System and method for drilling a hole for a countersink fastener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558729-B2
Application number	US-202217835268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2022
Priority date	Jun 8, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A drilling apparatus and method for forming a countersunk hole into a structure. The drilling apparatus may include a drill motor housing assembly, a rotor/spindle assembly, a countersink cage, and a countersink cutter. The drill motor housing assembly may have an inlet air duct, the rotor/spindle assembly may have a first duct and the countersink cage may have a second duct. The countersink cutter may have a plurality of flutes formed into a cutting end thereof. The countersink cutter may also have a third duct formed therethrough and a plurality of exit ducts common with the flutes. Each duct of the drilling apparatus may be fluidly coupled such that inlet air may be forced through the inlet air duct, through the first duct, through the second duct, through the third duct, and then through the plurality of exit ducts during drilling via the drilling apparatus.

First claim

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1 . A drilling apparatus for forming countersunk holes, the drilling apparatus comprising:
a rotor/spindle assembly having a first duct formed through an axis about which the rotor/spindle assembly rotates; a countersink cage connected to the rotor/spindle assembly and having a second duct formed through an axis of the countersink cage and aligned with the first duct of the rotor spindle assembly, such that air forced through the first duct flows into the second duct; and a countersink cutter having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the countersink cutter is connected to and housed at least partially in the countersink cage at the first end and has a plurality of flutes formed into the second end, wherein the countersink cutter has a third duct formed along at least part of an axis of the countersink cutter, wherein the countersink cutter has at least one exit duct fluidly coupled with the third duct and the at least one exit duct terminates at an opening within one of the plurality of flutes of the countersink cutter, wherein the rotor/spindle assembly comprises a rotor assembly operable to rotate via compressed air and a spindle, wherein the first duct extends through both the rotor assembly and the spindle of the rotor/spindle assembly.

2 . The drilling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one exit duct comprises a plurality of exit ducts, each terminating at an opening within a different one of the plurality of flutes of the countersink cutter and each fluidly coupled with the third duct.

3 . The drilling apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of exit ducts comprise three exit ducts each common with one of the plurality of flutes of the countersink cutter and each fluidly coupled with the third duct at an angle relative to the third duct and at an angle relative with each other one of the three exit ducts.

4 . The drilling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drill motor housing assembly having an inlet air duct fluidly coupled to the first duct.

5 . The drilling apparatus of claim 4 , wherein air forced through the inlet air duct flows through the first duct, the second duct, the third duct, and the at least one exit duct during operation of the drilling apparatus.

6 . The drilling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a chuck configured for coupling at least one of the countersink cage and the countersink cutter to the rotor/spindle assembly.

7 . The drilling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein drilling apparatus is a blow-through pistol grip motor drill modified with the first duct, the second duct, the third duct, and the at least one exit duct.

8 . The drilling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein compressed air from a single source is routed to simultaneously actuate the rotor assembly for rotation and to be forced through the first duct, the second duct, the third duct, and the at least one exit duct to clear scrap material away from the countersink cutter.

9 . A drilling apparatus for forming countersunk holes, the drilling apparatus comprising:
a drill motor housing assembly having an inlet air duct; a rotor/spindle assembly having a first duct formed through an axis about which the rotor/spindle assembly rotates within at least a portion of the drill motor housing assembly, wherein the inlet air duct is fluidly coupled with the first duct; a countersink cage connected to the rotor/spindle assembly and having a second duct formed through an axis of the countersink cage and aligned with the first duct of the rotor spindle assembly, such that air forced through the first duct flows into the second duct; and a countersink cutter having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the countersink cutter is connected to and housed at least partially in the countersink cage at the first end and has a plurality of flutes formed into the second end, wherein the countersink cutter has a third duct formed along at least part of an axis of the countersink cutter, wherein the countersink cutter has a plurality of exit ducts fluidly coupled with the third duct and the plurality of exit ducts each terminates at an opening within one of the plurality of flutes of the countersink cutter, wherein the rotor/spindle assembly comprises a rotor assembly operable to rotate via compressed air and a spindle, wherein the first duct extends through both the rotor assembly and the spindle of the rotor/spindle assembly.

10 . The drilling apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of exit ducts comprise three exit ducts each common with one of the plurality of flutes of the countersink cutter and each fluidly coupled with the third duct at an angle relative to the third duct and at an angle relative with each other one of the three exit ducts.

11 . The drilling apparatus of claim 9 , wherein air forced through the inlet air duct flows through the first duct, the second duct, the third duct, and the plurality of exit ducts during operation of the drilling apparatus.

12 . The drilling apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a chuck configured for coupling at least one of the countersink cage and the countersink cutter to the rotor/spindle assembly.

13 . The drilling apparatus of claim 9 , wherein drilling apparatus is a blow-through pistol grip motor drill modified with the first duct, the second duct, the third duct, and the at least one exit duct.

14 . The drilling apparatus of claim 9 , wherein compressed air from the inlet air duct is routed to simultaneously actuate the rotor assembly for rotation and to be forced through the first duct, the second duct, the third duct, and the plurality of exit ducts to clear scrap material from the countersink cutter.

Assignees

• Spirit Aerosys Inc

Inventors

• Clement Lawrence Wendell
• Cunningham Victor Bradley

Classifications

• 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

• B23B51/104

  with stops · CPC title

• B23B2270/30

  Chip guiding or removal · CPC title

• B23B51/10

  Bits for countersinking · CPC title

• B23B45/04

  driven by fluid-pressure or pneumatic power · CPC title