DISC MILLING CUTTER AND A KIT COMPRISING SUCH A DISC MILLING CUTTER

Abstract

A milling tool for metal cutting machining has a tool holder with a shaft. At least one disc milling cutter having a central through-hole is mounted on the shaft. The disc milling cutter has internal coolant channels extending radially therein and connected to a coolant source through axial through-holes aligned with axial through-holes of one or more spacer rings, which are also mounted on the shaft, so as to provide for feeding of coolant to the disc milling cutter when placed in different positions along the extension of the shaft.

Claims

1. A disc milling cutter for metal cutting machining comprising: an outer peripheral portion provided with a plurality of cutting edges or a plurality of seats arranged for a plurality of cutting inserts; a central through-hole arranged for mounting the disc milling cutter onto a shaft of a rotatable tool holder; means configured to provide a rotary preventing attachment of the disc milling cutter in a specific angular position in relation to the shaft penetrating the central through-hole; at least one internal coolant channel extending radially within the disc milling cutter from a radially inner opening located in an inner central portion to at least one outlet opening in the outer peripheral portion; and at least one axially directed inlet opening disposed in a first axially directed side abutment surface of the inner central portion arranged for receiving the coolant and communicating with the radially inner opening of the internal radially extending coolant channel, wherein the at least one axially directed inlet opening is formed by at least one axial through-hole extending from the first axially directed side abutment surface to a second axially directed side abutment surface on an opposite side of the inner central portion of the disc milling cutter.

2. The disc milling cutter according to claim 1, further comprising at least one internal coolant distribution channel extending at least partially around the central through-hole and connecting the at least one axially directed inlet opening with at least two radially extending coolant channels.

3. The disc milling cutter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one axial through-hole comprises a plurality of axial through-holes forming the axially directed inlet openings.

4. The disc milling cutter according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of axial through-holes forming the axially directed inlet openings are evenly distributed around the central through-hole.

5. The disc milling cutter according to claim 2, wherein all axial through-holes forming axially directed inlet openings open into said at least one internal coolant distribution channel.

6. The disc milling cutter according to claim 2, wherein the internal coolant distribution channel is an annular channel surrounding the central through-hole and connecting all of the axially directed inlet openings with the radially extending coolant channels of the disc milling cutter.

7. The disc milling cutter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet opening of the at least one internal coolant channel is located in a chip pocket formed in the peripheral portion of the disc milling cutter.

8. A kit comprising at least one disc milling cutter for metal cutting according to claim 1; and at least one spacer ring with a central through-hole arranged for mounting the spacer ring onto a shaft of the rotatable tool holder, which is a same shaft as the shaft of the disc milling cutter, the spacer ring having means configured to provide a rotary preventing attachment of the spacer ring in a predetermined angular position in relation to the shaft of the tool holder, wherein the at least one spacer ring includes at least one axial through-hole arranged to communicate with the at least one axially directed inlet opening in the disc milling cutter when the at least one spacer ring abuts the first or second axially directed side abutment surface of the disc milling cutter in the predetermined angular position.

9. The kit according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of disc milling cutters, wherein at least one disc milling cutter includes the means configured to provide a rotary preventing attachment of the disc milling cutter, such that in an angular position with respect to the shaft, which differs from an angular position of another disc milling cutter, the cutting edges of at least one disc milling cutter or of the cutting inserts thereof are circumferentially displaced with respect to the cutting edges of another disc milling cutter or of the cutting inserts thereof when attached to the shaft.

10. The kit according to claim 8, wherein the at least one axial through-hole in the at least one spacer ring comprises a plurality of axial through-holes, the number of axial through-holes in at least one disc milling cutter being a multiple of the number of the axial through-holes of the at least one spacer ring so that at most half of the axial through-holes of the disc milling cutter are arranged to communicate with an axial through-hole of a spacer ring in the predetermined angular position.

11. The kit according to claim 10, comprising at least one disc milling cutter wherein the plurality of axial through-holes forming the axially directed inlet openings are evenly distributed around the central through-hole, and wherein the plurality of axial through-holes in the at least one spacer ring are evenly distributed around the central through-hole.

12. The kit according to claim 8, wherein the at least one spacer ring comprises a plurality of spacer rings and/or a plurality of disc milling cutters.

13. The kit according to any of claim 8, further comprising locking means for securing the at least one disc milling cutter and the at least one spacer ring on the shaft of the rotatable tool holder, the locking means including a lid mounted to an end of the shaft by an attachment member to clamp the lid onto the spacer ring or the first or second axially directed side abutment surface of the disc milling cutter in the securing state of the locking means, wherein the lid includes a coolant connection for communicating coolant between a central coolant channel mouthing at the end of the shaft and the at least one axial through-hole in the at least one spacer ring or the disc milling cutter in contact with the lid.

14. The kit according to claim 13, wherein the attachment member is a clamping screw having an external threaded shank for threading into an internal thread of the central coolant channel in the end of the shaft, the shank of the clamping screw having at least one feed channel of the locking means for coolant communication between the central coolant channel of the shaft and the coolant connection of the lid.

15. The kit according to claim 13, wherein the tool holder having the central coolant channel is configured to be connected to a source of coolant at a rear end of the tool holder.

16. The kit according to claim 15, wherein the tool holder has a collar with an axially directed mounting surface for abutting the at least one spacer ring or the axially directed side abutment surface of the disc milling cutter mounted on the shaft, wherein the tool holder is provided with at least one further coolant channel connected to the central coolant channel and ending in a feed opening in the mounting surface of the collar (132), which feed opening is positioned to provide coolant to the at least one axially directed inlet opening in the axially directed side abutment surface of the disc milling cutter or the at least one axial through-hole of the at least one spacer ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

[0025] In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a kit according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section view of the kit shown in FIG. 1 in an operative state,

[0028] FIG. 3 is an exploded and partially sectioned perspective view of the disc milling cutter shown in FIG. 1 and a spacer ring arranged next thereto,

[0029] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a kit according to a second embodiment of the invention in an operative state,

[0030] FIG. 5 is a view of a disc milling cutter of a kit of an embodiment of the invention, and

[0031] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a kit according to a third embodiment of the invention in an operative state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0032] A milling tool 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention suitable for slot milling as well as face milling and shoulder milling and also for so called gang milling, which will be explained further below when making reference to FIG. 4, will now be described while making reference simultaneously to FIGS. 1-3. The milling tool has a rotatable tool holder 2 to be rotary preventing attached to a milling machine and having a shaft 3 with a member 4 for rotary preventing attachment of at least one spacer ring 5 and at least one disc milling cutter 6 according to the present invention by corresponding cut outs 7, 8 therein. The thickness of a disc milling cutter may be any but may typically vary from 2 mm to 26 mm and mostly from 6 mm to 26 mm resulting in corresponding slot widths when used for slot milling. The diameter of the disc milling cutter is for example 60 mm-320 mm.

[0033] The design of a disc milling cutter 6 according to a first embodiment of the invention mainly appears from FIG. 3, and the disc milling cutter has an outer peripheral portion 9 provided with a number of seats 10 for cutting inserts 11. The disc milling cutter has a central through-hole 12 for mounting the disc milling cutter onto the shaft 3 of the tool holder 2. The disc milling cutter has further internal coolant channels 13 extending radially within the disc milling cutter from a radially inner opening 14 located in an inner central portion 15 of the disc milling cutter to an outlet opening 16 in the outer peripheral portion 9 located in a chip pocket 17 of the disc milling cutter. The number of such internal coolant channels are in this embodiment the same as the number of seats for cutting inserts.

[0034] The inner central portion 15 of the disc milling cutter is provided with four axial through-holes 18 extending through the disc milling cutter from a first axially directed side abutment surface 19 to a second axially directed side abutment surface 20 (hidden in FIG. 1) on the opposite side of the inner central portion of the disc milling cutter. These axial through-holes are forming axially directed inlet openings 21 communicating through an annular internal coolant distribution channel 22 with the inlet openings 14 of the internal coolant channels 13.

[0035] The spacer rings 5 have also a central through-hole 23 for mounting the respective spacer ring onto the same tool holder shaft 3 as the disc milling cutter 6. Each spacer ring 5 further comprises four axial through-holes 24 located to communicate with an axially directed inlet opening 21 each in the disc milling cutter or an axial through-hole 24 in another spacer ring each when the spacer ring is abutting the first or second axially directed side abutment surface 19, 20 of a disc milling cutter or another spacer ring when the spacer ring(-s) and disc milling cutter(-s) are rotary preventing attached in a predetermined angular position in relation to a shaft 3 of the tool holder 2.

[0036] The tool holder 2 has a central coolant channel 25 configured to be connected to a source of coolant and extending in the shaft 3 to an opening 26 in an end surface 27 of the shaft. The tool further comprises a locking means 28 for securing one or more disc milling cutters and spacer rings on the shaft 3. This locking means comprises a lid 29 mountable to an end of the shaft by an attachment member 30 in the form of a clamping screw having an external shank for threading into an internal thread of the central coolant channel 25 in the end of the shaft so as to be tightened for clamping the lid 29 onto a spacer ring as shown in FIG. 2 or onto the first or second axially directed side abutment surface of a disc milling cutter in a securing state of the locking means. The shank of the clamping screw 30 comprises at least one feed opening 33 of the locking means for coolant communication between the central coolant channel 25 and a coolant connection 31 formed by the lid 29 to the axial through-holes 24, 18 in a spacer ring or disc milling cutter in contact with the lid 29 as appears from FIG. 2.

[0037] It is shown through arrows A in FIG. 2 how coolant will reach the internal coolant channels 13 of the disc milling cutter 6 through a central coolant channel 25 of the tool holder 2, the feed opening 33 of the screw shank the coolant connection 31 of the lid, the axial through-holes 24 of the spacer rings 5 and the axial through-holes 18 of a disc milling cutter and the internal coolant distribution channel 22 thereof. This means that the disc milling cutter 6 may be arranged in different positions along the shaft 3 and still efficient feeding of coolant to the disc milling cutter will be ensured by the use of a standard tool holder as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The spacer rings 5a arranged closer to the collar 32 of the tool holder with an enlarged cross section with respect to the shaft 3 have not to be spacer rings according to the invention provided with axial through-holes, although it may be suitable to have spacer rings of only one type in the kit used in the milling tool according to the invention.

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates the flexibility of the milling tool according to this embodiment of the invention and how several disc milling cutters 6 may be mounted on the tool holder shaft 3 for carrying out gang milling, and it is obvious that the number of the disc milling cutters and the mutual positions thereof may be altered by different arrangements of spacer rings, and it is of course also possible to have spacer rings of the type shown in FIG. 1 with different thicknesses for varying positions and mutual distances of the disc milling cutters.

[0039] FIG. 5 indicates the possibility to provide one or several disc milling cutters 6 with a number of axial through-holes 18 being a multiple of the number of the axial through-holes 24 of the spacer rings 5, which in this case means that half of the eight through-holes of the disc milling cutter are located to communicate with an axial through-hole of a spacer ring in said predetermined angular position. This means that the disc milling cutter shown in FIG. 5 may be rotated by 45 with respect to a spacer ring according to FIG. 3 between two positions of alignment of the axial through-holes in the disc milling cutter with axial through-holes on the spacer ring, so that in case of a plurality of disc milling cutters mounted on the tool holder shaft these may be arranged to have the cutting inserts thereof attacking a work piece at instants separated in time provided that the disc milling cutters have the cut outs 8 correspondingly positioned and still all disc milling cutters will be efficiently provided with coolant. The same result may be obtained by having just as many axial through-holes 18 in all disc milling cutters 6 as in the spacer rings and having the axial through-holes 18 in some disc milling cutters in another relative circumferential position to the cutting edges than the other disc milling cutters.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a kit according to a third embodiment of the invention in an operative state differing from the kit shown in FIG. 2 by the design of the tool holder 102. The tool holder is provided with additional coolant channels 140, 141 emerging from the central coolant channel 125 and ending in a respective feed opening 142, 143 in the mounting surface of the collar 132. Each feed opening is positioned to provide feeding of coolant from the coolant channel thereof to one axially directed inlet opening in an axially directed side abutment surface of the disc milling cutter 106 through an axial through-hole of the spacer rings 105 mounted on the tool holder shaft 103 between the collar 132 and the disc milling cutter 106. The number of such additional channels 140, 141 inside the tool holder is preferably, but not necessarily, at least as high as the number of the axial through-holes in the disc milling cutter. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 it is possible to provide for feeding of coolant to the disc milling cutter only through the channels mouthing in the collar 132 or to have the central coolant channel 125 be open to the lid 129 for feeding coolant additionally along the same flow part as shown in FIG. 2 as indicated by the arrows A. In the latter case the pressure of the coolant reaching the internal coolant channels 13 of the disc milling cutter will be increased by supplying coolant thereto through the axial through-holes from both axially directed side abutment surfaces of the disc milling cutter.

[0041] The invention is of course not restricted to the embodiments thereof described above, but many possibilities to modifications thereof would be apparent to a person with skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0042] Radially with respect to the extension of the internal coolant channels inside the disc milling cutter is to be interpreted as an extension from a central portion of the disc milling cutter towards a peripheral portion thereof and this extension has not necessarily to be exactly radial, i.e. intersecting a center axis of the disc milling cutter. The same reasoning applies to the use of axial for instance the axial through-holes in the disc milling cutters and the spacer rings, which is to be interpreted as these have an extension with a main component in the axial direction.

[0043] It is obvious that the axial through-holes of the disc milling cutter may open directly into an internal coolant channel thereof without any internal distribution channel, or the annular internal distribution channel may be replaced by a plurality of internal distribution channels each extending partially around the central through-hole of the disc milling cutter and connecting at least one axially directed inlet opening of an axial through-hole with at least two radially extending coolant channels.

[0044] The disc milling cutter may be provided with cutting edges on the very disc. The internal coolant channels of the disc milling cutter may have an outlet in the peripheral portion of the disc on an axially directed side abutment surface.

[0045] The spacer rings have of course not to have a circular outer contour line.

[0046] This is to mention only some of said possible modifications within the scope of the invention.