US3468073A

US3468073A - Rotary tool

Info

Publication number: US3468073A
Application number: US588688A
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Del Vecchio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-10-20
Filing date: 1966-10-20
Publication date: 1969-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1986-09-23

Description

p 23. 1969 M. DEL vzccl-uo 3,468,073

ROTARY TOOL Filed Oct. 20, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 t i .g' i i do ZZ FIGZ INVENTOR. MICHAEL DELVECCHIO ATTORNEY l 3, 1969 M. DEL vsccmo 3,468,073

ROTARY TOOL Filed Oct. 20, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illlla.

INVENTOR. MICHAEL DELVECCHIO ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,468,073 ROTARY TOOL Michael De] Vecchio, Providence, R.I., assignor of fifty percent to Peter Gigliotti, Providence, RI. Filed Oct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,688 Int. Cl. 1324b 23/00; B24d 9/02 US. Cl. 51170 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to improvements in rotary tools and more particularly to an improved rotary sanding or grinding tool.

In automobile body repair work there have been a variety of tools offered on the market which have not fully satisfied the users requirements therefor. Some have been large and awkward to handle, some too heavy, some do not have a firm enough backing for the sanding means whether sheet, belt or disk. Others have been such that the holding means for the sanding element has not stood up in use and the sheet, belt or disk is quickly torn requiring replacement.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rotary tool which overcomes the above objections of prior tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary tool which is compact and wherein the sanding means is solidly backed and may be operated at high speeds.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary sanding or grinding tool which is safer to use and to handle than prior devices.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary tool for sanding and grinding in which the sanding or grinding element can be firmly held from shifting.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the rotary tool according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout, it will be seen that I have provided an improved rotary tool which includes a motor drive means 12, a housing 14, sanding or grinding means 16, hearing means 18, and handle means 22.

Available on the market today are many motors including electric, pneumatic and hydraulic mechanisms. For the purposes of lightness, compactness and power I prefer a pneumatic motor such as shown at 12. As an example such motor is available from National Detroit, Inc. of Rockford, 111. An air inlet connection communicates with a suitable source of air pressure to drive the motor, a conventional air valve at 26 controlling operation of the drive motor.

3,468,073 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 The housing 14 includes the portion 28 in which the motor is received and the elbow shaped portion 30. The latter is joined by the screws, not shown, to the rim 30 and is hollow to receive the coupling drive means 13. The housing 14 has a flat carrier frame plate 34 extending therefrom. The plate 34 has four openings formed therein for the bolts 36 the purpose of which will be described. Another opening is formed at 38 whereby the handle means 22 can be attached.

A generally U-shaped housing member 40 has a pair of

flanges

42, 44 at the top thereof formed with threaded openings to receive the bolts 36 whereby the member 40 is attached to the plate 34. The legs of the member 40 comprise a pair of

skirts

46, 48 which depend from the plate 34 and are arcuately inturned and tapered toward their

lower edges

50, 52. The skirts are formed with air openings at 53 for dust venting.

The bight portion 54 has a circular recess with one of the bearing means 18 received therein. The other bearing means 20 is carried in the housing end plate 56. The plate 56 has a threaded opening 58 in the top thereof. The handle 22 has a threaded shank 60 which is engaged through the opening 38 into the opening 58 thus also holding the

plates

56 and 34 together. The plate 56 is also detachably joined to the

side skirts

46, 48 by the studs 62, 64.

A shaft 66 is journalled in the

bearings

18, 20 and retained at one end by the spring retainer ring 68 which abuts the bearing 18 and is engaged in an annular groove 70 in the shaft. The shaft has a sheave 72 permanently secured thereto adjacent the bearing means 18. A similar sheave 74 is secured to the motor drive shaft 76 and an O-ring 78 drivingly couples the shafts.

A short sleeve 80 with an end flange 82 has a rubber or rubber-like barrel 84 of cylindrical shape received thereon and attached thereto by the screw 86. A similar sleeve 88 with a flange 90 is engaged in the opposing end of the barrel without contacting the other sleeve. Suitable washer and spacer elements are provided at 92, 94.

The shaft 66 projects through the bearing means 20 and a spacer 96 is received on the outer end. Also the clamping nut 98 is threaded on the shaft.

Suitable sanding or grinding sleeves 100, either unitary or sectional, can be received on the barrel 84.

The barrel has a relaxed diameter such as to freely receive the sleeves 100 thereon. By tightening the nut 98 the sleeve is longitudinally compressed to expand radially to grip the sleeves from longitudinal shifting and to provide a substantially solid but slightly resilient backing for the sleeves.

When a sleeve is to be replaced or interchanged, the operator merely removes the handle 22 and then removes the nut 98. Then the sanding sub-assembly including the barrel and sleeves can be removed for easy replacement of the sleeves. Then the reverse accomplishes reassembly.

It is to be noted that the screw 86 has its head engaging the sheave 72 for positive driving engagement.

The

skirts

46, 48 are in close cooperative relationship with the sleeves 100.

It will be seen thus, that I have provided a rotary tool which is compact, lightweight, safe in construction and therefore to use, and wherein the same is ideally suited for automobile body work. Its shape is such as to allow use in confined and curved areas, as well as flat areas.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as Well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by these claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary tool for sanding and grinding, a housing, a motor mounted in said housing, a housing member interconnected to said housing, bearings mounted on said housing member in spaced coaxial relation, a shaft journalled for rotation in said bearings, means for connecting said motor to said shaft in driving relation, a barrel formed of a resilient material surrounding said shaft for rotation therewith and receiving a sanding and grinding sleeve in friction fitting relation thereon, and means for expanding the diameter of said barrel for frictionally retaining the sanding and grinding sleeve thereon, said expanding means including a first internal sleeve mounted on said shaft and extending inwardly of said barrel for a portion of the length thereof, said first sleeve having a flange located on the external end thereof that engages an end of said barrel, a second internal sleeve mounted on said shaft and extending inwardly of said barrel for a portion of the length thereof and spaced from said first sleeve, said second sleeve having a flange located on the external end thereof that engages the other end of said barrel, and an externally accessible fastener assembly engaging said shaft and having interengaging relation with a flange of one of said internal sleeves, wherein tightening of said fastener assembly on said shaft longitudinally moves the internal sleeve with which it is interengaged, thereby compressing and expanding said resilient barrel between the internal sleeves to frictionally engage the sanding and grinding sleeve on said barrel.

2. In a rotary tool as set forth in claim 1, the flange on other of said internal sleeves engaging the connecting means for said shaft for drivingly interconnecting the connecting means with said barrel.

3. In a rotary tool as set forth in claim 2, a plate joined to said housing, and said housing member being fixed to said plate in removable relation, said housing member having a generally U-shaped configuration defined by spaced, opposed skirts between Which said barrel is mounted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,406,914 2/ 1922 Virgilio 51274 X 3,178,863 4/1965 Mikiyi 51170 X 2,800,750 7/ 1957 Field 5l375 FOREIGN PATENTS 645,718 7/1928 France. 498,645 5/ 1930 Germany.

' JAMES L. JONES, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 51-375