Abstract:
A fixture for guiding drills for forming holes to receive fasteners for affixing a machinery mount anchor in position. Such fasteners are usually obliquely related to the vertical and the drill guide fixture is firmly supported upon the machinery mount anchor base and includes drill guides angularly related to the vertical to permit fastener holes to be accurately drilled in the support surface in alignment with the anchor base fastener openings. Threaded retainers and angle producing elements permit the drill fixture to be temporarily firmly positioned on the machinery mounting base during drilling.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention pertains to drill guide fixtures for machinery mount anchor bases wherein fastener receiving holes may be accurately drilled obliquely related to the vertical. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Heavy machinery such as presses, machine tools, turbines, generators, rolling machines, and the like, are subject to vibration. Further, with heavy machines of this type, it is important that the weight of the machine be evenly distributed over its base in order to maintain the integrity and accuracy of ways and other alignments. As the floor or foundation for such heavy equipment may contain vertical inaccuracies, and hence, unevenly support the equipment, it is common to use machinery mounting anchor bases located at critical locations along the machine base. Such mounting bases usually include adjustable vertical support elements whereby the anchor base can be vertically adjusted so that the machine will be equally supported at its support locations. Machinery mount anchor bases of the type used are sold by the assignee under the trademark FIXATOR and are shown in the assignee&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,349. 
     Machinery mount anchor bases of the FIXATOR type will be mounted below the machine base, and access to the anchor is limited by the configuration of the machine base. As it is normally advisable to permanently affix the anchor base to the supporting surface, fasteners are normally used to affix the anchor base to the supporting floor or foundation. However, because of the presence of the machine base limiting access to the machinery mount anchor base, it is difficult to accurately locate such anchor fasteners, and further, because it is usually necessary to obliquely relate the fasteners to the vertical due to the limited access to the anchor bases, the difficulty in drilling accurate non-vertical holes in the supporting surface is compounded. Prior to the existence of the instant invention, apparatus has not been available for accurately drilling the oblique fastener holes for heavy machines utilizing machinery mounting anchor bases and hold-down adapters as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,349 have had to be used. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a drill guide fixture for use with machinery mounting anchor bases wherein anchor fastener receiving holes may be accurately drilled within a supporting surface even though obliquely related to the vertical. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a drill guide fixture for drilling fastener receiving holes for machinery mounting anchor bases wherein the fixture is supported upon the base during use, may be accurately located and adjusted while on the anchor base, and may be easily removed from the anchor base once the fastener receiving holes are drilled. 
     It is an additional object of the invention to provide a drill guide fixture for drilling fastener receiving holes for machinery mounting anchor bases wherein the fixture is economical to manufacture, easy to use, firmly positioned while in use, and readily removed from the anchor base with a minimum of mechanical skills. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Heavy duty machinery mounting anchor bases such as the FIXATOR and as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,349 include a vertically adjustable pedestal mounted upon a base having fastener receiving openings located upon opposite sides of the pedestal. The fastener receiving openings are preferably recessed for accommodating the anchor base fasteners, and such recesses receive self-adjusting fastener engaging balls or guides to uniformly distribute the fastener forces upon the anchor base. 
     The drill guide fitting in accord with the invention includes a frame having projections of a semi-spherical configuration for being received within the anchor base fastener receiving opening recesses. Accordingly, the fixture frame is capable of pivoting relative to the associated anchor base about the projections prior to the fixture being locked in its operative position. 
     The drill guide fixture also includes a pair of substantially vertically oriented retainers of a threaded shaft configuration capable of being adjusted to engage the underside of the machine being supported and thereby produce a downward force on the fixture to maintain the fixture projections within the anchor base recesses. Further, the fixture frame includes angular adjustment means in the form of a threaded shaft which engages the machine being supported at a position remote from the retainers and on the opposite side of a vertical plane centrally extending through the projections with respect to the retainers. Preferably, the adjustment of the angular producing shaft is substantially perpendicular to the aforedescribed vertical plane. Accordingly, upon adjustment of the length of the retainers and the angular shaft, the angular rotation of the fixture frame in the anchor base recesses is possible to produce a predetermined angular orientation of the fixture frame to the vertical. 
     The fixture frame includes a pair of drill guide tubes having open upper and lower ends. The guide tubes are in alignment with the frame projections so that the bores of the tube extend through the projections and the lower ends align with the fastener receiving openings formed in the anchor base. Accordingly, once the fixture frame is adjusted as desired, and the retainers and angle adjustment tightened so that the fixture is firmly locked in position on the anchor base, the obliquely oriented drill guide tubes may be used to guide drills inserted into the open end of the guide tubes and permit the supporting surface for the anchor base to be drilled for receipt of the anchor base fasteners, which usually consists of high strength screws or threaded lags. 
     Due to the limited access clearance to the anchor bases as described above, the length of the drill guide tubes will normally be obliquely related to the vertical. However, the length of the drill guide tubes is sufficient to accurately guide the drills during operation and even though the drills will be entering the supporting surface at an oblique angle to the vertical, the drilling operation will be accurately achieved in order to receive the anchor base fasteners. 
     Once drilling of the fastener receiving holes in the supporting surface is achieved, the retainers and fixture angle lock are backed off, or retracted, and it is possible to fully remove the fixture from the anchor base providing access to the anchor base fastener receiving openings and the fasteners inserted into the openings and threaded into the newly drilled holes in the supporting surface. 
     The practice of the invention permits anchor base fasteners to be accurately received within properly dimensioned holes in the supporting surface insuring proper anchor base retention and superior shaped holes are achieved as compared with the oversized and misaligned holes which result when a drill fixture is not employed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The aforementioned objects and advantages of the invention will be appreciated from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a machinery mount anchor base with which the drilling fixture of the invention is used, 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational partial sectional view of a machinery mount anchor base with which the drill fixture of the invention is used, the fixture fastener being represented in dotted lines, 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the anchor base drill fixture in accord with the invention, 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the drill fixture as taken from the bottom of FIG. 3, and 
     FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the drill fixture similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the fixture as mounted upon a machinery mount anchor base shown in dotted lines. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In order to appreciate the environment in which the drill fixture of the invention is used, a typical machinery mount anchor base utilizing the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This anchor base is of the FIXATOR type sold by the assignee and is described in the assignee&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,349, and the following description sets forth the basic configuration and components of the anchor base, generally indicated at  10 . 
     The anchor base  10  consists of several assembled components which include a vertically adjustable pedestal  12  having a cap  14  located at the upper end of the pedestal, and the height of the pedestal is adjusted by adjustment screw  16  having a hexagonal head  18  to which a wrench or socket head may be attached. Rotation of the screw  16  raises and lowers the pedestal  12  with respect to the anchor base plate  20  upon which the pedestal is mounted. The base plate  20  includes a top surface  22  and a lower surface  24 , the lower surface  24  directly engages the supporting floor or foundation  25 , FIG. 2, for the machine A being supported. 
     As appreciated from FIG. 1, the lateral edges of the base plate  20  are indicated at  26 , while the lateral edges of the base plate projection are defined by the end edges  28 . 
     The anchor base  10  is fixed in the desired position on the supporting floor or foundation  25  by fasteners extending through a pair of fastener openings  30  defined in the base plate  20  on opposite sides of the pedestal  12 . Each of the fastener openings  30  formed in the base plate  20  include oblique walls  32  intersecting a spherical recess  34  in which a spherical ball alignment member or ball  36  is received. The member  36  includes the spherical outer surface  38  and a diametrical hole  40  formed in the member  36  will receive the threaded fastener  41  shown in dotted lines, FIG. 2, whereby the fastener  41  may be threaded into a hole in the supporting floor  25 . It is the forming of this fastener receiving hole in floor  25  with which the drill fixture of the invention pertains. 
     The drill fixture of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3-5 and is generally indicated at  44  and comprises a frame  46  consisting of a number of steel elements welded together. The frame  46  includes a lower bridge  48  and an upper bridge  50  which, at their ends, are attached to a pair of drill guides  52  which are of a cylindrical tubular configuration. The lower end of the drill guides  52  are affixed to rectangular end portions  54 , and each of the end portions  54  includes a lower surface upon which a partially spherical projection  56  is formed as appreciated from FIG.  4 . The projections  56  each include a spherical surface  58  which is identical in size to the anchor base recess  34 . In this manner, the projections  56  are capable of being closely received within the recesses  34 . 
     A vertically adjustable retainer  60  is mounted upon each of the end portions  54  and each retainer consists of a threaded shaft  62  received within a threaded hole defined in the associated end portion  54 . Each threaded shaft  62  includes a hexagonal rim  63  and a head  64  is defined upon the upper end of the shaft for engagement with the machine A to be supported, as later described. Preferably, a self-aligning ball and socket connection is located between the shaft  62  and head  64  so that if, during use, a misalignment occurs between the axes of the shaft  62  and head  64 , such misalignment will be automatically compensated. 
     The angular orientation of the drill fixture  44  during use is determined by the threaded angle adjustment shaft  66  received within a threaded hole defined in the upper bridge  50 . The shaft  66  includes a hexagonal head  68  having a lock nut  70  defined thereon. The end of the threaded shaft  66  is represented at  72 . As will be noted from FIG. 4, the length of shaft  66  is substantially perpendicular to the length of retainer shafts  62 . 
     The drill guides  52  each have an open upper end  74  and as will be appreciated from FIG. 5, the bores  75  of the drill guides  52  extend through the aligned projections  56 , hole  76 , so that a drill located within a drill guide  52  will extend through the hole  76  defined in the aligned associated projection  56 . 
     Operation and use of the drill fixture  44  is as follows: 
     Initially, machine A, which is to be supported, will be mounted upon a plurality of anchor bases  10 . By operation of the adjustment screw  16 , each anchor base pedestal  12  may be adjusted so that the weight of the machine A can be equally divided among the supporting anchors, and the weight of the machine A will be borne by the anchors  10 . 
     Once the anchor bases  10  are properly located with respect to the supported machine A, the drill fixture  44  is placed on an anchor base  10 . Initially, the retainer shafts  62  will be retracted into their threaded holes in the associated end portion  54 , as shown in FIG. 4, and the angle adjustment shaft  66  will be retracted so that the shaft end  72  is only projecting slightly through the upper bridge  50  as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Thereupon, the drill fixture  44  may be placed upon the anchor base  10  in a manner which will be appreciated from FIG.  5 . The end portions  54  will be located upon opposite sides of the pedestal  12  in such a manner that the spherical projections  56  will be received within the spherical recesses  34  defined in the base plate  20 , FIG.  5 . Thereupon, the shafts  62  of the retainers  60  are rotated to raise the heads  64 . Such rotation of the shafts  62  can be accomplished by a wrench applied to the hexagonal shaft rim  63 . The shaft  62  is unthreaded from its threaded hole in end portion  54  until the retainer head  64  engages the lower surface  78  of the machine A. Further upward movement of the heads  64  will firmly force the projections  56  into their associated recesses  34 . 
     Prior to final tightening of the retainer shafts  62 , the angle adjustment shaft  66  is rotated by a wrench attached to the hexagonal head  68 . The shaft  66  is rotated within its threaded hole defined in upper bridge  50  so that the shaft outer end  72  will engage the vertical edge  80  of the machine A, and in this manner, engagement of the drill fixture  44  on the machine A at a location remote from that engaged by the retainers  60  is achieved. 
     Because the retainers  60  engage the machine A on the opposite side of the vertical plane passing through the center of the recesses  34  and projections  56  to that of the location of contact of the adjustment shaft  66  with the machine edge  80 , rotation of the angle adjustment shaft  66  and raising and lowering the retainer shafts  62  will vary the angular orientation of the drill guides  52  to the vertical as the fixture  44  pivots in recesses  34 . As will be appreciated from FIG. 5, the angular orientation of drill guides  52  should be such that the drill guides are as vertical as possible, yet will clear the outer lower edge of the machine A. Once the desired angular orientation of the drill guides  52  is achieved, the height of the retainers  60  will be finally tightened and the shaft  66  will be locked in its final position by means of the lock nut  70 . Because the retainers  60  will firmly maintain the projections  56  in the recesses  34 , and because the shaft  66  will prevent clockwise angular movement of the fixture  44 , FIG. 5, the fixture  44  is now firmly mounted on the anchor base plate  20  in a positive manner. A rotating drill may now be inserted into a drill guide bore  75  through an open end  74 , and pushed through the drill guide, the projection hole  76  and through the base plate fastener opening  30  so that drill may bore a fastener receiving hole in the supporting floor or foundation  25 . As the drill, not shown, will be firmly supported within the drill guide bore  75 , the drill will accurately bore a hole in the floor  25  at the predetermined angular orientation maintaining the drilled hole of an accurately sized configuration. Both drill guides  52  will be used to drill two fastener receiving openings in alignment with the openings  30 . Thereafter, the angle adjustment shaft  66  is unlocked by backing off the lock nut  70 , and the retainers  60  are threadedly retracted into their associated end portions  54 . The drill fixture  44  can then be removed from the associated anchor base  10 . 
     Installment of the anchor base fasteners  41  can now be achieved by placing the self-aligning members  36  within the spherical recesses  34  and the fastener  41  may now be threaded into the hole bored into the supporting floor  25 , FIG.  2 . The fastener  41  will usually be tightened against the alignment member  36 . Once the fasteners  41  are fully tightened into the bored holes, the final adjustments of the anchor base  10  may now be achieved by rotation of the adjustment screw  16 . 
     From the above description, it will be appreciated that the drill fixture  44  permits accurate holes to be drilled in the supporting surface  25  obliquely to the vertical to receive the fasteners  41 , and the invention solves a difficult machine mounting procedure. 
     It is appreciated that various modifications to the inventive concepts may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.