Patents Assigned to AGIE
  • Patent number: 4712288
    Abstract: A spark erosion machine having the machine table fixed to the machine upright and including a working container for the dielectric fluid that is formed of a fixed component and a movable component. The fixed component includes the machine table plate, which is fastened to the machine table and forms a portion of the bottom of the working container, plus a wall element that forms a portion of a wall of the working container. The movable component forms the remainder of the work container. The movable component can be lowered to permit access to the table plate and, when raised, joins with the fixed component to form a sealed container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventors: Attilio Lodetti, Hansueli Blaser
  • Patent number: 4709130
    Abstract: An apparatus for severing a strip-like or wire-like electrode of a spark erosion machine has a belt conveyor formed by two belts positioned face-to-face and having formed in the belts corresponding cutting openings. Cutting elements and pressure plates engage through said cutting openings and severe the wire guided and conveyed between the belts. During cutting, the wire is held between the two belts and is subsequently conveyed towards a disposal container. The belts, cutting elements and pressure plates are operated synchronously so that the cutting openings are synchronized with the action of the cutting elements and pressure plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventors: Attilio Lodetti, Karl Tobler
  • Patent number: 4709131
    Abstract: The instantaneous flow state of the scavenging medium in the cutting plant work gap is determined and operating parameters of the spark-erosive cutting process are regulated and/or controlled as a function thereof. These operating parameters include the generator machining parameters such as pulse magnitude, pulse duration and pulse interval; the relative feed rate of the tool electrode; and the supply of the scavenging medium. For this purpose, the cutting plant includes a device for pressure and/or suction scavenging of the work gap and a control device for adaptively controlling the operating parameters, including at least one sensor for determining the instantaneous flow state of the scavenging medium in the work gap and at least one control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventors: Athos Del Bello, Beat Kilcher
  • Patent number: 4698475
    Abstract: A workpiece pallet suitable for fixing and transferring workpieces on machine tools is provided with direction-bound guidance on transfer holders. The transfer holders cooperate with a workpiece loading mechanism. The direction-bound guidance devices are located outside the working range of the fixed workpiece or outside the working range of the machining tools belonging to the machine tool. This ensures an all-round accessibility to the fixed workpiece during machining. With the aid of a quick-clamping device, the pallet can be rapidly and precisely used on the machine tool, independently of the workpiece clamping insert. Even in the case of the mass production of items, it is possible to maintain a particularly high precision in the reproduced position of the workpieces and consequently in the machining quality. The pallet can additionally be provided with a controllable waste piece locking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventors: Michael Lothenbach, Peter Herzog
  • Patent number: 4678885
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for producing machining pulses in a spark erosion installation from a direct current power source that functions without the use of ballast resistors. There are at least two controllable circuits which are parallel to the spark gap and to one another and whose output currents are additively superimposed for a total current flowing through the spark gap. The control inputs of the circuits are connected to a control circuit, which produces time-associated control signals, the nature of the time circuit cooperates with the control elements of the circuits, so that a current pulse is only allowed to pass to the spark gap if the switches controlled by the control elements are simultaneously open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventors: Silvano Dresti, Ernst Buhler, Rene Derighetti
  • Patent number: 4677270
    Abstract: A spark erosion machine having two spaced apart wire electrode guidance heads, which are forcibly coupled with one another in such a way that the guidance heads are always coaxial to one another. The forced coupling takes place by a hydraulic system that includes adjusting cylinders for the guidance heads and associated control cylinders. The piston rods of the adjusting cylinders are coupled to one another. By the use of hydraulic circuits, a displacement of the piston rods of the control cylinders leads to a corresponding displacement of the piston rods of the associated adjusting cylinders, so that the orientation of both wire guidance heads is always the same. As a result of this hydraulic system, there is no need to couple the upper and lower wire guidance heads by a mechanical linkage, so that the working zone between the heads and the lateral area for the workpiece connected thereto can be of a random magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventors: Brenno Medici, Attilio Lodetti
  • Patent number: 4667078
    Abstract: Axial tension on the wire or strip like electrode is achieved by having the electrode looped around a grooved wheel controlled by a hysteresis motor near an upper or lower guide head while the wire drive is located near the other guide head so that in the working zone the electrode is subject to the action of tensile stress necessary for electroerosion and the remaining electrode guide area is kept free from increased tensile stress on the electrode. Additionally an angle coder is used with the hysteresis motor to measure both the rotational speed and the position of the grooved wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: Ag fur industrielle Elektronik Agie Losone b. Lacarno
    Inventors: Beat Kilcher, Gideon Levy
  • Patent number: 4655888
    Abstract: In the electroerosive machining of workpieces with the aid of a tool electrode, a pulse-like d.c. voltage is applied between the workpiece and electrode, the applied voltage being in the form of pulse groups where the pulse groups are formed of individual pulses having current amplitudes of selected magnitudes. Preferably, the individual current pulses belonging to the pulse group have successively rising amplitudes. Several individually controllable power switching circuits are connected in parallel to the work gap. The primary side of a pulse transformer connected to each power switching circuit is driven by a control device for the time shaping of the pulse groups. At least one controlled switch belonging to each power switching circuit is connected to a second control device for shaping the current pulse amplitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Lacarno
    Inventors: Beat Kilcher, Ernst Buhler, Gideon Levy
  • Patent number: 4634825
    Abstract: A scavenging chamber surrounds the electrode and is brought up to the erosion zone in the workpiece. A slide ring is fixed to the casing of the scavenging chamber and seals the latter with respect to the workpiece surface. The scavenging chamber is provided with a structure for adapting at least the casing portion carrying the slide ring to the slide ring orientation defined by the workpiece surface. Preferably the scavenging chamber is provided with controllable elements for defining the shape of the scavenging chamber casing, which elements can be in particular constructed as flexible annular diaphragms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventors: Josef Budin, Boris Sciaroni, Beat Kilcher, Gideon Levy
  • Patent number: 4574464
    Abstract: The tool changing mechanism is provided with means for the direct transfer of tools through the working sleeve or spindle. The transfer means preferably have rapid clamping means, which are controlled by the working movement of the spindle or sleeve, so that there is no need for a separate transfer station for the tools from the magazine to the spindle or sleeve, so that much space is saved. The magazine is preferably essentially arranged around the assembly for receiving and guiding the working spindle or sleeve. Preferably, the magazine is substantially located over the projected base surface of the machine working table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1986
    Assignee: AG fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventors: Attilio Lodetti, Hansueli Blaser, Brenno Medici, Arno Sieg
  • Patent number: 4571477
    Abstract: In the spark erosive cutting of preprogrammed closed contours with the aid of a wire electrode, the electrode is angled in such a way at the end of a closed cutting curve, that a web is left between the workpiece and the fall-off piece. The web only takes up part of the height of cut or the workpiece height. As a result, fault-free surfaces can be obtained along the portion of the cutting curve that is completely cut around the closed contour, at least for a portion of the workpiece height, so that workpieces cut in accordance with this method can be used directly and without reworking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1986
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik Agie
    Inventor: Benno Weber
  • Patent number: 4533811
    Abstract: The invention describes methods and means for optimum process control in spark erosive machining when there are considerable changes to the machining surface. By following a mathematically described process control strategy, it is possible to work in all spark erosion machining ranges without any interventions in the process control on the part of the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Assignee: AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventor: Ernst Buhler
  • Patent number: 4431896
    Abstract: To permit machining of workpieces on spark erosion cutting equipment with large angles of inclination, the guidance heads which guide the wire electrode in the cutting zone with respect to the workpiece are pivotably arranged and controlled, by being mounted on individual gimbal suspensions so that it is possible to provide for a controllable slope angle up to large amounts. Individual drive motors control movement about the respective gimbal axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1984
    Assignee: A.G. fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventor: Attilio Lodetti
  • Patent number: 4376241
    Abstract: Erosive working machine for cutting prepared closed inner shapes (15) and closed outer shapes (16) of a workpiece (12) fixed by a workpiece holder by means of a filamentary or strip electrode (14) arranged on guidance means (13, 18). At least one guidance means (13, 18) is arranged on a motor-rotatable rotating mechanism (20) in such a way that the center line (23) of rotating mechanism (20) at at least one geometrical locus coincides with the center of the cross-section of electrode (14). Thus, during the erosion process, a collision between the guidance means (13, 18) and the closed inner shape (15) or closed outer shape (16) or a tool holder (11) is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1983
    Assignee: A.G. fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventor: Paul Fricker
  • Patent number: 4263493
    Abstract: The disclosed method includes forcing a flushing medium through the work zone in the workpiece in one direction by providing a flushing chamber to one side of the workpiece where the workpiece is being machined.Also disclosed is an apparatus for practicing the method. The apparatus includes means for forming a chamber on one side of the workpiece and for effectively covering portions of the chamber walls which are cut by the wire electrode as the machining progresses, to maintain sufficient flushing pressure in the chamber. In one embodiment, a chamber wall mamber is spaced from the workpiece by a gasket ring and flushing fluid is forced into the space between the two members, so that it is forced from there out from that space through the machining zone in the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1981
    Assignee: A.G. fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventor: Beat Kilcher
  • Patent number: 4253052
    Abstract: The circuit is for driving motors in which there is access to all the ends of the motor winding sections. The circuit is of the type having a set of drive circuit units connected together as a gang in parallel between power source terminals. Each unit includes in series a winding section and a transistor control switch. There is additionally provided an auxiliary circuit with an auxiliary winding and resistor combination which substantially matches the motor winding and resistor combination impedance. The auxiliary winding is used to store the energy from a motor winding section when it is turned off and then to supply the energy to the next motor winding section to be turned on, thus reducing the driving energy needed for the motor and also reducing the current rise and fall times in the windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1981
    Assignee: A.G. fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone bei Locarno
    Inventor: Walter Meier
  • Patent number: 4242556
    Abstract: To provide constant tension on an electro-erosive electrode machining wire, tape or ribbon stretched in a working path between advancing rollers and pulling rollers, a tension loading arrangement, for example weights, springs, or the like, are applied to the wire to maintain the tension thereof at a constant value. The deflection of the wire, due to elongation thereof as a result of heating, differences in manufacturing technologies and the like, is sensed and fed back to the motors driving the advancing and pulling rotors to maintain the tension, as controlled by the motor torques and speeds at a uniform value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1980
    Assignee: A.G. fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE
    Inventors: Werner Ullmann, Bernd Schumacher, Herbert Ruh, Beat Kilcher
  • Patent number: 4232208
    Abstract: The disclosed method involves generating cartesian coordinate information representative of the electrode deflection from a rest position of a wire electrode electrical discharge cutting machine, feeding this information into an electronic processing system to convert it to appropriate control instructions, and then feeding the instructions into a drive system, which can then correct the relative positions of the wire electrode and the workpiece accordingly, so that the deflection of the wire electrode does not adversely influence the configuration of the cut made in the workpiece by it.The apparatus for performing the method comprises a wire electrode position pickup system, which can be a photoelectric system picking up the shadow of the wire or a system which measures the spacing between the wire and sensing electrodes by sensing the electrolytic current through a dielectric fluid which fills the space between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Assignee: A.G. fur industrielle Elecktronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventor: Ernst Buhler
  • Patent number: 4229684
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for controlling the motor drive for positioning a workpiece on a compound slide in such a way that the workpiece arrives at the target position in minimum elapsed time and without overshoot. A fixed program memory, in conjunction with a comparator and a combiner, is used to process information as to the actual position and velocity of the body and the desired position and velocity of the body to determine the optimum torque for the motor. The memory includes information as to the control characteristics of the motor and the desired path yet to be traveled to the target position.The method of positioning comprises the steps of controlling the motor so that it runs initially at maximum torque in a first region, at less than maximum torque and in the same direction in a second region, and then at yet another torque magnitude and with the torque in the opposite direction in a third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1980
    Assignee: A.G. fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventors: Marco Saglini, Walter Meier
  • Patent number: 4229685
    Abstract: The disclosed circuit is for controlling step motors of the type which have access only to a common winding neutral point or to partial neutral points. A switching transistor switches a low-loss circuit into the motor drive circuit for free running of the motor. A common circuit common to all the windings is switched in for rapid switching off of the current in the windings and for recovery of the energy stored in the inductors of the circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1980
    Assignee: A.G. fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
    Inventor: Walter Meier