Lathe assembly and method of operating the tathe assembly
OwnerToshiharu Tom Miyanoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lathe assembly having a guide with a passageway for movement of a piece of bar stock, with a leading end and a trailing end, in a substantially straight path between a feeding position and a working position. A sensor assembly is capable of detecting the position of the trailing end of a piece of bar stock within the guide passageway to thereby allow a user to determine if a piece of bar stock in the guide passageway has a length sufficient to perform the desired operation thereon. Also, a method of using the lathe assembly.
Claims38
A lathe assembly comprising:
- a guide having a passageway for movement of a piece of bar stock, with a leading end and a trailing end, in a substantially straight path between a feeding position and a working position;
- and
- a sensor assembly capable of detecting the position of the trailing end of a piece of bar stock within the guide passageway to thereby allow a user to determine if a piece of bar stock in the guide passageway has a length sufficient to perform a desired operation thereon.
A method of operating a lathe assembly comprising a guide having a passageway with a central axis and axially spaced first and second ends, a spindle, and a tool assembly for performing an operation on a piece of bar stock having a length and leading and trailing ends, said method comprising the steps of:
- directing the piece of bar stock axially through the guide passageway in a first direction from a feeding position into a working position;
- and
- directing an element into the guide passageway to detect the position of the trailing end of the piece of bar stock and thereby determine if the piece of bar stock in the guide passageway is less than or greater than a predetermined length.
A lathe assembly comprising:
- a guide having a passageway with a central axis for movement of a piece of bar stock with a leading end and a trailing end in a substantially straight path substantially parallel to the central axis of the passageway between a feeding position and a working position;
- and
- a spindle for releasably holding a piece of bar stock in the working position and having a through opening with a central axis, an input end and an output end,
- the guide oriented so that the central axis of the passageway is not parallel to a horizontal support surface for the lathe assembly,
- the passageway and through opening being aligned so that the leading end of a piece of bar stock can move through the passageway to and through the through opening from the input end to the output end to project from the output end with a piece of bar stock in the working position.
A method of operating a lathe assembly comprising a guide having a passageway with a central axis and axially spaced first and second ends, a spindle with a through opening having a central axis, an input end and an output end, and a tool assembly for performing an operation on a piece of bar stock having a length, a leading end, and a trailing end, said method comprising the steps of:
- orienting the guide so that the central axis of the passageway is inclined relative to a horizontal support surface for the lathe assembly so that the central axis of the passageway declines from the first end toward the second end of the passageway;
- directing the leading end of the piece of bar stock into and through the passageway in a first direction from the first end of the passageway toward the second end of the passageway;
- moving the leading end of the piece of bar stock in the first direction into and through the through opening to a working position wherein the leading end of the bar stock projects from the output end of the spindle;
- clamping the piece of bar stock in the working position in the spindle;
- and
- performing an operation on a portion of a piece of bar stock projecting from the output end of the through opening with a piece of bar stock in the working position.
A lathe assembly comprising:
- a spindle for holding an elongate workpiece and having a central axis;
- a guide assembly having a body and a guide bushing on the body having a first opening with a central axis,
- the spindle and guide assembly being selectively repositionable between a) a first relative position wherein the central axis of the spindle extends through the first guide bushing opening so that an elongate workpiece held by the spindle can be projected into the first guide bushing opening so that the guide bushing limits flexing of an elongate workpiece held by the spindle and b) a second relative position wherein the central axis of the spindle does not extend through the first guide bushing opening;
- and
- a tool assembly for performing an operation on an elongate workpiece held by the spindle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.