US 3,946,298 A · Shaft positioning mechanism

Abstract

A rotatable shaft positioning mechanism is disclosed for use with a multiple spindle automatic machine tool having a plurality of rotatable spindles in an indexable spindle carrier. A Hall effect sensor is actuated by a permanent magnet rotating with each spindle to develop a reference signal which starts a counter counting pulse generated by a pulse generator connected to the output of a stepping motor. The stepping motor is connected to rotate the spindle and when the counter counts out, the spindle is stopped at the preset position. The spindle is held in place and the machine tool may be operated for performing a machining function on a workpiece held in the spindle, for example, a cross drilling attachment, cross-tapping attachment or alternatively, the spindle may be rotated at a slow speed by the stepping motor to perform a contouring or assembling operation on a workpiece in the spindle. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A rotatable shaft positioning mechanism, comprising in combination,

sensor means,
activator means cooperable with said sensor means, means to relatively rotate said sensor means and said activator means in accordance with rotation of the shaft to establish a reference signal output of said sensor means,
a motor,
means to connect said motor to rotate the shaft,
means generating a pulse for each minor fraction of a revolution of the shaft,
and means to control the shaft in accordance with the said reference signal output and with the pulses from said generator means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shaft positioning mechanism

Life of this patent

Shaft positioning mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24