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US 3,955,629 AGranted
Mechanical quill feed unit
OwnerFrank W. Turnerinventor
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OwnerFrank W. Turnerinventor
Estimating the term…
This application discloses an improved quill feed unit of the type used in automatic or semi-automatic machines for holding and advancing the tool during the machining operation, wherein the rapid advance, feed, and rapid retract movements present in each machine cycle are performed entirely mechanically. Previously, substantially all of such guill feed units have been operated by the use of a hydraulic or pneumatic power, or a combination thereof, i.e., a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder would advance and retract the tool, while a suitable motor would rotate the tool. Despite efforts to solve them, severe problems were and are still encountered with these units. Problems such as leakage, poor start up, tool breakage and ease of tampering are commonplace. By the complete elimination of hydraulic fluid and air in Applicant's quill feed unit, the problem of start up of hydraulic units due to the thickening of the hydraulic fluid, when cold, are eliminated, as well as the problems of tool breakage, tampering, and leakage. In Applicant's invention, a single ball-screw assembly performs the rapid advance, feed, and rapid retract operations entirely mechanically without the use of fluids whatsoever. The ball-screw unit itself is driven electrically through planetary or other suitable gearing to perform these operations. Electric motors drive the necessary gearing to operate the unit, as well as drive the tool.
In combination, at least one mechanical quill feed unit for advancing and rotating a tool along an axis comprising a frame member, a movable but non-rotatable tool quill having a tool rotating means mounted thereon and adapted for reciprocative movement with respect to said frame member along said axis, said tool quill being connected to said frame member by a reversible ball-screw assembly comprising a rotatable ball-screw and an inter-engaging sleeve means coaxial with said axis with the forward end of said sleeve means being connected to said tool quill and said ball-screw being rotatably connected to said frame member, a tool holder coaxial with said axis connected to the output of said tool rotating means, a tool rotating operating means connected to the input of said tool rotating means said tool rotating means including a pair of gears located in said tool quill, said gears lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis and being immediately adjacent said tool holder, with one of said gears being directly connected to said tool holder, with said tool rotating operating means including a hollow splined slipshaft, means drivingly connecting said other of said gears to said slipshaft, said slipshaft being offset from said axis, a drive shaft drivingly connected to said hollow slipshaft and a drive motor operatively connected to said drive shaft, said tool quill also having tool quill control means to rapidly advance said tool quill toward a workpiece preparatory to performing a machining operation thereon, means to feed said tool quill at a controlled rate of speed while a machining operation is being performed, and to rapidly retract said tool quill to its original position when the machining operation is completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.