US 4,242,019 AGranted

Milling machine

OwnerGerald V. Rochinventor

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Abstract

A milling machine includes a C-shaped frame, tool support member movable in a vertical direction, a saddle member movable in a transverse direction, a work table movable in a longitudinal direction, a tool drive unit and two oppositely positioned and removable bearing ways associated with each direction of travel. For the vertical axis the bearing ways are between the C-shaped frame and the tool support member. The tool drive unit includes a hollow tool spindle and a drive motor with a vertically extending hollow output shaft which is rigidly and coaxially connected to the hollow tool spindle. Each vertical axis bearing way longitudinally extends in a vertical direction and includes an outer race portion attached to the C-shaped frame and a ball circulating track portion attached to the tool support member. Reciprocating relative motion between the tool support member and the C-shaped frame occurs at the two bearing way locations and the drive motor for the tool moves with the hollow tool spindle in a vertical direction.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A milling machine comprising:

(a) a C-shaped frame having a base portion and an overhanging upper portion;
(b) a tool support member suspended from said overhanging upper portion and movable in a vertical direction;
(c) a saddle member supported by said base portion, positioned beneath said tool support member and movable in a transverse direction;
(d) a work table positioned atop said saddle member and movable in a longitudinal direction;
(e) a tool drive unit supported by and movable with said tool support member and including a drive motor having an output shaft extending therefrom and a rotatable tool spindle non-rotatably connected to said output shaft;
(f) a first plurality of recirculating anti-friction bearing ways having a common plane of vertical travel, said common plane being substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of said tool spindle, said ways being spaced about said tool support member and positioned between said C-shaped frame and said tool support member;
(g) each of said first plurality of bearing ways having a circulating track portion and an outer race portion;
(h) a second plurality of bearing ways located between said saddle member and said C-shaped frame;
(i) a third plurality of bearing ways located between said work table and said saddle member;
(j) a separate ball lead screw and DC motor combination associated with each of the three directions of movement and suitably arranged to control movement in each of the three directions;
and
(k) said output shaft extends in a vertical direction and said tool spindle is hollow and coaxial with said output shaft.

9 more elements

A milling machine comprising:

(a) a C-shaped frame having a base portion and an overhanging upper portion;
(b) a tool support member suspended from said overhanging upper portion and movable in a vertical direction;
(c) a saddle member supported by said base portion, positioned beneath said tool support member and movable in a transverse direction;
(d) a work table positioned atop said saddle member and movable in a longitudinal direction;
(e) a tool drive unit supported by and movable with said tool support member and including a hollow shaft drive motor and a hollow tool spindle connected thereto;
(f) a first plurality of recirculating anti-friction bearing ways, said ways being spaced about said tool support member and positioned between said C-shaped frame and said tool support member;
(g) a second pluarlity of anti-friction bearing ways located between said saddle member and said C-shaped frame;
(h) a third plurality of anti-friction bearing ways located between said work table and said saddle member;
(i) a separate lead screw and DC motor combination associated with each of the three directions of movement and suitably arranged to control movement in said three directions;
(j) an automatic tool changer communicating with said hollow shaft drive motor and having a tool extraction plunger positioned within said hollow tool spindle;
(k) each of said pluralities of bearing ways are ball bearing ways and are individually removable;
and
(l) said tool support member further includes a cylinder having an actuatable plunger, said plunger communicating with said coupling to stop rotation of said spindle when said cylinder is energized.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.