Cutting by use of rotating axially moving tool – Combined cutting means – Plural other type cutting means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-05
2001-01-23
Pitts, Andrea L. (Department: 3722)
Cutting by use of rotating axially moving tool
Combined cutting means
Plural other type cutting means
C408S030000, C144S001100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176651
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for connecting and properly orienting an attachment to a drill press. The present invention is more particularly directed to a method and an apparatus for properly aligning one or more elements of a mortising attachment during installation of the attachment on a drill press, and is further directed to a mortising apparatus including the alignment apparatus of the invention.
2. Background of Invention
The mortise-and-tenon joint is one of the strongest and most durable in all of woodworking. While the tenon typically may be cut on a table saw with relatively little difficulty, cutting the mortise is more difficult. The mortise may be carved by hand, but more typically is created using a dedicated mortising device or a specially designed mortising attachment used in conjunction with a drill press. A drill press-mounted mortising attachment eliminates the tedious handwork that otherwise would be required to cut the cavity, i.e., the mortise, which receives the tenon.
FIG. 1
illustrates certain elements of a typical drill press-mounted mortising attachment, generally identified as
10
. The depicted portion of the drill press is generally identified as
12
. The mortising attachment
10
includes a chisel holder
14
having an upper collar
16
. The upper collar
16
is secured around the quill
18
of the drill press
12
above the chuck
20
by the clamping pressure of fastener
21
. The chisel holder
14
also has two depending arms
22
which extend toward a lower collar
24
, which defines a bore
26
therethrough. A mortising chisel
28
is inserted into the bore
26
of the lower collar
24
of the chisel holder
14
, and is secured in place by set screw
29
. A drill bit
30
designed to work in conjunction with the mortising chisel
28
may then be inserted through the central cavity of the mortising chisel
28
and up into the chuck
20
, and is secured within the chuck
20
. Thus, the drill bit
30
extends from the chuck
20
to the lower end
31
of the mortising chisel
28
. In order to form the mortise, the chuck
20
rotates the drill bit
30
within the mortising chisel
28
, and the quill
18
is lowered in order that the rotating bit
30
and the advancing mortising chisel
28
remove a generally rectangular piece of stock so as to form all or a portion of the mortise. Wood chips generated during the cutting operation by the rotating drill bit
30
are ejected from the interior of the mortising chisel
28
through a slot
32
located along a side of the mortising chisel
28
.
Although not depicted in the appended figures, drill press-mounted mortising attachments typically are sold as kits that include elements in addition to a chisel holder. Such additional elements may include, for example, workpiece fences and hold-down brackets for positioning and securing the workpiece on the work support table of the drill press in a proper position for executing the one or more mortise cuts. An example of such a kit is the Delta International Machinery model 17-905 Mortising Attachment. Those of ordinary skill will be familiar with such other elements and, therefore, the elements are not depicted or described herein.
If the mortising chisel
28
and the drill bit
30
are not property aligned relative to one another when they are secured to the chisel holder
28
and the chuck
20
, respectively, the wood chips may not be ejected efficiently from the mortise cut. In addition, improper alignment of the mortising chisel
28
and drill bit
30
may cause the rotating drill bit to contact the mortising chisel during cutting, resulting in vibration and/or chatter. To provide proper alignment it is typically the case that, the central axis of the drill bit
30
must be substantially coincident with the central axis of the cavity within the mortising chisel
28
. Contact between the drill bit
30
and the mortising chisel
28
may cause, for example, premature wear of the parts, and the resulting vibration may result in imprecise mortise cuts.
Prior art drill press-mounted mortising attachments typically provide no feature by which to ensure proper alignment of the drill bit
30
and mortising chisel
28
. The process of achieving proper alignment of these elements in the prior art mortising attachments could fairly be characterized as “hit-or-miss”. That is, the mortising attachment
10
is assembled generally without regard for alignment, and if the mortising chisel
28
and the drill bit
30
are found to not be properly aligned (i.e., vibration and/or chatter results), the mortising attachment is disassembled and then reassembled as necessary to modify the orientation of the chisel holder
14
relative to the chuck
20
until proper alignment of the drill bit
30
and the mortising chisel
28
is achieved.
The hit-or-miss alignment method may be time-consuming if, for example, the drill press is needed for multiple drilling operations and the mortising bit and chisel must be installed and aligned multiple times in a given period. Moreover, even successful utilization of the hit-and-miss method of alignment naturally results in some delay and reduces the efficiency of wood shop operations. Mortise cuts executed with the mortising chisel and the drill bit misaligned may be inaccurate and, as discussed above, the cutting elements may wear prematurely.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a quick and efficient manner of properly aligning the drill bit and mortising chisel elements of a drill press-mounted mortising attachment during installation of the attachment on the drill press.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to address the foregoing deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a method for connecting an attachment to a drill press, wherein the drill press includes a rotatable chuck and the attachment includes a void for receiving a tool. The method includes providing an alignment member having first and second portions and a central axis. The first portion of the alignment member is secured within the chuck of the drill press, and the attachment is connected to the drill press so that at least a region of the second portion of the alignment member is disposed within the tool-receiving void of the attachment. Subsequently, the alignment member is removed from both the chuck and the void. Preferably, when securing the first portion of the alignment member within the chuck, a central axis of the alignment member will be substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the chuck, referred to hereinafter as the “central axis” of the chuck.
The present invention also is directed to a method of connecting a mortising chisel holder to a drill press so that the mortising chisel holder is properly aligned with the drill press. The mortising chisel holder will include a void or other receptacle for receiving a portion of a mortising chisel, and the drill press will include a rotatable chuck. The method includes providing an alignment member having first and second portions. The first portion of the alignment member is secured within the chuck, and the mortising chisel holder is attached to the drill press so that at least a region of the second portion of the alignment member is disposed within the mortising chisel-receiving bore of the mortising chisel holder. Subsequently, the alignment member is removed from the chuck and the void. Preferably, when the first portion of the alignment member is secured within the chuck, the central axis of the second portion of the alignment member will be substantially coincident with the central axis (axis of rotation) of the chuck.
The present invention is further directed to a method of connecting an attachment having an attachment receptacle to a drill press, and wherein the drill press includes a quill having a rotatable chuck. The method includes: providing an alignment
Bondi Andrew V.
Hollinger David N.
Delta International Machinery Corp.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP
Pitts Andrea L.
Wilson Adrian M.
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