EP0104866A1

EP0104866A1 - Tool holders

Info

Publication number: EP0104866A1
Application number: EP83305516A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Leslie Flint
Original assignee: Linvar Ltd
Current assignee: Linvar Ltd
Priority date: 1982-09-23
Filing date: 1983-09-20
Publication date: 1984-04-04

Abstract

Holders for tools, such as cutters for machine tools, support the tools when they are not in use, for example in a store or for setting or grinding.

The holder comprises a number of blocks (10) having holes (12) or tool shanks, two end members (14), and two bolts (16) running through the blocks (10) for securing the blocks (10) and making them integral with the end members (14). The blocks (10) may be of standard dimensions to fit between the beams of a rack, but they may also be of various widths and provided with more than one hole (12). The end members (14) are each provided with a handle (32) comprising an aperture moulded in an upper part, and have two legs (34) to make them free standing and stackable. The end members (14) have a number of recesses (36) at the top for the legs (34) of adjacent holders in a stack.

Description

Technical Field

The invention relates to holders for tools, such as cutters for machine tools, when they are not in use, for example in a tool store or machining shop, or for tool setting or grinding.

Background Art

Such tools are relatively expensive and easily damaged, so tool holders are known which comprise a hole for a tool shank, and which secure the tool with the cutter head uppermost.

The Invention

The invention provides a tool holder comprising a number of blocks having holes for tool shanks, two end members, and two bolts running through the blocks from one end member to the other for securing the blocks and end members and making them integral. The blocks and end members can advantageously be moulded from filled or structural foam polypropylene or like plastics material. The holder can be made up from a small number of members is of simple construction, easy to use, and adaptable to various surroundings.
The holder itself and the blocks from which it is made up may be modular, that is of standard dimensions, to fit between the beams of a rack or over the bolts and between the end members. The blocks may however be of various widths, and provided with more than one hole, but the widths are preferably such that a whole number of similar blocks has a standard total width to extend between end members and give a tool holder of standard overall length. Alternatively, spacer blocks may be provided. The holes are preferably tapered so as to accept a Morse or International standard tool shank. For non-standard tools, a single block for example of hardwood may be provided for drilling as desired by the user. This hardwood block may be deeper than the other blocks or end members. A box or tray may be suspended between the end members in place of the blocks.
The end members are preferably provided with an outward projection for resting on the beams of a rack. The end members are also preferably each provided with a handle, advantageously comprising an aperture moulded in an upper part, so that the whole tool holder can conveniently be lifted with two hands without damage to a load of tools. The end members preferably each have two legs to make them freestanding and facilitate the stacking, of a number of tool holders. To this end each end member may have a number of recesses on its top for the legs of adjacent holders in a stack. The end members may also have holes below the bolts for supporting a tray on which the ends of narrow tool shanks may rest. The end members may have a cavity for a lug on a bracket whereby the tool holder can be mounted, possibly at an inclined angle.

DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool holder according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a number of alternative arrangements of blocks for use in the holder of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a number of tool holders according to Figure 1 resting between the beams of a rack;
Figure 4 shows two such tool holders stacked one on top of the other;
Figure 5 shows such a tool holder mounted in an inclined position between brackets extending from racking uprights; and
Figure 6 shows a similar mounting on a louvred panel which may itself be mounted on a trolley.

Best Mode

With particular reference to Figure 1, the tool holder comprises a number of blocks 10, each having a hole 12 tapering from top to bottom to fit a large tool shank. There are two end members 14 and two bolts 16 running through all the blocks lO from one end member 14 to the other. The bolts 16 are each provided with a nut 18 sunk in a recess in each end member ; alternatively one end of each bolt 16 may be provided with a head. In either case, the bolts 16 secure the end members 14 and make the whole integral.
Turning now to Figure 2, the alternative arrangements of the blocks 10, from back to front of Figure 2, comprise a set of four each having a single hole 12 for a large tool shank; a set of six each having a slightly smaller hole; five blocks, two of which each have four small holes, and the other three each a single hole; a set of five each having an intermediate size hole; a single block 22 of hardwood for drilling; and a suspended box 24. Along the front edge of the tops of the blocks lO runs a shallow recess 20 for a label to indicate the shank size or like information. Between the individual blocks 10 of the set of five, there are four similar spacer blocks 11 each one quarter of the width of the adjacent blocks 10 to allow room for tools with larger cutter heads than the set of six similar blocks second from the back of Figure 2. The hardwood block 22 has end caps 23 from which the ends of bolts 16 project.
Reverting now to Figure 1, the end members 14 have an outward projection 30 for resting on a beam 50 (Figure 3) of a rack comprising slotted uprights 52. The end members 14 are also provided with a handle 32 comprising an aperture moulded in the upper part of the end member 14. The end members 14 have two legs 34, the lower ends of which fit in recesses 36 on the top of an adjacent holder as shown in Figure 4. Alternatively or in addition, further recesses may be situated nearer the middle of the top of the handle 32 so that an upper tool holder can straddle two lower tool holders with a leg in a recess on the top of each of the lower tool holders. The end members 14 also have holes 38 below the bolts 16 for supporting a tray (not shown) on which the ends of narrow tool shanks may rest.
On the outer faces of the end members 14, there is a recess 40 for a label. Behind this recess 40 and opening on the underside of the projection 30 and on the inner face of the end members 14 (not shown) below the bolts 16, there is a cavity 42 shown in broken lines at the left hand end of Figure 1. The cavity 42 receives a lug of a bracket 62 for mounting the tool holder as shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6. The cavity 42 is shaped so that the lug (not shown) can enter upward from the underside of the projection 30, and be locked in position by rotating the tool holder bodily to the inclined position shown in Figures 5 and 6. The bracket 62 has either further lugs (not shown) for engagement in slots in the upright 52 as shown in Figure 5 or a flange 64 for engagement with a louvre 68 projecting from a panel as shown in Figure 6.

Claims

1. A tool holder comprising a hole (12) for a tool shank characterised by a number of blocks (10) having holes (12) for tool shanks, two end members (14), and two holds (16) running through the blocks (10) from one end member (14) to the other for securing the blocks (10) and end members (14) and making them integral.

2. A tool holder according to claim 1 in which the blocks (10) are provided with more than one hole (12).

3. A tool holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the end members (14) are provided with an outward projection (30) for resting on a beam.

4. A tool holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the end members (14) are provided with a handle (32).

5. A tool holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the end members (14) each have two legs (34) to make them free standing and facilitate stacking.

6. A tool holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which each end member (14) has a number of recesses (36) on its top for the legs (34) of adjacent holders in a stack.

7. A tool holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the end members (14) have holes (38) below the bolts (16) all supporting a tray on which the end of narrow tool shanks may rest.

8. A tool holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the end members (14) have a cavity (42) for a lug on a bracket whereby the tool holder can be mounted.