Three-Blade Collar Removal Assembly to Prevent Bolt Impact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting tools for removing swaged collars or nuts from bolts often cause excessive wear and damage due to high impact forces, requiring re-cutting and blade replacement, and involve complex disassembly for tool maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A cutting tool with a blade assembly comprising three blades positioned such that the first cutting edge is spaced apart from the second and third cutting edges, allowing the swaged collar to be cut into three pieces without impacting the bolt, reducing wear and enabling easy blade replacement without full tool disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two blades are used to cut the swaged collar, then the cutting action is simple, but the blades crimp the collar onto the bolt member and require re-cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting action is divided into three separate blades instead of two, with each blade responsible for a specific portion of the collar. The first blade cuts one side, while the second and third blades cut the other side at different positions, ensuring complete separation without crimping the collar material onto the bolt threads.
2Productivity
If the blades cut through the swaged collar completely, then the collar is removed, but the blades impact the hard bolt member causing excessive wear and fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting path is segmented into three separate blade actions. The second and third blades are positioned to cut the collar at different locations, allowing the collar material to be fully separated from the bolt without any blade needing to travel completely through to impact the hard bolt member.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardness of the bolt member, which causes excessive wear when impacted, is worked around by using the three-blade configuration. The blades cut the softer collar material completely free before any potential contact with the bolt, converting the bolt's hardness from a harmful factor into a non-issue by eliminating the impact scenario.
3Force
If the blades are positioned in a tapered bore, then the cutting force is concentrated, but the tool requires disassembly for blade replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into modular components with each blade independently mounted in its own blade holder. The first blade holder is movable relative to the fixed second and third blade holders, allowing each blade to be accessed and replaced separately without disassembling the entire tool or the tapered bore structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The first blade holder is designed to be movable relative to the fixed blade holders, allowing dynamic adjustment and easy access to the first blade for replacement. This dynamic design maintains the concentrated cutting force in the tapered bore while enabling simple blade replacement without full tool disassembly.
4Productivity
If the blades travel in an arc to engage the part, then the cutting action is effective, but the part being released is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting action is segmented into three separate blade paths instead of a single arc-traveling blade. Each blade cuts in a more linear path at a different position around the collar, effectively separating the collar material without the blades traveling in a wide arc that would engage and damage the underlying part being released.
Data Source
AI summary
A blade assembly for cutting a member which surrounds a bolt member includes a first blade comprising a first cutting edge aligned with a first cutting plane which extends in a first direction from the first cutting edge; a second blade comprising a second cutting edge aligned with a second cutting plane which extends in a second direction from the second cutting edge; and a third blade comprising a third cutting edge aligned with a third cutting plane which extends in the second direction from the third cutting edge, wherein the first, second and third blades are associated with one another. The first cutting edge is spaced apart from the second and third cutting edges and the first cutting plane extends between the second and third cutting planes.