Honing tool holder with integral in-process feed system

Abstract

A honing tool holder that mounts in a rotatable spindle of a machine tool or machining center lacking a feed system, capable of holding and automatically operating an in-process adjustable feed honing tool for honing a work piece to a desired diameter or other characteristic, the feed force being adjustable with the tool on the spindle via centrifugal applied force, and further adjustable in range by restraining and releasing one or more of the weights while on the holder, or removing or adding weights, and/or a feed force profile being adjustable by replacing cams of the holder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A honing tool holder, comprising
 a body having a mounting element for cooperatively mounting the tool holder on a spindle of a machine tool for rotation therewith about a rotational axis therethrough and axial stroking movements, and a tool holding element opposite the mounting element configured and operable to cooperatively hold a honing tool for rotation about the rotational axis; and   a feed system carried entirely on the body, comprising a feed rod assembly supported for axial movement within the body and configured to connect to a feed element of a honing tool when held by the tool holding element, to control radial movements of honing elements of the tool, and a centrifugal force operated mechanism cooperatively engageable with an element of or connected to the feed rod assembly to control axial movement thereof, the centrifugal force operated mechanism including at least one weight restrained so as to move substantially only radially and configured to be moved radial outward by centrifugal force generated thereby from rotation of the tool holder about the rotational axis to exert an axial force against the feed rod assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The honing tool holder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one weight is biased against a radial extending surface within the body for the radial movement therealong. 
     
     
         3 . The honing tool holder of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one weight is biased against the radial extending surface by an element or elements of the feed rod assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The honing tool holder of  claim 3 , comprising at least one bearing disposed between the at least one weight and the element or elements of the feed rod assembly to reduce friction therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The honing tool holder of  claim 1 , comprising at least one biasing element urging the at least one weight radially inwardly. 
     
     
         6 . The honing tool holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a signal unit carried on the body and including a circuit including at least a battery, a switch, and a signal device, configured to activate the signal device to output a signal when the feed rod assembly reaches a selectable limit. 
     
     
         7 . The honing tool holder of  claim 6 , wherein the signal comprises a light emission. 
     
     
         8 . The honing tool holder of  claim 6 , wherein the signal comprises an RF emission. 
     
     
         9 . The honing tool holder of  claim 6 , wherein the circuit is additionally configured to output signals representative of positions of the feed rod assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The honing tool holder of  claim 9 , wherein the positions are representative of an axial position of the feed rod assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The honing tool holder of  claim 9 , wherein the positions are representative of a radial position of the at least one weight. 
     
     
         12 . The honing tool holder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one weight comprises a wedge having a cam surface cooperatively engaged with an element of the feed rod assembly to control the axial movement thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The honing tool holder of  claim 12 , wherein the cam surface has a curved shape portion. 
     
     
         14 . The honing tool holder of  claim 13 , wherein the curved shape portion is concave. 
     
     
         15 . The honing tool holder of  claim 13 , wherein the curved shape portion is convex. 
     
     
         16 . The honing tool holder of  claim 12 , wherein the cam surface comprises at least two portions inclined at different angles relative to the axial direction. 
     
     
         17 . The honing tool holder of  claim 12 , wherein at least the wedge having the cam surface is removable from the holder and replaceable with a wedge having a cam surface having a different shape or angle. 
     
     
         18 . The honing tool holder of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the weights and at least one restraining element carried on the body and configured to restrain one or more of the weights from the radial movement. 
     
     
         19 . The honing tool holder of  claim 18 , wherein the restraining element is movable to release the one or more of the weights to allow the radial movement thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The honing tool holder of  claim 18 , wherein the restraining element is selectably movable to release a certain one or ones of the weights.