Abstract: Method and apparatus wherein the front machining of a gear blank (40) are carried out on a CNC bevel gear generating machine (44) utilizing the motions available in such machines with minimal modifications to the existing machine tool.

Abstract: A contacting or non-contacting probe (2) is mounted to a spindle (6), preferably a tool spindle, of a machining device, such as a chamfering device (4), whereby it has a home position retracted out of the way of the machining (e.g. chamfering) process and an active position where it can contact a workpiece before or after the machining (e.g. chamfering) process.

Abstract: A machine tool comprising a machine base having a first side comprising a first planar surface and a machine column movable along an arcuate path on the first planar surface. The machine further comprises a first spindle movable in a first linear direction and being rotatable about a first axis of rotation. The machine further comprises a machine turret located on a second planar surface of the machine base first side. The machine turret is angularly movable about a pivot axis. The machine turret includes a second spindle positioned within the turret with the second spindle being rotatable about a second axis of rotation and being movable in a second linear direction.

Abstract: A chamfering method comprising defining a tooth edge utilizing theoretical data, defining an actual tooth edge utilizing the theoretical tooth edge data, defining a motion path of a chamfering tool and chamfering the actual tooth edge by moving the chamfering tool and the actual tooth edge relative to one another according to the motion path to chamfer the actual tooth edge.

Abstract: Device for machining work pieces rotating around a work piece axis (Z) with a tool that rotates around a tool axis, where a clamping device (9) is transferred into a first position, a work piece to be machined is clamped on said clamping device, the clamping device (9) with the work piece clamped thereon is transferred from the first position into a spatially separated second position where it can be driven to rotate around the work piece axis (Z) by a work piece spindle (1) connected to the clamping device (9) and after the work piece has been machined, the clamping device (9) is transferred from the second into the first position, wherein the clamping device (9) is separated from the work piece spindle (1) in the transfer from the second into the first position, and connected to the work piece spindle (1) in the transfer from the first into the second position (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A continuous method of manufacturing a face gear utilizing a tool, representing a plane which can be oriented to a face gear workpiece under an angle equal to the pressure angle of the mating pinion member of the gear set (e.g. the face gear set), and, which can be rotated around a virtual pinion axis to generate a tooth flank on the workpiece. The tool is a face cutter which performs a continuous indexing motion with equal hand of rotation of cutter and workpiece (e.g. face gear) thereby describing a hypocycloid path of motion and an indexing ratio of two cutter rotations during one workpiece gear rotation which will produce straight lines along the face width of the face gear.

Abstract: A cutter disk having cutting blades oriented on its circumference with the cutting edges of the blades oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutter disk thereby representing a plane which can be oriented to a work piece (e.g. face gear) under an angle equal to the pressure angle of the mating face gear set's pinion, and, which can be rotated around a virtual pinion axis to generate a tooth flank on the work piece.

Abstract: A method of machining bevel gears whereby machining of both flanks of a tooth slot and crowning of the tooth surfaces in the lengthwise direction are realized without an active pivot axis and by a modification of the conventional relationship between the radial and swivel basic settings during gear generating.

Abstract: A method of determining an optimized face cone element for spiral bevel and hypoid gears. The form of the root fillet of one member of a gear pair is determined and that from is transferred to the tip of the other member of the gear pair. With the inventive method, tooth root-tip clearance is optimized and the contact ratio is maximized while avoiding root-tip interference between mating gear members.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing bevel gears with a tool, such as a tapered milling tool (16), wherein the tool is located at a position offset (Rw) from the center position of a conventional face milling cutter and the tool follows a path, such as a circular arc path, during machining.

Abstract: Gear processing machine (4), such as a gear cutting or grinding machine, wherein a chamfering and/or deburring apparatus (2) and auxiliary spindle (10) are included on the same machine. A transfer mechanism (8) loads, unloads and transfers workpieces between a machining spindle (6) and the auxiliary spindle (10) thereby enabling simultaneous cutting and chamfering and/or deburring processes to be carried out. Via the auxiliary spindle, completed workpieces may be removed from the machine and blank workpieces may be loaded into the machine while another gear is being processed on the machine spindle thereby enhancing machine output and creating a more efficient operation.

Abstract: A workholding apparatus comprising a chuck body, first jaw members and second jaw members wherein the second jaw members are shaped to grip a workpiece of a particular geometry. The first and second jaw members are constructed to enable easy, quick and manual replacement of the second jaw members with other second jaw members having different grip shapes so as to enable gripping of workpieces with different geometries.

Abstract: A method and a device for removing secondary burrs raised on the tooth flanks of a work piece wheel by a chamfering of the end tooth edges of said work piece wheel provides a tool wheel that rotationally meshes with the work piece wheel. Said tool wheel has cutting edges on its tooth flanks (5, 6) and their cutting motion, caused by the meshing, removes the secondary burrs by cutting.

Abstract: A spindle for a machine tool comprising a outer spindle portion and an inner spindle portion with each of the outer spindle portion and the inner spindle portion being rotatable relative to one another about the same axis. The outer spindle portion and the inner spindle portion each include a plurality of magnets that are arranged in an opposing manner with respect to one another whereby rotation of one portion of the spindle will induce rotation in the other portion of the spindle due to the attraction force between the magnets.

Abstract: A method of machining gears or other toothed articles wherein the workpiece feed rate and/or the tool shifting is varied so as to produce an irregular surface pattern on tooth surfaces with a resulting reduction in mesh noise. The method is particularly applicable to grinding spur and/or helical gears with a grinding worm.

Abstract: A tool securing device capable of clamping a tool to a machine spindle as well as assisting in the removal of a tool from a machine spindle, all in a tool-less manner. The tool securing device includes distal means to be releasably gripped by a machine draw bar as well as means to releasably engage a tool.

Abstract: A cradle device for large pinion gears or blanks wherein a pinion may be supported and rotated for machining. The cradle device comprises one or more adjustable prismatic units each including a plurality of angular plates that are movable toward and/or away from one another along the width of the cradle device in order to raise and lower, and/or laterally shift, a pinion placed thereon so as to position the pinion for machining.

Abstract: An arrangement for the non-rotational connection between a toothed tool wheel for the machining of end peripheral areas of tooth flanks, having an axis of rotation, and a tool holding fixture that can be rotationally driven around an axis of rotation. Said arrangement has an elastic means with a restoring force against which the direction of the axis of rotation of the tool wheel can be displaced relative to the direction of the axis of rotation of the tool holding fixture.

Abstract: A method of determining a desired power level (P) as a function of relative tool to workpiece position, thereby enabling adaptive control advantages that were previously inaccessible for machining, such as bevel gear grinding, from solid applications. Preferably, set point power is expressed as a function of specific power (P?, P?) and roll position (Q) for a generated gear or as a function of specific power and plunge position for a non-generated (i.e. Formate) gear. Specific power is defined and preferably remains as defined during machining even as process conditions vary during machining.

Abstract: A gear pair set comprising low shaft angle and offset bevel gears and a method for their manufacture including determination of the appropriate gear and pinion blanks and the basic machine settings for their manufacture. The pair of bevel gears comprises a first member and a second member wherein the members of the pair have a shaft angle in the range of greater than 0° to 30°, preferably greater than 0° to 20°, and have an offset in the range of greater than zero to the sum of half the mean pitch diameters of the two members of the bevel gear pair.