Tool

Abstract

A tool for a rotary drive apparatus having a housing and a rotary drive, such as a handheld power device, the tool including a shaft having a projecting portion and a retrieving portion, the received portion of the shaft being adapted to be received into the rotary drive; first and second rollers rotatably mounted on the projecting portion of the shaft, wherein the first roller is furthermost from the received portion; a surface treatment member fixed to the shaft between the first and second rollers; and a secondary elongate support having a fixing device to fixably mount the support to the housing and a mounting device rotatably mountable to support the projecting portion of the shaft at a position remotely spaced from the fixing means.

1 . A tool for a rotary drive apparatus having a housing and a rotary drive, the tool comprising:
 a shaft having a projecting portion and a received portion, the received portion of the shaft being adapted to be received into the rotary drive;   first and second rollers rotatably mounted on the projecting portion of the shaft, wherein the first roller is furthermost from the received portion;   a surface treatment member fixed to the shaft between the first and second rollers; and   secondary elongate support means having fixing means to fixably mount said support means to the housing and mounting means rotatably mountable to support the projecting portion of the shaft at a position remotely spaced from the fixing means.   
     
     
         2 . A tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the secondary elongate support means comprises:
 a rigid elongate support member.   
     
     
         3 . A tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting means is engageable directly upon the shaft. 
     
     
         4 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein the mounting means is mountable upon one of the first or second rollers thereby to support the shaft. 
     
     
         5 . A tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting means comprises:
 a bearing.   
     
     
         6 . A tool according to  claim 5 , wherein the mounting means is engageable with a bearing surface of the first roller. 
     
     
         7 . A tool according to  claim 6 , wherein the bearing surface is provided by an extended portion of the first roller which extends in a longitudinal direction away from the surface treatment member. 
     
     
         8 . A tool according to  claim 7 , wherein the mounting means comprises:
 a first collar engageable with the extended portion of the first roller and first clamping means to clamp the first collar to the secondary elongate support means.   
     
     
         9 . A tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the fixing means comprises:
 a second collar engageable with the housing and second clamping means to clamp the second collar to the secondary elongate support means and the housing.   
     
     
         10 . A tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rollers are frusto-conical in shape. 
     
     
         11 . A tool assembly comprising a tool according to  claim 1  in combination with a tool assembly comprising:
 a rotary drive apparatus having a housing and a rotary drive, a shaft of the rod being mounted for rotation in the rotary drive, and the support means being engaged on the housing. 
 
     
     
         12 . An assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the rotary drive is configured to rotate the tool at 10000 rpm or more. 
     
     
         13 . An assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the surface treatment member is configured for treating a surface of a carbon fibre composite or other corporate material. 
     
     
         14 . A method of surface-treating a carbon fibre composite or other composite material, the method comprising:
 applying to the composite material a surface treatment member by an assembly according to  claim 13 ; and   rotating the surface treatment member at 10000 rpm or more.   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , comprising:
 rotating the surface treatment member at greater than 16000 rpm.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15 , comprising:
 rotating the surface treatment member at between 16000 and 20000 rpm.   
     
     
         18 . A tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the mounting means is engageable directly upon the shaft. 
     
     
         19 . A tool according to  claim 18 , wherein the mounting means comprises:
 a bearing.   
     
     
         20 . A tool according to  19 , wherein the fixing means comprises:
 a second collar engageable with the housing and second clamping means to clamp the second collar to the secondary elongate support means and the housing.