IP Library Granted Patent US 12697665
Granted Patent B2
US 12697665 · App. 17/979,626 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Modular drill with double sided cam

Inventor: Alan J. Bookheimer (Greensburg, PA)
Assignee: KENNAMETAL INC.
B23B51/0003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697665
App. No.
17/979,626
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A modular drill is disclosed. The modular drill includes a tool shank extending from a shank top end to a shank bottom end along a rotational axis and includes a cam slot extending at least partially through a width of the tool shank. The modular drill also includes a cutting head centered on the rotational axis including a cutting head top surface, a cutting head bottom surface, a draw pin extending from the cutting head bottom surface along the rotational axis, and a draw pin groove around at least a partial length of a circumference of the draw pin comprising a cam follower surface. The modular drill includes a double sided cam received within the cam slot of the tool shank and includes at least one cam surface contacting the cam follower surface.

Claims (37)

1 . A modular drill comprising:

a tool shank extending from a shank top end to a shank bottom end along a rotational axis and comprising a cam slot extending at least partially through a width of the tool shank;

a cutting head centered on the rotational axis comprising:

a cutting head top surface;

a cutting head bottom surface;

a draw pin extending from the cutting head bottom surface along the rotational axis; and

a draw pin groove around at least a partial length of a circumference of the draw pin comprising a cam follower surface; and

a double sided cam received within the cam slot of the tool shank, the double sided cam including a front portion and a rear portion and a connecting pin that connects the front portion and the rear portion,

wherein the front portion and the rear portion include a conical cam surface contacting the cam follower surface, the conical cam surface having a vertex located on an axis parallel to and offset from a central axis of the cam slot.

2 . The modular drill of claim 1 , wherein the double sided cam further comprises:

the front portion extending along a central axis from a front portion top wall to a front portion bottom wall; and

the rear portion opposite the front portion and separated from the front portion by a gap along the central axis, the rear portion extending along the central axis from a rear portion top wall to a rear portion bottom wall;

wherein the at least one cam surface includes a front cam surface extending from the front portion bottom wall toward the front portion top wall and a rear cam surface extending from the rear portion bottom wall toward the rear portion top wall.

3 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein the connecting pin engages the draw pin to release the cutting head from the tool shank.

4 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein the connecting pin extends from a connecting pin front end to a connecting pin back end, the connecting pin front end proximate the front portion and the connecting pin back end proximate the rear portion.

5 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein the connecting pin extends along an axis parallel to and offset from the central axis.

6 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the front cam surface and the rear cam surface is a conical surface comprising a vertex centered around an axis parallel to the connecting pin.

7 . The modular drill of claim 6 , wherein the vertex the axis parallel to the connecting pin is parallel to and offset from the central axis.

8 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein the central axis is perpendicular to the rotational axis.

9 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the front portion top wall and the rear portion top wall comprise a recess structured and arranged to receive a rotation tool.

10 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein a diameter of the draw pin is greater than a length of the gap.

11 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein the front portion further comprises a front clearance notch extending from an outside diameter of the front portion toward the central axis, and the rear portion further comprises a rear clearance notch extending from an outside diameter of the rear portion toward the central axis.

12 . The modular drill of claim 11 , wherein the rear clearance notch and the front clearance notch are aligned parallel to the central axis.

13 . The modular drill of claim 12 , wherein a diameter of the draw pin is less than a distance between an edge of the front clearance notch and an edge of the rear clearance notch.

14 . The modular drill of claim 2 , wherein a draw pin groove diameter of the draw pin groove is less than a length of the gap.

15 . A cutting head for a modular drill comprising:

a cutting head top surface opposite a cutting head bottom surface centered along a rotational axis;

a draw pin extending from the cutting head bottom surface along the rotational axis and structured and arranged to be releasably secured to a tool shank; and

a draw pin groove extending around at least a partial length of a circumference of the draw pin comprising a cam follower surface wherein the cam follower surface is structured and arranged to engage a double sided cam; the double sided cam including a front portion including a conical cam surface and a rear portion including a conical cam surface and a connecting pin that connects the front portion and the rear portion, wherein the conical cam surfaces contact the cam follower surface.

16 . The cutting head of claim 15 , wherein the draw pin groove extends along the entire circumference of the draw pin.

17 . The cutting head of claim 15 , wherein the draw pin groove forms a curved surface.

18 . A double sided cam for a modular drill comprising:

a front portion extending along a central axis from a front portion top wall to a front portion bottom wall; and

a rear portion opposite the front portion and separated from the front portion by a gap along the central axis, the rear portion extending along the central axis from a rear portion top wall to a rear portion bottom wall;

wherein, the front portion bottom wall comprises a front portion conical cam surface extending from the front portion bottom wall toward the front portion top wall, wherein the front portion conical cam surface is structured and arranged to engage a cam follower surface of a cutting head;

wherein the rear portion bottom wall comprises a rear portion conical cam surface extending from the rear portion bottom wall toward the rear portion top wall, wherein the rear portion conical cam surface is structured and arranged to engage the cam follower surface of the cutting head; and

a connecting pin that connects the front portion and the rear portion.