Brush cutter

Abstract

A brush cutter adapted to be driven in rotary motion by a conventional machine tool. The brush cutter includes an annular wall having a cylindrical outer surface defining a longitudinal center axis. Front and rear faces are connected to opposing ends of the cylindrical outer surface. An arbor bore and a counterbore are concentrically disposed and coaxially aligned with the center axis. A plurality of brush assemblies are received within a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial and radial receiving bores. The axial receiving bores extend axially inwardly from the front face and the radial receiving bores extend radially inwardly from the cylindrical outer surface.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A cutter for being driven in rotation by a spindle, said cutter including: 
 a housing including an annular wall having a cylindrical outer surface and defining a longitudinal center axis, a front face connected to said outer surface, a rear face connected to said outer surface and positioned in spaced relation to said front face by said annular wall, a cylindrical inner surface defining an arbor bore extending axially inwardly from said rear face towards said front face and coaxially aligned along said center axis, a cylindrical intermediate surface defining a counterbore extending from said front face towards said rear face and coaxially aligned along said center axis, said counterbore in communication with said arbor bore, a lock shoulder defined between said arbor bore and said counterbore, a rotation registration device supported by said rear face, a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial receiving bores extending substantially axially inwardly from said front face towards said rear face;    a plurality of brush assemblies slidably and removably received within said plurality of axial receiving bores, each of said brush assemblies including a sleeve and a plurality of metal wire bristles fixed within said sleeve;    a securing device operably connected to each of said brush assemblies for releasably securing said brush assemblies within said housing; and    a plurality of cutting passageways, each of said passageways positioned intermediate a pair of said brush assemblies for facilitating the removal of cut material away from said center axis of said housing.    
     
     
         2 . The cutter of    claim 1    wherein said rotation registration device comprises a pair of diametrically opposed keyways extending inwardly from said rear face, said pair of keyways adapted to receive a pair of keys for rotatably securing said housing to the spindle.  
     
     
         3 . The cutter of    claim 1    wherein said metal wire bristles are formed of stainless steel.  
     
     
         4 . The cutter of    claim 1    wherein each of said brush assemblies further comprises a stem connected to and concentrically disposed relative to said sleeve.  
     
     
         5 . The cutter of    claim 4    wherein each said axial receiving bore includes an outer portion for receiving said sleeve and an inner portion in communication with said outer portion for receiving said stem.  
     
     
         6 . The cutter of    claim 5    wherein each said securing device comprises first and second set screws extending substantially radially within said annular wall, said first set screw engaging said sleeve and said second set screw engaging said stem.  
     
     
         7 . The cutter of    claim 1    further comprising: 
 a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial receiving bores extending substantially radially inwardly within said annular wall; and  
 a plurality of said brush assemblies slidably and removably fixed within said plurality of radial receiving bores.  
 
     
     
         8 . The cutter of    claim 1    further comprising an arbor lock screw including a head received within said counterbore and engaging said lock shoulder, thereby locking said housing to the spindle.  
     
     
         9 . In a machine tool including a spindle rotatably supporting a shell mill arbor, said arbor including a cylindrical body portion supporting a pair of diametrically opposed keys and a cylindrical pilot positioned intermediate said keys, said pilot having a concentrically disposed threaded aperture, a cutter comprising: 
 a housing including an annular wall having a cylindrical outer surface and defining a longitudinal center axis, a front face connected to said outer surface, a rear face connected to said outer surface and positioned in spaced relation to said front face by said annular wall, a cylindrical inner surface defining an arbor bore extending substantially axially inwardly from said rear face towards said front face and coaxially aligned along said center axis, said arbor bore slidably receiving said pilot, a cylindrical intermediate surface defining a counterbore extending from said front face towards said rear face and coaxially aligned along said center axis, said counterbore in communication with said arbor bore, a lock shoulder defined between said arbor bore and said counterbore, a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial receiving bores extending substantially axially inwardly from said front face towards said rear face;    an arbor lock screw threadably received within said threaded aperture of said pilot, said lock screw including a head received within said counterbore and engaging said lock shoulder for securing said housing to said arbor shell;    a plurality of cutters slidably and removably received within said plurality of axial receiving bores; and    a plurality of cutting passageways, each of said passageways positioned intermediate a pair of said brush assemblies for facilitating the removal of cut material away from said center axis of said housing.    
     
     
         10 . The machine tool of    claim 9    further comprising a pair of diametrically opposed keyways extending inwardly from said rear face, said pair of keyways receiving said pair of keys for rotatably securing said housing to said spindle.  
     
     
         11 . The machine tool of    claim 9    wherein said cutters comprise a plurality of brush assemblies including a sleeve and a plurality of metal wire bristles fixed within said sleeve.  
     
     
         12 . The machine tool of    claim 1     1  wherein said wire bristles are formed of stainless steel.  
     
     
         13 . The machine tool of    claim 11    wherein each of said brush assemblies further comprises a stem connected to and concentrically disposed relative to said sleeve.  
     
     
         14 . The machine tool of    claim 13    wherein each said axial receiving bore includes an outer portion for receiving said sleeve and an inner portion in communication with said outer portion for receiving said stem.  
     
     
         15 . The machine tool of    claim 14    further comprising first and second set screws extending substantially radially within said annular wall, said first set screw engaging said sleeve and said second set screw engaging said stem.  
     
     
         16 . The machine tool of    claim 9    further comprising: 
 a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial receiving bores extending substantially radially inwardly within said annular wall; and  
 a plurality of said cutters slidably and removably fixed within said plurality of radial receiving bores.