US 4,038,740 A · Vertical lathe with automatic tool change facility

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a tool change system for a vertical lathe or the like which, among other things, greatly reduces the nonproductive time of the machining head. During machining with a first tool, a second tool is selected from a storage library and is transported over to the ram housing from which the ram and cutting tool are supported. The new tool, held by the transfer carrier, remains in a predetermined position with respect to the ram housing, even though the latter is moving in the course of machining operations. When the machining program subsequently calls for a tool change, it is only necessary to retract the ram, and the tool is waiting to be installed. A unique arrangement of torque limiting clutch enables the transfer carrier to follow the movements of the ram housing in the desired manner in preparation for the tool change to be executed. The disclosure also relates to an improved "flow-through" arrangement for effecting tool change, whereby a new tool is slid into position from one side of the ram, while the used tool simultaneously slid out of engagement with the ram from the opposite side. A two-pronged loader simultaneously engages both the new and old tools to effect the desired flow-through tool exchange motion. The new apparatus includes advantageous arrangements for eccentrically mounting right-hand and left-hand tools in the machine ram. Control means are provided for properly positioning the transfer carrier and loader means, taking into account the left-hand or right-hand character of both the new and used tools. Provision for eccentric mounting of the tools enables a much heavier and stronger ram to be employed. Significant reductions are realized in the nonproductive time of the machine, required to effect a tool change, first because the new tool is always in position immediately adjacent and moving along with the ram housing, and second because of the provision for flow-through tool exchange. As soon as the two-pronged loading device has cleared the used tool from the back side of the ram and has withdrawn from the newly positioned tool, the ram can be returned to machining position and machining operations can resume. The balance of the tool change sequence, involving return of the used tool to a transfer carrier and transport by the carrier to the tool library, and the subsequent selection and transfer over to the ram housing of a new tool, all can take place after machining operations have been resumed.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A machine tool having a tool mounting element and tool transport and loading means, which comprises

(a) tool clamping means associated with said tool mounting element having tool guide means having lateral sliding engagement with tool elements,
(b) tool transport means movable to present a new tool at a loading position adjacent the tool mounting element,
(c) a laterally movable tool loader having an element movable in a direction generally at right angles to the direction of said laterally movable tool loader, and having tool engaging members for simultaneously engaging a tool in said tool clamping means and a tool in said transport means, and (d) means for effecting lateral movement of said loader with a pair of engaged tools, simultaneously to slide the used tool laterally out of engagement with the clamping means and to slide a new tool laterally into engagement with said clamping means,
(e) the tool engaging member engaged with said used tool being operative to support said used tool for movement away from said clamping means.

1 more element

A machine tool having a tool mounting ram, a ram housing supporting said ram, transport means for transporting tools to and away from said ram, and a tool loading mechanism for use in combination therewith, which comprises

(a) means supporting said tool loader on said ram housing,
(b) a loading carriage,
(c) loader guide means for supporting said carriage and accommodating lateral movement thereof relative to the ram,
(d) a loader slide mounted on said carriage and movable in a plane at right angles to the direction of carriage movement,
(e) a pair of tool engaging elements projecting from the loader slide along laterally spaced axes and extending in the direction of loader slide movement, and
(f) means for actuating said loader carriage and loader slide in sequence to (i) project said slide and tool engaging elements ino engagement with a new tool on the transport means and an old tool on the ram, (ii) displace said carriage laterally to simultaneously slide the old tool out of working position and the new tool into working position in said ram, (iii) retract said slide to disengage said new tool, (iv) displace said carriage laterally to return the old tool to a reload position, and (v) project said slide to align said old tool with the transport means.

3 more elements

A vertical lathe or the like of the type having a horizontally movable ram housing, a vertically movable tool block holding ram carried by said ram housing, means to effect predetermined relative juxtapositioning of a new tool block and said ram housing, and a tool block loader, which comprises

(a) a loader housing mounted in fixed relation to said ram housing and movable therewith,
(b) a loader carriage in said loader housing mounted and guided for limited lateral movement relative thereto,
(c) a load supporting element carried by said carriage for limited movement in a direction transverse to the direction of said loader carriage,
(d) said load supporting element having a pair of spaced, forwardly extending tool block engaging members for simultaneous engagement with a pair of tool blocks,
(e) means for driving said loader carriage laterally in said loader housing for effecting tool block movement,
(f) said ram having a laterally disposed load-unload axis,
(g) said carriage and load supporting element being operable in predetermined combination, whereby to effect unidirectional movements of tool blocks along said load-unload axis for simultaneously removing a tool block from one side of the ram and moving a tool block into operative position at the other side of the ram, and
(h) said carriage and load supporting element being operable in predetermined combination to effect return direction movement of a removed tool block along an axis offset from said load-unload axis.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vertical lathe with automatic tool change facility

Life of this patent

Vertical lathe with automatic tool change facility

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19