body has at least two surfaces that are multi-faced, one on the bottom of the pocket, e.g bottom mating surface, and on the back of the pocket, e.g. vertical mating surface. This includes tooth contact surfaces/faces indicated at la and 3 a. As shown in Figure 2, faces 4b and 2b of the tooth have the reciprocal geometry to the bottom mating surface and the vertical mating surface to cooperate together to retain the position of the tooth relative to the body. In particular, it is believed that the illustrated geometry will keep a tip of the tooth centered relative to a position on the body.

[0024] The tooth is shown disposed in the pocket in Figure 3. As such, the tooth may be press fitted into the pocket. In the present example there is interference geometry fit between the tooth and the pocket to hold the tip in a desired position. For example, downward force at 1c may clamp the tooth between pocket faces at 1c and 3c. The tooth may be stopped relative to insertion in the main body at a desired location, for example, at pocket face 2c.

[0025] While principles and modes of operation have been explained and illustrated with regard to particular embodiments, it must be understood, however, that this may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.