Alignment system, drilling system, and method for drilling a hole through a gang channel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065694-B2
Application number	US-201815875473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Example alignment systems for aligning a drill bit with respect to a gang channel and methods of use are described herein. An example alignment system for use with a drill includes a drill block having a guide portion and an attachment portion. The attachment portion is configured to be removably coupled to a foot of the drill such that the drill block is positioned between the foot and a drill bit of the drill. A longitudinal axis of the drill block is coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the drill bit when the attachment portion is coupled to the foot. The guide portion is configured to at least partially contact an inner surface of opposing legs of a gang channel to thereby center the drill bit between the opposing legs of the gang channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alignment system, comprising:
a coupler, configured to be attached to a drill;
an arm assembly having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the coupler;
a foot, attached to the second end of the arm assembly and extending perpendicular to the arm assembly;
a first gang channel, comprising:
a first elongated base, comprising a first surface, configured to contact a workpiece positioned between a drill bit of the drill and the first gang channel, and a second surface facing away from the first surface;
a first pair of parallel legs, extending from the first elongated base in a first direction, perpendicular to each of the first surface and the second surface, the first pair of parallel legs defining a first channel therebetween; and
a first plurality of threaded receptacles, configured to be removably coupled to the first gang channel;

a second gang channel comprising:
a second elongated base, comprising a third surface, configured to contact the workpiece positioned between the drill bit of the drill and the second gang channel, and a fourth surface facing away from the third surface;
a second pair of parallel legs, extending from the second elongated base in a second direction, perpendicular to each of the third surface and the fourth surface, the second pair of parallel legs defining a second channel therebetween; and
a second plurality of threaded receptacles, configured to be removably coupled to the second gang channel;

a plurality of alignment pins, comprising a first alignment pin, configured to be coupled to the first gang channel, and a second alignment pin, configured to be coupled to the second gang channel,
wherein:
the plurality of alignment pins is configured for insertion into a plurality of pre-drilled holes in the workpiece so as to locate, via the first alignment pin, the first gang channel relative to the workpiece during a drilling operation, or to locate, via the second alignment pin, the second gang channel relative to the workpiece during the drilling operation, and
each of the plurality of alignment pins comprises a threaded end that is configured to be threaded into one of the first plurality of threaded receptacles of the first gang channel or one of the second plurality of threaded receptacles of the second gang channel; and

a drill block, comprising a guide portion and an attachment portion,
wherein:
the attachment portion is coupled directly to the foot,
the guide portion of the drill block has a first end portion and a second end portion,
the first end portion of the guide portion extends from the second end portion of the guide portion,
the second end portion of the guide portion is coupled to the attachment portion,
the first end portion of the guide portion has a first-end-portion width and a first-end-portion length,
the second end portion of the guide portion has a second-end-portion width and a second-end-portion length,
the second-end-portion width is greater than the first-end-portion width,
the second-end-portion length is greater than the first-end-portion length,
the first end portion of the guide portion and the second end portion of the guide portion both have a square cross-sectional shape,
the guide portion extends away from the foot in a direction toward the coupler,
the first end portion of the guide portion of the drill block comprises a planar end surface,
the drill block has only a single recess,
the single recess is defined in the planar end surface of the drill block and is coaxial with the attachment portion of the drill block,
the first end portion of the guide portion of the drill block is configured to be received between the first pair of parallel legs of the first gang channel when the second end portion of the guide portion is placed in contact with an end surface of each leg of the first pair of parallel legs of the first gang channel,
when the first end portion of the guide portion of the drill block is received between the first pair of parallel legs of the first gang channel, rotation of the guide portion of the drill block relative to the first gang channel is limited by the first pair of parallel legs,
a part of the second end portion of the guide portion is configured to be received between the second pair of parallel legs of the second gang channel when the first end portion of the guide portion of the drill block is received between the second pair of parallel legs of the second gang channel and abuts the fourth surface of the second gang channel,
when at least the part of the second end portion of the guide portion is received between the second pair of parallel legs of the second gang channel, rotation of the guide portion of the drill block relative to the second gang channel is limited by the second pair of parallel legs,
the foot comprises a first portion, having a first-portion-width, and a second portion having a second-portion-width that is less than the first-portion-width,
the first portion of the foot has a first-portion surface that faces the coupler configured to be attached to the drill,
the arm assembly is attached to the first portion of the foot,
the second portion of the foot extends from the first portion of the foot toward a longitudinal axis of the drill block and is perpendicular to the arm assembly,
the second portion of the foot comprises a second-portion surface that faces the coupler configured to be attached to the drill,
the first-portion surface and the second-portion surface are substantially parallel to each other,
the first portion of the foot and the second portion of the foot each have a length measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drill block,
the length of the first portion of the foot is greater than the length of the second portion of the foot,
the second-portion surface is located farther away from the coupler than the first-portion surface,
the attachment portion has a length measured in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drill block,
the length of the attachment portion is greater than the length of the second portion of the foot,
the attachment portion protrudes from the foot in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drill block,
the second portion of the foot extends from the first portion of the foot such that two concave corners are formed in a surface of the foot that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drill block,
the attachment portion of the drill block is removably coupled directly to the second portion of the foot, and
the arm assembly comprises a first tubular structure and a second tubular structure, separated from each other by a gap,
the guide portion of the drill block lies in a virtual plane that passes between the first tubular structure and the second tubular structure, without intersecting the first tubular structure and the second tubular structure.

2. The alignment system of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the second-end-portion length of the second end portion of the guide portion to the first-end-portion length of the first end portion of the guide portion is between 2:1 and 5:1.

3. The alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion of the drill block is threaded, and wherein the drill block is removably coupled to the foot of the arm assembly via complementary threads in the foot.

4. The alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion of the drill block comprises a post that is removably coupled to the foot via a set screw in the foot.

5. The alignment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first alignment pin has a first end and a second end,
the first alignment pin comprises a first flange, positioned between the first end of the first alignment pin and the second end of t

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hartnagel Trevor A
• Guynn Steven L
• Forbes Daniel C
• Jones Steven H

Classifications

• B25H1/0078 Primary

  Guiding devices for hand tools · CPC title

• B23B47/28

  Drill jigs for workpieces (equipment for setting or guiding the drill B23B49/00) · CPC title

• B23B45/003 Primary

  Attachments · CPC title

• B23B35/00

  Methods for boring or drilling, or for working essentially requiring the use of boring or drilling machines; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods · CPC title

• B23B2247/12

  Drilling jigs with means to affix the jig to the workpiece · CPC title