Lightweight, portable, variable-speed routing skate is used on heavy metal subassemblies which are impractical to move to a stationary machine. The assembly, consisting of the housing with rollers, router, and driving mechanism with transmission, weighs about forty pounds. Both speed and depth of cut are adjustable

Pesch, W. A.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

December 1967	 Brief 67-10525 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Tech Briefs are issued to summarize specific innovations derived from the U.S. space program, 
to encourage their commercial application. Copies are available to the public at 15 cents each 
from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Variable-Speed, Portable Routing Skate 
A lightweight, portable router with a variable-
speed driving mechanism has been developed for use 
on large, heavy metal subassemblies, such as cylindri-
cal tank sections, which are often impractical to move 
to a stationary machine. This portable machine tool, 
called a variable-speed, portable routing skate, has 
been successfully used in the construction of an alumi-
num alloy multicell propellant tank. The entire skate 
assembly, consisting of the housing with rollers, 
router, and driving mechanism with transmission, 
weighs approximately 40 pounds. 
Designed to follow a desired cutting path, the 
routing skate housing is supported on an aluminum 
alloy track set alongside the path. Four sets of 
rollers are attached to the skate housing. Two of these 
sets are positioned on each double-beveled edge of 
the track. All four sets of rollers are adjustable to 
allow for track width variations, to permit leveling of 
the skate, and to facilitate its mounting and removal. 
Travel of the skate along the track is powered by an 
electric motor. When the track is horizontal or nearly 
so, the motor drives a simple sprocket whose teeth 
engage a roller chain fastened to the track. When the 
track is vertical, the motor drives a "caterpillar 
belt", with male cogs of the belt engaging the roller 
chain and providing more points of contact between 
the belt and the chain, thus making the skate travel 
smoother. The roller chain is located in a groove of 
the track to keep the chain alined and prevent its 
sagging. The track is supported by a number of 
special adjustable brackets. One end of each bracket 
is bolted to the back face of the track and the other to 
a vacuum pad or chuck, which is held to the workpiece 
by vacuum.
When a cut is to be made on a piece of aluminum 
alloy sheet or plate or on a subassembly, the vacuum 
chucks with the brackets and track are set on the 
workpiece first and vacuum is drawn. The brackets are 
adjusted and tightened to aline and maintain the 
track at a proper distance, vertically and horizontally, 
from the path of the cut. Next, the skate is mounted 
on the track, with the caterpillar belt engaging the 
chain, and the rollers are adjusted to grip the track. 
With the tungsten carbide-tipped cutter of the router 
set at the desired depth of cut, the air motor, which 
drives the cutter, is turned on. The skate, driven by 
the electric motor, travels along the track at a desired 
speed while the router is making the cut. The skate 
speed and depth of cut are both adjustable while the 
skate is in motion. 
Note: 
Inquiries concerning this portable machine tool may 
be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
Huntsville, Alabama 35812 
Reference: B67-10525 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: W. A. Pesch
of Hayes International Corporation
under contract to

Marshall Space Flight Center 
(MFS-13772) 
Category 05 
'This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned rights.
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Variable-speed, portable routing skate

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