Patents Examined by Michael Vitale
  • Patent number: 11524381
    Abstract: A machining centre includes a base supporting several superposed stages. At least one stage is movable and can be position indexed relative to the base. Each stage includes distinct stations at a constant angular pitch including machining units or grippers. The combination of stations from adjacent stages defines a plurality of machining locations each combining a unit and a gripper. Each relative movement between two indexing positions of two stages changes the composition of the locations. Each gripper has at least one rotational degree of freedom relative to the stage that carries it. At least one station includes both at least one machining unit and at least one gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Patric Pham, Pierre-Andre Buehler
  • Patent number: 11524343
    Abstract: A machining station especially arranged to carry out deep drill and milling operations is disclosed. The machining station now proposed presents a specific structural arrangement, enables the incorporation, contrary to already existing stations, of an axis dedicated to deep drilling, favoring the use of deep drill tools under ideal conditions, without size restriction. Accordingly, the station is comprised of an operating base, on which there lays an operating module and an arrangement module. This new arrangement for the machining station is therefore more versatile and adaptable to the specificities programmed for each part to be machined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: CHETOCORPORATION, S.A.
    Inventor: Sergio David Tavares Andre
  • Patent number: 11517990
    Abstract: A machine tool (1) includes a spindle (32) supported on a support surface (37a) of a support body (37) with such an orientation that the longitudinal axis of the spindle extends along the support surface (37a). The spindle (32) is movable in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spindle (32). The support body (37) is provided with a ventilation hole (80) extending through the support body (37) between the support surface (37a) and a surface (37b) facing in the direction opposite to the support surface (37a), to open toward the spindle (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Yabe, Yosuke Ando, Yosuke Wada, Wataru Katagishi
  • Patent number: 11491594
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward a tooling assembly for a machine having an automatic tool changing system. The tooling assembly includes a holder, a tool body, and an internal passage defined within and extending through the holder and the tool body. The holder includes a machine interface configured to engage with a spindle of the machine. The internal passage is operable to have a coolant fluid flow within, and has a stem channel and a curved channel extending from the stem channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David Stephenson, Timothy G. Beyer, Michael A. Kopmanis, David Ozog, William E. Dowling, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11484981
    Abstract: A tool magazine of a machine tool holds machining tools of multiple types. The number of stored machining tools of at least one type is more than one. When all the machining tools of the at least one type are unused, a first test-machining step of machining a workpiece using one machining tool of each type is performed. When the machined product is graded as acceptable, a second test-machining step of replacing the machining tool of the at least one type with an unused machining tool in the tool magazine and machining a new workpiece using the one machining tool of each type is performed. The second test-machining step is repeated until all the machining tools are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takafumi Murakami
  • Patent number: 11478862
    Abstract: A textured surface in an outer surface of a tool holding section of a tool holder for increasing a surface area of the outer surface for dissipating heat from the tool holding section. The textured surface can comprise grooves around the outer surface of the tool holding section with a height and a width. Notches can be provided in sides of the grooves to further increase the surface area of the outer surface for dissipating heat from the tool holding section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Techniks, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Worthington
  • Patent number: 11471988
    Abstract: A gripping device is provided in a turret-type tool magazine of a machine tool and grips a tool or a tool holder that holds the tool. The gripping device includes: a pair of arms configured to grip the tool or the tool holder by pinching the tool or the tool holder between the arms, a main body part configured to support the pair of arms so that each of the paired arms swings in the pinching directions to pinch the tool or the tool holder between the arms; and an angle detector configured to detect a physical quantity indicating a swing angle of the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Oyamada
  • Patent number: 11453092
    Abstract: There is provided a blade replacing apparatus for replacing a cutting blade. The blade replacing apparatus includes a blade storage unit including a movable storage section configured to store the cutting blade, a transporting unit including a holding unit configured to hold the cutting blade and a moving mechanism configured to move the holding unit, a camera configured to photograph the holding unit, and a control unit including an operation control section configured to control operation of the blade storage unit and the transporting unit and a position registration section in which positions of the storage section and the holding unit. The storage section includes a first mark portion photographable by the camera, and the holding unit includes a second mark portion photographable by the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuki Terada
  • Patent number: 11446748
    Abstract: Machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner part for a constant velocity joint in a clamping arrangement includes mechanical machining of at least one first ball track in a first rotational position; rotating the articulated inner part into a second rotational position for machining at least one further ball track; wherein at least one guiding web is mechanically machined during the rotating of the inner joint part from the first rotational position into the second rotational position. A corresponding device is used for machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: GKN Driveline Deutschland GmbH, GKN Driveline Vigo SA
    Inventors: Miguel Ángel Giráldez López, Miguel Ángel Fernández Maroto, Horst Franke
  • Patent number: 11433497
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tool magazine for a machine tool, and more particularly, to a tool magazine for a machine tool, wherein tool receiving units of a tool magazine are provided in multiple stages in a vertical turning center, such that a spindle head may easily change internal diameter machining tools and external diameter machining tools while moving in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: DOOSAN MACHINE TOOLS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Taehwan Ju
  • Patent number: 11433498
    Abstract: A method is provided for monitoring a milling method for a milling machine provided with a milling tool comprising cutting teeth, the method including: determining measured values of a first parameter corresponding to a bending of the milling tool as a function of a second parameter corresponding to an angle of rotation of the milling tool in a rotating frame of reference of the milling tool and analyzing the measured values as a function of at least one monitoring criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: CENTRE TECHNIQUE DES INDUSTRIES MECANIQUES ET DU DECOLLETAGE
    Inventors: Patrice Laurent, Roger Busi
  • Patent number: 11433496
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for attaching and detaching tools in a magazine, and more particularly, to a device for attaching and detaching tools in a magazine of a machine tool, the device being capable of attaching or detaching a tool having directionality to or from each gripper of the magazine of the machine tool while accurately adjusting a fixed position of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: DOOSAN MACHINE TOOLS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jingeun Woo
  • Patent number: 11426893
    Abstract: A machining center, comprising: a number N of workpiece tables equal to or greater than three, a number N of first guides, which extend parallel to a first direction; along said first guides being movable respective to workpiece tables, one for each first guide, a number N?1 of second guides, which extend parallel to a second direction transverse to said first direction, a number N?1 of machining groups each comprising at least one machining head; each machining group being movable parallel to said second direction along a respective second guide; a number N×(N?1) of machining areas wherein the machining groups can operate on workpieces present on said tables; along each first guide, or for a respective table, there being present N?1 machining areas, one for each machining group, so that each machining group can operate, according to a programmed work cycle, on all said N workpiece tables, a number N of workpiece loading/unloading areas, one for each workpiece table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: PAOLINO BACCI S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Bacci, Paolo Bacci, Nino Bacci
  • Patent number: 11426829
    Abstract: Disclosed is a machine tool including: a base having a pair of first-axial slides facing each other at both sides of a mounting space; a saddle coupled to the first-axial slides of the base to slide in a first axis direction and having a pair of second-axial slides facing each other; a crosspiece coupled to the second-axial slides of the saddle to slide in a second axis direction and having a pair of third-axial slides facing each other; a vertical ram coupled to the third-axial slides of the crosspiece to slide in a direction perpendicular; and a table disposed in the mounting space of the base to be able to rotate relative to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI WIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dal Ho Lee, Dennis Korff, Erik Nowak, Sebastian Spengler, Je Wang Kim, Behzad Jalizi, Marc Sieber, Johannes Hoerner, Thomas Schneider, Sang Mook Han
  • Patent number: 11400527
    Abstract: A milling device for machining a slot into an inner surface of a casing for a gas turbine engine. The milling device includes a frame assembly including multiple structural guides configured to engage structural features on the inner surface of the casing to maintain an axial position of the milling device relative to a longitudinal axis of the casing. The milling device also includes a milling cutter coupled to the frame assembly. The milling device is configured to be displaced in a circumferential direction relative to the longitudinal axis to machine the slot, via the milling cutter, along the inner surface of the casing in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kurt Kramer Schleif, Fabian Gubelmann, Andrew David Ellis, Robert David Jones, Thomas Gloor, Roman Stefan Peter
  • Patent number: 11396056
    Abstract: A method for providing teeth on working gears by cutting, wherein the working gear and the cutting tool are driven in rotation at a predetermined speed ratio along axes oriented at an intersection angle. The flanks of the cutting teeth form edges having flank cutting sections arranged on the edges of a gap between two adjacent teeth and extend along a first contour line, and which as a result of an advance in the direction of the working gear engage in a cutting manner to produce teeth having a flank contour predetermined by the shape of the cutting edge. Each of the flank cutting sections is adjoined by a tip cutting section which extends along a second contour line in the region of the base of the cutting tooth gap, wherein the second contour line is curved such that at least partially rounded tooth tips are produced on the teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Profilator GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jonathan Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 11383341
    Abstract: A machine tool configured to attach multiple tools to a turret is provided to improve the efficiency of a tool exchanging operation and, thus, also the production efficiency. A control device determines whether an expired tool, which is a tool needs to be exchanged, is present among the tools held by the turret. The control device sets a tool exchanging position, which is a position within the movable range of a head section and is a position where the expired tool is exchanged with a new tool. If the control device determines that an expired tool is present, the control device causes a head section driving device to move the head and rotate the turret to position the expired tool at the tool exchanging position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinya Kumazaki
  • Patent number: 11370041
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a slanting-bed feed processing machine tool of a large propeller. The machine tool comprises a slanting column feed bed, a machine tool spindle, a workpiece rotary worktable, a large propeller and a bed feed mechanism. The present invention coordinates the geometrical relationship between the machine tool and the large propeller to ensure that the slanting column feed bed moves between two blades, thereby reducing the overhang length of the spindle. Different forms of workpiece rotary worktables and bed feed mechanisms are selected according to different slanting column feed beds. Four types of slanting column feed beds are designed, which can be selected, optimized and applied for different processing objects. The present invention enhances the processing stiffness of the spindle and solves the problem of poor processing quality of the large propeller caused by machine tool vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yongqing Wang, Tianran Liu, Haibo Liu, Kuo Liu, Te Li, Dongming Guo
  • Patent number: 11351616
    Abstract: The invention relates to a machine tool (M) comprising a kinematic structure (100) that moves an electric spindle (300) in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the electric spindle (300), notable in that said kinematic structure (100) is an articulated structure comprising two articulated arms (110, 120) articulated about axes of rotation parallel to the axis of the electric spindle (300), the second end (122) of the second arm (120) accepting the electric spindle (300), the translational movement of the workpiece (P) with respect to the tool (O) of the electric spindle (300) in a linear movement parallel to the axis of the electric spindle (300) being brought about by a workpiece (P) support module (200) or by a plate support module (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: COMAU FRANCE
    Inventor: Vincent Baselga
  • Patent number: 11351643
    Abstract: A universal machining system capable of accommodating multiple small-batch or one-off machining jobs, involving workpieces of different diameter and composition, comprises a rotating chuck having multiple jaws that may be adjusted positionally inward or outward towards the longitudinal centerline of the workpiece or removed entirely, and a tool turret capable of holding a variety of socketed tools. System also comprises a measurement sensor, which may be separate or comprise one of the socketed tools. A control program collects machining instructions for a series of workpieces, and directs the chuck, the tool turret, the measurement sensor, and at least one robot to load/unload workpieces and tools from the chuck and turret, respectively, measure workpieces and tools for quality control, and track available storage, overriding or skipping individual machining instructions as dictated by safety parameters and the availability of raw materials and tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Navarro IP, LLC
    Inventor: Kirk Ernest Williamson