Cross-Reference to Related Application

[0001] This application is based upon and claims priority benefits from U.S. provisional patent application Serial No. 61/956,039 filed on May 31, 2013, entitled "Uniburr". The Ό39 provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to deburring tools. In

particular, the present invention relates to a tool that can be attached to a handheld drill and used to deburr bar stock.

Background of the Invention

[0003] Burrs, raised or frayed edges of material often result from machining operations such as grinding, drilling, milling, engraving, and turning. In many cases, it is necessary or preferred to remove these burrs, a process known as deburring, as the presence of burrs can lead to increased wear on the parts involved, leading to frequent replacement, or even preventing the parts from working as intended.

[0004] Burrs formed in drilled holes can cause fastener and material problems. Burrs can lead to concentrated stress at the edges of holes, thereby decreasing the material's resistance to fracture. Burrs also increase the friction and heat between moving parts. In addition, burrs can interfere with the proper placement of fasteners, and can also lead to corrosion. Furthermore, the sharp edges of many burrs tend to concentrate electric charge and can lead to spontaneous electronic discharge.

[0005] One technique for removing burrs, known as manual deburring, involves the use of a handheld tool, such as a power drill, to remove the burrs. The tool can be a file, grinding disk, grinding stone, grinding tool, sand paper, or the like which is used to file down the burrs. Manual deburring is often time and labor intensive.

[0006] In many instances, deburring accounts for a large amount of manufacturing costs. In addition to manual deburring, there are currently several deburring processes including: mass-finishing, spindle finishing, media blasting, sanding, grinding, wire brushing, abrasive flow machining, electrochemical deburring, electropolishing, thermal energy method, machining, and cryogenic. Unfortunately these processes are either expensive, messy, and/or require large equipment.

[0007] What is needed is a way to deburr that is more efficient than current manual deburring methods, but does not require the expensive equipment and/or materials of today's current deburring processes such as mill bastard files, grinders, and sanders. It would also be beneficial if this method could be conducted solely using a handheld power drill, without the need of a vice.

Summary of the Invention

[0008] A deburring tool is designed to be used in a handheld power drill and reduces or eliminates the need for cumbersome tools and equipment. The deburring tool can reduce the time spent deburring and increase efficiency in the work place and in the field.

[0009] The deburring tool is configured to make dressing the end cut of bar stock resulting from manufacturing, machining or milling. Furthermore the deburring tool performs in a wide range of

applications including, but not limited to, anchors, bolts, fasteners, pins, and rods, tubing and pipes and other devices manufactured, machined, or milled from bar stock.

[0010] In some embodiments the deburring tool is a solid machined tool cut from a solid tool steel bar, although other materials can be handled as well. The deburring tool has a cone-shaped chamber and a number of flutes with a cutting edge determined by the size of the tool and its particular use. The length, size and shape of the flutes and the cutting edge can also be configured to the size of the cone chamber and its designed application. The conical shape of the cutting chamber accommodates bar stock of various sizes and shapes. For example, the same conical-shaped deburring tool described herein could accept for deburring threaded cylindrical bar stock of varying diameters, such as one-eighth inch (0.3175 centimeters) and one-fourth inch (0.635 centimeters).

[0011] In some embodiments, the proportions of the cone body, the cone tool face, the flutes, the flute cutting edge, the internal chamfer, the external chamfer, the radius, the relief portion of the flute, the cone base, the tool shaft portion, the shaft grip surface and the relief cut for tool engagement are engineered to make the tool convenient to use with a handheld drill.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, a deburring tool comprises a hollow top portion having an interior conical surface and an exterior surface. The top portion has a plurality of flutes formed therein, which extend between the interior and exterior surfaces. Each of the flutes has a cutting edge formed at the interior conical surface. In operation, rotation of the deburring tool about a longitudinal axis removes burrs projecting from bar stock contacting the interior conical surface.

[0013] The exterior surface of the deburring tool is preferably conical. The top portion preferably has three flutes formed therein. Each of the flutes is preferably offset from the top portion longitudinal axis by 0.050 inch (0.127 cm). The cutting edge and the interior conical surface preferably form an angle between 10 and 20 degrees.

[0014] The deburring tool preferably further comprises a tool shaft portion extending downwardly from the hollow top portion. The tool shaft portion is preferably configured for attachment to a drill. The tool shaft portion is preferably hexagonal in cross-section.

[0015] The deburring tool is preferably configured to deburr bar stock having a cross-sectional profile selected from group consisting of round, square, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal and octagonal. The deburring tool is preferably

configured to deburr bar stock having an exterior surface

conformation selected from group consisting of smooth, threaded, knurled, knobby, pocked and serrated.

[0016] The deburring tool is preferably formed of steel.

[0017] A preferred method of deburring bar stock comprises:

[0018] (a) rotating a deburring tool about a longitudinal axis, the deburring tool comprising a hollow top portion having an interior conical surface and an exterior surface, the top portion having a plurality of flutes formed therein and extending between the interior and exterior surfaces, each of the flutes having a cutting edge formed at the interior conical surface; and

[0019] (b) contacting the bar stock to the deburring tool interior conical surface. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present deburring tool.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the deburring tool of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a top view of the deburring tool of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a side view of the deburring tool of FIGS. 1-3 depicting the offset of the flutes from the longitudinal of the shaft and the angle of the flutes.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment(s)

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of deburring tool 10.

Deburring tool 10 has tool shaft portion 18 and conical top portion 30.

[0025] Conical top portion 30 is made up of internal cone surface 23a and external cone surface 23b which are capped by tool face 15. Tool face 15 is connected to internal cone body 23 a and external cone body 23b via internal chamfer 14 and external chamfer 16,

respectively. A collar portion 27 interconnects external chamfer 16 and external cone body 23b.

[0026] Conical top portion 30 has formed therein at least one flute 13 having at least one cutting edge 12. Conical top portion 30 also has at least one relief portion 22 associated with flute 13. In the particular embodiment shown, conical top portion 30 has three flutes 13. However, other embodiments can employ various numbers of flutes 13 with corresponding cutting edges 12 and relief portions 22, depending upon the nature of the bar stock to be deburred.

[0027] Conical top portion 30 attaches to tool shaft portion 18 at junction 17. In some embodiments, conical top portion 30 need not be perfectly conical. For example, external cone surface 23b could extend outwardly in quasi-cylindrical fashion, so long as flutes 13 remained open between internal surface 23 a and external surface 23b such that deburred material from the work piece ejects away from deburring tool 10.

[0028] Tool shaft portion 8 includes shaft grip surface 11 , shown as being hexagonally shaped in FIG. 1, to allow for convenient handling and attachment. A rounded portion 19 is formed at the upper end of each shaft grip surface 11. Tool shaft portion 18 can also have a relief portion 21 which is configured to connect the deburring tool 10 with a power drill (not shown).

[0029] When in use, deburring tool 10 is connected to a drill and rotates either counter-clockwise (or clockwise) depending on the nature of the bar stock being deburred and the configuration of flutes 13. Cutting edge 12 then cuts the burrs from the end of the bar stock.

[0030] In one example, the bar stock is a continuous threaded rod that contains a number of burrs remaining from a prior cutting operation. In operation, interior cone surface 23a of deburring tool 10 faces the end of the rod with the burrs to be removed. Deburring tool 10 deburrs the threaded rod without damaging the threads, so that a nut can be spun onto the rod without further preparation.

[0031] FIGS. 2 and 3 show bottom and top views, respectively, of deburring tool 10, as described above with respect to FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows deburring tool 10 with flute 13, which forms a flute angle A with respect to longitudinal axis L of tool shaft portion 18. FIG. 4 also depicts flute 13 positioned a distance defined by flute offset B from longitudinal axis L. Distance C is the distance between tool face 15 and the junction of collar portion 27 and external cone body 23b. In a preferred embodiment, distance C is approximately 0.130 inch (0.330 centimeters). Distance R is the radial distance of each of the oppositely disposed semicircular portions of flute 13. In a preferred embodiment, distance R is preferably approximately 0.063 inch (0.160 centimeters). Distance D is the distance between the center points of the oppositely disposed semicircular portions of flute 13. In a preferred embodiment, distance D is approximately 0 .520 inch (1.321 centimeters).

[0033] In preferred embodiments, flute angle A is approximately 10-20 degrees from vertical A. Flute offset B is approximately 0.030 - 0.050 inch (0.076 - 0.127 centimeter) off-center from the longitudinal axis of shaft portion 8. Forming deburring tool 10 with these measurements makes it easier to use deburring tool 10 with a hand drill, as tool 10 will only bite 0.0015 inch (0.0038 centimeter) per revolution. This amount of bite is conducive for using deburring tool solely with a power drill and without the use of a vice to secure the bar stock.

[0034] In preferred embodiments, flute angle A is the same for each of flutes 13, and flute offset B is the same for each of flutes 13.

[0035] Table 1 sets forth experimental data with performance characteristics of deburring tool 10 using various measurements for flute angle A and flute offset B.

Table 1

[0036] While particular elements, embodiments and applications of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood, that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings.