Modular drill

Abstract

A drill having a replaceable cutting head, modified to eliminate forces which would distort the pocket of the drill shank and otherwise concentrate stresses which would cause failure of the drill. The cutting head has a frustoconical depending connecting member received in a receptacle formed in the shank. In different embodiments, contact between the pocket formed in the shank and the cutting head connecting member is limited. In one embodiment, angle of drive surfaces is modified from prior art practice. In another embodiment, transition of at curved joints between vertical and horizontal surfaces is made more gradual. The drill preferably has flutes formed collectively by the shank and cutting head when assembled.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cutting tool assembly for conducting rotary cutting operations on a work piece, said cutting tool assembly comprising a tool shank and a replaceable cutting head which is installed on and engages the tool shank, the tool shank and the cutting head having a common rotational axis and mating peripheral surfaces when assembled together, the cutting tool assembly having a leading end which engages the work piece and a trailing end located oppositely from the leading end, relative to the rotational axis;
 the shank having a pocket for coupling to the cutting head, an interlocking member arranged to retain the cutting head when the cutting head is installed within the pocket, at least one abutment surface abutting the cutting head when the cutting head is installed within the pocket, and at least one driving surface arranged to rotate the cutting head when the shank is rotated with the cutting head installed within the pocket; 
 the cutting head having a cutting portion at the leading end of the cutting tool assembly, an interlocking member engaging the interlocking member of the shank, and a driven surface oriented to abut the driving surface of the shank when the cutting head is installed within the pocket; wherein the interlocking member of the cutting head comprises a lateral surface oriented at an obtuse angle to the rotational axis and facing the cutting portion of the cutting head, and an extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head, 
 wherein the pocket of the shank has a floor portion and a surface that corresponds to the lateral surface of the cutting head, whereby the extension reinforces the interlocking member at the lateral surface oriented at an obtuse angle to the rotational axis such that stresses are minimized due to a smoothersmooth transition between the dovetailsurface of the pocket corresponding to the lateral surface of the cutting tool and the pocket floor portion of the pocket. 
 
     
     
       2. The cutting tool assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the extension projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head has a cylindrical outer surface. 
     
     
       3. The cutting tool assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the extension projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head has a tapered outer surface. 
     
     
       4. The cutting tool assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the pocket has at least one internally facing surface oriented to abut the lateral surface of the dovetail member of the cutting head, the internally facing surface being dimensioned and configured to abut the dovetail member lateral surface of the cutting head along part of the extent of the lateral surface of the dovetail member and to avoid making contact along the balance of the lateral surface of the dovetail member, whereby the uncontacted portion of the pocket allows for deflection of the pocket walls when forces are imposed on the pocket by the cutting head during cutting operations of the cutting tool, thereby mitigating radial deflection of the pocket walls. 
     
     
       5. The cutting tool assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving surface of the shank is disposed out of radial orientation with respect to the rotational axis such that the driving surface has a leading inner portion and a trailing outer portion, whereby resistive forces imposed by the cutting head during cutting operations acting perpendicularly against the driving surface have an inward component tending to compress the wall of the pocket inwardly during cutting operations, thereby opposing forces imposed by the cutting head which would otherwise tend to spread open the pocket. 
     
     
       6. The cutting tool assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a circumferential surface and two opposed flutes each projecting into the tool shank along the circumferential surface, wherein the pocket further comprises a first pocket wall and a diametrically opposed second pocket wall spaced apart from the first pocket wall and the pocket has a floor which separates and spaces apart the first pocket wall from the second pocket wall and which bears a relief trough projecting into the shank towards the trailing end of the cutting tool assembly and extending across and spanning the floor from one flute to the other flute, a first shelf extending laterally across the floor at an upper edge of the relief trough at the first pocket wall and a second shelf extending laterally across the floor at another upper edge of the relief trough at the second pocket wall, and the relief trough is angularly oriented relative to the rotational axis such that the first shelf intersects only one flute and the trough is disposed between the first shelf and the other flute, and the second shelf intersects only one flute and the trough is disposed between the second shelf and the other flute. 
     
     
       7. A cutting tool assembly for conducting rotary cutting operations on a work piece, the cutting tool assembly comprising: a tool shank and a replaceable cutting head which is installed on and engages the tool shank, the tool shank and the cutting head having a common rotational axis and mating peripheral surfaces when assembled together, the cutting tool assembly having a leading end which engages the work piece and a trailing end located oppositely from the leading end, relative to the rotational axis;
 the cutting head having:
 a cutting portion at the leading end of the cutting tool assembly; 
 a driven surface; and 
 an interlocking member comprising:
 a lateral surface oriented at an obtuse angle to the rotational axis and facing the cutting portion of the cutting head; and 
 an extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head; and 
 
   the shank having:
 a pocket including a pocket floor and an internally facing surface oriented to abut the lateral surface of the cutting head, the pocket being arranged to engage the interlocking member of the cutting head and retain the cutting head when the cutting head is installed within the pocket; 
 at least one abutment surface abutting the cutting head when the cutting head is installed within the pocket; and 
 at least one driving surface oriented to abut the driven surface of the cutting head and arranged to rotate the cutting head when the shank is rotated with the cutting head installed within the pocket.  
   
     
     
       8. The cutting tool assembly according to claim 7, wherein the extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head has a cylindrical outer surface.  
     
     
       9. The cutting tool assembly according to claim 7, wherein the extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head has a tapered outer surface.  
     
     
       10. The cutting tool assembly according to claim 7, wherein the pocket has at least one internally facing surface oriented to abut the lateral surface of the cutting head, the internally facing surface being dimensioned and configured to abut the lateral surface along part of the extent of the lateral surface and to avoid making contact along the balance of the lateral surface, whereby the uncontacted portion of the pocket allows for deflection of the pocket walls when forces are imposed on the pocket by the cutting head during cutting operations of the cutting tool, thereby mitigating radial deflection of the pocket walls.  
     
     
       11. The cutting tool assembly according to claim 7, wherein the driving surface of the shank is disposed out of radial orientation with respect to the rotational axis such that the driving surface has a leading inner portion and a trailing outer portion, whereby resistive forces imposed by the cutting head during cutting operations acting perpendicularly against the driving surface have an inward component tending to compress the wall of the pocket inwardly during cutting operations, thereby opposing forces imposed the cutting head which would otherwise tend to spread open the pocket.  
     
     
       12. The cutting tool assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a circumferential surface and two opposed flutes each projecting into the tool shank along the circumferential surface, wherein the pocket further comprises a first pocket wall and a diametrically opposed second pocket wall spaced apart from the first pocket wall and the pocket has a floor which separates and spaces apart the first pocket wall from the second pocket wall and which bears a relief trough projecting into the shank towards the trailing end of the cutting tool assembly and extending across and spanning the floor from one flute to the other flute, a first shelf extending laterally across the floor at an upper edge of the relief trough at the first pocket wall and a second shelf extending laterally across the floor at another upper edge of the relief trough at the second pocket wall, and the relief trough is angularly oriented relative to the rotational axis such that the first shelf intersects only one flute and the trough is disposed between the first shelf and the other flute, and the second shelf intersects only one flute and the trough is disposed between the second shelf and the other flute.  
     
     
       13. A replaceable cutting head for use with a shank for conducting rotary cutting operations on a work piece, the shank having a rotational axis, a driving surface, and a pocket having an internally facing surface, the replaceable cutting head comprising:
 a rotational axis;   a cutting portion;   a driven surface structured to abut the drive surface of the shank and be rotated when the shank is rotated with the cutting head installed; and   an interlocking member structured to engage the pocket of the tool shank in a manner that retains at least a portion of the cutting head within the pocket, the interlocking member comprising:
 a lateral surface oriented at an obtuse angle to the rotational axis of the cutting head and facing the cutting portion of the cutting head; and 
 an extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head.  
   
     
     
       14. The replaceable cutting head according to claim 13, wherein the extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head has a cylindrical outer surface.  
     
     
       15. The replaceable cutting head according to claim 13, wherein the extension adjacent to the lateral surface and projecting away from the cutting portion of the cutting head has a tapered outer surface.  
     
     
       16. The replaceable cutting head according to claim 13, wherein the driving surface of the shank is disposed out of radial orientation with respect to the rotational axis such that the driving surface has a leading inner portion and a trailing outer portion, whereby resistive forces imposed by the cutting head during cutting operations acting perpendicularly against the driving surface have an inward component structured to generally compress the wall of the pocket inwardly during cutting operations, thereby opposing forces imposed by the cutting head which would otherwise tend to spread open the pocket.