GB2268105A - Combination drill holder and socket - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination drilling and nut-setting tool comprises interfitting, generally cylindrical inner and outer members 2, 1, the former 2 being adapted to interlock with the shank 41 of a drill bit 4 and the latter 1 having an opening 11 allowing the drill bit 4 to extend therethrough and configured to fit the head of a nut. The two members 1, 2 have a pin-and-groove coupling 21, 12 allowing the outer member 1 to move axially on the inner member 2 and operable to lock the outer member 1 in either a retracted or an advanced position wherein the drill bit 4 respectively either does, or does not, extend through the said opening 11. The coupling 21, 12 serves to transmit torque to the outer member 1 from the inner member 2 when the outer member 1 is locked in an advanced, nut-setting position with the drill bit 4 retracted. <IMAGE>

Description

"DRILL AND LOCK ASSEMBLY" The present invention relates to the design of a multi-functioned drill and lock assembly. Owing to the design of its unique structure, it not only enables drilling and screw locking to be processed more rapidly, it also much simplifies its integral structure. When compared with a conventional one, it is found to be more economical in its production cost as well as having a longer life. It is indeed a perfect tool which is remarkably noted for its multi-function and practicality.

When drilling or setting a screw, a hole in a workpiece may be drilled with an electric drill. Then, a screw nut is driven into the hole with a hammer. After that, the screw nut is fixed inside the hole with a spanner, thus to prevent it from loosening. In this process, the screw will have to be firmly locked. As several hand tools will have to be used alternately to achieve the objects of drilling and screw setting, it is not only wasteful of time and labour, but also cannot be regarded as practical. It is, therefore, gradually replaced by the assembly of some other advanced tools.

As shown in FIG. 7, of the accompanying drawings, a more advanced tool assembly is presented herein which comprises of a lock cylinder formed by a front and a rear section 1, 2, a drill pillar 3 which can be sleeved with a drill head (not shown), a steel ball B and a steel ball buckling ring C. By sleeving drill pillar 3 into the lock cylinder, as well as by making use of the steel ball buckling ring C which is set on the surface of the lock cylinder to exert a loading force onto steel ball B to force it to move into the steel ball groove 31 of drill pillar 3 inside the drill cylinder, drill pillar 3 can be fixed in position while allowing it to undergo movement in an axial direction.

A plane or flat 36 is formed axially along the surface of drill pillar 3 to co-ordinate with a positioning edge 24 at the rear end of the lock cylinder.

When drill pillar 3 is moving forward, the drill head can extend out of the lock cylinder, and thus allows its drill head to be used for drilling processes. A circular arc 38 and a secondary positioning plane 37 are provided at the extreme end of plane 36 of drill pillar 3. When drill pillar 3 is being pulled in a counter direction along the lock cylinder to the extreme end to allow retraction of drill head D into the lock cylinder, the lock cylinder will be able to rotate along the circular arc 38. While it moves to secondary positioning plane 37 which is corresponding in position to positioning edge 24 of the lock cylinder, drill pillar 3 will not be able to move forward because it is being checked by secondary positioning plane 37.This will enable the special pattern 11 at the front end of the lock cylinder to protrude, so as the further allow the packing screw to be locked in the inner hole.

Summarizing the above, it can be seen that the aforesaid conventional structure for which a patent has been granted is, by means of the design of its lock cylinder and drill pillar assembly and changes in their axial relative locations, able to achieve the object of rapid drilling and locking by using an ordinary electric drill without having gone through any complicated process, to the ultimate effect of saving time and labour.

After carefully studying the structure of the prior art, however, I have found that in the installation of the aforesaid tool assembly which is noted for its rapid changes, drill pillar 3 has first to be inserted into the rear lock cylinder 2. Then, it is necessary to lock the front lock cylinder with the rear lock cylinder 2 to enable drill pillar 3 to be sleeved into the lock cylinder. After that, buckling ring C and steel ball B have to be placed at the outer periphery of the lock cylinder, thus completing the overall assembly of the tool. Owing to the complicated assembly procedure, the two defects which are set out below arise.

a. The complexity of the structure of its assembling members makes the processing of such assembling members troublesome and time consuming. Moreover, the plurality of its parts and the complexity of its structure will also increase its material cost. Besides raising its retail price, it will further result in weakening of its market competitiveness.

b. The plurality of its assembling members makes the assembling process troublesome and complex.

The difficulty experienced by ordinary people in understanding and implementing its assembling process makes the conventional tool imperfect.

Furthermore, as the axially-extending plane or flat 36 is cut into the drill pillar 3, the average diameter of drill pillar 3 is reduced. Thus, if drill pillar 3 is subjected to considerable pressure in use, it will usually break if it cannot sustain the pressure load. In addition, when the secondary positioning plane 37 at the front end of drill pillar 3 is rotating at positioning edge 24 which is located at a position corresponding to the extreme end of the lock cylinder, it will easily be deformed as a result of the effect of a powerful torsion being exerted for a long time to the electric drill, as well as of the application of stress. When its transforming exceeds the internal diameter of the lock cylinder, it will be impossible for drill pillar 3 to retract axially into the lock cylinder, and thus make it impossible to conduct a drilling process.Therefore, it has been found that the conventional tooling is still incomplete in its structural design, so further improvement is deemed necessary.

The following description of the present invention is given by way of non-limitative example only.

The present invention aims, inter alia, to make use of an integrally formed lock cylinder. On the hollow lock cylinder a positioning guiding groove is set. A convex tenon or stud protrudes from the drill pillar, which is a cylindrical bar. Being able to be inserted by piercing through one end of the lock cylinder, the said drill pillar will enable the convex tenon to conduct a twosectioned type of front and rear axle position moving on the positioning groove, so as to further provide a rapid changing two-section assembling tool to function for hole drilling and screw locking.Preventing the drill pillar from being separated inadvertently from the lock cylinder is the function of a vertical inward guiding groove which is set at the middle or intermediate section of the lock cylinder guiding groove along the internal annular plane of said lock cylinder for the inward sliding of the convex tenon, so as to further prevent the outer end of the inward guiding groove from forming a straight line with the guiding groove. Therefore, besides facilitating the dismantling and assembling of the drill pillar, it will also prevent the drill pillar being separated from the lock cylinder during operation. The functions of the present invention are as follows: 1.Due to its simple and complete structure and the simplification of the processing of its assembling members, in addition to cutting down its processing cost, the time required for processing is also considerably reduced, to the ultimate effect of increasing production efficiency and capacity.

2. It is simple to assemble the finished product.

All one has to do is to pass the drill pillar directly through the inward guiding groove and sleeve it into the lock cylinder. Compared with such complex designs as feature positioning planes, as described above, its easy operation is more convenient and rapid.

3. As all such assembling members of the present invention as lock cylinder or drill pillar are integrally formed by the processing of complete articles, a sound torsion resistance stress can be achieved in terms of its receiving of force exerted, and thus prevent it from breaking prematurely. At the same time, as the present invention makes use of the reciprocating sliding of the convex tenon within the positioning guiding groove, such a sliding motion will not be affected even if the convex tenon is deformed when a force is exerted on its two lateral sides in an axial direction. Therefore, it provides a practical tool assembly which has a longer service life than that of a conventional one.

Moreover, another object of the present invention lies in providing an improved structure of a drill head and drill pillar. By the design of the shape of a polygon and having -the front hole of the drill pillar set correspondingly to the handle or shank of the drill head, and also by setting a ball groove at an appropriate position of the handle or shank of the drill head with a hole pierced through the surface which is located correspondingly to the drill pillar, a steel ball can be set. Upon the sleeving of the drill pillar into the lock cylinder, the lock head will, by using the internal wall of the lock cylinder to press the steel ball against the ball groove, achieve the objective of a tight connection.

Its most outstanding advantage lies in the convenience of dismantling, since it allows dismantling of the drill head to be completed by mere disassembling of the drill pillar without having made use of a conical board or drift to dismantle the cone as has been required conventionally.

This helps make the present invention a practical and innovative structural design.

The present invention will now be explained, by way of example only, in the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2 are partial sectional views of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of another unit embodying the present invention, FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a drill head according to the present invention, FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the drill head of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art drill holder unit.

First referring to FIG. 1, the "multi-functioned assembly of drill and lock" presented by the present invention comprises a lock cylinder 1, a drill pillar or shaft 2, a spring 3 and a specially designed drill head or bit 4. The lock cylinder has a hollow circular section, with a specially formed hole 11 at its front end to match with the shape of a screw head. In the surface of lock cylinder 1 is a long axially-extending guiding groove 12 which opens to its hollow interior, with positioning/housing grooves 13a, 13b. The latter are disposed at the two ends of the guiding groove 12, and are at right angles thereto, i.e. they are circumferentially extending.An inner guiding groove 14 is formed on an internal annular plane in a middle or intermediate section of guiding groove 12, and has an axial lead-in groove extending outwardly to the end of the lock cylinder 1, so as to permit proper insertion of the drill pillar 2 as will be described.

The drill pillar 2 is in the shape of a cylindrical rod having a thinner section at it rear end for the clamping head, chuck or holder which is locked to the electric drill. The thicker section at its front end is for inserting into lock cylinder 1.

A convex tenon, pin or circular stud 21 projects radially outwardly from the front end of said drill pillar 2. When drill pillar 2 is inserted into lock cylinder 2, stud 21 can enter and move around inward guiding groove 14 of lock cylinder 1 until it reaches the guiding groove 12, along which it can slide. Moreover, a compression spring 3 can be mounted beforehand onto the thicker end of drill pillar 2. Upon inserting drill pillar 2 into lock cylinder 1 and bringing convex tenon or stud 21 in the first positioning/housing groove 13a, the lock cylinder 1 and drill pillar 2 will be securely interconnected without loosening because of the effect of spring 3.

Owing to the interconnection of the lock cylinder 1 and drill pillar 2, drill pillar 2 will be enabled to move to and fro resiliently in the axial direction in lock cylinder 1. By means of the design of positioning/housing grooves 13a, 13b, the elasticity or resiliance of drill pillar 2 will be functional for two-section changes. It also enables the drill head 4, which is connected to one end of the drill pillar 2, to expand out of and contract into lock cylinder 1, so as to enble drill head 4 to drill a hole upon expanding and, to make use of the forming hole 11 at the front end of lock cylinder 1 to lock a screw into the hole upon contracting. Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 for the changes which occurred to its outer view.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2 wherein it can be seen that the convex tenon or stud 21 of drill pillar 2 is pushed inward into inner groove 14 adjacent the rear end of lock cylinder 1. However, for the purpose of preventing drill pillar 2 from slipping accidentally out from inward guiding groove 14 after assembling, the design of said inward guiding groove 14 mainly lies in extending it from the intermediate section of guiding groove 12 of lock cylinder 1 until it extends vertically along the internal annular plane of lock cylinder 1 and protruded out of lock cylinder 1. This will enable convex tenon 21 of drill pillar 2 to be pushed inward in an axial direction along the lead-in of groove 14 of lock cylinder 1 (as indicated in FIG. 2-2). And thus completed the connecting of lock cylinder 1 with drill pillar 2.On the contrary, if the two will have to be dismantled, the drill pillar 2 is moved to bring the tenon 21 into groove 14 at the middle section of guiding groove 12. Then after appropriately twisting the pillar 2 relative to the lock cylinder 1, the tenon 21 can be moved outwardly along the lead-in of groove 14, enabling the pillar to be dismounted. The arrangement of groove 14 at the middle section of guiding groove 12 of lock cylinder 1 does not affect the functioning of the sprung, resilient movability of said drill pillar 2 inside lock cylinder 1. Therefore, no matter speaking in terms of its installation or dismantling, the present invention is able to provide a convenient and rapid mode, and is indeed regarded as an advanced and practical design.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5, the mode of connection of drill head 4 and drill pillar 2 of the present invention is indicated. As illustrated, the mounting end, shank or handle 41 of drill head 4 can be made in the shape of a polygon. (A hexagon is used as an example in the present case). A drill hole 22 in the front end of drill pillar 2 also has the shape of an internal polygon hole (a hexagonal hole is used as an example in the present case), so as to enable drill head end or handle 41 to be inserted into drill head hole 22.

A groove 42 is also formed at an appropriate position in the surface of drill head end or handle 41.

Correspondingly, the surface of drill pillar 2 has a hole 23 pierced through it (in this case, the most appropriate position would be set in a counter-direction or radially opposite to the convex tenon 21). A steel ball 5 is placed in hole 23 so that it may enter shot groove 42 in drill head end or handle 41. When drill pillar 2 is inserted slidably within lock cylinder 1#, steel ball 5 protrudes beyond drill pillar 2 to form a tight coordination because of a squeezing force exerted against it by the inner wall of lock cylinder 1. It will further enable the steel ball 5 to be housed in groove 42. Thus, drill head 4 may be tightly connected with drill pillar 2.

The most remarkable advantage of this design lies in the fact that no tools will be needed when drill head 4 is to be dismantled. After the separating of drill pillar 2 from the lock cylinder 1, the drill head 4 can be easily pulled out from drill head hole 22 in drill pillar 2.

This is regarded as very practical and convenient.

FIG. 6 illustrates that by another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the forementioned drill and drill pillar assembly can be substituted by another mode. That is to say, the form of the drill head mounting end or handle 41 can be designed in such a way that only its extreme end is made into a polygonal pillar 41a, while inwardly of it is a smooth circular pillar portion 41b with a larger outer dimension. A ball groove 41c encircles the circular pillar portion 41b. A similarly shaped opening corresponding to portions 41a, 41b of the drill head is provided as the front drill head hole 22 of drill pillar 2 for the insertion and sleeving of drill head handle 41. A ball hole 23 is again provided in the surface of the drill pillar to mate with the circular pillar portion 41b and ball groove 41c.After inserting and sleeving drill pillar 2 into front drill hole 22, it will make access by means of the steel ball 5 in groove 23 and checked for housing into groove 41c of drill head handle 41. When drill pillar 2 is telescoped into lock cylinder 1, drill head 4 will be tightly fixed in the interior of drill pillar 2 by the internal wall of lock cylinder 1 pressing ball 5 into the groove 41c.

Summarising the above description, it can be seen that "the multi-functioned drill and lock assembly" provided by the present invention can really achieve the effect of ease of operation, good quality and a longer service life.

It is regarded as a practical and creatively designed product. For those who are familiar with the prior art, the preferred embodiments according to the above description can be modified within the scope of the following claims.

Summary The present invention provides a multi-functioned drill and lock assembly, comprising of a drill cylinder, a drill pillar and a drill head. A convex tenon at the front end of the drill pillar can pierce through and sleeve into a lock cylinder. By adjusting the position moving and fixing at the front and rear direction of a guiding groove that extends along its surface, the drill head at the front end of the drill pillar will be enabled to protrude beyond or shrink into the lock cylinder. The front end of the drill cylinder is made into a screw locking hole to enable the said tool to perform the dualfunction as a locking hole or as a locking switch. The fixed drill head of the drill pillar is so designed that its handle and front drill hole will be made into a polygonal angle for inter-co-ordination. Being checked by a steel shot on a shot groove, a connecting effect will be achieved when the drill pillar is sleeved into the lock cylinder.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS:

1. A combination drilling and screw-setting tool, comprising interfitting, generally cylindrical inner and outer members, the former being adapted to interlock with the shank of a drill bit and the latter having an opening allowing the drill bit to extend there through and configured to fit the head of a screw non-rotatingly, the two members having a pin-and-groove coupling allowing the outer member to move axially on the inner member and operable to lock the outer member in either a retracted or an advanced position wherein the drill bit respectively either does, or does not, extend through the said opening, the coupling serving to transmit torque to the outer member from the inner member when the outer member is locked in an advanced, screw-setting position with the drill bit retracted.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the pin protrudes from the inner member into the groove which is in the outer member.

3. A tool according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the groove has a major extent aligned axially of the tool, and has two laterally or circumferentially directed portions at the ends of the axial major extent, the said two portions serving with the pin to secure the outer member in one or other of its retracted and advanced positions.

4. A tool according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein spring means acting between the two members biases the outer member to one of its retracted and advanced positions.

5. A tool according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pin is disengageable from the groove in a manner permitting the two members to be separated and reassembled, e.g. after installing a new drill bit in the inner member.

6. A tool according to claim 5, wherein the member furnished with the groove of the pin-and-groove coupling is also furnished with a second groove intersecting the coupling groove at an intermediate point along the axial extent thereof, the second groove extending in circumferential and axial directions to an end of the grooved member, whereby simple manipulation of the members involving relative twisting and axial movements enables the coupling pin to enter and move along the second groove, thus to permit separation or reassembly of the two members.

7. A tool according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner member has a shank at one end for chucking in a drilling machine.

8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein the inner member has a socket at its other end and means for releasably locking the shank of a drill bit therein.

9. A tool according to claim 8, wherein the socket and drill shank are non-circular, e.g. hexagonal.

10. A tool according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the drill shank has a groove therein, and the releasable locking means comprises a ball and hole in the inner member, the hole opening to the socket and to the exterior of the inner member and the ball being caused by the outer member to protrude partially from the hole into the drill shank groove to lock the drill in place when the inner member is assembled in the outer member.

11. A multi-functioned drill and lock assembly comprised mainly of a lock cylinder which has a forming hole which is set at the opening of its front end and pierced through into the interior of the lock cylinder, and an electric head of which the rear end is having a rather thin outer diameter that can be fixed onto a drill pillar located on the clamping head of the electric drill as well as connected with the front end of the drill pillar, which is featured for having:: a lock cylinder, which is made in a hollow circular shape, and on the surface of which is pierced through with a sealed long guiding groove that is interconnected with a hollow groove in the interior, and a positioning/housing groove is separately set in a vertical direction of each of the two ends of the guiding groove and, an inward guiding groove is set vertically on the internal annular plane along the hollow lock cylinder at the middle section of the guiding groove and further extended in an axial direction until it reaches the extreme end of the lock cylinder, so that the direction of entry/exit of the inward guiding groove will not form a straight line with the guiding groove;; a drill pillar, which is made in the shape of a solid circular pillar, having a convex tenon set at an appropriate position at its front end, of which the height protruded will accidentally allow the entry of the lock cylinder, so as to enable the drill pillar to pierce through and' sleeve within the interior of the lock cylinder, and also enable the positioning and the conducting of elastic sliding movements of the convex tenon along the guiding groove and, a drill head is set at the front end of the drill pillar; when it is being checked and housed separately with the convex tenon into the positioning/housing groove at each of the two ends of the guiding groove, it will enable the drill head to be protruded beyond and shrinked into the lock cylinder; and a compression spring can be sleeved beforehand at the front end of the drill pillar that has a larger outer diameter, so that when the convex tenon is checked and housed into the positioning/housing groove at the front end of the lock cylinder, it will increase the compactness of the drill pillar and the lock cylinder, and prevent them from loosening.

12. The multi-functioned drill and lock assembly as described under claim 11, in which the joining part of the drill bit and the drill pillar can be designed and turned into a polygonal pillar shape of the shank of the drill head, while the front drill head hole of the drill pillar will also be designed into a corresponding shape, so that these two may be inter-sleeved; and a ball groove is separately set at an appropriate position on the surface of the shank of the drill head, with a corresponding ball hole set at the surface of the drill pillar into which the shank of the drill head is inserted and sleeved into the front drill head hole; inside the ball hole a steel ball can be placed and checked against the interior of the ball groove on the shank of the drill head; and when the drill pillar is sleeved in the interior of the lock cylinder, it will fix the drill head into the hole of the front drill head of the drill pillar by means of a force which squeezed against the steel ball by the internal wall of the lock cylinder, thereby allowing the drill bit to be conveniently and rapidly mounted and dismounted.

13. The multi-functioned drill and lock assembly as described under claim 11, in which the assembly of the drill head and the drill pillar may be designed in such a way that the extreme end of the handle of the drill head be made in the shape of a polygonal pillar, and the upper direction of the polygonal pillar is made into a smooth circular pillar with a larger outer diameter, also set around the surface of the smooth circular pillar is a shot groove, with a corresponding hole also set at the front drill head hole of the drill pillar; and a shot hole is also pierced through on the surface of the drill pillar where a shot groove is located for the insertion and sleeving of the handle of the drill head, into the said shot hole steel shots can be put and, in a similar manner when the drill pillar is sleeving onto the lock cylinder, the drill head will be fixed onto the drill pillar by means of a force which squeezed against the steel shot by the internal wall of the lock cylinder.

14. A combination drilling and screw-setting tool substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A tool according to any of claims 1 to 14, having the drill bit mounted in the tool.