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    Drilling Square Holes

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    Amgad Alsisi
    1) A Reuleaux triangle is a shape with constant width that can be used to construct drill bits that cut non-circular holes like squares. 2) The teacher tried unsuccessfully to explain how a Reuleaux triangle drill bit could cut a square hole based on the shape's property of constant width. 3) In reality, the center of a rotating Reuleaux triangle does not follow a circular path inside a square, and actual drill bits are modified with concave sections to allow cutting of corners without obstruction.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Drilling Square Holes

    Uploaded by

    Amgad Alsisi
    330 views5 pages
    1) A Reuleaux triangle is a shape with constant width that can be used to construct drill bits that cut non-circular holes like squares. 2) The teacher tried unsuccessfully to explain how a Reuleaux triangle drill bit could cut a square hole based on the shape's property of constant width. 3) In reality, the center of a rotating Reuleaux triangle does not follow a circular path inside a square, and actual drill bits are modified with concave sections to allow cutting of corners without obstruction.

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    How to drilling square holes

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    1) A Reuleaux triangle is a shape with constant width that can be used to construct drill bits that cut non-circular holes like squares. 2) The teacher tried unsuccessfully to explain how a Reuleaux triangle drill bit could cut a square hole based on the shape's property of constant width. 3) In reality, the center of a rotating Reuleaux triangle does not follow a circular path inside a square, and actual drill bits are modified with concave sections to allow cutting of corners without obstruction.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    330 views5 pages

    Drilling Square Holes

    Uploaded by

    Amgad Alsisi
    1) A Reuleaux triangle is a shape with constant width that can be used to construct drill bits that cut non-circular holes like squares. 2) The teacher tried unsuccessfully to explain how a Reuleaux triangle drill bit could cut a square hole based on the shape's property of constant width. 3) In reality, the center of a rotating Reuleaux triangle does not follow a circular path inside a square, and actual drill bits are modified with concave sections to allow cutting of corners without obstruction.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5
    At a glance
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    The document discusses the properties and geometric construction of a Reuleaux triangle, as well as some incorrect intuitions the author had about using it as a wheel.

    A drill bit shaped like a Reuleaux triangle can rotate inside a square shape and drill a square hole as it makes contact with all sides of the square.

    The center of a Reuleaux triangle is not in a fixed position and varies depending on its orientation inside a circumscribing square.

    Scott G.

    Smith

    Drilling Square Holes


    drill bit that produces square holes ... it
    defies common sense. How can a revolving
    edge cut anything but a circular hole? Not
    only do such drill bits exist, as well as bits for pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal holes, but they
    derive their shape from a simple geometric construction known as a Reuleaux triangle, which was
    named after Franz Reuleaux, 1829- 1905.
    To construct a Reuleaux triangle, start with an
    equilateral triangle of sides (fig. 1). With a radius
    equal to s and the center at one of the vertices,
    draw an arc connecting the other two vertices. Similarly, draw arcs connecting the endpoints of the
    other two sides. The three arcs form the Reuleaux
    triangle. One of its properties is that of constant
    width, meaning that the figure could be rotated
    completely between two parallel lines separated by
    distances and always be tangent to each.

    Fig. 1
    A Reuleaux triangle

    This property of constant width introduced the


    Reuleaux triangle in a sidebar of our geometry textbook (Moise and Downs 1982, 555). "This figure has
    constant width," I lectured, "just like a circle."
    Without thinking, I volunteered, "Imagine it as
    wheels on a cart." "What sort of cart?" a student
    asked. "Why, a math cart, to carry my board compass and protractor," I replied, digging myself in
    deeper. This was the first of seueral impulsive misstatements I made about the Reuleaux triangle,
    only to admit my errors after a little reflection. Not
    in twenty year of teaching had my intuition failed
    me so completely.
    The constant-width property can be used to
    transport loads, but not by using Reuleaux triangles as wheels. If several logs had congruent
    Reuleaux triangles as cross sections, bulky items
    Vol. 86, No. 7 October 1993

    Fig. 2
    Reuleaux "logs"

    could be rolled on top of a base of them (fig. 2).


    Movement would occur as logs were transferred
    from back to front, providing a movable base of constant height. It has been proposed that the Egyptians moved the massive stone blocks for the Great
    Pyramids in a similar manner.
    But the Reuleaux triangle cannot be a wheel.
    The only conceivable point for the axle, at the center of the triangle, is not the same distance from
    the Reuleaux triangle's "sides" (fig. 3). If the sides
    of the equilateral triangle ares, then applying the
    property that the centroid is two-thirds the distance from a vertex to the opposite sides gives
    (1)

    AP =~ - ~ , 3=~s
    3 2
    3

    What is
    the center of
    aReuleaux
    triangle?

    == 0.577s,

    whereas

    == 0.423s.

    Even if four Reuleaux-triangle wheels were synchronized, the load would rise and fall continuousScott Smith is the computer coordinator at University
    School, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022. He is interested in tech
    nology that illuminates mathematics and is an author of
    commercial software.
    579

    Q
    Fig. 3

    A Reuleaux "wheel "


    Fig. 5
    A tracing of the path of the
    Reuleaux triangle's centroid

    How can
    aReuleaux
    bit be used
    to drill
    a square
    hole?

    ly. You would need to take motion-sickness pills to


    ride this cart!
    "And since it has constant width, it would just fit
    inside a square whose sides are that width," I continued, trying to regain students' attention. I carefully drew a square circumscribing the Reuleaux
    triangle (fig. 4). Two of the sides of the triangle are
    tangent to two sides of the square and two vertices
    of the triangle intersect the square directly opposite
    those points of tangency, as shown in figure 4a. If
    the figure is turned as seen in figure 4b, one side
    of the Reuleaux triangle is tangent to one side of
    the square directly opposite one of the vertices of
    the triangle. All three vertices intersect sides of the
    square.
    "If the Reuleaux triangle just fits inside the
    square, no matter what position it's in, couldn't it
    rotate around the inside of the square?" The students needed to be convinced; a model would have
    to be built. "But if it did rotate around the inside
    doesn't that mean that a sharp Reuleaux triangl~
    could carve out a square as it rotated?" I had them.
    "Drill a square hole?" one student countered. "No
    way!"
    That night I cut a Reuleaux triangle with side 10
    centimeters from a manila folder to take to class
    the next day. With a lot of effort, I was able to show
    that the triangle could rotate around the inside of a
    ten-centimeter square. "And ifthis shape was made

    Fig 4
    A Reuleaux tnangle tnscribed wtthtn a square

    580

    of metal and placed at the end of a rotating shaft, it


    would cut out a square," I continued, racking up
    two more falsehoods. First, I implied that the center of the Reuleaux triangle would coincide with the
    center of a drill's shaft; it cannot. And second, the
    corners of the holes are not right angles but are
    slightly rounded.

    (a)

    Fig. 6
    Reuleaux triangle rotating within a square

    THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER

    Trying to show that the triangle should be centered at the end of a rotating shaft, I stuck a pen
    through the triangle's center, and while a student
    manually rotated the tJiangle within the square, I
    traced the center's path on paper (fig. 5). "It's definitely not a single point," I had to admit, holding up
    the traced curve, "but it sure looks like a circle!"
    Falsehood 4.
    Just what is the path of the centroid of a Reuleaux triangle while it is boring a square hole? Assume that the square and the equilateral triangle
    have sides of length 1. Center the square about the
    origin and position the Reuleaux triangle so that
    vertex A is at 1-1/2, OJ, as in figure 6a. Using (1),
    the ttiangle's centroid will be P(-1/2 + ..f313, OJ.
    Next imagine rotating the triangle clockwise through
    the position in figure 6b, ending up in figure 6c,
    where the centroid is P"(O, -112 + ..J3/3). The path
    from P to P" lies in quadrant I. In figure 6b let a
    be mLMA'B; ~be the counterclockwise angle
    formed by A'P' and a horizontal line through A; and
    c be they-coordinate ofpointA'. We are interested in
    the coordinates of P'. Note that cos a= 1/2 + c and
    that~= 270 + a+ 30 = 300 + a. Also note that
    during this rotation from figures 6a through 6b, a
    goes from 60 degrees to 30 degrees. Si nee A'P' =
    ..f3!3, if we measure from the coordinates of A'(-1/ 2,
    c), the x andy coordinates of P' can be found:
    1
    x =-;_ +
    (2)

    ~3 cos(300 +a)

    _ -3+ , 3 cos a+3 sin a


    6

    and

    y =c +
    (3)

    ~3 sin(300o +a)

    =(cosa-~)+ t

    sin(300 +a)

    _ -3 + 3 cos a +, 3 sin a
    6
    as a goes from 60 degrees to 30 degrees. Finding
    the path of the triangle's center in the other three

    F1g. 7
    Path of Reuleaux triangle centro1d 1ns1de a Circle

    Vol. 86, No. 7 October 1993

    quadrants is similar in procedure and produces


    equations that are symmetric to the 01igin and both
    axes.
    X

    Quadrant II:

    3- , 3 cos a-3 sin a


    = .:::.._.....:...=-=c::.......:"---...::.._;:"-'-

    6
    -3+3 cos a+ \ 3 sin a
    y=
    6

    x = 3- ' 3 cos a- 3 sin a

    Quadrant III:

    Y = 3 - 3 cos a - ' 3 sin a


    6

    x = - 3 + \ 3 cos a + 3 sin a
    6

    Quadrant IV:

    Y = 3 - 3 cos a - , 3 sin a
    6

    But these equations do not describe a circle. In


    equations (2) and (3), when a = 30, Pis on the
    x-axis at approximately (0.07735, 0). But when
    a = 45,
    X

    =y = -6 + 'v~ + 3\ 2 ,

    which makes the distance from P' to the origin


    about 0.081 68. This noncircular situation is also
    shown by graphing the foregoing four parametric
    equations with a circle whose radius is slightly
    smaller or larger. In figure 7, the circle is the outer
    curve. Note that the centroid's path is farther from
    the circle at the axes than at the midquadrant
    point.
    The Reuleaux triangle's centroid does not follow
    a circular path. How then is the Reuleaux drill bit
    contained within the square outline that it is to
    cut? Harry Watts designed a drill in 1914 with a
    patented "full floating chuck" to accommodate his
    irregular bits. Bits for square, pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal holes continue to be sold by the
    Watts Brothers Tool Works in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. The actual drill bit for the square is a
    Reuleaux triangle that is concave in three spots to
    allow for the corners to be cut without shavings
    obstructing the path (fig. 8).
    Even the modified drill bit leaves slightly rounded corners. How rounded? Assume the starting position in figure 9a, in which the Reuleaux triangle
    is just tangent at point C. As the triangle rotates
    counterclockwise, C leaves that edge of the quare
    temporarily (labeled c in fig. 9b) only to rejoin another edge at position C" in figure 9c. In figure 9b,
    let a be mLMA'B', ~be the angle formed by A'C'
    and the horizontal line through A', and c be the
    y-coordinate of A. Then ~ = a + 60 - 90 = a- 30

    Bits exist
    that can cut
    pentagonal,
    hexagonal,
    and
    octagonal
    holes

    581

    With this
    information,
    the teacher
    can avoid
    the blunders
    I made

    Watts chuck and drill

    B"
    (c)
    Fig. 9
    Reuleaux triangle rotating within a square
    Cross section of drill in hole
    Fig. 8
    B1t and chuck that drill square holes
    (From Gardner [1963])

    and cos a= 1/2 +c. To generate the corner by C, a


    starts at 30 degrees in figure 9a and ends up at 60
    degrees in figure 9c. From using A'C' = 1 and measuring from the coordinates of A', the coordinates of
    C' are described by
    x= - 1 + 1 cos(a -30)
    2
    1 + \ 3cosa +sin a
    =

    describe geometrically, but it generates a lot of discussion owing to its nonintuitive properties. With
    this background, the teacher can avoid the blunders I made. Further explorations into the topic
    might include studying other figures of constant
    width (see Gardner [1963), Rademacher and
    Toeplitz [1990], and Johnson [1989]); identifying
    further the curve of the Reuleaux triangle's center
    as it cuts a square; and noting the shape of bits for
    pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal holes.

    and
    y = c + 1 sin(a- 30)

    = ( cos a-~ ) +sin (a-30)

    - 1 + cos a + \ 3 sin a
    2

    The equations for the other three corners are similar and when graphed with the rest of the square
    yield figure 10.
    Not only does the Reuleaux triangle have practical and interesting applications and is easy to
    52

    Fig. 10
    Path of vertex of Reuleaux triangle
    rotating within a square

    THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER

    BIBLIOGRAPHY
    Gardner, Martin. "Mathematical Games." Scientific
    American 208 (February 1963):148-56.
    Johnson, Millie. What Is a Curve of Constant
    Width?" Student Math Notes (March 1989):1-4.
    Moise, Edwin, and Floyd Downs, Jr. Geometry. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1982.
    Rademacher, Hans, and Otto Toeplitz. The Enjoyment
    of Mathematics. New York: Dover Publications,
    1990.
    Smart, James R. ''Problem Solving in Geometry-a
    Sequence ofReuleaux Triangles." Mathematics
    Teacher 79 (January 1986):11-14.
    Watts Brothers Tool Works. How to Drill Square,
    Hexagon, Octagon, Pentagon Holes. Wilmerding,
    Penn.: Author, 1966. "'
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