Rotor for spraying coolant onto a cutter

Abstract

The rotor is positioned above a work-piece and has a number of curved downwardly extending blades. A nozzle directs cooling liquid onto the leading surface of successive blades as the rotor rotates The blades re-direct the cooling liquid against a bit or drill used to cut the work-piece. The blades also direct the liquid into the pocket cut by the bit or drill in the work-piece in order to drive out any debris which collects in the pocket.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A rotor for causing cooling liquid to contact a cutting implement rotating about an axis, said rotor including a blade; means for discharging a stream of cooling liquid against said blade, said blade being arranged and constructed to re-direct the cooling liquid against said cutting implement.  
     
     
         2 . The rotor of  claim 1  wherein said blade has leading and trailing surfaces, said discharging means directing the stream of cooling liquid against said leading surface.  
     
     
         3 . A rotor for causing cooling liquid to contact a cutting implement rotating about an axis, said rotor including a plurality of blades which radiate outwardly from said axis and which have leading and trailing surfaces, means for discharging a stream of cooling liquid against said blades, said blades being arranged and constructed to re-direct the cooling liquid against said cutting implement.  
     
     
         4 . The rotor of  claim 3  wherein said discharging means directs the stream of cooling liquid against the leading surfaces of successive said blades as said rotor rotates.  
     
     
         5 . The rotor of  claim 3  wherein said blades are arranged and constructed to re-direct the cooling liquid in a stream which surrounds said cutting implement.  
     
     
         6 . The rotor of  claim 5  wherein said blades are arranged and constructed to re-direct the cooling liquid in a conical shaped stream.  
     
     
         7 . The rotor of  claim 5  wherein said blades are arranged and constructed to re-direct the cooling liquid in a stream in the shape of a downwardly tapering cone.  
     
     
         8 . The rotor of  claim 3  wherein said rotor is concentrically mounted for rotation about said axis.  
     
     
         9 . The rotor of  claim 3  wherein said blades are spiral-shaped.  
     
     
         10 . The rotor of  claim 3  wherein said rotor has spaced outer and inner walls, the inner wall defining a space through which said cutting tool passes, the edge of each said blade commencing at said outer wall and curving downwardly toward said inner wall.  
     
     
         11 . The rotor of  claim 3  further including a plate disposed below said rotor, said plate having at least one aperture through which the stream of downwardly directed cooling liquid flows.  
     
     
         12 . The rotor of  claim 11  wherein said plate rotates with said rotor.  
     
     
         13 . The rotor of  claim 12  wherein said plate is arranged and constructed to cause said cooling liquid to travel in a spiral shaped stream as it travels downwardly from said plate.  
     
     
         14 . A method of cooling a cutting implement rotating about an axis including providing a rotor having a blade; directing a stream of cooling liquid against said blade, adjusting the orientation of said blade relative to said stream in order to cause said blade to re-direct the cooling liquid against said cutting implement.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  including causing said rotor to rotate such that a surface of said blade leads the remainder of said blade; and directing said stream against the leading surface of said rotor.  
     
     
         16 . The method of cooling a cutting implement rotating about an axis including providing a rotor having a plurality of curved blades; causing said rotor to rotate such that a surface of each said blade leads the remainder of said blade; directing a stream of cooling liquid against the leading surfaces of successive said blades as said rotor rotates; adjusting the orientation of said blades relative to said stream in order to cause said blades to re-direct the cooling liquid against said cutting implement.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  including arranging and constructing said blades in order to cause them to re-direct the cooling liquid in a stream which surrounds said cutting implement.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  including arranging and constructing said blades in order to cause them to re-direct the cooling liquid in a conical shaped stream.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  including arranging and constructing said blades in order to cause them to re-direct the cooling liquid in the shape of a downwardly tapering cone.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  including mounting said rotor to rotate concentrically about said axis.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  including selecting spiral-shaped blades for the blades of the rotor.