US 10,071,427 B2Granted

Vertical machine tool apparatus and method

AssigneeMazak Corporation

InventorsJavon D. Carson, Jonathon Marshall

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Abstract

In accordance with one aspect, a vertical machine tool is provided having an upper headstock with an upper spindle and a lower tailstock with a lower spindle. A workpiece is secured to the lower tailstock and the headstock drives the upper spindle and a milling tool connected thereto at high speeds for milling the workpiece. The vertical machine tool is also operable to perform turning operations on the workpiece using a turning tool connected to the headstock spindle. The headstock has a mechanical spindle lock that may be configured to rigidly fix the headstock spindle to the headstock housing so that, during the turning operation, the headstock spindle is secured against rotation from loading applied to the turning tool held in the headstock spindle. The lower tailstock drives the lower spindle to rotate the workpiece at speeds up to 2,500 RPM while the non-rotating turning tool held in the upper headstock machines the workpiece.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An upper headstock for a vertical machine tool having a lower tailstock that rotatably supports a workpiece, the upper headstock comprising:

a housing;
a spindle rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the housing and having a lower portion for receiving a tool for machining the workpiece;
a locking portion of the spindle;
a locking member extending about the spindle and vertically shiftable along the spindle vertical axis from an unlocked position vertically spaced from the spindle locking portion to a locked position engaged with the spindle locking portion and the housing to fix the spindle relative to the housing;
and
a clamping member extending about the spindle and disposed opposite the spindle locking portion from the locking member so that the locking portion of the spindle is between the clamping member and the locking member along the spindle vertical axis, the clamping member being vertically shiftable along the spindle axis from a retracted position spaced from the spindle locking portion to a clamping position wherein the clamping member sandwiches the spindle locking portion between the clamping member and the locking member in the locked position thereof to keep the spindle locking portion engaged with the locking member.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/846,307Filed 4 Sep 2015 · us provisional application
Priority: 5 Sep 2014
Published: US 2016/0067783 A110 Mar 2016
Granted: 11 Sep 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B23B 3/065
Turning-machines or devices characterised only by the special arrangement of constructional units: arrangements for performing other machining…
B23Q 1/70
Members which are comprised in the general build-up of a form of machine, particularly relatively large fixed members: stationary or movable…
B23Q 5/20
Rotary shafts, e.g. working-spindles: adjusting or stopping working-spindles in a predetermined position
B23Q 37/002
Metal-working machines, or constructional combinations thereof, built-up from units designed so that at least some of the units can form parts…