TOOL AND INSERT FOR CHIP REMOVAL

Abstract: The invention relates to a tool (10) for chip removal comprising a cutting insert (12) mechanically clampable within a slot (13) of a holder (11). The insert (12) is clamped by means of the resilient force arising during deflection of a clamping arm (16) provided in the holder. The insert and the clamping arm comprise contact places separated from each other, a first contact place (17,30) of which forming an acute angle (δ) relative to the lower side (21) of the insert.

Description: The present invention relates to a tool for chip removing machining, preferably for parting, comprising an insert mechanically clampable to a holder. The insert is arranged to be clamped in a slot in the holder by means of the spring-load that arises between the walls of the slot when the insert is pushed inwardly in the slot without a previous deflection of one of the slot walls. The invention further relates to an insert to be clamped in said holder. The EP-A1-0095062 shows a parting tool wherein a cutting insert is held within a slot in a holder body. The clamping force which acts upon the insert is dependent on the cutting forces arising during machining of a work piece. The SE-B-441-247 discloses a parting tool. The position of the cutting edge of a cutting insert is dependent upon the cutting forces arising during parting of a work piece. The DE-A1-31 19 834 shows a parting tool wherein a cutting insert is held by a cassette inserted within a holder body. Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention is to shape the tool such that the insert achieves a carefully defined stop in the longitudinal direction of the insert independent of the magnitude of the cutting forces acting upon the insert. A further object of the present invention is to extend the life of the holder forming a part of the tool. Another object of the present invention is to reduce the tolerance sensitivity of the tool. A still further object of the present invention is to minimize the risk for insert breakage by means of the configuration of the co-operating surfaces of the insert and the holder. A still further object of the present invention is to shape said surfaces such that the insert may be pushed inwardly into the holder using mainly constant pushing force until the insert reaches said stop. A still further object of the present invention is to shape the tool such that the position of its cutting edge becomes independent of the position of the insert in the holder. The invention will be more clearly described in connection with the following drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a section of the tool in a side view. Fig. 2 shows the tool in section according to the line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the tool in side view during insertion of an insert; Fig. 4 shows the tool in section according to the line IV-IV in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows a section of the tool according to Fig. 3 in a view corresponding to that of Fig. 4. A parting or grooving tool 10 according to the invention is shown in the figures comprising a holder 11 and an insert 12. The tool and the insert have a midline M. The holder 11 has an end, not shown, which is supposed to be secured to a machine. The free end of the holder is provided with a slot 13 whose walls 14, 15 have mainly V-­ shaped cross-section. The slot 13 allows deflection of the upper portion of the holder which thereby forms an integral clamping arm 16 arranged to clamp the insert between the walls of the slot by means of resilient force when the insert is pushed inwardly into the slot. The legs of each V-shaped wall meet in a rounded-off portion and they enclose an internal obtuse angle. The front surface of the clamping arm 16 is comprised of a planar abutment surface 17, which form an angle α with the opposite slot wall 14. The angle α is at least 70 degrees. The abutment surface 17 determines the final position of the insert 12 in the slot. The slot wall 14 is mainly parallel with the feed direction A of the tool. The abutment surface 17 is terminated in direction toward the slot wall 14 at a planar bevel 18 which forms about 45 degrees with the wall 14 and thus converges towards the wall 14 in direction inwardly into the slot. The bevel 18 meets a first surface 19 over a breakpoint c , Fig. 4, which surface forms an angle γ about 11 to 14 degrees with the wall 14 in direction inwardly into the slot. The first surface 19 meets a second surface 20 at a breakpoint b , Fig. 4, which second surface diverges from the wall 14 in direction inwardly into the slot, thereby forming an angle δ about 1 to 2 degrees with the wall 14. As for the rest of the wall 15 it is arranged at a distance from the insert 12. The insert 12 consists of sintered hard metal and comprises a pair of longitudinally extending V-shaped surfaces 21, 22 partly enclosing an acute angle and partly forming a wedge-shaped insert body, i e its narrower rear portion is wedge-shaped and encloses an angle about 12 to 15 degrees. A first longitudinally extending surface 21 is parallel with the feed direction of the tool.With "feed direction" is understood all directions in the x-z-plane of the machine, where x depicts the radial direction and z the axial direction.A second longitudinally extending surface 22 comprises a plurality of mutually inclined portions 23, 24. The surface 21 is provided to slide on the lower wall 14 of the slot and the portions 23, 24 are provided to slide on the upper wall 15. The legs of each longitudinally extending surface meet in a central rounded-off portion and they form an external obtuse angle which is larger than the internal angle between corresponding portions at the holder. The V-shaped surfaces of the insert and the corresponding portions at the holder form a play at the midline M such that they do not abut each other there. Thus, mainly line-contact occurs between the surface 21 and the wall 14, while mainly point-contact occurs between the portion 24 and the wall 15 at each side of the midline M, Fig. 2, of the tool during the final phase of insertion. The broader, front part of the insert body is provided with a cutting edge arranged to part or to face a work piece, not shown. Furthermore, the insert is provided with mainly plane-parallel side faces 26, 27 and transversely directed faces 28, 29. The portion 24 is mainly parallel with the surface 21 or is somewhat inclined such that it diverges from the surface 21 in direction inwardly into the slot 13. A planar abutment surface 30 on the insert body is connected to the portion 24 and forms an acute angle α, at least 70 degrees, with the surface 21 or wall 14. The insert 21 is pushed into the slot 13 during insertion of the insert into the holder such that the front part of the first surface 19 at the clamping arm 16 abuts against the inclined portion 21 at the insert, Figs. 3 and 5. The surface 19 forms an angle γ with the lower wall 14 or with the portion 24 parallel with said wall which angle is less than the wedge angle for the narrower part of the insert and therefore the front part of the surface 19 will always define the first abutment of the clamping arm against the insert. This configuration allows wear of the surface 19 without the point of wear being essentially moved. Further insertion of the insert will result in a deflection of the clamping arm 16 until the surface 19 reaches a breakpoint a between the mutually inclined portions 23, 24. The contact point between the insert and the clamping arm is thereby displaced from the front part of the surface 19 to its breakpoint b with the second surface 20, Fig. 4. Further insertion does not result in a further deflection of the clamping arm but the breakpoint b slides with constant friction on the portion 24, which in the preferred embodiment is parallel with the lower surface 21 of the insert. The breakpoint b is worn exclusively along the surface 24. Finally, the planar abutment surface 20 of the insert abuts against the planar abutment surface 17 of the clamping arm such that further insertion of the insert is prevented thereby achieving the working position of the insert. The bevel 18 of the clamping arm is shaped to create a play between the clamping arm and the insert. Thus, the risk for climbing of the clamping arm on the insert is reduced which risk furthermore is reduced through the fact that the contact surface between the surfaces 17 and 30 forms the angle γ with the wall 14 or the surface 21. The angle γ between the surface 20 and the portion 24 allows wear of the breakpoint b without the point contact being displaced in direction inwardly into the slot, i e there is no chance for the insert to tilt around the breakpoint a. The distance d between the breakpoints a and b is 20 to 50 percent of the length of the surface 24. The distance d is preferably 0.3 - 1 mm and the length l 1 - 2 mm. The angle difference β about 1 to 3 degrees between the slot walls 14, 15 and the surfaces 21, 23, 24 of the insert which gives contact places close to the midline M, reduces the risk for shivering along the lines of intersection between the surfaces 21, 23, 24 and the surfaces 26, 27. Shivering is a common cause to insert breakage. Since the co-operating surfaces 14 and 21 are parallel with the feed direction A the position of the cutting edge 25 will not change in height direction during the insertion of the insert. This is advantageous if the operator for some reason has not inserted the insert fully, which would not result in false height tolerances on the work piece. Thus, the invention relates to a tool for chip removing machining, preferably for parting or grooving through which configuration the following advantages are obtained: - the insert of the tool has a carefully defined stop irrespective of the magnitude of the cutting forces acting upon the insert, - the life of the holder is extended since the the distance between the slot walls is maintained mainly constant during the final phase of insertion -the co-operating surfaces of the insert and the holder reduce the risk for insert breakage, -the insert can be inserted during constant insertion force until it reaches said stop and - the height position of the cutting edge is independent of the position of the insert in the holder.

Claims: 1. A parting or grooving tool comprising a holder (11) and a cutting insert (12), said holder comprising a slot (13) at one end thereof whose walls (14,15) are mainly V-­ shaped, a first (15) of said walls being arranged at a clamping arm (16) integrally attached to said holder, said clamping arm being resiliently bendable relative to a second wall (14) of said slot, said tool (10) having a feed direction A, said cutting insert comprising a pair of longitudinally extending surfaces (21,22) partly enclosing a first acute angle and partly forming a wedge-­ shaped insert body, a front end of said cutting insert arranged at the broader part of the insert body, carrying a cutting edge (25) and a rear end of said cutting insert being arranged at the narrower part of said insert body, said cutting insert being arranged to increase the distance between the walls (14,15) of the slot (13) during insertion of the cutting insert into the slot, the increase of said distance being larger during an initial phase of insertion than that during a final phase thereof, said insertion being terminated by a first contact place (17,30) between said holder and said cutting insert, said first contact place arising between an abutment surface (17) arranged at the outermost end of said clamping arm (16) in the feed direction and an abutment surface (30) arranged at the cutting insert between a second (22) of the longitudinally extending surfaces of the insert and the cutting edge (25)characterized in that the second wall (14) of the slot (13) and a first (21) of the longitudinally extending surfaces are arranged parallel with the feed direction A of the tool and in that the cutting insert (12) and the first wall (15) of the slot comprise a second contact place (b,24) and in that the first contact place (17,30) forms a second acute angle α with the second wall (14) of the slot and in that said contact places are arranged at a distance from each other. 2. Tool according to claim 1,characterized in that the first wall (15) of the slot comprises mutually inclined portions (18,19,20) whereby a first breakpoint c is arranged between two of these adjacent portions (18,19) in order to slide on a first inclined part (23) of a second longitudinally extending surface (22) of the insert during the initial phase of the insertion during simultaneous deflection of the clamping arm (16) and a second breakpoint b is arranged between two of these adjacent portions (19,20) in order to slide on a second part (24) of the second longitudinally extending surface (22) of the insert during the final phase of the insertion during a lesser deflection of the clamping arm and in that the first part (23) of the second longitudinally extending surface (22) is connected to its second part (24) over a third breakpoint a, said third breakpoint being separated from the second breakpoint by a distance d. 3. Tool according to claim 2,characterized in that the longitudinally extending surfaces (21,22) of the insert and the walls (14,15) of the slot are mainly V-shaped and in that the first wall (15) of the slot abuts with point-contact against the second longitudinally extending surface (22) of the insert and in that the second wall (14) of the slot abuts with line-contact against the first longitudinally extending surface (21) of the insert, said point-contact and said line-contact are arranged on both sides of the midline M of the tool. 4. Tool according to claim 3,characterized in that the line-contact between the first longitudinally extending surface (21) of the insert and the second wall (14) of the slot occurs by the surface (21) and the wall (14) forming a third acute angle β with each other on both sides of the midline M of the tool and forming a play at the bottom of the V-shape at the midline M and in that the point-­ contact between the second longitudinally extending surface (22) of the insert and the first wall (15) of the slot occurs by the surface (22) and the wall (15) forming a third acute angle β with each other on both sides of the midline and forming a play at the bottom of the V-shape at the midline and in that the inclined portions (19,20) of the wall (15) incline relative to the second portion (24) of the surface (22), said third acute angle β being 1 to 3 degrees. 5. Tool according to claim 2,characterized in that a first (18) of the inclined portions of the first wall (15) is planar and forms an internally obtuse first acute angle relative to the front surface (17) of the clamping arm and in that a second (19) of the inclined portions of the wall forms a fourth acute angle γ relative to the second wall (14) and converges towards said second wall in direction inwardly into the slot (13), said fourth angle γ being less than the first acute angle of the wedge-shaped part of the insert and in that a third (20) of said portions forms a fifth acute angle δ relative to the second wall (14) and diverges from said second wall in direction inwardly into the slot 6. Tool according to claim 1,characterized in that the second acute angle α is at least 70 degrees. 7. Tool according to claim 2,characterized in that the second portion (24) of the longitudinally extending surface (22) of the insert is parallel with the first longitudinally extending surface (21) of the insert, and in that the distance (d) between the third breakpoint a and the second breakpoint b is 20 to 50 % of the length l of the second portion (24) of the second longitudinally extending surface (22) of the insert. 8. Tool according to claim 5,characterized in that the fourth acute angle γ is about 11 degrees and in that the fifth acute angle δ is 1 to 2 degrees. 9. Cutting insert for use in a tool of the type described in claim 1, comprising a pair of V-shaped, longitudinally extending surfaces (21,22) partly enclosing a first acute angle and partly forming a wedge-­ shaped insert body, a front end of said insert arranged at the broader part of the insert body carrying a cutting edge (25) and a rear end thereof being arranged at the narrower part of the insert body, said longitudinally extending surfaces (21,22) being connected to each other by mainly plane-parallel side faces (26,27) and by a transversely extending surface (29), a second (22) of said longitudinaly extending surfaces comprising a plurality of mutually inclined portions (23,24),characterized in that a second (24) of said inclined portions connects to a planar abutment surface (30) which forms a second acute angle α relative to the first longitudinally extending surface (21) of the insert, said abutment surface forming a first clamping surface at the insert (12) and in that a second and a third clamping surface are arranged at the second inclined portion (24) on both sides of the midline M of the insert and in that said first, second and third clamping surfaces are separated from each other. 10. Cutting insert according to claim 9,characterized in that the second acute angle α is at least 70 degrees.

Inventors: PETTERSSON, LARS, WIMAN, JOERGEN, Wiman, Jörgen
Applicants: SANTRADE LTD.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B23B27
IPC codes: B23B27