BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

(00011 The present invention relates to a coupling between a toolholder and a toolholder support member used for metal working operations. In particular, the invention is directed to a coolant coupling between these two parts suitable for high pressure applications.

Description of Related Art

[0 02J frigs, -3 illustrate prior art and show a toolholder 10 for mounting within a clamping unit or toolholder support member 15. The toolholder 10 is made up of a body 12 having a front end 20 for holding a cutting tool such as a cutting insert 25. Although ihe toolholder 1 shown in Figs. 1-3 is typical of a tooiholdcr 10 used for non-rotating tooling, such as a lathe, it should be understood that the toolholder 30 may have attached to it any of a variety of tools that may be associated wiih either non-rotating or rotating applications.

(0003} The toolholder body 12 also has a back end 30 for supporting the body 12 within the toolholder support member .1 . The back end 30 has a fcrwatdly facing shoulder 32 and a tubular shank 35 which may be irusto-eonicai extending therefrom. The shank 35 is hollow, thereby defining a shank cavity 37 and the shank has a shank wail 40 with an exterior 42 and with radially extending perforations 45 having angled forwardly facing surfaces 50 adapted to be engaged by radially displaced balls 55 associated with the toolholder support member 15. (0004 j The toolholder support member 15 has a rearwardly facing surface 60 and a bore 65 extending forwardly therefrom.

10005J Directing attention to Fig. 4. the bore 65 is sized such that adjacent to the rearwardly facing surface 60 is a first resilient interference fit segment 67 and spaced longitudinally therefrom is a separate second resilient interference fit segment 69. That feature of Fig. 4 is prior art. Returning to Fig. 2 _» the first resilient interference fit. segment 67 occurs in a region where the toolholder shank 35 is comprised of a continuous band of material about the circumference of the shank 35, while the separate second resilient interference fit segment 69 occurs in a region where the radially displaced balls 55 act upon the angled forwardly facing surfaces 50 of the shank 35 to force the shank wall 40 against she bore wall 66 of the toolholder support member 15.

(0006] Directing attention to Pigs. 1 and 2. in operation, the lock rod 70 reciprocates along a longitudinal axis 72. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the lock rod includes depressions 7^ and ramps 76 in the uncoupled state. As illustrated in Fig. I. the locking bails 55 are recessed within the depression 74 of the lock rod 70 and the shank 35 is free to move hack and forth within the bore 65. When die lock rod 70 is moved to the right (Fig. 2), the locking balls 65 are radially displaced from the depressions 74 and move outwardly along the ramp 76 to engage the angled forwardly facing surfaces 50 of the perforations 45 of the shank 35. By doing so, the tooiholder 10 is drawn into die tooiholder support member 15 to provide a resilient interference fit between the shank 35 and the bore 65, whiie at the same time, the forwardSy facing shoulder 32 abuts with the rearward ty facing surface of the tooiholder support member 35, The shank 35 may include a slot to radially orient the tooiholder shank 35 within the tooiholder support member 15.

(0 07J Additional details of the tooiholder 10 and the tooiholder support member 1 and their relationship may be found in United States Patent No. 4.723,877 and United States Patent No. 4,747.735, each of which are assigned to ennametal Inc., the assignee of the present application, and each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

(0008) The tooiholder 10 and tooiholder support member I S are made of high strength alloy steel.

f0e09j Typically, during a metal working operation, a liquid coolant is introduced at the interface between the cutting tool, for example, cutting insert 25, and the workplace to not only cool the interface but additionally io assist in removing material from this interface, in the past, for the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 _f coolant was introduced through a passageway extending through the lock rod 70 and into the shank, cavity 37 at which point a coolant passageway extended through the front end 20 of the tooiholder 10 and was directed as desired. As cutting applications and materials became more sophisticated, there was a need to increase the pressure of the coolant and there now exists a need to provide coolant at very high pressures, in the prior art embodiments, the coolant was sealed within the tooiholder 10 and the tooiholder support member 15 through the use of rubber seals strategically located. However, such seals are less effective with high pressure coolant and, therefore, another design was required to accommodate high pressure coolant.

SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION

(0010) In one embodiment, a tooiholder for mounting within a tooiholder support member has a body with a front end for holding a cutting tool and a back end for supporting the body- within the tooiholder support member, ^' line back end has a forwardly facing shoulder and a tubular shank extending therefrom. The shank is hollow defining a shank cavity and has a shank wall with radially extending perforations having angled forwardly facing surfaces adapted to be engaged fay radially displaced balls. At least one internal passageway extends through the cutting tool and at least one receiving passageway extends from the interna! passageway through the shank wall to the exterior of the shank defining a shank orifice, wherein the passageway does not intersect with the shank cavity.

{0011} In another embodiment, a coolant coupling system is comprised of a too!hoider having a front end for holding a cutting too! and a hack end for supporting the body within toolholder support member. The back end has a rearwardly facing shoulder and a frusto- conical shank extending therefrom. The shank is hollow defining a shank cavity and has a shank wail with radially extending perforations having angled forwardly facing surfaces adapted to be engaged by radially displaced balJs. At least one internal passageway extends through the culling tool and at least one receivin passageway extends from the internal passageway through the shank wall to the exterior of the shank defining a shank orifice. The passageway does not intersect with the shank cavity. Additionally, a toolholder support member has a body with a rearwardly facing surface and a bore extending forwardly therefrom. The bore is sized such that adjacent to the rearwardly facing surface is a first resilient interference fir segment with the shank and spaced longitudinally therefrom is a separate second resilient interference lit segment formed by the radially displaced balls acting upon the angled forwardly facing surfaces of the shank. At least one interna! passageway extends through the toolholder support member body and at least one discharge passageway extends from the internal passageway to the interior of the bore defining a bore orifice. The bore orifice is aligned with the shank orifice to provide a coolant coupling between the toolholder and the toolholder support member in a first interference fit segment adjacent to the rearwardly facing surface of the toolholder support member body,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012J Fig. 1 is prior art and is a cross-secdooai view of the disengaged position of a toolholder with respect to a toolholder support member:

[0613] Fig. 2 is prior art and is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3, however, in the engaged position;

[0014} Fig. 3 is prior art and is a perspective view of a toolholder;

|00J5j Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a tooiholder and toolholder support member in accordance with the subject invention in a disengaged position;

( 016 Fig. 4 A is an enlarged view of the region encircled in Fig. 4 labeled "4A"; |00i7} Fig. 4B is an enlarged view of the encircled area identified as ^,V 4B" in Fig. 4;

(00.I.8J Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the arrangement in Fig. 4 in the engaged position:

[0019) Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the back end of a toolhoider in accordance with the subject invention;

[6020] Fig, 6Λ is a variation of the perspective vje of Fig. 6, wherein the orifice is modified to accommodate a toolhoider support, member assa way not directly aligned with the toolhoider passageway; and

| 021J Fig. 7 is schematic of a toolhoider support member illustrating the flow of coolant therethrough.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF HIE INVENTION

{0022} The inventive feature is directed to the manner by which coolant is routed through the toolhoider 10 and the toolhoider support member 15. For that reason, identical reference numerals to those used in Figs, 1-3 will be used for prior art components.

[0 23 j Directing attention to Fig. 4. it should he noted that the toolhoider 10 does not include the details of the front end 20 illustrated in Fig. 1, but is illustrated as a blank machined with passageways to direct coolant flow. In particular, the from end 20 has at least one internal passagewa 1 0 extending through the body 20 and. with respect to Fig. 1 , may be directed to the cutting tool 25, Additionally, at least one receiving passageway 10$ extends from the internal passageway 100 through the shank wall 40 to the exterior of the shank, thereby defining a shank orifice 1 10. The receiving passageway 1 5 does not intersect with the shank cavity 37.

[002 j The receiving orifice 1 1 is positioned axial!y along the shank 35 at a position from the forwardiy facing shoulder 32 of Y, which is no more than S/3 ^a¾ of the taper length L of the shank 35, Additionally, the receiving passageway 105 forms an angle X with the longitudinal axis 72 of th toolhoider support member 15. The angle X may be between 15 and 75 degrees, however, is preferably 45 degrees.

[0025 j The receiving orifice 1 10 has a diameter D2 greater than the diameter Dl of the receiving passageway 1 5 to provide an oversized cavity 1 1 . The oversized cavity 1 1 may have a spherical curvature. In general, the cross-sectional area of the cavity 1 15 should be greater than the cross-sectional area of the receiving passageway 1 1 5,

(0026} The coolant coupling system is comprised of the toolhoider 10 with the internal passageway 100 and the receiving passageway 105 along with the toolhoider support member 15. Directing attention to Figs. 4 and 4B, the toolhoider support member 15 includes at feast one internal passageway .120 extending through She tooiholder support member body and includes at least one discharge passageway 125 extending from the internal passageway 120 to the interior \ 27 of the bore 65 defining a bore orifice 130. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the bore orifice 130 is aligned with the shank orifice .110 to provide a coolant coupling between the loo!holder 10 and the tooiholder support member 15 in a first resilient interference fit segment 6 adjacent to the rearwardly facing surface 60 of the tooiholder support member body 62. The bore 65 further includes a relief region 68 between the first resilient interference fit segment 67 and the second resilient interference fit segment 69. Just as with the receiving passageway 1 5, the discharge orifice 130 of the tooiholder support member 15 has a diameter D3 greater than the diameter of the discharge passageway 125 to provide an oversized cavity 135. In general, the cross-sectional area of the cavity 135 should be greater than the cross-sectional area of the discharge passageway 125. It should be noted, however, that it may not be necessary for the tooiholder cavity 1 15 and the tooiholder support member cavity 135 to each be larger than their respective passageways. One oversized cavity 1 15, 135 may be sufficient to provide a fluid connection between the tooiholder 10 and the tooiholder support member 15.

{0027] Fig. 6 illustrates the oversized cavity 1 15. it is also possible, as illustrated in Fig. 6A„ to expand the cavity 1 15, or the cavity 135 of the tooiholder support member 15, so that a channel 1.16 is formed upon the surface of the shank 35 to accommodate any additional misalignment. This may be especially hclpftii when the receiving passageway 105 is not coaxial with the discharge passageway 125 or when the passageways 1 5, 1 5 do not directly intersect with one another.

[0028] Fig. 6A is a variation of Fig. 6, wherein the orifice 110 is modified to accommodate a tooiholder support member passageway 125 not directly aligned with the tooiholder passageway 105, In this arrangement the orifice 3 10 may generally function as a channel.

[0029] To form the first resilient interference fit segment 67, the gauge diameter, that is the maximum diameter, of the shank 35 in the region of the interference should be 0.5 ^■■■ 1.2 percent larger than the bore diameter at that location. The interference fit is more fully described in ISO 26622.

|0030) As previously mentioned with respect to Fig. 4, the receiving orifice 1 10 of the tooiholder 10 is positioned axially along the shank 35 at a position Y from the f rwardly facing shoulder 32 of no more than 1/3** of the taper length L of the shank 35. As seen, with respect to Figs. 4 and 5. when the tooiholder 10 is fully inserted within the tooiholder support member 15, not only is the shank orifice 1 10 aligned with the bore orifice 130, but furthermore, this alignment occurs within the first resilient interference fit segment 67, The resilient interference fit at mis location, by design, produces greater interference contact pressures between the shank 35 and the bore 65 and, as a result, the seal between the shank orifice 1 10 and the bore orifice 130 is the greatest. This arrangement provides a design that eliminates the need for rubh&r seals and provides the capacity for transferring coolant between the toolhoider support member 15 and the toolhoider 1 having pressures in excess o SOO psi.

{Θ 3.1} The discharge passageway 125 of the toolhoider support member 15 may form an angle Z with the longitudinal axis 72 of between 15 and 75 degrees and preferably 45 degrees, As illustrated in Figs, 4 and 5, the receiving passageway 105 and a discharge passageway 125 ma be co-axial with one another. As furthermore illustrated in Figs. -4 and 5. the toolhoider support member 15 includes two discharge passageways 125, 125 ¹ diametrically opposed to one another, wherein the receiving passageway 105 of the toolhoider 10 may be introduced within the toolhoider support member 15 at 180 degree intervals, while still providing coolant flow between the toolhoider 10 and the toolhoider support member 15 because now, for example, receiving passageway 105 will he aligned with discharge passageway 125'.

[0032| Pig. ? illustrates a schematic of the toolhoider support member 1 and the coolant supply h ^' nes through the block 140 upon which the toolhoider support member 1 is mounted. Coolant travels into a manifold 142 having manifold channels 144, 144' extending radially outward to intersect with transfer channels 150, 1 0". The transfer channels supply coolant to the discharge passageways 125, 125' of the toolhoider support member 15. it should be appreciated that each of the discharge passageways 1 5, 125 ^* may . be energised and in the event the shank 35 includes only one receiving passageway 105 aligned with, for example, discharge passageway 125, then the remaining discharge passageway 125' will be blocked by th shank 35 of the toolhoider 10.

{0033) While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. The presently preferred embodiments described herein are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.