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US 3,953,918 AGranted
Machine tool with automatic tool changer
AssigneeCincinnati Milacron Inc.
InventorsKendall Frederick Bone, Oskar Reinhold Johansson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure is of an automatic tool changer on a machine tool which is arranged to produce movement of a tool operator about a rotary axis when the tool is used. The exchange of tools to and from the machine can be automatically accomplished without regard to the position of the tool operator in its normal range of positions. The tool operator does not return to a predetermined angular position for the tool change, but only stops for so long as the execution of that tool change.
Claims19
A tool changing machine comprising in combination:
- a. a saddle member;
- b. a tool carrier supported by the saddle for angular motion around an axis extending transversely through the saddle member;
- c. an operating station in the tool carrier and having an axis of orientation, transverse to the axis of angular motion of said carrier, the operating station adapted for receipt and retention of a tool aligned on the axis of orientation;
- d. a pick-up station on the saddle member adapted to receive and hold a tool in alignment with the axis of angular motion;
- e. a transport mechanism supported on the tool carrier for rotation about an axis angularly positioned between said axes of operating station orientation and tool carrier angular motion;
- f. a means for swinging the tool carrier and transport mechanism in angular motion while maintaining the axis of rotation of the transport mechanism in a single plane with the axes of operating station orientation and tool carrier angular motion;
- g. an attachment mechanism on the transport mechanism operable to grip and release tools at the operating and pick-up stations when moved into alignment therewith;
- and
- h. a means for moving the transport mechanism to positions of alignment wherein said attachment mechanism engages tools in the operating and pick-up stations and for coordinating movement of the transport mechanism with operation of said attachment mechanism whereby tools are changed between the pick-up and operating stations.
6 more elements
In a machine tool, the combination comprising:
- a. a housing;
- b. a first tool receptacle on the housing adapted to receive and hold a tool in alignment on a first predetermined axis;
- c. an operating member supported on the housing for angular positional movement around said first predetermined axis;
- d. a second tool receptacle on the operating member adapted to receive and hold a tool in alignment on a second predetermined axis, said second predetermined axis moving in a plane transverse to the first predetermined axis when the operating member is angularly moved;
- e. a tool transport arm supported for rotation about a third axis intermediate to the first and second axes;
- f. a means for moving the third axis in space in unison with angular movement of the operating member whereby said first, second and third axes are maintained in a fixed relationship;
- g. a means on the transport arm for engaging and holding tools;
- h. a means for rotating the transport arm to positions where the means for engaging tools is adjacent to said first and second receptacles, and
- i. means for operating the means for engaging tools in coordination with the means for rotating the transport arm to change tools between the first and second receptacles.
6 more elements
In a machine tool having a compound slide structure including structural elements movable along at least two mutually perpendicular axes, the combination comprising:
- a. a tool carrier attached to one of said structural elements and angularly movable around a first rotary axis extending through the one structural element;
- b. an operating station in the tool carrier having an axis of orientation transverse to the first rotary axis and adapted for receipt and retention of a tool aligned on the axis of orientation;
- c. a pick-up station on said one structural element located for receipt and retention of a tool aligned on the first rotary axis;
- d. a tool change arm;
- e. a means for supporting the tool change arm in a location between the first rotary axis and the axis of operating station orientation;
- f. a means on the tool change arm operable to grip and hold tools,
- g. a means for angularly positioning the tool carrier about the first rotary axis;
- and
- h. a means for swinging said means for supporting the tool change arm in response to angular positioning of the tool carrier to maintain the location of the tool change arm in a fixed relationship with the first rotary axis and axis of operating station orientation.
6 more elements
A machine tool comprising:
- a. a tool pick-up station adapted to receive and hold a tool in alignment on a first axis;
- b. a tool operator adapted to receive and hold a tool in alignment on a second axis intersecting the first axis;
- c. a tool exchange mechanism operable to exchange tools between the pick-up station and operator and including a rotatable arm positioned between the first and second axes;
- and
- d. a means for angularly swinging in unison the operator and the exchange mechanism in space around the first axis whereby the tool exchange mechanism is maintained between the first and second axes and the distance between the pick-up station and tool operator remains constant.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.