GB2122526A - Portable machine tool support usable in drill stand mode or lathe mode - Google Patents

Abstract

A drill stand which is convertible between a drill stand mode, Fig. 2, and a lathe mode, Fig. 6, has a base structure 10 and a drill support structure 11 which are pivotal with respect to each other at 12. The drill support structure includes an elongate slide member 58 upon which a power unit 74 is mounted, the elongate member being vertical in the drill mode and horizontal in the lathe mode. The power unit can be readily removed and the drill stand collapsed for storage purposes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drill stands This invention relates to drill stands and also to multipurpose work units which are convertible between at least two modes which include a drill stand mode and a lathe mode.

The invention is of particular application to the so called do-it-yourself individual where a relatively inexpensive but readily convertible lightweight unit for use in the home or small workshop would have great advantages.

The electric hand drill is probably the most commonly owned power tool but in practice the home user rarely has a drill stand on which to mount such an electric hand drill, and no matter how practiced or skilled the user may be, when faced with need acurately to drill holes into a workpiece at any particular angle, it is virtually impossible to guarantee consistancy of alignment without the use of a drill press.

A horizontal drill stand is usually relatively inexpensive, and can be used for buffing and grinding, but it is believed that this type of unit is purchased to an even less degree than a vertical drill press. It is an item which is infrequently used and where it is entirely separate from a drill stand it forms another item which has to be stored. As a result the average do-it-yourselfer seldom tends to see à need for such an item even though it would form an extremely useful addition to his set of tools and equipment.

A lathe is usually an expensive item of equipment and as a rule is only bought by the most serious of do-it-yourself workers. This tends to be because lathes are large, they tend to need a permanent site, and they tend to be expensive and furthermore the majority of people do not even know how to use one or appreciate how easy and interesting it is to use and obtain pleasing results.

Various proposals have been made to form so called combination machine centres which combine the above three functions of vertical drill stand, horizontal drill stand and lathe but these are usually very large, heavy and expensive items of equipment and certainly cannot be thought of in terms of a mass market where it is essential to keep the price within the easy reach of the houseowner as a result of which there is a clear demand for a lightweight inexpensive and versatile unit which is readily convertible between its various modes of operation and which preferably has a compact storage mode.

There have been various proposals in the past for supporting a hand drill for either drill stand or lathe use. For example, in Popular Mechanics of March 1982 there is an illustration on page 20 of a lathe conversion unit by which a conventional drill stand arrangement can be adapted by the addition of a bolt-on further lathe base which permits the drill stand to be turned through 90 so that the post of the drill stand acts as a horizontal saddle provision being made for supporting the drill holder on the extra base.

In the same publication there is also an illustration of a five-in-one wood-working machine having the capability of conversion to a lathe, table saw, disc sander, vertical drill press or horizontal drill press. This construction is built with a cast iron table and is specifically oF heavy duty design and is clearly designed as an industrial machine. Whilst conversion to a drill press mode from a lathe mode is indicated in this construction it is believed that this construction would suffer from a number of disadvantages mainly related to its size and weight but also from a structural point of view since the construction in its vertical drill press form with a rigid drill stand which in this case is formed simply by a pair of parallel vertical posts.

According to one aspect of the present invention a foldable drill stand comprises a holder in which a drill can be removably mounted, the holder being mounted for reciprocal movement in at least a vertical direction on a first frame part which is pivotally connected to at least a second frame part for movement between an operative position in which the first frame part extends vertically and a storage position in which the frame parts lie in close juxtaposition. Conveniently the first and second frame parts in the storage position lie substantially in the same plane.

According to another aspect of the present invention a drill stand comprises a frame work on which a drill is mounted for adjustable movement in an upward and downward direction, the frame work being formed of at least three generally upright members which are interconnected with one another at their upper ends and are interconnected with a base structure at their lower ends.

A particularly simple but rigid, or triangulated or pyramid-form structure can be achieved when there are only three upright members a first of which extends vertically and the second and third of which are each inclined downwardly and away from the upper end of the first member. In order further to strengthen the structure, the lower end of the first member may be interconnected to the lower end of each of the second and third members by two interconnected elements; the two interconnected elements may be integrally formed as a wishbone.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a multipurpose workunit which is convertible between a drill mode and a lathe mode includes a base structure and a drill support structure, the two structures being pivotal with respect to one another about at least one pivotal connection for relative movement during conversion between the drill mode and the lathe mode, the drill support structure including an elongate slide member upon which a power unit is adapted to be mounted, the slide member being generally upright in the drill mode and generally horizontal in the lathe mode.

Conveniently the base structure and the drill support structure are connected to one another in each mode by at least one readily releasable connection spaced from the pivotal connection between the structures, the readily releasable connection between the structures for the drill mode being different from the readily releasable connection for the lathe mode. In one specific embodiment the base structure is inverted during conversion between the drill mode and the lathe mode.

Preferably the power unit is slideable along the elongate slide member, locking means being included to secure the power unit in a plurality of positions along the length of the elongate member, conversion between the drill mode and the lathe mode being permissable whilst the power unit remains secured to the elongate slide member. The power unit may be capable of removal from the elongate slide member at at least one end thereof without any dismantling of the base structure or drill support structure.

The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways but one specific. embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of the multipurpose work unit according to the present invention in its drill stand mode; Figure 2 is a side elevation, partially sectional, of the unit of Fig. 1 again in its drill stand mode; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the unit with its drill and drill holder removed and the remaining parts folded into a storage position; Figure 4 is a side elevation of certain parts of the unit showing the manner in which they pivot relatively to one another between the drill stand mode of Figures 1 and 2 and the lathe mode of Figs. 5 and 6;; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the unit in its lathe mode and Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the unit in its lathe mode.

As will be immediately apparent from the drawings the embodiment to be described comprises a multipurpose work unit of simple lightweight construction having the capability of being converted between several different work modes including specifically the follow-~ ing A. A drill stand mode of Figs. 1 and 2.

B. A lathe mode of Figs. 5 and 6.

C. A buffing and grinding mode, not specifically shown, but basically similar to the mode of Figs. 5 and 6 in which the tail stock of the lathe mode is removed, and D. A storage mode of Fig. 3.

Broadly speaking the unit to be described includes a convertible support structure which comprises a base 10 and a drill support 11 which are pivotally connected to one another by a pair of aligned pivots 12 to enable conversion between the various modes referred to above.

The base 10 is best described by reference to Figs. 1 and 5. It includes a pair of generally parallel side members 14 formed as aluminium die-castings and each of somewhat Tform, the stem of the T including an end section 15 and an integral intermediate section 17. The sections 15 and 17 are slightly inclined to one another as shown in the drawings. The "head" of the T-form of the side members 14 is generally indicated at 16 and includes two head limbs 16A and 16B.

The side members 14 generally comprise flat plates provided with various integral flanges and integral block portions serving a variety of strengthening and securing functions. For example, along one edge of the side member 14 there is an integral flange 18, and the head sections 16 are provided with integral blocks 20 in the case of the head limb 16A, and 22 in the case of the head limb 16B.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the free ends of the end sections 15 are also formed with blocks 24 between which extend an end plate 26.

Also extending between the side members 14 approximately at the region where the end sections 15 meet the intermediate sections 17 there is an intermediate transverse plate 28.

Thus the two end sections 15, of the side members 14 together with the end plate 26 and the transverse plate 28 effectively form a square box providing the base with considerable rigidity. Extending from this box are the intermediate sections 17 of the side members 14 each intermediate section having its head section 16.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5, within this so called box, and secured to the inner face of the intermediate plate 28, is a small triangular casting 30 which includes a vertical wall 32 lying adjacent the intermediate plate 28, a horizontal wall 34 lying with its outer face in the same plane as the outer surface of the flange 18, and a pair of triangular walls 36.

On the other side of the intermediate plate 28 i.e. to the left in Figs. 1 and 2, and to the right in Fig. 5, there is secured a central support block 38, and, on each side of it of the central support block slightly inboard of the side members 14 there are a pair of side support clocks 40 one of which is shown most clearly in section in Fig. 6.

As shown in Fig. 2, the central support block 38 is secured to the intermediate plate 28 by a number of bolts 42, the heads of which are countersunk into the inner surface of the vertical wall 32 of the casting 30.

Located in the central support block 38 is a central locking screw 44 having a knurled head to enable it to be tightened by hand for securing the drill support 11 in its drill mode as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and as will be described in more detail later.

Each of the side support blocks 40, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 carry side locking screws 46 which are similar to the central locking screw 44 in that they have knurled heads again for finger adjustment and, as will be described, these side locking screws 46 serve to secure the drill support 11 in its lathe mode as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It is to be noted that in the lathe mode of Figs. 5 and 6 the heads of the side locking screws 46 face downwards whereas the head of the central locking screw 44, which is then not being used, faces upwardly.

In the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2, in which the base 10 is effectively inverted, as com pared with its position in the lathe mode, the central locking screw 44 has its head facing downwardly and, as shown in Fig. 1, the heads of the side locking screws 46, which are at this time inactive, face upwardly.

The base 10 is completed by a square base plate 50 which rests on the flanges 18 and also on the face of the horizontal wall 34 of the casting 30. In addition the base plate 50 is supported by an inturned flange 52 of the end plate 26 of the base, as shown in Fig. 2.

The base plate 50 is secured to these various parts in any suitable manner. As shown in Fig. 1 the base plate has in it a central hole 52 and four radially extending slots 54 each terminating at its outer end in a further hole 56. The holes 52 and 56 and the slots 54 are of a conventional nature and serve-to secure a workpiece in position on the base during drilling.

The drill support 11 will now be described.

It includes a square-sectioned post 58 which extends vertically in the drill mode and hori zontally in the lathe mode. At one end, the upper end in drill mode, the post 58 carries a short transverse trunnion 60 from which extend a pair of square-section support rods 62 which splay outwardly and downwardly from the end of the post 58 carrying the trunnion 60 to form a pyramid-like structure. In the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2 the lower ends of the support rods 62 lie closely against the inner faces of the blocks 22 of the head limbs 16B of the base, and are connected to the base by the pivots 12.

Connected to the same pivots 12, and also forming part of the drill support 11 are the ends of two-limbs of a wish-bone 64, which is again formed as a die-castin#g, each limb of the wish-bone including a pair of side plates 65, and a pair of integral flanges 66. The wish-bone 64 is completed, at the apex of its two limbs by an end plate 68 (see Fig. 2) which presents a V-shaped face which nests closely against a pair of the side faces of the post 58 when the drill support 11 is in its assembled condition. At this time the-wishbone 64 is firmly secured to the post 58 by a screw 71 which can be seen in Figs. 2 and 6.

By virtue of this arrangement, the post 58, the two support rods 62, and the wish-bone 64 form an extremely rigid triangulated or pyramid-form structure which is pivoted to the base by the two pivots 12. This trangulated drill support structure is capable of being locked to the base 10 in either the drill mode or the lathe mode. In the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2 the triangulated drill support 11 is locked in position by the single central locking screw 44 shown in Fig. 2 which enters the then lower end of the post 58. In the drill mode it will be appreciated that the base plate 50 and the end sections 15 of the side members 14 extend horizontally, with the intermediate sections 17 of the side members 14 lying at a slight angle upwardly. At this time the whole unit can be supported on a working surface by means of four rubber pads 70 located on the blocks 20 and 24.The base include a further set of four rubber pads 72 at this time facing upwardly, but which serve to support the base on a working surface when the unit is converted to its lathe mode.

Such conversion of the unit from the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2 to the lathe mode of Figs. 5 and 6 is carried out by releasing the central locking screw 44 from the lower end of the post 58 and rotating the base 10 with respect to the drill support 11 in the direction shown in Figs. 4 until the base 10 is effectively inverted and the support rods 62 abut the side support blocks 40 in the manner indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, at which time the side locking screws 46 can be tightened into threaded bores in the support rods 62 firmly to secure the base 10 and drill support 11 in their fresh respective positions forming the lathe mode of the unit. At this time the rubber pads 72 of the base 10 face downwardly for engagement with a supporting surface and the post 58 now extends horizontally to form a saddle, for the various components forming the lathe.

As in the drill mode, the parts in the lathe mode are rigidly secured together, in this case by the side locking screws 46 to form an extremely rigid and stable structure for lathe operation. It is to be noted that the triangulated drill support structure formed by the post 58, the support rods 62, and the wishbone 64 remain in their interconnected pyramid-like form in both the drill mode and the lathe mode and during conversion between these two modes.

In order to collapse the unit to the storage position of Fig. 3, assuming that the unit is in the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2, it is necess sary only to unscrew the central locking screw 44 to disconnect the lower end of the post 58 from the central support block 38, and to unscrew the screw 71 which connects the wish-bone 64 to the post 58. The wish-bone can then be swung into the same generaly plane as the two support rods 62 which in turn can be lowered into engagement with the base plate 50 whilst at the same time rotating the post 58 towards the support rods 62 to achieve the collapsed position of Fig. 3. If desired further locking means, not shown, can secure the parts in the collapsed position.

The support unit so far described is extremely simple to erect from its collapsed mode of Fig. 3 direct to either the drill mode or the lathe mode and conversion between the lathe mode and the drill mode or vice versa is also an extremely simple operation. Despite the ability to achieve a lightweight construction, for example it is envisaged that the unit, without the drill will weigh of the order of 14 pounds; a substantial base and triangulated construction is achieved which provides excellent stability in each of the operative modes.

The unit as a whole is extremely portable, not requiring a permanent site. It can this be taken to the job rather than the job be taken to it, and it is also extremely easy to store when collapsed to the folded position of Fig.

3 at which time it can easily be fitted into a cupboard, rest on a shelf, or even hang on a wall.

For use in any of the drill, lathe, buffing, and sanding modes a portable, normally handheld, drill 74 is mounted on a drill-holder generally indicated at 76. This drill-holder includes a sliding block 78 having a V-shaped notch 80 for sliding engagement with two horizontal upwardly facing surfaces of the post or saddle 58 in the lathe mode, these surfaces, of course, being vertical in the drill mode. The sliding block 78 carries a quick release mechanism 82 which incorporates a pair of hooks 84 which are arranged to engage the other two faces of the post 58 and be drawn closely against these faces by means of a quick-release lever 85.

The drill holder 76 also includes a drill support plate 86 which extends horizontally in the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2, and vertically in the lathe mode of Figs. 5 and 6. The drill 74 is detachably connected to the drill support plate 86 by means of a wire hoop 88, end portions of which pass through apertures 89 in the drill support plate 86. These end portions of the hoop are suitable threaded to receive locking nuts 90 in order to draw the drill 74 towards the drill support plate 86.

In order to permit translatory movement between the drill 74 and the sliding block 78, for example during drilling operations, after the sliding block 78 has been locked to the post 58, the drill support plate 86 is secured to a reciprocating post 92 the upper end of which in Figs. 1 and 2 is connected to the drill 74 by means of a bracket 94. The face of the reciprocating post 92 facing the post 58 of the drill support is formed with a rack 96.

Engaging with the rack 96, but not shown, is a pinion located within the sliding block 78 and this pinion can be rotated by means of a conventional pillar drill operating arm 98. As is conventional the reciprocating post 92 is biased upwards so that, when the operating arm 98 is released, the parts return to the respective positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 at which time the drill support plate 86 abuts the sliding block 78.

This completes the description of those parts which are required for use in the drill mode of Figs. 1 and 2. It is believed that the operation of the unit in the drill mode will be readily apparent. Suffice it to say that coarse adjustment of the drill up and down the post 58 can be readily achieved by means of the quick release lever 85, and conventional drill ing operations are carried out by upward and downward movement of the drill 74 with respect to the post 58 by operation of the operating arm 98.

Referring now to the lathe mode of Figs. 5 and 6, the drill 74 is secured to the now horizontal post or saddle 58 in an identical manner to that of Figs. 1 and 2, and can be adjusted horizontally along the post again by operation of the quick release lever 85, which enables the sliding block 78 to be located at any desired position along the post or saddle 58. Although the drill 74, together with the drill support plate 86, and the sliding block 78, can readily be detached from the post 58, simply by sliding the block 78 off the end of the post 58, it is to be noted that such disconnection of the drill 74 from the post 58 is not necessary in order to convert the unit from the drill mode to the lathe mode or vice versa.

The unit is completed in the lathe mode by a relatively conventional tail-stock 100 and a T-rest 102. The tail-stock and the T-rest are each readily secured to the post 58 in any desired position by a clamping mechanism which in each case includes a pair of hooks similar to the hooks 84 and which are oper ated, in the case of the tail-stock 100 by a finger screw 104 and in the case of the T-rest by a finger screw 106. In the lathe mode the unit is preferably clamped to a work-surface or workbench. As with the drill assembly, the tail-stock 100 or the T-rest 102 are readily removable from the post or saddle 58 without the necessity of disconnecting any parts of the supporting or base structure since each of these units can be slid off the end of the pose or saddle 58.

When the assembly is to be used for a buffing or sanding operation, the tail-stock 100, and, if desired, the T-rest 102 are simply removed from the post or saddle 58 and the drill 74 is shifted to the right in Figs.

5 5and 6 to any desired position, if necessary with the chuck of the drill 74 overhanging the righthand end of the post or saddle 58, if it is desired to secure to the drill a rotary tool such as a grinding wheel or sanding disc having a diameter greater than the distance between the axis of the drill 74 and the post 58.

Claims (32)

1. A multipurpose workunit, convertible between a drill mode and a lathe mode and including a base structure and a drill support structure, the two structures being pivotal with respect to one another about at least one pivotal connection for relative movement dur ing conversion between the drill mode and the lathe mode, the drill support structure includ ing an elongate slide member upon which a power unit is adapted to be mounted, the slide member being generally upright in the drill mode and. generally horizontal in the lathe mode.

2. A workunit as claimed in Claim 1 in which the base structure and the drill support structure are connected to one another in each mode by at least one readily releasable connection spaced from the pivotal connection between the structures, the readily releasable connection between the structures for the drill mode being different from the readily releas able connection for the lathe mode.

3. A workunit as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the base structure is in verted during conversion between the drill mode and the lathe mode.

4. A workunit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the power unit is slideable along the elongate slide member, locking means being included to secure the power unit in a plurality of positions along the length of the elongate member, conversion between the drill mode and the lathe mode being permissable whilst the power unit re mains secured to the elongate slide member.

5. A workunit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the power unit is capable of removal from the# elongate slide member at at least one end thereof without any dismantling of the base structure or drill support structure.

6. A workunit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the elongate slide member comprises a bar which, in the lathe mode, affords a pair of upwardly facing relatively inclined elongate faces.

7. A workunit as claimed in Claim 6, in which the bar, in the lathe mode, affords a second pair of downwardly and rel#atively in clined faces, the power unit being lockable in any one of its plurality of positions along the elongate member by gripping means which engages the second pair of inclined faces.

8. A workunit as claimed in any-one of the preceding claims in which the drill support structure is of triangulated form and includes a pair of support members which, in the drill mode, extend downwardly and outwardly from the top of the elongate slide member to connection points on the base structure.

9. A workunit as claimed in Claim 8 in which said connection points comprise pivotal connections between the base structure and the drill support structure.

10. A workunit as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 including means interconnecting the lower ends of the support members and the elongate member to form a pyramid-form drill support structure.

11. A workunit as claimed in Claim 10 in which said means comprises a wish-bone element.

12. A workunit as claimed in Claim 9 and as claimed in Claim 11 in which the wishbone element includes a pair of limbs having free ends connected to said support members at said pivotal connections with the base structure.

13. A workunit as claimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12 including a readily releasable connection between the apex of the limbs of the wish-bone and the elongate member.

14. A workunit as claimed in- Claims 2 and 9 or any claims appendant to Claim 2 and 9 in which, in the drill mode, the lower end of the elongate slide member engages and is readily releasable from the base structure, and, in the lathe mode, a thrust face of each of the support members engages and is readily releasable from the base structure.

15. A workunit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the base structure has at least three feet lying in one plane for supporting the unit in the drill mode, and at least three further feet lying in a second plane for supporting the unit in the lathe mode.

16. A workunit as claimed in Claim 15 in which said two planes are inclined to one another.

17. A workunit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the base structure and the drill support structure are also convertible to a storage mode, the elongate slide member in the drill mode extending generally at right angles to the base structure, the elongate slide member in the lathe mode extending generally parallel to and spaced from the base structure, and the elongate slide member in the storage mode extending generally parallel to and in close juxtaposition to the base structure.

18. A workunit as claimed in Claim 17 as claimed in Claim 11 in which the said support member and said wish-bone, in said storage position also lie in close juxtaposition to one another and said base structure.

19. A drill stand comprising a frame work on which a drill is mounted for adjustable movement in an upward and downward direction, the frame work being formed of at least three generally upright members which are interconnected with one another at their upper ends and are interconnected with a base structure at their lower ends.

20. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 19 in which there are only three upright members a first of which extends vertically and the second and third of which are each inclined downwardly and away from the upper end of the first member.

21. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 20 in which the lower end of the first member is interconnected to the lower end of each of the second and third members by two interconnected elements.

22. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 21 in which the two interconnected elements are integrally formed as a wish-bone.

23. A drill stand as claimed in any one of claims 19-22 in which the frame work is pivoted to the base structure for movement with respect thereto into at least one alternative relative relationship.

24. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 23 in which one of said alternative relationships comprises a horizontal drill stand mode in which one of the upright member extends horizontally.

25. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 24 in which the frame work is povoted to the base by pivotal connections at the lower ends of each of the second and third upright members and the first upright member has a readily releasable connection to the base.

26. A drill stand as claimed in any one of Claims 19-25 in which at least one of the upright members is pivotally connected at its upper end relative to the other upright #mem- bers for pivotal movement so that the three members can lie substantially in one plane and thereafter be pivoted together with respect to the base structure to a storage position.

27. A foldable drill stand comprising a holder in which a drill can be removably mounted, the holder being mou#nted for reciprocal movement in at least a vertical direction on a first frame part which is pivotally connected to at least a second frame part for movement between an operative position in which the first frame part extends vertically and a storage position in which the frame parts lie in close juxtaposition.

28. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 27 in which the first and second frame parts in the storage position lie substantially in the same plane.

29. A drill stand as claimed in Claim 27 or Claim 28 in which the second frame part is inclined to the vertical in the operative position.

30. A drill stand as claimed in any one-of Claims 27-29 including a third frame part forming a base and lying horizontally in the operative position and to which the lower end of the second frame part is connected.

31. A drill stand as claimed in any one of Claims 27-30 in which the frame parts all lie substantially parallel to one another in the storage position.

32. A multipurpose workunit substantially as specifically described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.