Patents Examined by Michael Vitale
  • Patent number: 10118264
    Abstract: A numerically controlled machine tool that can accurately control a position of a machining member for machining a workpiece. The numerically controlled machine tool comprises: a first post member installed on a main body slidingly in a left/right direction; and first, second and third horizontal rails installed on the main body lengthily in the left/right direction and respectively coupled to two points of the rear surface and one point of the front surface of the first post member for guiding sliding of the first post member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Inventor: Byung Duk Min
  • Patent number: 10099272
    Abstract: A progressive cold forming machine and a robot for automatically changing a cutoff cassette, tooling cassettes, a transfer slide and transfer cam. A loading area adjacent the machine and robot has provisions for supporting a tooling cassette pallet and a transfer slide and camshaft pallet and a holding area for temporarily receiving some of the componentry being exchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL MACHINERY LLC
    Inventors: Aaron T. Hall, Douglas M. Hoerig, James A. Gase
  • Patent number: 10099330
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system, an apparatus and a method for providing tools on a machine tool. The system includes a first tool magazine for accommodating a plurality of tools; a first feeding device which is adapted to remove tools from the first tool magazine and feed them to the spindle; at least one second tool magazine for accommodating a plurality of tools; a second feeding device which is adapted to remove tools from the second tool magazine and provide them at a predetermined transfer position; and a transfer apparatus which is adapted to feed tools removed from the second tool magazine to the first tool magazine, with the result that the second tool magazine serves as a supply magazine for the first tool magazine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DECKEL MAHO PFRONTEN GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kraft, Sebastian Riedel, Michael Trenkle
  • Patent number: 10081085
    Abstract: A tool changer includes a holding member having a tool change arm, a rotating mechanism for rotating the holding member, a forward/backward moving mechanism for moving the holding member forward and backward, and a controller controlling the mechanisms. A zero return controller determines whether the tool change arm is holding tools. When it is not holding tools, the tool change arm is rotated to a predetermined non-interference angle, the tool change arm is translated to a forward/backward movement zero point, and the tool change arm is rotated to a rotation zero point. When it is holding tools, the tool change arm is translated to a forward end, the tool change arm is rotated to position it on an expected path, and the tool change arm is moved along the expected path, thereby moving the tool change arm to the rotation zero point and the forward/backward movement zero point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: DMG Mori Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10065267
    Abstract: A tool-changing carrier, that is to say a tool turret (1) with a rotary turret unit having at least two tool mounts (9) and arranged such that it can be rotated relative to a basic turret body (12), has radiation-transmission means which are provided for passing electromagnetic radiation through the tool-changing carrier or along the same. A tool system comprises such a tool-changing carrier and at least two tool heads (3, 5, 15, 17, 18, 27, 34, 40, 43), intended for fixing on the tool mounts (9), wherein at least one tool head is an optical tool head (3, 15, 17, 18) which is suitable for exposing a workpiece (11) to electromagnetic radiation and has a tool optics unit (23) for deflecting and/or forming the electromagnetic radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Inventors: Joerg Frank, Sascha Bausch, Dominic Deutges
  • Patent number: 10065281
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a rotatable spindle, a spindle drive, a tool magazine, a tool changer including a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft drive motor, an angular position detector, a tool change arm having gripping units at both ends, and a controller. After interchanging a first tool mounted on the spindle and a second tool held in a tool pot, when rotating the tool change arm to an intermediate position, rotation of the spindle is started as soon as the second tool mounted on the spindle and the gripping unit are out of contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DMG Mori Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 10046427
    Abstract: A workpiece change for use in a machine tool that comprises a tool spindle for clamping tools for machining workpieces, comprises two wheels arranged parallel to one another and rotatable about an axis of rotation into at least two prominent angular positions. Two swivel tables for clamping workpieces are arranged between the wheels and are each mounted on the wheels to swivel about a swivel axis which runs parallel to the axis of rotation. In each prominent angular position, one of the swivel tables is located in its working position in which clamped workpieces can be machined with the tools. Both wheels are supported at their rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: CHIRON-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Dirk Prust, Michael Eble
  • Patent number: 10046406
    Abstract: A turning and thread-rolling machine with a pre-compression device includes a fixing base on which the pre-compression device, a fixing mechanism, a guiding base, a processing mechanism assembly, and a control unit are provided, wherein the pre-compression device includes a carrier and at least two cold-rolling heads in order to form by compression a pre-compressed annular groove in a portion of an unprocessed rebar that is adjacent to one end thereof, and, under the control of the control unit, the fixing mechanism clamps the rebar, and the guiding base displaces the processing mechanism assembly to the end of the rebar to perform turning and thread rolling sequentially, thereby processing the end of the rebar into a coupling end. The pre-compressed annular groove facilitates on-site inspection of thread quality and prevents the thread-rolling dies in the processing mechanism assembly from contact with, and hence damage by, the ribs on the rebar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: DER FUN PRESTRESSED METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tien-Fa Wang
  • Patent number: 10040153
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to convert a rotary machine to a non-rotary machine is provided. The apparatus may include a tool body that engages a rotary head of a CNC mill and a rotation restraint member that is fixed at a stationary position relative to a rotational axis of the rotary head. An arm of the tool body may engage the rotation restraint member to prevent rotation of the tool body. A cutting tool may be coupled to the tool body such that rotation thereof is also fixed. The arm of the tool body may include an elongated aperture that allows for slight pivoting of the tool body and the cutting tool to facilitate chip removal and cutting in opposing directions. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Peter R. Muller, Matthew S. Theobald, Vincent Tiaga
  • Patent number: 10005167
    Abstract: The wear status of a micro-endmill tool may be inferred by monitoring the chip production rate of the tool in operation. Chips may be extracted from a work area, captured on an adhesive surface, imaged, and counted to determine the chip production rate. When the rate of chip production falls, the feed rate of the micro-endmill may be modified to a level suitable for the current state of tool wear. In this manner, costly and inconvenient work stoppages to evaluate the wear status of a tool are eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Arizon Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Angela A. Sodemann, Anuj K. Bajaj, Jason R. Vaughn
  • Patent number: 9993887
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and to an apparatus for chamfering and deburring gear cut workpieces, especially of large-volume gear cut workpieces, using a deburring apparatus which is arranged on or at the cutting head of a gear cutting machine and which at least partially utilizes the machine axes of the gear cutting machine to chamfer and to deburr gear teeth along a tooth contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Zeller
  • Patent number: 9993320
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a comb-shaped toothpick structure includes cutting a wooden block by a rotary cutter having a plurality of dies to form a plurality of toothpick shapes arranged in a row. Each toothpick shape includes a top edge formed by a cutter groove between two dies. Each toothpick shape further includes at least one stepped portion formed by at least one stepped cutting portion of one of the dies. The bottoms of the toothpick shapes are connected to each other. A bottom groove is located between two adjacent toothpick shapes and is formed by a blade of one of the dies. The toothpick shapes is further cut by partial cutting at an end of the toothpick shapes to form a front end of each toothpick shape. The toothpick shapes are cut from the wooden block to obtain a toothpick structure including a plurality of toothpicks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Inventor: Ting-Ting Shih
  • Patent number: 9975165
    Abstract: A rotatable buffer turret apparatus on which plural pairs of punches and dies to be set on a turret of a turret punch press are set, includes an upper buffer turret on which punch attachment holes in which the punches can be set are arranged circularly, and a lower buffer turret on which die attachment holes that is associated with the punch attachment holes and in which the dies can be set are arranged circularly. The upper and lower buffer turrets are rotatably attached to a single rotary shaft. A diameter of the lower buffer turret is made larger than a diameter of the upper buffer turret. The die attachment holes are formed in a circular die attachment area having a diameter larger than the diameter of the upper buffer turret. According to the apparatus, a tool exchange manually operated by an operator can be done easily and efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: AMADA COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Keiichi Sugiyama, Syuuji Ishida, Tomotake Iwamoto, Youichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9975161
    Abstract: In a tool storing device handling a tool mounting stocker in which a punch and a die of a press brake are mounted in one stocker with rear surfaces facing each other, each of the stockers is supported on both sides by endless belts having one driving shaft, and the endless belts are circulated so that each of the supported stockers does not protrude to a worker side, whereby a position of a path line of the appropriate one of the stockers can be freely positioned at a position of the path line PL of a tool holder on the press brake side. This enables rapid and easy tool replacement by a bending robot by storing not only the tool made of the punch and the die but also the hand for the robot together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: AMADA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 9962783
    Abstract: A gear hobbing apparatus for producing a gear from a blank according to one example of the present disclosure can include a hob, a first series of hob teeth and a second series of hob teeth. The hob can have a cylindrical hob body. The first series of hob teeth can extend from the cylindrical hob body and have a first whole depth. The second series of hob teeth can alternately extend from the cylindrical hob body with the first series of hob teeth and have a second whole depth. The first and second whole depths are distinct and configured to create a gear from the blank that has adjacent teeth having distinct outer diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: EATON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Benjamin S. Sheen
  • Patent number: 9956656
    Abstract: This disclosure provides oil filling and labeling apparatuses for atomizers of electronic cigarettes, which include a rack provided with a table board. A material pick-up operation position, an oil filling operation position, an assembling operation position, a labeling operation position and a pressing operation position for silicon rubber sleeve are provided on the table board. The oil filling and labeling apparatuses for the atomizers of the electronic cigarettes further include a material loading mechanism, an oil filling mechanism, a mechanism for mounting oil-sealing ring, a mechanism for mounting end cap, an electric resistance detection mechanism, a first material rotation mechanism, a labeling mechanism, a second material rotation mechanism and a mechanism for pressing silicon rubber sleeve. The atomizer of the electronic cigarette is successively conveyed for processing among such mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: O-NET AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) LIMITED
    Inventors: Haisheng Zou, Zhicheng Li, Feng Chen, Xuebin Yu, Weizhao Tang, Lin Yang, Fei Shen, Qinglin Na
  • Patent number: 9937598
    Abstract: A cutting tool cover set to a cutting tool which includes a hollow shaft body and at least one insert attached to an end face of the shaft body and cuts by bringing the insert into contact with a work while rotating the shaft body. The cutting tool cover includes: a body portion fixed to a top end portion of the shaft body; and an extension portion extended outward from the circumferential edge of the body portion in the entire circumference of the top end portion of the body portion to cover the surface of the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignees: SUBARU CORPORATION, DMG MORI SEIKI CO., LTD., MITSUBISHI HITACHI TOOL ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisayuki Oode, Shinya Matsuo, Manabu Saito, Morihiro Hideta, Koji Sato, Yasuhiro Inamasu, Shoujirou Touma
  • Patent number: 9931710
    Abstract: A mounting tool (1) for mounting a friction-welding boss (9), wherein the mounting tool (1) includes a drive shaft (2) with a first end section (3) adapted to create a detachable force coupling with the friction-welding boss (9) or an adapter and a holder is arranged spring-loaded at the first end section (3) and at least one cutting means (6) is arranged at the holder (5). A milling adapter (10) includes a first end section (11) adapted to create a detachable force coupling with a mounting tool (1), and a second end section (12) including at least one cutting means (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: EJOT GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Mirko Becker, Ingo Krausser, Herbert Born
  • Patent number: 9925631
    Abstract: In a machine tool having at least one tool spindle which is displaceable in relation to a device for holding workpieces in at least one of three spatial directions and in which the tools (W1-W7) for processing the workpieces can be chucked, there are provided a machine magazine (36) in which tools (W1-W7) provided for exchange in the tool spindle (23) are kept in store and a background magazine (31) in which tools (W1-W7) provided for exchange in the machine magazine (36) are kept in store. In the machine magazine (36), not more than four storage places (42, 43, 44, 45) for accommodating tools (W1-W7) are provided (FIG. 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: CHIRON-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Dirk Prust, Claus Eppler
  • Patent number: 9919395
    Abstract: A method is proposed for controlling tool change operations on a machine tool, wherein a machining procedure on a workpiece includes a sequence of machining operations having in each case a particular tool and in each case a particular duration, and for a tool change, tools of a tool spindle are provided by a second storage device in communication with a first storage device, and wherein there is associated with the machining procedure a sequence of tool provision operations in which a tool provision operation has in each case a particular duration, wherein the method includes a determination stage wherein the durations of the machining operations and the tool provision operations are determined, and a control stage wherein the tool provision operations are temporally grouped in relation to the machining operations such that the tool provision operations bring about a minimized idle time in the machining procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: MAG IAS GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Davis, Walter Pompe, Dodwell Manoharan