Abstract: Machine tool systems and methods include methods of synchronizing cutting tools with a workpiece retainer. In some embodiments, the methods and systems provide at least two cutting tools that are synchronized to machine a common surface of a workpiece in a quick and efficient manner. A controller having a single line of code for controlling both cutting tools and the workpiece retainer may be used. The cutting tools may be synchronized such that they engage substantially opposite portions of the workpiece, thereby to reduce resulting forces in the workpiece that may tend to induce workpiece deflection and/or chatter. In other embodiments, a cutting tool is synchronized with a split workpiece holder that may be controlled to induce a compression, tension, or torsion pre-load in the workpiece.

Abstract: A two axis machine tool suppresses vibrations between two processing machines and provides a self vibration suppressing effect resulting from increased rigidity and increased mass. The two axis machine tool includes first and second separate and independent machine beds and processing machines mounted respectively on the first and second machine beds, and the first and second machine beds are connected together through vibration suppressing units. Each of the vibration suppressing units includes a viscoelastic body sandwiched between first and second plate members secured respectively to the first and second machine beds.

Abstract: A centering device for the guided transfer of bars from a feeder to a lathe, and interposed therebetween aligned with a bar guide with the mandrel of the lathe, comprising: a bush for fixing to a fixing seat and rigidly coupled to a bar opening aligned with the respective bar guide and with the mandrel of the lathe; a tubular body, rigidly coupled to the bush coaxial thereto and provided with a housing seat for a ring with oscillating elements which are pivoted to a respective fixed anchoring element with one end and are retained in mutual contact by elastic elements, delimiting a through opening whose diameter is about as long as the diameter of a bar. The ring and the anchoring element are axially movable within the seat, in contrast to springs toward the lathe.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for centering a log for veneer peeling in a lathe. In the method the log is first centered in the centering arrangement of the lathe equipment using centering alignment data based on the contour of the log. On the basis of the thus determined centering data, a computer simulation of peeling is carried out and the results thereof are displayed. The operator performs an alternative centering based on visual evaluation of the log end and, using this centering data, another computer simulation of log peeling is carried out. The peeling outcomes are displayed as an image. The peeling outcomes of all simulations are compared with each other and the centering of actual peeling operation is performed using the centering data giving the optimum yield of peeling.

Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for attenuating a chatter oscillation in a processing machine, for example a cutting machine, such as a lathe. The machine includes at least one feed system with a primary section and a secondary section driven by a linear motor which can be powered via a converter. The device has a magnetic field control to control an in-phase component (d-component) of the magnetic field which produces the attractive force between of the primary section and the secondary section. An actual signal that is proportional to the chatter oscillation is generated and compared with a predetermined setpoint for a chatter oscillation. The comparison produces a control variable which is applied as a current setpoint to a field control that controls the current of the linear motor. This sufficiently attenuates chatter oscillations so that a reduction of the cutting depth is no longer required.

Abstract: A method of alignably supporting an eccentric work piece for rotary movements uses a work piece holder that supports the work piece in alignment during rotary operations. A plurality of cooperating aligning members mounted along the rotary axis of a rotary unit, provides pivoting movements relative to the rotary axis while bearing the work piece. These pivoting movements of the aligning members enable the work piece to be aligned during rotary operations.

Abstract: A brake disk turning device accommodates runout using a front flange coupled to an adapter connected to the brake hub, and a rear flange fixed to a chuck of a lathe for turning the disk. Spacing adjusters are at equal intervals around the flanges for individually adjusting a spacing between the flanges at each interval to tilt the front flange with respect to the rear flange to accommodate the runout. Each adjuster has a toothed wheel and a retractable pin movable by an actuator to intercept the wheel to incrementally rotate the wheel during rotation of the flanges. A pinion connected to the wheel is meshed with a gear. Annular grooves with varying depth are provided between the gear and the front flange with balls therein for adjusting the spacing between the gear and front flange (9) depending on their rotation position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tool holding assembly with an adjustment means capable of causing the tool holding end of the assembly to bend in relation to the opposite attachment end of the assembly. This is accomplished by providing first and second contact surfaces longitudinally spaced from each other along the assembly, and providing an adjustment means having at least one adjustment screw, wherein by adjusting the screw, pressure can be simultaneously applied by the adjustment means onto the first and second contact surfaces, such that an axis of one end of the assembly can be displaced by bending in relation to the other.

Abstract: An improved method for producing a brake drum which balances a brake drum defining an inner surface and an axis. Balancing specifications are determined which correct an imbalance of the brake drum about the axis. Material is removed from the inner surface, which forms a cylindrical surface preferably defining a braking surface of the brake drum, to balance the brake drum according to the balancing specifications. It is a further feature of the invention to remove material surrounding a pilot hole initially formed in the brake drum, wherein the removal of the material also correlates to the balancing specifications.

Abstract: The process contemplates material removal from the surface of rotating bodies (11) by moving at least one milling cutter (5) along an arched trajectory (21) in a plane transverse to the axis of the bodies, so as to remove the material in the circumferential direction of the body surface and parallel to the axis of the milling cutter (5). This working can be carried out in addition to a vectorial milling. The trajectory (21) is obtained by composing two linear translations perpendicular to the milling cutter (5) by adjustment of the speed and the rotation direction of the motors producing such translations.

Abstract: The machine tool includes a workpiece-holding spindle consisting of a slide capable of being moved along the X-axis perpendicular to the main axis of rotation of the machine. The slide is moved via a tie-rod, actuated at one end by a numerical axis and having at the other end an oblique projection fitted in an oblique hole in the slide. Movement of the tie-rod along the Z-axis therefore causes movement of the slide, hence of the workpiece, along the X-axis. Provision is made for counterbalancing the rotating spindle. The machine tool is thus capable of machining parts having eccentric shoulders.

Abstract: A centering spindle for use with a workpiece which is to be induction hardened includes a generally cylindrical outer housing into which a shaft is positioned and mounted in spaced relation to the housing by a bearing arrangement. The bearing arrangement allows the shaft to rotate relative to the housing. The end of the shaft extending out of the housing is connected to an isolation spacer which is fabricated out of an electrical insulator material. The isolation spacer in turn is attached to a removable tip which is constructed and arranged for interfacing with the workpiece to be induction hardened. The design of the centering spindle is such that the tip may be removed and replaced when it becomes worn without the need to replace any of the other parts or components of the centering spindle. Further, any electromagnetic field induced in the workpiece and transmitted to the tip will not be transmitted to the shaft nor to the bearing arrangement due to the isolation spacer.

Abstract: A bar pusher rod for bar feeders in automatic lathes provided with an abunt for stopping the advancement of the bar to be machined, a damping element being slidingly accommodated inside the bar pusher, the damping element being composed of a mass with which a decelerator is associated, the damping element being suitable to neutralize the kinetic energy of the bar pusher and of the bar to be machined when impact occurs against the lathe abutment, so as to avoid rebounds off the abutment.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for supporting a beam having a longitudinal axis. The apparatus includes a clamping assembly that surrounds and grips a portion of the beam. The clamping assembly is relatively compliant to deflections of the beam in at least one direction transverse to the axis, but relatively resistant to axial displacements of the beam and to torsional rotations of the beam about the axis. The apparatus further includes at least one actuator situated externally to the beam and arranged to urge the beam in the compliant direction or directions.

Abstract: An apparatus for gripping a bar supported for rotation by a numerically controlled lathe. The apparatus contains two jaws and a gripper cam pivotally attached to each jaw; springs attached to the jaws tend to rotate the gripper cams away from the jaws. A device is provided for moving the jaws together, moving the jaws apart, and locking the jaws into a fixed position.

Abstract: An improved method for producing a final balanced and noise suppressing brake drum including a generally closed outer end, a generally axially extending cylindrical main body, and an open inner end. The closed outer end of the brake drum includes a centrally located wheel spindle opening formed therein, and a plurality of lug bolt mounting holes spaced circumferentially around the wheel spindle opening. The cylindrical main body of the brake drum is formed during a casting operation and includes a plurality of discrete raised segments formed on an outer surface thereof. Preferably, at least three raised segments are provided on an outer surface of the brake drum, and at least two of the three segments are spaced apart from one another by generally equal angles. The discrete raised segments are provided at predetermined locations on the outer surface to reduce brake noise and are selectively machined during a machining operation to produce a final balanced brake drum.

Abstract: A rotary tool, in particular a high-speed milling or boring tool, has at least two balancing rings (17, 18) with a variable mass around their circumference mounted on the tool holder or tool body (1). Two concentric balancing rings (17, 18) whose position in relation to the axis of rotation (6) of the tool (1) may be adjusted are releasable mounted in the tool holder or in the tool body (1) and are supported in the radial direction (14) in the tool holder or tool body (1). A short rotary tool (1) is thus obtained with a simple support of the balancing rings (17, 18) in the radial direction.

Abstract: A machine for determining dynamically a residual unbalance in a workpiece having a conical surface is provided with a plurality of support elements, such as roller elements, that communicate with the workpiece at the conical surface thereof. The roller elements are arranged circumferentially equidistant about the workpiece and may have cylindrical or conical configurations. Further support elements, such as roller elements, can be applied against an annular surface of the workpiece, such as on a flange portion thereof. At least one of the support rollers that communicates with the conical surface is arranged to rotate about an adjustable axis of rotation that can be oriented with respect to the workpiece to achieve good rotative communication therebetween.

Abstract: A lathe capable of performing both usual machining and balance correction machining of a workpiece. In a combined machining lathe having a drilling and/or milling machine, vibration sensor(s) are attached to a headstock and/or a tailstock and a sensor for detecting a rotation angle of a main spindle is provided. After the usual machining, the workpiece is rotated at a predetermined rotating speed on the same lathe and an amount of imbalance and phase are calculated by a imbalance arithmetic unit. An NC machining program for balancing the workpiece is automatically produced by a balance correction machining program producer within a numerical controller and balance correction machining of the workpiece is carried out using a rotary tool such as a drill or the like.

Abstract: An improved method for final balancing the brake drum determines the location and length of a constant depth cut along the squealer band which is necessary to correct the imbalance, and using a cutting machine, makes the constant depth cut at the predetermined location and for the predetermined length along the squealer band to produce a final balanced brake drum. Preferably, the cutting machine is a milling machine which produces a plunge type entrance/exit cut. It is a further feature of the invention to provide a feather type entrance/exit cut to reduce the stress concentrations, and produce a cosmetically more appealing final balanced brake drum.

Abstract: A two-dimension unbalance correction device, or a two-dimension balancing apparatus, is designed to correct a rotor by resolving the measured unbalance vector into a horizontal component and a vertical component, and then correcting the resolved components respectively. The balancing apparatus comprises a horizontal and a vertical balancing mechanism in the form of a symmetric correction disc, which is fixed to an end plane of the rotor and synchronously rotated therewith. The correction disc is engraved with a plurality of concentric circles, radial lines, and phase angles for indicating the magnitude and the phase angle of the unbalance vector during the correcting process. The balancing apparatus is further provided with a trial weight bolt, which cooperates with the trial screw for normalizing the linear scale of the correction disc and the vectermeter of the balancing apparatus.

Abstract: A computer (21) processes the time between ultrasonic echoes received at a transducer (19) indicative of the outer radius and wall thickness of a workpiece (10) by subtracting (69) the weighted average (80-90) wall thickness from the weighted average outer radius to generate an internal radius for a large number of points around a spiral slice of the workpiece. The internal radii and angles are converted (69) to x and y coordinates. The centroid (X, Y) of each slice of data indicating workpiece cavity internal radii is determined (71) as twice the summation of the x coordinates and twice the summation of the y coordinates of all of the datum points of the slice. The least squares fit (73) of the X coordinates of the centroids of all of the slices and the least squares fit (74) of the Y coordinates of the centroids of all of the slices are then used to determine the average axis of the cavity of the workpiece.

Abstract: A computer (21) processes the time between ultrasonic echoes received at a transducer (19) indicative of the outer radius and wall thickness of a workpiece (10) by subtracting (69) the weighted average (80-90) wall thickness from the weighted average outer radius to generate an internal radius for a large number of points around a spiral slice of the workpiece. The internal radii and angles are converted (69) to x and y coordinates. The centroid (X, Y) of each slice of data indicating workpiece cavity internal radii is determined (71) as twice the summation of the x coordinates and twice the summation of the y coordinates of all of the datum points of the slice. The least squares fit (73) of the X coordinates of the centroids of all of the slices and the least squares fit (74) of the Y coordinates of the centroids of all of the slices are then used to determine the average axis of the cavity of the workpiece.

Abstract: A centering device in a machine tool having a chuck for clamping a work includes a clamp device for clamping and centering the work at a different position with respect to the chuck. The clamp device has an actuator driven by a pressure medium and a holder operable by the actuator for clamping the work with a pressure corresponding to the pressure of the pressure medium and for releasing the work. A control device is provided for controlling the pressure of the pressure medium to a value which is appropriate to center the work by the clamp device and which is previously determined according to a diameter of the work to be clamped.

Abstract: A measuring element which senses the running of the solid of rotation is connected to the actual value input of a controller whose output signal is connected to a control element which acts upon a bearing which is adjustable perpendicularly to the axis.

Abstract: The present invention entails a method and apparatus for balancing a high speed rotary tool assembly. A pair of closed balancing rings are journalled about a cylindrical bearing surface formed around a rotary tool holder with each ring being rotatively mounted about the bearing surface independently of each other. The tool holder is adapted to receive and hold a cutting tool. After determining the unbalance of the tool holder and cutting tool, the rings are rotatively adjusted about the bearing surface to create an unbalance within the tool rings and the position of the tool rings is adjusted such that the created unbalance of the tool rings is disposed opposite the determined unbalance of the rotary tool holder and cutting tool.

Abstract: A device for centering a feedback tachometer on an output motor shaft. The device includes a housing disposed on the motor shaft. The housing includes a base and flange in which is received a mandrel shaft. The central axis of the mandrel shaft may be aligned with the central axis of the motor shaft by set screws provided in the flange and are individually adjustable against the mandrel shaft to alter the position thereof within the flange. An adapter plate may be provided for attaching the base to the motor shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a body provided at one end with a surface of revolution. The axis of the apparatus is aligned with a predetermined longitudinal axis of the body. The apparatus including a mechanism for the compensation of the oscillations of the free end of the body. The apparatus is disposed around an assembly comprising a mandrel at the end of a flexible rotatable shaft, the mechanism including a bearing surrounding a component of the assembly. A plurality of means generating oscillating mechanical forces against the bearing means are guided by signals derived from rotation of the shaft to provide phase and amplitude synchronization and compensation of the oscillations of the free end of the body.

Abstract: A rotary tool is provided with a shank and a collar-like section, and further includes a plurality of screw-threaded holes drilled in a vertical end face of the collar-like section, in parallel relationships with the axis of the collar-like section. A plurality of balancing weights are removably screwed in the holes as required to balance the tool.

Abstract: A multi-faceted T-slot cylinder for a cutterhead is mounted to a wood lathe arbor using set screws installed in tapped holes which are provided near opposite ends of the cylinder in diametrically opposite faces of the cylinder (rather than in the same face, as is conventional). Static balancing of the cylinder is thereby improved. For fine-tuning, a dynamic balancing collar is mounted on the arbor near the cylinder. This collar has a plurality of tapped holes provided radially therethrough around its circumference. As the arbor is turned slowly, if measurement shows eccentricity in rotation, the high side is determined and a set screw tightened against the arbor in the respective tapped hole. This dynamic balancing can be done before or after the cutterhead is installed on the arbor, and the dynamic balancer can be used in combination with a wholly conventional T-slot cylinder.

Abstract: A system for final balancing of first machined cast metal brake drums using a conventional static balancer with an electronic ounce/inch imbalance recorder and a conventional lathe with adjustable chuck and cutting tool controlled by computer developed analogs for a recorded ounce/inch imbalance.

Abstract: For centering of optic lenses in a mechanical mounting, in particular during edge cutting and bevelling, the invention includes a device with a housing (10), which is resistant to twisting and which supports centering spindles (18, 18') with clamping cups (20, 20') thereon, between which clamping cups a lens (L) can be aligned and clamped for a cutting operation. A motor drive (M, R) acts on a torque divider (50) having a guide member (52) between axially and radially supported plates (58, 58'). Their frictional connection through a ring of balls (54) with controllable contact pressure, which is introduced through a pressure piece (62), assures an absolute synchronous running of the split drive shaft (14, 14') which acts on the centering spindles (18, 18') through belt drives (46, 46').

Abstract: A multi-faceted T-slot cylinder for a cutterhead is mounted to a wood lathe arbor using set screws installed in tapped holes which are provided near opposite ends of the cylinder in diametrically opposite faces of the cylinder (rather than in the same face, as is conventional). Static balancing of the cylinder is thereby improved. For fine-tuning, a dynamic balancing collar is mounted on the arbor near the cylinder. This collar has a plurality of tapped holes provided radially therethrough around its circumference. As the arbor is turned slowly, if measurement shows eccentricity in rotation, the high side is determined and a set screw tightened against the arbor in the respective tapped hole. This dynamic balancing can be done before or after the cutterhead is installed on the arbor, and the dynamic balancer can be used in combination with a wholly conventional T-slot cylinder.

Abstract: For centering optic lenses in a mechanical mounting, in particular during an edge cutting and bevelling, the invention includes a device having a housing (10), a drive (M, R, 14/14', 16/16') for a lower centering spindle 18 and an upper centering spindle 18' with an interpositioning of a torque divider (50). The centering spindles are held in axial alignment by guiding and clamping bearings (22, 22') and carry clamping cups (20, 20'), between which clamping cups the lens (L), which is to be machined, can be clamped. A clamping device (24) is for this purpose connected parallel to a membrane piston (32), which assures a precise stepped moving of the lower centering spindle 18 in an axial direction (A) to the upper centering spindle (18'). A short-stroke piston (38) exists in each pressure cylinder 28, which short-stroke piston (38) is followed by a long-stroke piston (40) having a bore (42) extending therethrough.

Abstract: An arrangement for centering and clamping of work pieces comprises tension levers swingably supported on a base plate, the tension levers of which are arranged coaxially on a pivot, while the other tension lever is supported on a second pivot which has the same distance to the center of the arrangement as the hinge pin. The contact surfaces with which the tension levers grasp a work piece, are designed so that the perpendicular line extends on the particular tangent at the contact point between contact surface and work piece through the center of the arrangement. This forces the work piece, independently of its diameter, continuously into the center in the clamping process and, consequently, centers it. Due to the arrangement of the tension levers, inserting work pieces transversely to the chuck axis is possible in spite of the center clamping process.