Pneumatic Die Grinder Operable as Blow Gun

Abstract

A pneumatic grinding tool having a blower feature that can be selectively employed to blow debris away from a work area. The tool has a valve that directs input air that can be used to drive an output of the tool to a blower air passage. The blower air passage terminates at a head of the near the output of the tool.

1 . A pneumatic grinding tool comprising:
 a housing;   an output member rotatably secured to the housing;   a main air inlet for delivering pressurized air into the housing;   an air motor in the housing and including an air rotor operably connected to the output member, the air rotor being housed in an interior chamber of the air motor adapted for selective fluid communication with the air inlet for receiving pressurized air from the air inlet to impart rotational movement of the air rotor;   a blower passage in the housing having an exit opening leading outside the tool and located adjacent to the output member, the blower passage adapted for selective fluid communication with the main air inlet independently of the interior chamber for directing a flow of pressurized air from the air inlet out of the housing via the exit opening of the blower passage.   
   
   
       2 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a diverter valve disposed downstream of the main air inlet and upstream of the air motor and the blower passage for selectively directing the pressurized air from the air inlet to at least one of the interior chamber of the air motor and the blower passage. 
   
   
       3 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the diverter valve is movable between a first position, in which pressurized air from the main air inlet is directed solely to the interior chamber of the air motor, and a second position, in which pressurized air from the main air inlet is directed solely to the blower passage. 
   
   
       4 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the diverter valve is rotatable with respect to the housing between said first position and said second position. 
   
   
       5 . A pneumatic grinding tool comprising:
 a housing;   an output member rotatably secured to the housing;   a main air inlet for delivering pressurized air into the housing;   an air motor in the housing and including an air rotor operably connected to the output member, the air rotor being housed in an interior chamber of the air motor adapted for selective fluid communication with the air inlet for receiving pressurized air from the air inlet to impart rotational movement of the air rotor;   a blower passage in the housing having an exit opening leading outside the tool and located adjacent to the output member, the blower passage adapted for selective fluid communication with the main air inlet independently of the interior chamber for directing a flow of pressurized air from the air inlet out of the housing via the exit opening of the blower passage;   a diverter valve disposed downstream of the main air inlet and upstream of the air motor and the blower passage for selectively directing the pressurized air from the air inlet to at least one of the interior chamber of the air motor and the blower passage, the diverter valve being movable between a first position, in which pressurized air from the main air inlet is directed solely to the interior chamber of the air motor, and a second position, in which pressurized air from the main air inlet is directed solely to the blower passage, the diverter valve also being rotatable with respect to the housing between said first position and said second position and having a motor-inlet port for fluid connection to the main air inlet when the valve is in said first position, and a separate blower-inlet port for fluid connection to the main air inlet when the valve is in said second position, the motor-inlet port and the blower-inlet port being spaced apart along a circumference of the diverter valve.   
   
   
       6 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the diverter valve has an outlet port for fluid connection to the interior chamber of the air motor when the valve is in the first position, and for fluid connection to the blower air passage when the valve is in the second position. 
   
   
       7 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 6  further comprising an air-intake valve in the diverter valve for selectively regulating fluid communication between the outlet port and the motor-inlet and blower-inlet ports. 
   
   
       8 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the blower passage extends generally longitudinally through a motor casing defining the interior chamber of the motor toward the output member. 
   
   
       9 . A pneumatic grinding tool comprising:
 a housing;   an output member rotatably secured to the housing;   a main air inlet for delivering pressurized air into the housing;   an air motor in the housing and including an air rotor operably connected to the output member, the air rotor being housed in an interior chamber of the air motor adapted for selective fluid communication with the air inlet for receiving pressurized air from the air inlet to impart rotational movement of the air rotor;   a blower passage in the housing having an exit opening leading outside the tool and located adjacent to the output member, the blower passage adapted for selective fluid communication with the main air inlet independently of the interior chamber for directing a flow of pressurized air from the air inlet out of the housing via the exit opening of the blower passage, an angular position of the exit opening of the blower passage with respect to at least one of longitudinal axis of the housing and a rotational axis of the output member being selectively adjustable.   
   
   
       10 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the exit opening of the blower passage is generally adjacent to the output member. 
   
   
       11 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the exit opening extends at an angle with respect to the rotational axis of the output member of less than about 90 degrees. 
   
   
       12 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the exit opening extends at an angle with respect to the rotational axis of the output member of between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees. 
   
   
       13 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 10  further comprising a collar assembly secured to the housing to retain the air motor in the housing, the collar assembly including a collar member freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the exit opening extends through the rotatable member of the collar assembly. 
   
   
       14 . A pneumatic grinding tool as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the collar member constitutes a first collar member, the collar assembly further including a second collar member engaging the first collar member to rotatably secure the first collar member to the housing, the second collar member having a through bore in fluid communication with the exit opening and constituting a part of the blower air passage. 
   
   
       15 . (canceled)