Patent ID: 6276879
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: B23B,B23C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A replaceable cutting head for co-axial coupling with a tool shank in a self-clamping fashion along a coupling axis to form a cutting tool assembly for rotary cutting operations, the cutting head having a cutting portion with at least one cutting edge formed adjacent a leading end thereof and a mounting portion extending between said cutting portion and a trailing end of the cutting head for mating with a mounting portion of the tool shank, the coupling axis forming an axis of rotation of the cutting head and the tool shank about which each rotate in a given direction of rotation during a cutting operation, said mounting portion of the cutting head comprising:a positioning section, adjacent said cutting portion, having a base surface oriented substantially perpendicularly to the axis of rotation and formed with wedge-like protrusions which are disposed peripherally and which extend and are spaced apart in a substantially circumferential direction, each wedge-like protrusion has a positioning surface, inclined with respect to the coupling axis, for the provision of axial support of the cutting head on the tool shank;a centering section extending rearwardly from the positioning section to the trailing end of the cutting head and generally diverging towards a broad end of the centering section disposed adjacent the trailing end of the cutting head, the centering section being substantially elongated in the axial direction and being formed with circumferentially spaced apart fixation wings separated by recessed portions, the fixation wings being axially spaced from the wedge-like protrusions, each fixation wing being formed with a peripheral centering surface, the peripheral centering surfaces being part of a common imaginary conical surface generally defining a peripheral centering surface of the centering section, the imaginary conical surface diverging rearwardly towards the broad end of the centering section.