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US 4,164,879 AGranted
Machine tool coolant system
AssigneeThe Warner & Swasey Company
InventorKenneth R. Martin
Life of this patent
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AssigneeThe Warner & Swasey Company
InventorKenneth R. Martin
Estimating the term…
A coolant system for a machine tool is disclosed. Sockets on the machine tool are equipped with check valves biased to a closed position. When a tool is inserted into a socket, an actuating member opens the check valve to enable coolant to flow through a conduit in the tool to the cutting edge of the tool. Tools whose cutting edges do not require coolant are not equipped with the actuating member. In addition, a distributor is provided for use in the coolant system of a machine tool having a turret. The distributor is mounted on the turret and is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the turret. Coolant is piped into the center of a distributing member having an outlet on a cylindrical side surface. A receiving member has a cylindrical chamber in which the distributing member is rotatably disposed. The receiving member has a plurality of radially disposed passages which lead from the receiving member to the tool receiving sockets on the turret. Coolant flows only to a tool in the working position because only the passage leading to that tool is aligned with the outlet of the distributing member. As the turret is rotated to index a different tool to the working position, coolant is ported to the passage leading to the tool then in the working position.
A machine tool assembly comprising a tool having a cutting edge, at least one socket adapted to releasably receive said tool, a source of pressurized coolant, a conduit adapted to conduct coolant from said source to said socket, passage means connected with said tool for conducting coolant from said socket to the cutting edge of said tool, valve means for controlling coolant flow from said conduit to said passage means, said valve means being operable between a closed condition blocking coolant flow and an open condition enabling coolant to flow through said passage means, said valve means including a valve body having a valve seat, a valve member adapted to sealingly engage said valve seat, and biasing means for urging said valve means toward the closed condition, said biasing means including spring means for urging said valve member into engagement with said valve seat, and actuator means connected with said cutting tool for operating said valve means from the closed condition to the open condition as said cutting tool is received in said socket.
A machine tool comprising a base, a rotatable turret connected with said base, said turret having a plurality of recesses each of which is adapted to receive a portion of a tool having a cutting edge, said turret being rotatable to selectably index each tool assembly receiving recess to a working position, a source of pressurized coolant, a plurality of conduits on the turret, each of said conduits being associated with one of the tool receiving recesses on said turret and being adapted to direct a flow of coolant toward the cutting edge of a tool disposed in the associated recess, distributing means for directing a flow of coolant from said source to the conduit associated with a tool receiving recess disposed in a working position, said distributing means including surface means for porting coolant to the one conduit associated with the tool receiving recess in the working position and blocking the flow of coolant to the other conduits, valve means associated with each of said conduits for controlling coolant flow through each of said conduits toward the cutting edge of a tool received in the recess of the associated conduit, said valve means being operable between a closed condition preventing coolant flow and an open condition enabling coolant to flow, said valve means including biasing means for urging said valve means to said closed position, and actuator means associated with at least one of the tools for operating said valve means from said closed position to said open position when the tool is received in a recess in the turret.
A machine tool assembly comprising a tool having a cutting edge, at least one socket adapted to releasably receive said tool, a source of pressurized coolant, a conduit adapted to conduct coolant from said source to said socket, passage means connected with said tool for conducting a flow of coolant from said socket to the cutting edge of said tool, valve means for controlling coolant flow from said conduit to said passage means, said valve means being operable between a closed condition blocking coolant flow and an open condition enabling coolant to flow through said passage means, said valve means including biasing means for urging said valve means toward the closed condition, actuator means connected with said cutting tool for operating said valve means from the closed condition to the open condition as said cutting tool is received in said socket.
A machine tool assembly for receiving a variety of tools, some of which require coolant, comprising:
An improved machine tool of the type having a turret with a plurality of tool receiving recesses formed therein with each recess being indexible to a working position and wherein coolant is supplied by a passage through the turret to the recess indexed to the working position wherein the improvement comprises:
A machine tool assembly comprising a tool having a cutting edge, a housing having at least one socket adapted to releasably receive said tool, a source of pressurized coolant, conduit means for conducting a flow of coolant from said source to the cutting edge of said tool, valve means connected with said housing for controlling coolant flow through said conduit means, said valve means being operable between a closed condition blocking coolant flow in the absence of a tool in the socket and an open condition enabling coolant to flow through said conduit means when a tool is disposed in said socket, and actuator means connected with said tool for operating said valve means from the closed condition to the open condition.
A machine tool assembly comprising a base, a turret connected with said base, said turret having a plurality of recesses each of which is adapted to receive a portion of a tool having a cutting edge, a plurality of conduit means on said turret for conducting a flow of coolant, each of said conduit means being associated with one of the tool receiving recesses on said turret and being adapted to direct a flow of coolant toward the cutting edge of a tool disposed in the associated recess, and a plurality of valve means each of which is disposed on said turret in association with one of the tool receiving recesses and is connected in fluid communication with an associated one of said conduit means for controlling the flow of coolant through the associated one of said conduit means, each of said valve means being operable from a closed condition blocking coolant flow through the associated one of said conduit means to an open condition allowing coolant to flow through the associated one of said conduit means in response to insertion of a portion of a tool into the associated one of said recesses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.