Patent ID: 8376668

Claim:
A drilling or tapping machine comprising: an elongated housing having a front end through which a drill mounting stub projects; a drill shaft having an inner, elongated drill tube carrying a splined bush at a rear end thereof and carrying the drill mounting stub at a front end thereof; a support tube substantially coaxial with but spaced from the drill tube, the support tube having front and rear bearing nuts mounting the support tube on the drill tube for relative rotation; a spline shaft extending through the drill tube from the rear end towards the front end, the spline shaft slidably engaged within the splined bush whereby rotation of the spline shaft rotates the drill tube in the housing; a moving plate fixed to the rear bearing nut and moveable axially relative to the spline shaft, the moving plate adapted to engage an inner end of the drill tube to thereby axially move the drill tube relative to the housing; a first drive to rotate said spline shaft; and a second drive to cause the moving plate to move in the axial direction.