Microstop Setting Station

Abstract

An assembly for translating extensions of a microstop's bit to other microstop bits, wherein the microstop has a shank, a first platen, and bit cutting end which is alternatively extendable from and retractable toward the first platen, the assembly incorporating a frame; a second platen having a port which is fitted for through extensions of the bit cutting end; a contact member; a spring biased slide shaft for positioning the contact member beneath the port at a first position, the slide shaft being adapted for, upon an extension of the bit cutting end from the first platen, engaging the contact member and moving the contact member to a second position; the assembly further incorporating a linear encoder mounted to the frame for measuring displacements of the contact member between the first and second positions.

Claims

1. An assembly for translating an extension of a first microstop countersink bit to second microstop countersink bit extensions, the first microstop having a shank, a first platen having a contact surface, and a bit having a cutting end alternatively extendable from and retractable toward said contact surface, said assembly comprising: (a) a frame having a microstop end; (b) a second platen having a contact surface, the second platen being supported at the frame's microstop end, the second platen having a port fitted for, upon a contact of the first platen's contact surface with the second platen's contact surface and upon the extension of the bit's cutting end from the first platen's contact surface, receiving the bit's cutting end; (c) a contact member; (d) means for positioning the contact member at a first position, said means being adapted for, upon the extension of the bit's cutting end from the first platen's contact surface, engaging the bit's cutting end at a contact point, said means being further adapted for permitting movement of the contact member toward a second position; and (e) means for measuring a displacement of the contact member from the first position to the second position, said means being connected operatively to the contact member.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising means for holding the first microstop, said means being adapted for moving the first microstop toward the contact member.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the means for holding the first microstop comprises a chuck adapted for clamping the first microstop's shank.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the means for holding the first microstop further comprise a guide bar.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the means for holding the first microstop further comprise a linear motion actuator operatively spanning between the chuck and the guide bar.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the contact member's contact point comprises a socket.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the socket is closely fitted for receiving the cutting end of the first microstop's bit.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the contact member has a contact half, an opposite half, and a seam between said halves, the contact member being adapted for alternatively holding the contact half upon the opposite half and permitting a disconnection of said halves.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the contact member further comprises a plurality of second contact halves, and wherein the contact member is adapted for further alternatively holding one of the second contact halves upon the opposite half.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for measuring a displacement of the contact member from the first position to the second position comprise a linear encoder.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the linear encoder comprises a scale member and a sensor member, wherein one of said members is immovably mounted with respect to the frame and wherein the other of said members is immovably mounted with respect to the contact member.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the linear encoder further comprises a digital readout.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the linear encoder is adapted for assigning a zero level to the measurement of the displacement of the contact member from the first position to the second position, and for displaying different displacements of the contact member as distances from said assigned zero level.

14. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising biasing means connected operatively to the contact member, the biasing means being adapted for normally moving the contact member toward its first position.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the biasing means comprise a spring, slide bar, and slide sleeve combination.

16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the biasing means further comprise a slide stop connected operatively to the slide bar, the slide stop being adapted for resisting movement of the contact member at said member's first position.

17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the second platen comprises a lower apertured plate and a first upper apertured plate.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the second platen further comprises a second upper apertured plate, the second upper apertured plate's aperture being larger than that of the first upper apertured plate, the second upper apertured plate being interchangeable with the first upper apertured plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive assembly for translating an extension of a first microstop countersink bit to second microstop countersink bit extensions.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a sectional view as indicated in FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a magnified partial view of the structure of FIG. 2, as indicated in FIG. 2.

[0029] FIG. 4 redepicts the structure of FIG. 2, the view of FIG. 4 showing the assembly's contact member moved to a second position.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a magnified view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 4 as indicated in FIG. 4.

[0031] FIG. 6 is an alternative configuration of the structure of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 7 is an alternative configuration of the structure of FIG. 2.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a contact member half of a contact member component of the structure depicted in FIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 9 presents an alternative configuration of the structure of FIG. 8.

[0035] FIG. 10 presents a further alternative configuration of the structure of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Referring now to the drawings and in particular to Drawing FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive assembly for translating an extension of a first microstop countersink bit to second microstop countersink bit extensions is referred to generally by Reference Arrow 1. The assembly 1 serves as a microstop setting station, and preferably comprises a rigid frame which is referred to generally by Reference Arrow 2. The frame 2 has a microstop attachment end which is, according to the view of FIG. 1, preferably positioned at the upper end of the frame 2. The microstop attachment end of the frame 2 preferably comprises an upper table top configured plate 4, an intermediate plate 6, a lower plate 8, and peripheral rigid support columns 10. In the preferred embodiment, adjustable feet 12 are provided for leveling of the setting station upon uneven surfaces.

[0037] A countersink or counterbore drilling microstop 80 is preferably of the type having an upper shank 92 (which may be held and clamped by a common drill chuck 76), a lower drill bit cutting end 90,91, upper and lower case halves 82 and 86 which are counter-turnable in relation to each other, and incremental depth adjusting teeth 84. In a common configuration of such microstop 80, a fractional turn along an angular distance represented by a single tooth among teeth 84 effectively imposes a 1/1000 adjustment of the maximum extension of the drill bit's cutting end beyond the microstop's platen or bearing surface 88.

[0038] Upon designating such lower bearing surface 88 of the microstop 80 as a first platen, the instant inventive assembly comprises a second platen which may suitably comprise an upper surface of plate 4. Notwithstanding, in the preferred embodiment, the instant invention's platen component preferably comprises a stacked combination of plate 4 and an overlying interchangeable plate 24. Plate 24 has an aperture or port 26 which is concentrically aligned with an underlying port 22 of plate 4, the diameter of such port 26 being sized so that, referring further simultaneously to FIGS. 4 and 5, the first platen 88 may bear against the second platen 24,4 at the periphery of aperture 26, while allowing downward passage of the cutting end of the drill bit end 90,91 through port 26. The dashed elliptical line 27 drawn about port 26 in FIG. 1 is representative of differently configured plates 24 which may accommodate differently sized microstops having varying cutting bit diameters.

[0039] A further structural component of the instant inventive assembly comprises a contact member which is referred to generally by Reference Arrow 31. In the preferred embodiment, such contact member 31 is segmented to include an upper microstop contact half 30, and a lower or opposite half 32. In the preferred embodiment, such halves 30 and 32 of the contact member 31 are divided by a seam 35, and are interchangeably connected at such seam 35 by means of a pin and socket joint 36,34. Such seam 35 and pin and socket joint 36,34 is intended to be representative of other commonly known joints, such as screw connections, which may allow upper and lower halves of such structures to be alternatively connected and disconnected.

[0040] Where the cutting end of the extendable and retractable bit of a microstop 80 has a lower bit centering section 91 and has an overlying countersink drilling tier 90, the upward extension 38 of contact member half 30 is preferably configured to present an upwardly opening socket 40,42 whose walls form a closely fitted negative profile which may nestingly receive the positive profile 90,91 of such bit cutting end. Such negative profile matching character of the contact member 31 advantageously assures that, upon a downward motion of the microstop 80 in axial alignment with the contact member 31, the radially central and lower drilling centering portion 91 of the bit may enter the fastener shaft reflecting portion 42 of the socket without any undesirable contact or impingement against the contact member 31. Thereafter, upon further downward motion of such bit, the conical countersink cutting portion 90 comes into contact with the matching annular and conical floor 40 of such socket.

[0041] Referring further simultaneously to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, alternative upper contact member halves 109 and 114 may be interchanged with the half 30 of Drawing FIGS. 1-5. The countersink socket 112 at the upper end of extension 110 of alternative half 109 may facilitate utilization of the instant inventive assembly with a different microstop having a smaller countersinking bit. Alternatively, socket 118 exposed at the upper end of extension 116 of half 114 would facilitate a microstop having a larger countersinking bit. In accordance with the instant invention, the interchangeable contact member upper halves represented by halves 30, 109, and 114 preferably have vertical dimensions identical to each other, and have identical attachment pins 36, 36C, or 36D. Through the provision of a series of alternative upper contact member halves, as represented by halves 30, 109, and 114, the instant inventive microstop setting station may be utilized upon a wide spectrum of differently sized microstops which cut multiple types and shapes of countersinks and counterbores.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, it may be seen that the upper end of contact member 31 resides at a location at or near aperture 26 within plate 24. In use of the inventive station, such upward positioning of the contact member 31 constitutes a first or normal position, and in the preferred embodiment, means are preferably provided for normally positioning or biasing the contact member 31 toward such first position. In a preferred embodiment, such positioning means comprise a slide shaft 44 which is fixedly attached to and extends downwardly from the lower half 32 of the contact member 31. Such slide shaft 44 is preferably slidably received and guided by a slide sleeve 18 which is fixedly attached to intermediate plate 6 and which concentrically overlies a shaft passage aperture 20. A slide stop 46 is fixedly attached to the lower end of the slide shaft 44, and a spring 16 biases between stop 46 and the upper surface of the lower plate 8, such spring being mounted within a spring housing 14. While the spring 18 upwardly biases slide stop 46 against the lower surface of plate 6, slide shaft 44 and the attached contact member 31 are correspondingly normally held at their first positions.

[0043] Referring in particular to FIG. 1, overlying means for holding and moving the microstop 80 are also preferably provided, such means being referred to Reference Arrow 7. Such means, as depicted, may comprise a slide shaft 64 which is fixedly mounted to the upper surface of plate 4 by means of a screw attached mounting plate 66. A vertically movable slide sleeve 70 is mounted over the slide shaft 64, such sleeve 70 housing a screw actuator assembly (not depicted within views) which includes a gear turnable via axle 72 and turn crank 74. Such gear engages a vertically extending rack gear 68 which, upon turning and counter-turning of crank 74, alternatively raises and lowers the sleeve 70 along the slide shaft 64.

[0044] The sleeve and shaft assembly 70,64 including its vertical drive assembly 72,74,68 is intended as being representative of other commonly known linear motion actuators which may be suitably utilized for alternatively raising and lowering an attached microstop 80. For example, referring to the alternative configuration of FIG. 6, all reference numerals having the suffix A identify structures substantially identical to similarly numbered structures appearing in FIG. 1. In FIG. 6, the alternative microstop moving means is represented by Reference Arrow 95 includes a linear motion actuator which comprises a frictional slide sleeve 98 mounted over a slide shaft 94 and which is guided in alignment with contact member 31A by a ridge and channel combination 98,97. In the FIG. 6 alternative, an operator grasping handle 100 may alternatively downwardly drive handle 100 and upwardly pull thereon to downwardly and upwardly move the sleeve 98 along with the microstop attachment structures connected thereto.

[0045] The moving means 7 and 95 of FIGS. 1 and 6 are intended as being representative of other commonly known linear motion actuating and guiding assemblies which may facilitate motions of structures such as a microstop 80,80A between upper positions as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 6 and lowered positions as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0046] Referring again to FIGS. 1-5, a rigid arm 78 attached to sleeve 70 supports a common drill chuck 76 which engages and clamps the shank 92 of the microstop 80. In operation, clockwise turning of crank 74 engages the rack gear 68 and downwardly moves sleeve 70 along the slide shaft 64. Such motion drives arm 78, chuck 76, and the attached microstop 80 downwardly until the lower cutting end 90,91 of the microstop's drill bit enters socket 40,42. Further downwardly driven motion of the microstop 80 causes the microstop's platen 88 to bear against the upper surface of plate 24, and causes the conical portion 90 of the microstop's bit to bear against the conical cutting portion 40 of the contact member's socket. Further downward driving motion simultaneously moves the bit and the contact member 31 downwardly until the motion of the bit is internally stopped within the microstop 80 at the microstop's closely calibrated maximum drilling depth. When the microstop's bit is so downwardly driven, the inventive assembly's contact member 31 advantageously correspondingly moves downwardly to its second position.

[0047] Referring in particular to FIG. 4, the gap 47 which is formed between the upper surface of stop 46 and the lower surface of plate 6 corresponds with and is representative of the length of the displacement of the contact member 31 from its first position (as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3), to its second position (as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5). The slide shaft 44, slide sleeve 18, slide stop 46, and biasing spring 16 combination depicted in FIG. 2 is intended as being representative of other commonly known mechanisms which are capable of normally moving and biasing an upper contact member such as contact member 31, and allowing travel of such member downwardly to an underlying second position.

[0048] Measuring means in the form of a linear encoder, referred to generally by Reference Arrow 51, are preferably provided. In a preferred embodiment, such encoder 51 has a vertical scale member 48 which is rigidly mounted to the frame 2 by means of upper and lower mounts 54 and 52. An electronic motion sensor unit 50 is mounted to the scale 48 for vertical upward and downward motions along a slide track or slot 49. A digital readout 60 is mounted to the frame 2 by a bracket 64, such readout 60 having a data cable 58 communicating with the sensor 50 and a power cored 62. The linear encoder 51 is preferably of the type which gauges positions along scale 51 in distance increments less than 1/1000, and which is capable of reflecting any particular position of the sensor 50 along the scale 48 as being an assigned zero level. A tie arm 56 interconnects the contact member 31 with the sensor so that the sensor 50 and the contact member 31 precisely travel together.

[0049] In an alternative measuring means represented in FIG. 7, all structures identified by reference numerals having the suffix B are configured substantially identically to similarly numbered structures appearing in FIGS. 1-5. In the FIG. 7 alternative, the contact member 31B is modified to include an extension arm 102 which is mounted via mounting plate 104. A flange 106 at the distal end of arm 102 presents a lower surface 107 which advantageously pairs with the upper surface of plate 4B for measured contacts between the jaws 111 an 113 of a calliper micrometer 108. The micrometer measuring means of FIG. 7 and the linear encoder measuring means of FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 6 are intended as being representative of other commonly known precision measuring devices and assemblies which may measure and display the distance of the displacement of the contact member 31 between its first and second positions.

[0050] In use of the instant inventive assembly 1, a microstop 80 is selected by an operator for use as a master microstop. Such master microstop is preferably previously accurately set at a desired drilling depth. According to the function of the instant invention, such microstop is utilized as a representative of multiple other microstops which are similarly sized and configured, and which have substantially identical countersink or counterbore drilling bits.

[0051] Following selection of the master microstop 80, the operator may, referring in particular to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, select a contact member upper half having an upwardly opening socket which is closely fitted for receiving and bearing against the cutting end of such microstop's bit. Thereafter, the operator may place the selected contact member upper half (contact member half 30 for example) upon the contact member lower half 32 so that the upper half's pin 36 nests within socket 34. In conjunction with the operator's selection of an installation of contact member upper half 30, the operator may select and install a plate 24 having an aperture 26 which is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the upper extension 38 of the contact member half 30.

[0052] Following screw attachment of the plate 24, the operator may mount and clamp the shank 92 of the microstop 80 within the jaws of chuck 76. Thereafter, the operator may turn crank handle 74 clockwise causing the sleeve 70, arm 78, chuck 76, and microstop 80 to move downwardly toward the contact member 31 until the lower platen 88 of the microstop 80 contacts the upper surface of plate 34. A continuation of such motion causes the lower cutting end of such microstop's cutting bit to travel within the casing 82,86 of the microstop 80 to the previously precisely gauged stopping point and extension limit.

[0053] Upon the bit's travel to its preset extension limit, the bit's cutting end 90,91, and the assembly's contact member 31 are downwardly positioned as depicted in FIG. 5. At such position, the assembly's linear encoder readout precisely reflects the vertical position of the contact member 31, and such position is preferably set in the linear encoder's microprocessor memory as being a zero level. Following such setting of the assembly's zero level, the master microstop 80 may be upwardly withdrawn, and may be disengaged from the chuck 76.

[0054] Thereafter, multiple other similarly configured microstops may be similarly engaged and manipulated within the assembly 2. Where downward bit extensions are reflected by the digital readout 60 as varying from the preestablished zero level, the extension of the microstop may be adjusted in 1/1000 increments until the desired zero level is reached. Through use of the instant inventive microstop setting station, multiple microstops may be zeroed out to precisely match the extension set up of the master microstop, and such multiple microstops may be efficiently and conveniently configured for ongoing countersink drilling use.

[0055] While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the above illustrative embodiment, those skilled in the art may make modifications to the structure, arrangement, portions and components of the invention without departing from those principles. Accordingly, it is intended that the description and drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in the limiting sense, and that the invention be given a scope commensurate with the appended claims.