Including Rotary Cutter Cradle Patents (Class 409/30)
  • Patent number: 9216466
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: THE GLEASON WORKS
    Inventors: Kenneth E. Glasow, William D. McGlasson
  • Patent number: 8151437
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for green machining bevel gears, including a CNC machining station for gear cutting a wheel blank (K2). The machining station includes a tool spindle which is used to receive a gear cutting tool and a work piece spindle which is used to receive the gear blank (K2). The machining station also relates to a machining station which operates in a vertical manner. The device also comprises a vertical processing station having a tool holder and a work piece spindle which is used to receive a work piece blank (K1). The machining station mechanically forms a functional unit together with the pre-machining station, wherein the work piece blank (K1) undergoes green machining in the pre-machining station, and is transferred as a gear blank (K2) to the first machining station after the first green machining where it is cut into a gear. The machining station and the pre-machining station are linked together in terms of data and control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Klingelnberg GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmuth Müller, Joachim Thomas, Karl-Martin Ribbeck, Burkhard Schneider, Dietmar Loh
  • Patent number: 7179025
    Abstract: On a CNC machine for machining spiral bevel gears the axis (T) of a tool spindle forms a fixed, non-adjustable tilt angle (?) against an orientation axis (O) for all bevel gears to be machined. The tool spindle is adapted to be continuously swiveled about the orientation axis (O) by a swivel drum. A work gear spindle is adjustable in its angular position about a pivot axis (P) for a bevel gear to be machined on the machine, but it does not change its angular position during the machining operation. The tilt angle (?) and the angular position are selected such that a predetermined rolling motion between the work gear and the tool can be achieved. Swiveling of the tool spindle axis (T) about the orientation axis (O) leads to a higher machine stiffness than does a machine root angle pivoting of the work gear spindle axis (W) about the pivot axis (P) applied in the prior art, and therefore, it results in more precise tooth flanks on the machined spiral bevel gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Klingelnberg GmbH
    Inventor: Wilhelm Kreh
  • Patent number: 5000632
    Abstract: For manufacturing a pinion of a pair of mating bevel gears having contact-line tooth bearing or crowning in accordance with the method developed by Litvin et al, the cutter radii of respective outer and inner blade edges in the duplex or double-cut method and therewith the centers of rotation of the cutter heads as well as the center of rotation of a generating gear are altered in relation to the settings for manufacturing the mating or meshing gear. This would require cutter heads provided with adjustable cutter radii. In order to render possible the use of commercially available cutter heads, provision is made for achieving the alternation of the cutter radii by inclination of the cutter-head axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle AG
    Inventor: Hermann Stadtfeld
  • Patent number: 4757644
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for manufacturing or machining a gear workpiece with a hyperboloidally, globoidally or similarly formed gearlike tool which has an abrasive or similar surface. The axes of the workpiece and tool are skew lines. During changing of the center distance, in particular as the workpiece and tool are moved apart at the end of the machining operation, the crossed-axes angle is automatically adjusted to conform to the effective rolling circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Carl Hurth Maschinen- und Zahnradfabrik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Manfred Erhardt, Herbert Loos
  • Patent number: 4664569
    Abstract: In order to increase the working range of existing designs of gear cutting machines upon which gear teeth based upon an extended epicycloid are cut according to the continuous gear-cutting process, the workpiece and cutter spindles of a gear cutting machine are driven in identical directions of rotation by a reversing drive train. A reversible auxiliary drive is connected to an end of a primary drive train remote from a main drive for maintaining the primary drive train interconnecting the workpiece and cutter spindles under constant load, i.e. for suppressing backlash in the primary drive train. This permits the practical fabrication of gears (i.e. the practical cutting of gear teeth) based upon a hypocycloid instead of an epicycloid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle AG
    Inventor: Erich Kotthaus
  • Patent number: 4611956
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing bevel and hypoid gear pairs according to an imaginary mating gear cutting process. The tooth spaces are cut by means of a face-mill cutter head rotating about an axis of rotation. In order to overcome heretofore prevailing limitations on the gear diameter, cone angle and shaft angle of gear pairs, either the gear or the cutter head performs an arcuate generating movement about a generating axis in order to produce one of the gears, whereby a machining axis is adjusted relative to the generating axis in accordance with the position of the axes of both gears of the gear pair. In one advantageous embodiment, the same machining axis adjustment is also employed for fabricating the mating, non-generated gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle AG
    Inventor: Erich Kotthaus
  • Patent number: 4518287
    Abstract: A gear blank is integrally formed with a shaft or other central structure protruding axially from what is to be the toothed face of the gear. A spiral bevel gear is then cut by the face mill generation method, but with the cutter distance exceeding the outer cone distance. The cutter does not intrude into the area occupied by the shaft. The resulting gear has a negative spiral angle and a reverse tooth curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: Western Gear Corporation
    Inventor: Robert B. Bossler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4335985
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a feed or advance movement of a tool relative to a workpiece in a gear cutting machine operating according to a continuous cutting process, comprising a drive for the tool and the workpiece and a hydraulic directional control valve having a slide or spool controlling the infeed of pressurized fluid medium to a feed piston. By means of the feed motion of the feed piston there is moved through a preparatory path which can be adjusted by a control cam carrier or support as well as a machining or processing path which is governed by the control cam.In order to prevent, in the presence of false setting of the preparatory path, damage to the workpiece, tool and machine, there is provided a switch for turning-on and turning-off the drive of the tool and the workpiece and a pressure limiter which can be switched-off and switched-on during the time that there is moved through the machining path and preparatory path, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1982
    Assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle AG
    Inventor: Viktor Kistler
  • Patent number: 4211511
    Abstract: A method of producing pairs of mating spur gears by cutting tooth gaps with a rotating end cutter head, wherein, in order to manufacture the one spur gear, one of the elements--the spur gear or the end cutter head--carries out an arcuate or circular rolling movement about an axis which coincides or approximately coincides with the gear axis of the other gear, and the other gear is produced by a cutting-in depth or plunge cut operation without any rolling movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1980
    Assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle
    Inventor: Erich Kotthaus
  • Patent number: 4183703
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing pairs of spur gears by cutting tooth gaps with a rotating end cutter head or face milling cutter, wherein, in order to manufacture the one spur gear, one of the elements--the spur gear or the end cutter head--carries out an arcuate or circular rolling movement about an axis which coincides or approximately coincides with the gear axis of the other gear, and the other gear is produced by a cutting-in depth or plunge cut operation without any rolling movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Buhrle AG
    Inventor: Erich Kotthaus