Side milling cutter for manufacturing a stone or rock drill, a method of manufacturing a stone or rock drill with a side milling cutter, and a side milling cutter and a cutting insert therefor

Side milling cutter for manufacturing a stone or rock drill in which the cutting inserts each have a bearing lug with sloped sides, as well as a method of manufacturing a stone or rock drill with such a side milling cutter, and a cutting insert therefor having a bearing lug with sloped sides.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present application relates to a side milling cutter for manufacturing a stone or rock drill, a method of manufacturing a stone or rock drill with a side milling cutter, and a side milling cutter and a cutting insert therefor. The present application also relates to a milling tool comprising a tool base body and a number of cutting plates held to the base body by a corresponding clamping element.

2. Background Information

Due to the increasing requirements imposed on technical components or workpieces manufactured by metal cutting, there is a demand not only for a particularly high surface quality, but also for a particularly efficient application of the milling tool. In particular in the case of a side milling cutter for metal-cutting machining of, for example, a stone drill, it is desired to have the largest possible number of cutting plates arranged on and distributed over the circumference of a disk-shaped tool base body, which, on the one hand, can be exchanged in the simplest possible way and, on the other hand, offer an application or use that is as efficient as possible.

OBJECT OR OBJECTS

It is the object of at least one possible embodiment to provide a milling tool which can be applied as efficiently as possible and which enables a particularly flexible utilization of cutting plates of an application-specific design.

SUMMARY

This object can be achieved according to at least one possible embodiment through a milling tool comprising a tool base body and a number of cutting plates held to said base body by means of a clamping element. The cutting plates each have a plate surface disposed in opposite planes and at least one lateral surface forming a cutting edge with a first plate surface. There is also a geometrical bearing lug protruding from the cutting plate opposite to the first plate surface, which bearing lug brings the cutting plate into a form fit with the corresponding contour support in the tool base body, wherein the geometrical bearing lug forms a contour bearing surface, which is crosswise at an axial angle between 5° and 15°, to a back surface, which is parallel to the first plate surface. For this purpose, the base body of the milling tool and the, or each, cutting plate held to it are designed in such a way that a geometrical bearing lug protrudes from one of their plate surfaces, which brings the cutting plate into a form fit with a corresponding contour support in the tool base body.

At least one possible embodiment is based on the consideration that cutting plates provided for individual milling profiles and having different, even asymmetric, cutting-edge contours can be used on the same tool base body, if the cutting plate possesses a bearing surface for the purpose of mounting the cutting plate in the tool that is independent of the cutting geometry. This bearing surface should be a geometrical contour bearing surface or support which is independent of the cutting or cutting-face geometry of the cutting plate. This could be achieved by the fact that also cutting plates with an asymmetric cutting-edge contour could always possess the same geometrical lug as a contour bearing surface, which will then correspond with a support geometry in the tool base body.

By designing the cutting plate with such a geometrical bearing lug, the cutting plate can advantageously be multi-edged. The cutting plate could have, for example, four or six lateral surfaces, which will then form with a (first) plate surface opposite to the geometrical lug, also referred to herein as a cutting-face side, a corresponding number of cutting edges. This principle of the multi-edged cutting plate with a dome-like or plateau-like geometrical bearing lug provided on the rear side of the cutting plate which is opposite to a cutting-face side can be realized both in a side milling cutter with a multitude of cutting plates arranged on the circumference of its disk-shaped tool base body, and in a milling tool with a rod-like or arbor-like tool base body.

In another possible embodiment, the geometrical bearing lug forms a back surface which is parallel to the opposite (first) plate surface or cutting-face side and a step-like or collar-like contour support with a number of bearing surfaces corresponding to the number of cutting edges. In one possible embodiment, this contour support does not run at right angles or perpendicularly to the back surface or to the cutting-face side which is parallel to said back surface, but only approximately crosswise to it, at an axial angle. This axial angle can deviate from the crosswise course, or from the course at right angles, by 5° to 15°, or possibly by (7±1)°. This axial angle is adapted to the lead angle at which the cutting plate is mounted in the tool base body, inclined to the latter's axis.

In at least one other possible embodiment, the axial angle and the lead angle are not adapted to one another. The axial angle can be different from the lead angle by a whole degree or degrees, or even a tenth of a degree or tenths of a degree. In addition, according to at least one possible embodiment, the lead angle and/or the axial angle could be in the range of 0° to 20°, such as 0 °, 1°, 2°, 3°, 4°, 5°, 6°, 7°, 8°, 9°, 10°, 11°, 12°, 13°, 14°, 15°, 16°, 17°, 18°, 19°, or 20°, and values in between in tenths of a degree, or possibly even hundredths of a degree.

In yet another possible embodiment, the back surface of the bearing lug is not parallel to the opposite plate surface of the cutting face side of the cutting plate. Either surface could be deviated from a parallel position by a whole degree or degrees, or even a tenth of a degree or tenths of a degree. According to at least one possible embodiment, the deviation could be in the range of 0° to 20°, such as 0°, 1°, 2°, 3°, 4°, 5°, 6°, 7°, 8°, 9°, 10°, 11°, 12°, 13°, 14°, 15°, 16°, 17°, 18°, 19°, or 20°, and values in between in tenths of a degree, or possibly even hundredths of a degree.

This contour support of the geometrical bearing lug, which is inclined by the axial angle, makes it possible in a simple as well as reliable manner to exactly position axially freely clamped multi-edged cutting plates by means of a plane-bearing tool. For this purpose, this plane-bearing tool, which is detachably braced with the tool base body when the multi-edged cutting plates are being mounted, synchronously acts with bearing studs, which are parallel to its plane surface, on the geometrical bearing lugs of the cutting plates. In this way, the cutting plates can be precisely positioned and detachably fixed to the tool base body substantially simultaneously, practically by one operation.

For positioning and fixing the, or each, cutting plate to the tool base body, a clamping element in the form of a clamping wedge can be provided. This wedge comprises a first clamping surface, to which a bearing surface provided on a clamping web of the tool base body is opposite, under formation of a clamping slot for the cutting plate. The back surface, formed by the geometrical bearing lug, of the cutting plate abuts on said bearing surface. In at least one embodiment, the clamping wedge includes a through hole for a fixing screw. For this purpose, in at least one embodiment a double-threaded screw is provided, so that then the clamping wedge possesses an internal thread for the double-threaded screw guided in a threaded hole of the tool base body. For detachably fastening the cutting plate to the tool base body, a clamping claw or the like can also be provided.

In another possible embodiment, a double clamping wedge with opposite clamping surfaces is provided as a clamping element. The double clamping wedge allows the substantially simultaneous clamping fixation of two cutting plates. In this embodiment, the back surface, formed by the geometrical bearing lug, of the cutting plate has in a way a double function, serving either as a bearing surface or as a clamping surface, depending on the position of the cutting plate. One of the clamping surfaces of the double clamping wedge abuts on the cutting-face side of the cutting plate, while then the back surface of the cutting plate, formed by the geometrical bearing lug, serves as a bearing surface. The cutting-face side of the other cutting plate fixed by clamping by means of the double clamping wedge then abuts on the bearing surface of the clamping web of the tool base body, while the back surface, formed by the geometrical bearing lug, of this cutting plate serves as a clamping surface cooperating with the double clamping wedge.

In at least one possible embodiment, due to the design of a cutting plate with a geometrical bearing lug, with which the cutting plate is brought into a form fit with a corresponding contour support in the tool base body, it is possible for multi-edged cutting plates of the type of so-called indexable cutting plates to also be used, even with asymmetric cutting or cutting-face geometry. Furthermore, in case of a side milling cutter, these can be clamped in an axially free manner in the tool base body. In this way, essentially the same tool base body can be used for cutting inserts differing in their cutting geometry and the multi-edged cutting inserts can be used several times.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OR EMBODIMENTS

Corresponding parts are marked by the same reference numbers in all figures.

FIGS. 1 to 3show the milling tool1, in the following referred to as side milling cutter, with a disk-shaped tool base body2, on the outer circumference of which a multitude of cutting plates3are arranged and regularly distributed. Two cutting plates3each are detachably fixed by clamping to the tool base body2by means of a double clamping wedge4. The detachable fixation of the cutting plates3on the tool base body2is effected in the exemplary embodiment by means of double-threaded screws5which partly penetrate the clamping wedge4and which are designed as hexagon socket screws.

According toFIG. 3, the threaded head5aof the double-threaded screw5is screwed, on the one hand, into a corresponding internal thread6in the clamping wedge4, and the threaded shank5bof the double-threaded screw5is screwed into a threaded hole7provided in the tool base body2.

As is also evident fromFIGS. 4 and 5, the cutting plate3comprises in each of its opposite planes a plate surface9,10, as well as a number of, in the exemplary embodiment, four, lateral surfaces11. Each of the lateral surfaces11forms with the first plate surface9of the cutting plate3, in the following referred to as cutting-face side, a cutting edge12. Thus, the—in the exemplary embodiment four-sided—cutting plate3comprises on its circumference four cutting edges12with individual, but similar edge contour. The cutting plate3shown inFIG. 4serves, for example, for producing or cutting helical chip spaces into rock drills.

The cutting plate3comprises a geometrical bearing lug13forming a back surface10, which is parallel to, and opposite to, the cutting-face side9, as a second plate surface. Furthermore, the geometrical bearing lug13, which is preferably integrally formed onto the cutting plate3and which protrudes in a dome-like manner over a rear side14of the cutting plate3, which is opposite to the cutting-face side9and, therefore, to the cutting edges12, forms a step-like or collar-like contour support with corresponding bearing or plane bearing surfaces or side bearing surfaces15. This contour support15, forming the plane bearing surfaces of the multi-edged cutting plate3, as well as the back surface10of the geometrical bearing lug13of the cutting plate3are brought into a form fit with a corresponding contour support16of the tool base body2. The combination of the cutting plate3and the bearing lug13defines a cutting insert.

A clamping web17integrally formed onto the tool base body2includes a corresponding bearing surface17a, on which the back surface10, formed by the geometrical bearing lug13, of the cutting plate3abuts. Through this bearing surface17aon the clamping web17of the tool base body2and with the contour support16, the contour bearing surface or contour support corresponding with the geometrical bearing lug13is formed on the tool base body2. In this way, a clamping slot or gap19is formed for the cutting plate3to be clamped in an axially free manner, between a first clamping surface18, facing the cutting-face side9, of the clamping wedge4and the bearing surface17aof the clamping web17of the tool base body2. The respective cutting plate3can be inserted from the side in axial direction20(FIG. 2) into this clamping slot19of the tool base body2. According to at least one possible embodiment, the areas between adjacent clamping webs17are considered receiving pockets, which have a first side surface, a second side surface, and a bottom surface.

As is evident fromFIG. 3, both the lateral surface11, facing the tool base body2, of the cutting plate3and, with a clearance, the cutting edge12provided in that place are brought into a form fit with a holding groove21in the tool base body2. This holding groove21runs over a stepped contour22into the contour support or support surface16, so that only the geometrical bearing lug13of the cutting plate3abuts on the tool base body, while the cutting edge12, which is brought into a form fit there, does not have any contact with the tool base body2.

The double clamping wedge4serves for clamping fixation of two multi-edged cutting plates3with asymmetrical cutting geometry, which are evident fromFIG. 4. For this purpose, the further clamping surface23, which is opposite to the clamping surface18, of the double clamping wedge4abuts on the back surface10of the further cutting plate3, which is brought into a form fit with a corresponding clamping slot19′ in the tool base body2. Here, the back surface10, which is parallel to the cutting-face side9, of the cutting plate3serves as a clamping surface, whereas the back surface10of the other cutting plate3, which is fixed by the same double clamping wedge4, serves as a bearing surface. Analogously, the cutting-face side9of the respective cutting plate3acts in mounted condition on the one hand as a bearing surface on a corresponding clamping surface24of the clamping web17, whereas the cutting-face side9of the other cutting plate3acts as a clamping surface.

Both the, or each, double clamping wedge4and the clamping webs17are provided with a chip space25inclined towards the cutting-face side9of the respective cutting plate3, in which the chip generated by the milling operation can run off.

As is relatively evident fromFIG. 5, the contour support15of the geometrical bearing lug13of the cutting plate3is square and has a conical or wedge-shaped design, forming four similar or same plane bearing surfaces. The geometrical shape of the geometrical bearing lug13of the cutting plate3can be polygonal, e.g. hexagonal. It deviates by an axial angle β from the vertical line26which is perpendicular to the cutting-face side9and to the back surface10. This angle β has a value between 5° and 15°, expediently 6° to 10°, preferably 7°.

The axial angle β is equal to the lead angle β shown inFIG. 2, at which the respective cutting plate3is inclined against the tool axis or central rotational axis27of the tool base body2. This inclination enables the engagement of only the cutting edge12of the cutting plate3when the latter machines a workpiece (not shown), so that the lateral surfaces11, which in mounted condition in the tool base body2precisely do not serve as a plate bearing surface, serve as a cutting surface for the respective cutting edge or main cutting edge12which is in cutting action.

According toFIGS. 6 to 8, this axial angle β guarantees in addition a plane-parallel bearing of a plane-bearing tool or positioning device28. With the latter, the milling tool1is detachably fixed by means of an assembly screw29for positioning the cutting plates3on the tool base body2. The positioning surfaces31of the bearing or stopping studs30of the plane-bearing tool28act at their front face on the bearing surface16of the geometrical bearing lug13of the respective cutting plate3. These positioning surfaces31are parallel to the stopping surface32of the plane-bearing tool28, although the individual cutting plates3in the tool base body2are axially inclined at the angle β.

As soon as the individual cutting plates3have been brought into a form fit with the associated clamping slots19in the tool base body2and have been exactly positioned by means of the plane-bearing tool28, the double clamping wedges4can be screwed up, thus axially clamping the multi-edged cutting plates3.

FIG. 4Adetails sections of one cutting edge12. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4A, the cutting edge12is divided into three general sections, which sections have been selected for purposes of example and to demonstrate the differing contours or surfaces of the cutting edge12. It should be understood that cutting edge12could be divided into more or fewer sections in order to define the contours or surfaces. Section121is a substantially straight-edged section. Section122is a substantially angled section with substantially similar portions on either side of the transition area or peak or bend. Section123is a substantially angled section with substantially unequal or different portions on either side of the transition area or peak or bend. In the embodiment shown, each cutting edge12has exactly the same contour or contours, however, it should be understood that each cutting edge12, in at least one other possible embodiment, could have a different contour or contours from the other cutting edges12.

In the embodiments shown inFIGS. 2A and 5A, the lead angle β1and the axial angle β2can be different from one another and not equal. To achieve this difference, the cutting face side9of the cutting plate3could possibly be oriented such that the lead angle β1formed might differ from the axial angle β2by a degree or degrees or several degrees or many degrees, and by tenths of a degree or possibly hundredths of a degree within a range of degrees or several degrees or many degrees. Alternatively, the contour support15could be positioned such that the axial angle β2formed might differ from the lead angle β1by a degree or degrees or several degrees or many degrees, and by tenths of a degree or possibly hundredths of a degree within a range of degrees or several degrees or many degrees. In at least one other possible embodiment, the plane-bearing tool28could have angled positioning surfaces31on the bearing or stopping studs30in order to accommodate a contour support15that has a related axial angle β2that is different than the lead angle β1.

FIGS. 5B and 5Cshow angles40and50, respectively. Angle40is the angle formed by the contour support15and the back surface10. Angle50is the angle formed by a line running along the contour support15and the cutting face side9. Angle40, in at least one possible embodiment, can be in the range of 90° to 110°, such as 90°, 91°, 92°, 93°, 94°, 95°, 96°, 97°, 98°, 99°, 100°, 101°, 102°, 103°, 104°, 105°, 106°, 107°, 108°, 109°, or 110°, and values in between in tenths of a degree, or possibly even hundredths of a degree. Angle50, in at least one possible embodiment, can be in the range of 70° to 90°, such as 70°, 71°, 72°, 73°, 74°, 75°, 76°, 77°, 78°, 79°, 80°, 81°, 82°, 83°, 84°, 85°, 86°, 87°, 88°, 89°, or 90°, and values in between in tenths of a degree, or possibly even hundredths of a degree.

In at least one possible embodiment, the cutting plate3is asymmetrical with respect to a line lying in the plane of the cutting-face side9and intersecting with the center point or central rotational axis of the cutting plate3, or in other words, a line that bisects the cutting plate3into two asymmetrical halves. In another possible embodiment, the asymmetry of the cutting plate3refers to when each of the cutting edges12and/or lateral surfaces11are not similar and/or identical and present differing surface shapes and contours. By utilizing the geometrical bearing lug13, which can have equivalent and/or identical contour supports or contour support surfaces15, a cutting plate3having cutting edges12and/or lateral surfaces11having similar or different contours and surface shapes can be held in the tool body2. In addition, a first set of cutting plates3having one configuration of cutting edges12and/or lateral surfaces11can be removed and replaced with a second set of cutting plates3having a different configuration, as long as each one of each set of cutting plates3has the same geometric bearing lug13, in order to perform a different cutting operation with the same side milling cutter tool.

As can be seen inFIGS. 2 and 8, according to at least one possible embodiment, the contour support15that is contacted by the positioning surface31of the bearing stud30upon insertion of the cutting plate3into the tool body2lies in, or in a plane parallel to, the plane of rotation of the side milling cutter1.

This application further relates to a milling tool1comprising a tool base body2and a number of cutting plates3held to said base body by means of a clamping element4. The cutting plates each have a plate surface9,10disposed in opposite planes and at least one lateral surface11forming a cutting edge12with a first plate surface9. According to at least one possible embodiment, a geometrical bearing lug13protrudes from the cutting plate3opposite to the first plate surface9bringing the cutting plate3into a form fit with the corresponding contour support16in the tool base body2.

One feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in a milling tool1comprising a tool base body2and a number of cutting plates3held to said base body by means of a clamping element4, said cutting plates each having a plate surface9,10disposed in opposite planes and at least one lateral surface11forming a cutting edge12with a first plate surface9, a geometrical bearing lug13protruding from the cutting plate3opposite to the first plate surface9bringing the cutting plate3into a form fit with the corresponding contour support16in the tool base body2, characterized in that the geometrical bearing lug13forms a contour bearing surface15, which is crosswise, at an axial angle β between 5° and 15°, to a back surface10, which is parallel to the first plate surface9.

Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized by an axial angle β between 6° and 10°, preferably (7±1°).

Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized in that the clamping element4comprises a first clamping face18facing the first plate surface10of the cutting plate3, to which a bearing surface17aprovided on a clamping web17of the tool base body2is opposite, under formation of a clamping slot19for the cutting plate3, on which bearing surface17athe back surface10, formed by the geometrical bearing lug13, of the cutting plate3abuts.

Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized by a clamping wedge as clamping element4.

A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized in that the clamping wedge4possesses an internal thread5bfor a threaded screw5guided in a threaded hole7of the tool base body2.

Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized in that the clamping element4is designed as a double clamping wedge with opposite clamping surfaces18,23.

Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized by a first clamping surface18destined for clamping bearing on the first plate surface9of the cutting plate3and having a second clamping surface23opposite to the first clamping surface18for clamping bearing on the back surface10, formed by the geometrical bearing lug13, of another cutting plate3.

Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized in that a first clamping surface18of the double clamping wedge4for clamping fixation of two cutting plates3abuts on the first plate surface9of a first cutting plate3and its opposite second clamping surface23, on the back surface10, formed by the geometrical bearing lug13, of the second cutting plate3.

A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized in that the second clamping surface23of the double clamping wedge4is opposite to a bearing surface24provided on an clamping web17of the tool base body2, forming a clamping slot19′ for the second cutting plate3, on which bearing face24the first plate surface9of the second cutting plate3abuts.

Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in the milling tool, characterized by: a multi-edged cutting plate3with an asymmetric cutting-face side9and with a number of lateral surfaces11, forming with the cutting-face side9a number of cutting edges12corresponding to the number of lateral surfaces11, and a polygonal geometrical bearing lug13on the plate rear side14, which is opposite to the cutting-face side9, for forming a number of plane bearing surfaces15corresponding to the number of cutting edges12.

Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in a multi-edged cutting plate3for the milling tool, characterized by a dome-like bearing lug13which protrudes from the plate rear side14and which is in particular at least approximately square.

Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in a multi-edged cutting plate3for the milling tool.

The components disclosed in the various publications, disclosed or incorporated by reference herein, may possibly be used in possible embodiments of the present invention, as well as equivalents thereof.

It will be understood that the examples of patents, published patent applications, and other documents which are included in this application and which are referred to in paragraphs which state “Some examples of . . . which may possibly be used in at least one possible embodiment of the present application . . . ” may possibly not be used or useable in any one or more embodiments of the application.

The sentence immediately above relates to patents, published patent applications and other documents either incorporated by reference or not incorporated by reference.

All of the patents, patent applications or patent publications, which were cited in the German Office Action dated Feb. 23, 2005, for the corresponding German Application No. 20 2004 010 630.2, and/or cited elsewhere are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein as follows: DE 197 27 872 A1; DE 25 49 930 A1; DE 25 49 757 A1; and WO 03/033195 A1. All of the patents, patent applications or patent publications, which were cited in the International Search Report dated Oct. 10, 2005, for the corresponding International Application No. PCT/EP2005/007029, and/or cited elsewhere are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,565 A; EP 0 827 818 A; JP 08 206910 A; DE 34 13 615 A1; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,338 A.

The corresponding foreign and international patent publication applications, namely, Federal Republic of Germany Patent Application No. 20 2004 010 630.2, filed on Jul. 6, 2004, having inventors Franz PRILLER and Alfred SLADEK, and DE-OS 20 2004 010 630.2 and DE-PS 20 2004 010 630.2, and International Application No. PCT/EP2005/007029, filed Jun. 30, 2005, having WIPO Publication No. WO 2006/002906 A1 and inventors Franz PRILLER and Alfred SLADEK, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein for the purpose of correcting and explaining any possible misinterpretations of the English translation thereof. In addition, the published equivalents of the above corresponding foreign and international patent publication applications, and other equivalents or corresponding applications, if any, in corresponding cases in the Federal Republic of Germany and elsewhere, and the references and documents cited in any of the documents cited herein, such as the patents, patent applications and publications, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein.

All of the references and documents, cited in any of the documents cited herein, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein. All of the documents cited herein, referred to in the immediately preceding sentence, include all of the patents, patent applications and publications cited anywhere in the present application.

The description of the embodiment or embodiments is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately describe the embodiment or embodiments of this patent application. However, portions of the description of the embodiment or embodiments may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the embodiment or embodiments are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

The embodiments of the invention described herein above in the context of the preferred embodiments are not to be taken as limiting the embodiments of the invention to all of the provided details thereof, since modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the invention.