IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,667,895
Granted Patent B2
US 12,667,895 · App. 18/080,385 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Hole cutter with chip egress aperture

Inventors: Joseph Thomas Novak (East Longmeadow, MA); Matthew Christopher Green (Amherst, MA)
B23B51/0467B23B51/04B23B51/0453Y10T408/895Y10T408/8953Y10T408/896
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,667,895
App. No.
18/080,385
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hole cutter has a substantially cylindrical blade body defining a blade body circumference, a cutting edge formed on one end of the blade body, and an axially-elongated slot formed through the substantially cylindrical blade body. The axially-elongated slot is configured to receive chips flowing from the cutting edge within the interior of the blade body and (i) into the slot and/or (ii) through the slot, to prevent the collection of such chips within the interior of the blade body and/or at an interface between the blade body and the work piece. The axially-elongated slot defines a first end adjacent to the cutting edge, a second end axially spaced further from the cutting edge, and a slot area. The hole cutter further defines a total slot area to blade body circumference ratio within the range of about 0.1 to about 0.3 depending on the size of the hole cutter.

Claims (16)

1 . A method of levering a slug out of an interior of a hole cutter that includes a substantially cylindrical blade body defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis, a cutting edge formed on one end of the blade body, and a plurality of aperture portions through the blade body, the method comprising:

forming a hole in a workpiece by rotating the hole cutter while the cutting edge engages the workpiece and forming the slug in the interior of the hole cutter;

inserting a lever into a first aperture portion of the plurality of aperture portions in the blade body, the first aperture portion spaced from the cutting edge such that a first portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and the first aperture portion;

levering the lever against a first fulcrum defined by an edge portion of the first aperture portion to push the slug at least partially out of the interior of the hole cutter by pushing a bottom of the slug toward the cutting edge;

inserting the lever into a second aperture portion of the plurality of aperture portions in the blade body, the second aperture portion spaced from the cutting edge such that a second portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and the second aperture portion; and

levering the lever against a second fulcrum defined by an edge portion of the second aperture portion to push the slug further out of the interior of the hole cutter by pushing the bottom of the slug toward the cutting edge,

wherein the second fulcrum is closer to the cutting edge than the first fulcrum, and

wherein the plurality of aperture portions together define an aperture area, and one of: (i) the blade body defines a diameter of 13/16 inches or less and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.13; (ii) the blade body defines a diameter within a range from ⅞ inch to 1 7/16 inches and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.18; (iii) the blade body defines a diameter within a range from 1½ inches to 3⅜ inches and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.10; and (iv) the blade body defines a diameter of at least 3½ inches and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.11.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the lever from the first aperture portion to the second aperture portion via a slot portion connecting the first aperture portion to the second aperture portion.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first aperture portion and at least a portion of the second aperture portion are aligned along a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first aperture portion and at least a portion of the second aperture portion are aligned along a line at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first aperture portion and the second aperture portion is bounded by a bottom edge axially spaced a first distance from the cutting edge, a top edge spaced a second distance from the cutting edge greater than the first distance, and a side edge connecting the bottom edge to the top edge and oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fulcrum is defined by a first edge of the first aperture portion that is curved, and the second fulcrum is defined by a second edge of the second aperture portion that is curved.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first aperture portion and the second aperture portion is axially elongated.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising inserting the lever into a third aperture portion of the plurality of aperture portions in the blade body that is spaced from the cutting edge such that a third portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and the third aperture portion, and

levering the lever against a third fulcrum defined by an edge portion of the third aperture portion to push the slug further out of the interior of the hole cutter by pushing the bottom of the slug toward the cutting edge, wherein the third fulcrum is closer to the cutting edge than the second fulcrum.