Tool Changer Between Spindle And Matrix Patents (Class 483/36)
  • Publication number: 20150087487
    Abstract: A tool changer is equipped with a turret having plural grips for use to grip tools as well as with a front cover and rear cover adapted to cover a front face and rear face of the turret. Furthermore, a protrusion is installed on the rear cover in a neighborhood of a gap between the front cover and the rear cover, being configured to block intrusion of chips or cutting fluid into the gap between the front cover and the rear cover from a top face of the rear cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Masahiro MUROTA
  • Publication number: 20140342891
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a receptacle extended from a stand, a working spindle rotatably attached to the receptacle and having a chuck device for grasping and releasing a tool member from the working spindle, a follower slidably attached onto the working spindle for actuating the chuck device to selectively grasp or release the tool member, a lever arm having one end pivotally attached to the receptacle with an axle, an actuator attached to the lever arm for actuating the follower to operate the chuck device to grasp and to release the tool member, and a driving device includes a piston for moving the lever arm and the actuator to actuate and move the chuck device to release the tool member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Kugi Tech Corp.
    Inventor: Che Sen LIU
  • Publication number: 20140329654
    Abstract: A power tool, comprising: a housing; a motor being disposed in the housing for outputting rotary power; an output shaft having an accommodating hole in the axial direction for holding a tool bit; a transmission mechanism, being disposed between the motor and the output shaft for transmitting rotary power from the motor to the output shaft; a tool bit supporting being disposed in the housing and including several chambers disposed in parallel for holding the tool bit; a connecting member being disposed in the housing and capable of moving axially between a working position where the connecting member passes through one of the chambers and to accommodate the tool bit in the chamber connect the output shaft, and a release position where the connecting member exits and separates from one of the several chambers; and an operating member is arranged on the housing for controlling the axial movement of the connecting member; the power tool further includes an automatic shifting means for adjusting the position of th
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: POSITEC POWER TOOLS (SUZHOU) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Paolo Andriolo, Shisong Zhang, Hongfeng Zhong, Xiaoli Pang, Jingtao Xu, Mingjian Xie, Yichun Ma, Wei Zhang, Qinglin Wang
  • Publication number: 20140187397
    Abstract: There is provided a machine tool which includes a machine frame, at least one tool spindle which is arranged on the machine frame and is displaceable relative thereto, a workpiece holder and a storage device for tools which is arranged on the machine frame, wherein a chain-type storage device communicates with the storage device and the at least one tool spindle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: MAG IAS GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Abeln, Walter Pompe, Benedikt Ell, Markus Gunzenhauser, Gerhard Hommel
  • Publication number: 20140187398
    Abstract: There is provided a machine tool including a machine frame, at least one tool spindle which is arranged on the machine frame and is displaceable relative thereto, a workpiece holder and a storage device for tools which is arranged on the machine frame, wherein at least one rotatable disk-type storage unit for tools is arranged on the machine frame and communicates with the storage device and with the at least one tool spindle, wherein a separate disk-type storage unit is associated with each tool spindle and wherein the storage device includes a circulating conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: MAG IAS GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Abeln, Walter Pompe, Benedikt Ell, Markus Gunzenhauser, Gerhard Hommel
  • Publication number: 20110201484
    Abstract: Disclosed in an automatic tool changer in which the tool changing time can be shortened by increasing overlapping operations of the turning operation and the axial advancing/retracting operation of a replacement arm. An arm driver (32) is so constituted that the driver performs overlapping operations such that at least a part of the operation for turning a replacement arm (23) by 180° and the operation for advancing/retracting the replacement arm in the axial direction in order to insert or withdraw a tool (37) are performed simultaneously and in parallelism with each other. When the replacement arm (23) is advanced/retracted in the axial direction in order to insert or withdraw a tool, the replacement arm (23) is turned by a predetermined distance in a direction reverse to the direction (so called “normal direction”) for turning the arm by 180° in parallelism with the advancing/retracting operation, and thereafter, the replacement arm (23) is turned in the normal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Fuji Machine MFG., Ltd.
    Inventors: George Isozumi, Kazuya Furukawa, Kazuyoshi Nagato, Masaki Kato
  • Publication number: 20110131791
    Abstract: The invention relates to a machine tool (1), comprising a plurality of fixed tool spindles (3) and such that can optionally be displaced from a retracted idle position to an extended working position and can be positioned at different positions in a frame-like rack (2), and a workpiece carrier (4) with at least one workpiece holder (5), with the workpiece (4) carrier being movable at least in several axes in a translational manner and preferably also in a rotational manner. In order to provide advantageous constructional conditions it is proposed that at least one of the tool spindles (3) is associated with a tool magazine (7) plus tool changer (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: Anger Machining GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Haas, Klaus Dirnberger
  • Publication number: 20110015049
    Abstract: The invention refers to a machine tool where in a machine frame a tool spindle is provided. In the machine tool a tool change device for at least one machining tool is arranged. The tool spindle consists of a lug with at least two members wherein the lug holds the tool carrier receiving the machining tool. The two members are connected flexibly to each other by a bent joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventor: Burkhart Grob
  • Publication number: 20100279839
    Abstract: A motor-driven machine tool (1) for tools which are to be driven rotationally has, configured as a hand-held machine tool, a pistol-shaped basic shape, in which, lying one behind the other in the stock part (2) in the direction of the main axis, a motor (4), a gear mechanism (5) and a tool changing magazine (6) are provided as a structural unit, wherein the tool changing magazine (6) which is designed, in particular, as a drum magazine is mounted on a neck (24) of the gear mechanism housing (22) and is penetrated by the output shaft (23) of the gear mechanism (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Andreas Moser, Joerg Dehde, Steffen Tiede
  • Patent number: 7267642
    Abstract: An automatic tool changing device (30) has a tool storage device (31) with a plurality of tools stored therein, a tool chucking unit (41) and a tool unchucking unit (51) both capable of advancing/retreating between the tool storage device (31) and a tool changing position (P2), and a tool delivery mechanism (61). The tool chucking unit (41) is provided with a tool fastening mechanism (42) for fastening the tool chucking mechanism (24), and the tool unchucking unit (51) is provided with a tool loosening mechanism (52) for loosening the tool chucking mechanism (24). The tool delivery mechanism (61) delivers the tool positioned at a tool delivery position from the tool storage device into the tool fastening mechanism of the tool chucking unit so that the tool is held by the tool fastening mechanism, and delivers the tool retrieved by the tool unchucking unit from the tool unchucking unit to the tool storage device so that the tool is stored by the tool storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Arai, Takeshi Momochi, Yukio Teshima, Hidemi Yoshino, Norio Yamanishi
  • Patent number: 7217230
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for detecting a position of a drawbar unit installed in a spindle unit. The apparatus is a part of an automatic tool exchange device for exchanging tools in the spindle unit of a machine tool. The apparatus transmits a signal to a main controller after detecting the position of the drawbar such that the main controller checks a state of a tool clamped by the drawbar unit. The drawbar unit is installed in the spindle unit forming the automatic tool exchange device and clamps the tool at a front thereof. A core is installed at a rear peripheral portion of the drawbar unit and a coil section having a cylindrical shape is wound around an outer peripheral portion of the core. An LC oscillating circuit is provided such that the LC oscillating circuit includes the coil section as a part thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Yiwon Engineering Inc.
    Inventor: Young-Jin Hyun
  • Patent number: 7179214
    Abstract: A splitting blade changing device for a block splitter, comprising a revolving mechanism in which an upper rotary member is suspended by a supporting plate which is moved up and down by a cylinder installed in an upper part of a gate-like frame, a plurality of upper blades are held on a circumferential face of the upper rotary member, a slit is provided in a table which is supported in a lower portion of the gate-like frame via buffer members, an lower rotary member fixed detachably on a bottom plate of the gate-like frame is installed in a lower part of the table, a plurality of lower blades facing the upper blades are held on a circumferential surface of the lower rotary member such that one of the lower blades protrudes from the table surface via the slit of the table, and the upper and lower rotary members sequentially select and install the upper blades and lower blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Tiger Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsugoro Kitahara
  • Patent number: 7147595
    Abstract: A CNC machine tool includes a worktable supporting two workpieces and rotatable on a base so as to exchange the positions of the workpieces. A post member is fixed on the base. A first horizontal rail unit is movable vertically on the post member. A second horizontal rail unit is movable on the first horizontal rail unit along a first horizontal direction. A spindle head unit is movable on the second horizontal rail unit along a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Inventor: Hsi-Kuan Chen
  • Patent number: 6855099
    Abstract: A production system for manufacturing a workpiece comprises an index system including a plurality of index devices removably mounted on the workpiece at known longitudinally spaced locations therealong, and a longitudinally extending index member releasably engaged with at least two of the index devices such that a position and orientation of the index member are fixed relative to the workpiece by the index devices, the index member having position-indicating features distributed therealong. The production system further comprises a machine module mounted for longitudinal movement along the index member and operable to perform an operation, the machine module being operable to detect the position-indicating features on the index member and thereby determine a position of the machine module relative to the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Laurance N. Hazlehurst, Bobby C. Philpott, Jr., James N. Buttrick, Darrell D. Jones, Kostadinos D. Papanikolaou, David P. Banks, Terrence J. Rowe, Ronald Outous, Charles H. Glaisyer, Harry E. Townsend, Mark Boberg, Paul Elfes Nelson, John R. Porter
  • Patent number: 6764434
    Abstract: A machining center comprising at least two workstations. A first workstation is adapted to receive a first workpiece, and a second workstation is adapted to receive a second workpiece. The first workstation may be a vacuum table, and the second workstation may be comprised of a plurality of hold-down bars. A carriage is adapted to travel between the two workstations in one machine cycle. The carriage may have a single tool or a plurality of tools. During the machine cycle, the carriage is adapted to perform a machining operation (e.g., routing, drilling, sawing, and/or sanding) on the workpiece at each workstation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: Wilhelm Volk
  • Patent number: 6745455
    Abstract: A machining apparatus has a lower housing part, an upper housing part having a lower side, and a plurality of support posts fixed to the upper and lower parts and holding the upper part fixedly at a spacing above the lower part. A tool holder displaceable parallel to a horizontal tool axis on the lower side of the upper housing part carries a chuck rotatable about the tool axis and can hold a machining tool. A supply station on the lower part offset horizontally perpendicular to the tool axis from the tool holder is can hold a plurality of the workpieces. A cross slide connected between the upper housing part and a workpiece chuck displaces the workpiece chuck in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the tool axis and in a vertical direction to displace a workpiece between the station and a position aligned on the tool axis with the tool chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: EMAG Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventors: Konrad Joseph Popp, Robert Merk
  • Publication number: 20030207742
    Abstract: A production system for manufacturing a workpiece comprises an index system including a plurality of index devices removably mounted on the workpiece at known longitudinally spaced locations therealong, and a longitudinally extending index member releasably engaged with at least two of the index devices such that a position and orientation of the index member are fixed relative to the workpiece by the index devices, the index member having position-indicating features distributed therealong. The production system further comprises a machine module mounted for longitudinal movement along the index member and operable to perform an operation, the machine module being operable to detect the position-indicating features on the index member and thereby determine a position of the machine module relative to the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Laurance N. Hazlehurst, Bobby C. Philpott, James N. Buttrick, Darrell D. Jones, Kostadinos D. Papanikolaou, David P. Banks, Terrence J. Rowe, Ronald Outous, Charles H. Glaisyer, Harry E. Townsend, Mark Boberg, Paul Elfes Nelson, John R. Porter
  • Publication number: 20030069115
    Abstract: A processing center for round workpieces with a machine bed, a horizontal main driving spindle with a workpiece chuck which is rotationally supported on the machine bed in a lateral headstock and rotationally driven by a drive, a tailstock that is arranged on the machine bed and a support that is displaceably arranged on the machine bed. The support contains a table saddle that can be displaced on the machine bed and an upper headstock that is obliquely arranged on the table saddle and contains a carrier that can be displaced along the longitudinal axis of the upper headstock. Exchangeable processing units for carrying out different processing technologies can be inserted into the displaceable carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Rolf Binder, Fritz Duerler
  • Publication number: 20030050160
    Abstract: A machining apparatus has a lower housing part, an upper housing part having a lower side, and a plurality of support posts fixed to the upper and lower parts and holding the upper part fixedly at a spacing above the lower part. A tool holder displaceable parallel to a horizontal tool axis on the lower side of the upper housing part carries a chuck rotatable about the tool axis and can hold a machining tool. A supply station on the lower part offset horizontally perpendicular to the tool axis from the tool holder is can hold a plurality of the workpieces. A cross slide connected between the upper housing part and a workpiece chuck displaces the workpiece chuck in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the tool axis and in a vertical direction to displace a workpiece between the station and a position aligned on the tool axis with the tool chuck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: EMAG Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventors: Konrad Joseph Popp, Robert Merk
  • Patent number: 6520895
    Abstract: A polishing device includes a wafer chuck mechanism which retains a wafer while its plane to be polished faces upward, a polishing pad component which possesses a polishing plane which polishes the wafer, a polishing head, and a shift mechanism which enables a relative displacement of said polishing pad component in relation to the wafer. A fixation and retention mechanism fixes and retains said polishing pad component to the polishing head in a detachable fashion while its polishing plane faces downward. The displacement distance of the shift mechanism ranges from the polishing position of the wafer to the exchange position of the polishing pad component, so that the polishing pad component is automatically exchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Senga, Kazuo Kobayashi, Satoru Ide, Kiyoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6501997
    Abstract: A numerical controlling device and a tooling apparatus having thereof, in which performance required for the machining is greatly improved correspondingly to a degree of importance according to a type of the machining and thus high efficiency and high accuracy in the machining can be obtained, by referring a database based on a type of a specified cutting tool and workpiece, and of a machining mode including an operating path of a movement of the cutting tool and workpiece, and by selecting a control parameter which relates to an adequate operating speed and operating position in the entire operating path during machining and non-machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignees: Osaka Kiko Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Kakino
  • Publication number: 20020193217
    Abstract: A machining device comprising five axial kinetic coordinate systems that can be controlled simultaneously, three axes of which, are linear moving axes and two axes of which are rotary axes, with one axis of the five axes being provided with a tool rotating function, whereby said machining device is equipped with a cutting tool 51 and a friction stir welding tool 52. The current value observed when a large-diameter portion of said tool 52 contacts the work object is set in advance, and by observing the torque current of the rotary shaft of the tool 52 during friction stir welding, the insertion depth of the tool 52 can be controlled by maintaining the observed torque current above the preset current value, thus providing a good weld. A single device can provide both the cutting and the welding. Thus, it is possible to reduce equipment cost, installation space, plant area, lead time and production cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventor: Fumio Yoshinaga
  • Publication number: 20010041650
    Abstract: A polishing device includes a wafer chuck mechanism which retains a wafer while its plane to be polished faces upward, a polishing pad component which possesses a polishing plane which polishes the wafer, a polishing head, and a shift mechanism which enables a relative displacement of said polishing pad component in relation to the wafer. A fixation and retention mechanism fixes and retains said polishing pad component to the polishing head in a detachable fashion while its polishing plane faces downward. The displacement distance of the shift mechanism ranges from the polishing position of the wafer to the exchange position of the polishing pad component, so that the polishing pad component is automatically exchanged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Senga, Kazuo Kobayashi, Satoru Ide, Kiyoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6203478
    Abstract: A machine for drilling oil-holes in crankshafts and the corresponding procedure. It can be used to drill one, two or more crankshafts per cycle. Each crankshaft can revolve on its own axis. The unit described is mounted on a horizontally-faced rotary table with vertical rotating axis, to place the crankshafts at different angles to the Z axis of the machining module, maintaining the horizontal position of the longitudinal axes of the crankshafts. Facing the unit is the machining module, provided with two horizontal spindles, drill tool-holders, with their corresponding guide bushings and parallel to each other, one on top of the other, at the same distance as the two crankshafts. The module has movement in three co-ordinates: axis X (horizontal-transverse), Y (vertical ) and Z (horizontal-presenting tools). A fourth axis W, (with additional module and independent action), moves parallel to Z and carries the guide bushings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Etxe-Tar, S.A.
    Inventor: Gorka Gorrochategui
  • Patent number: 6090026
    Abstract: An automatic tool exchanging machine include a machine body such as gear box, a tool exchanging arm having a tool grasping member and supported by the machine body to be rotatable and to be linearly reciprocally movable in an axial direction of a rotation shaft of the machine body, a rotation drive mechanism provided for the machine body, and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving power of the rotation drive mechanism to the tool exchanging arm. The power transmission mechanism is provided with a motion conversion mechanism for converting a rotational motion of the rotation drive mechanism including servo-motors to a linear reciprocal motion of the tool exchanging arm and the motion conversion mechanism is composed of a feed screw mechanism. The feed screw mechanism is a ball screw mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Hosokawa, Toshihiro Ueta, Hirohiko Honda
  • Patent number: 6071220
    Abstract: In the tool change device, a tool change arm 27 for changing a tool 25 with respect to a main spindle 24, a main tool magazine 29 including a plurality of hold grooves 30 arranged linearly for holding the tools 25, and a tool storage member 41 including at least one storage portion 46 for storing the tool 25 are arranged in the back-and-forth direction of the tool change device. In order that the tools 25 can be delivered between the tool change arm 27 and main tool magazine 29, between the main tool magazine 29 and tool storage member 41, and between the tool storage member 41 and tool change arm 27, a single tool loader L is disposed in such a manner that it can be moved in correspondence to the tool change arm 27, main tool magazine 29 and tool storage member 41.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Nippei Toyama Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Sugihara, Hisao Sasaki, Kazuoki Sakai, Kenichiro Morita, Toshio Yasoshima
  • Patent number: 5997454
    Abstract: A machine for cutting panels, the substantially horizontal worktable of which supports the panels and presents a lateral guide extending in a given direction; the guide supporting a carriage presenting at least one cutting member; the carriage being movable in freely-sliding manner in the aforementioned direction to cut the panels by means of a cutting member; clamping means being provided over the worktable to clamp the panels during cutting; a store containing further cutting members being provided to the side of the worktable; and a device for picking up the cutting members being provided between the carriage and the store to replace a cutting member on the carriage with a cutting member from the store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Selco S.r.l.
    Inventor: Valter Naldi
  • Patent number: 5928120
    Abstract: When pairs of fingers grasp tools and a tool exchange arm starts lowering, upper ends of lock pins which have been held by a spindle head are released, the lock pins are pushed up by urging forces of springs, and tapered portions of the lock pins push out steel balls to external sides. Thus, cylindrical portions of the pairs of fingers are prevented from opening, and opening and closing of the pair of fingers are locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumio Kameyama
  • Patent number: 5868656
    Abstract: A machine tool comprises a spindle having a tool receptacle for receiving tool holders in their working position. A tool changer is provided for conveying a tool holder in a first changing step between a magazine position and a spindle position at said spindle. Further provided is a linear stroke mechanism for conveying said tool holder in a second changing step between said spindle position and said working position. A common drive mechanism is linked to said tool changer and said linear stroke mechanism such as to affect both said first and second changing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Chiron Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Eugen Rutschle
  • Patent number: 5820536
    Abstract: An automatic tool exchanging apparatus carries tools between a magazine pot allocated to an exchanging position and a leading end of a spindle of a machine tool spinning a tool about a vertical axis through the turning and displacement movements of an exchanging arm. A single drive motor is used to drive the tool exchanging arm for rotation and displacement and a tool magazine for rotation. The drive system is thus simplified, thereby reducing the substantial production cost and the space to be occupied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Okuma Corporation
    Inventor: Mikohiko Sato
  • Patent number: 5514063
    Abstract: A machine tool which comprises a headstock (111) and at least one tool changer (120). The tool changer (120) shifts the production tools (116) between a magazine position and a working position, a drive unit (123) being provided for it in the form of at least one fluid power drive cylinder (1), wherein a piston is arranged for axial motion and for whose terminal fluid damping a damping device is provided. The drive cylinder (1) provided with a setting device, by means of which the terminal position damping may be switched over between at least two preset values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Chiron-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kurt Stoll, Udo Preussler, Peter Grund
  • Patent number: 5451196
    Abstract: A machine tool comprises a travelling column, a spindle stock to be displaced on the travelling column, and a tool magazine. Toolholders are stored in the tool magazine and may be individually conveyed into a transfer position within the tool magazine. Two gripper arms serve to interchange the toolholders between the transfer position on the tool magazine and a working position in the spindle. The orientation of the toolholders during interchanging is maintained. The gripper arms are separately mounted on the spindle head and can be pivoted simultaneously and in opposite directions along locus curves. The gripper arms have grippers to hold the toolholders during the interchanging between the transfer position and the working position. The transfer position and the working position lie in a common vertical plane. The transfer position is located in the area of the travelling column front side facing toward the spindle stock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Chiron-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Eugen Rutschle
  • Patent number: 5277689
    Abstract: A tool changer for tools of a machine tool has a gripper on which two movable jaws are arranged for positive gripping of the tools and on which is mounted an actuation element which is axially displaceable in the longitudinal axis and swings the jaws around their respective pivot axis into a spread position for inserting and removing the tools and into a closed position for positive gripping of the tools. Between the actuation element and each of the two jaws there are provided one opening linkage and one closing linkage each. Each of the two opening linkages has an oblique surface provided on the actuation element that interacts with an opposing surface provided on the jaw for opening the respective jaw. Each of the two closing linkages has a guide bevel provided on the actuation element which interacts in each case by means of an associated rolling element with a contact surface provided on the jaw for closing the respective jaw. The two closing linkages positively lock the jaws in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Chiron-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Eugen Ruetschle, Rudolf Haninger
  • Patent number: 5242360
    Abstract: In a vertical machining center, a tubular spindle-drive sleeve rotates about its longitudinal axis while axially immovable. A spindle is axially slidable in and rotatably driven by the sleeve. A linear drive, non-rotating ball screw connected to the upper end of the spindle is driven axially by a powered ball nut to advance and retract the spindle in the sleeve. A coupling plug fixed at the bottom of the spindle connects to any one of various toolholders in a turret. Axial movement of the spindle by the ball nut automatically couples and decouples the spindle to and from the toolholder. Gaseous or liquid fluid supply down through the spindle is provided. In one embodiment, an air motor is mounted inside the spindle and coupled to a second spindle in the changeable toolholder to supplement the main spindle drive and drive the toolholder spindle for driving a cutting tool at a much higher rotational rate than is possible with the main spindle alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: Acroloc, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack L. Bayer
  • Patent number: 5188579
    Abstract: In the case of a machine tool having at least one tool changer for exchanging the tools of the machine tool, the tool changer comprises a gripper (13) provided with at least one movable jaw for form-locking engagement of the tools. The gripper (13) is further equipped with an actuating member (24), which is arranged for axial displacement in the longitudinal direction (30) and which, depending on its axial position, acts to open the at least one jaw for the purpose of inserting or removing the tools, or to close it for form-locking engagement of the tools. The actuating member (24) can be displaced into a first axial end position, by moving the gripper (13) asgainst a stationary stop (31) of the machine tool, for opening the at least one jaw, and can further be transferred, by closing means, into a second axial end position for closing the at least one jaw, as the gripper (13) is moved away from the stop (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1993
    Assignee: Chiron-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Eugen Ruschle, Rudolf Haninger
  • Patent number: 5117552
    Abstract: A machining center having a bed that supports a work table, a carriage movable along the bed, an upright column moveable across the carriage, a machining head movable vertically on the upright column and a tool magazine with a tool changer. The bed is designed as an inclined bed with a downward slope toward the rear and the work table is mounted on the front side of bed by means of a suitable console.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: MAHO Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Werner Babel