US 4,300,278 AGranted

Tool exchanger for a machine tool

AssigneeToyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsKenji Nomura, Akira Tsuboi, Kunimichi Nakashima

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Abstract

A tool exchanger wherein an exchange arm fixed on one end of a rotatable and axially slidable shaft is formed with a pair of semi-circular openings at opposite ends thereof. A pair of gripping plungers slidably received in the exchange arm are spring-biased toward opposite ends of the arm for gripping tools held in the semi-circular openings. A pair of guided pins are protruded respectively from the gripping plungers. A cam engageable with the guided pins is disposed in position to inwardly retract either of the gripping plungers which approaches a tool socket of a tool magazine, against the force of an associated bias spring, when the exchange arm is pivoted from a parked position toward a grip position for gripping tools received respectively in a machine tool spindle and the tool socket.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A tool exchanger for exchanging a tool received in a machine tool spindle with another tool held in an exchange station, comprising:

an exchanger base;
an arm shaft having an axis carried on said exchanger base for rotational and axial movements;
an exchange arm fixedly mounted at a middle portion thereof on said arm shaft and extending perpendicularly of said arm shaft, said exchange arm being formed at opposite ends thereof with a pair of semi-circular openings for holding said tools;
first drive means connected to said arm shaft for axially moving said arm shaft to thereby remove at least one of said tools held by said exchange arm from, and insert another one of said tools into, said tool spindle;
second drive means connected to said arm shaft for rotating said arm shaft to thereby bring one of said tools held by said exchange arm into axial alignment with said tool spindle;
a pair of gripping plungers received in said exchange arm and adapted for sliding movements in a radial direction of said axis of said arm shaft;
biasing means interposed between said exchange arm and each of said gripping plungers for urging each of said gripping plungers to respectively extend toward said opposite ends of said exchange arm so as to thereby grip said tools held in said semi-circular openings;
locking means provided in said exchange arm and movable between first and second positions to respectively permit and inhibit the inward retraction movements of said gripping plungers;
and
plunger control means for retracting at least one of said gripping plungers inwardly of said exchange arm against the force of said biasing means when said locking means is in said first position,
wherein said plunger control means comprises a control member protruding from each of said gripping plungers;
and
means for operating at least one of said control members to thereby retract said gripping plunger associated therewith inwardly of said exchange arm against the force of said biasing means when said locking means is in said first position.

10 more elements

A tool exchanger for exchanging a tool received in a machine tool spindle with another tool held in an exchange station, comprising:

an exchanger base;
an arm shaft having an axis carried on said exchanger base for rotational and axial movements;
an exchange arm fixedly mounted at a middle portion thereof on said arm shaft and extending perpendicularly of said arm shaft, said exchange arm being formed at opposite ends thereof with a pair of semi-circular openings for holding said tools;
first drive means connected to said arm shaft for axially moving said arm shaft to thereby remove at least one of said tools held by said exchange arm from, and insert another one of said tools into, said tool spindle;
second drive means connected to said arm shaft for rotating said arm shaft to thereby bring one of said tools held by said exchange arm into axial alignment with said tool spindle;
a pair of gripping plungers received in said exchange arm and adapted for sliding movements in a radial direction of said axis of said arm shaft;
biasing means interposed between said exchange arm and each of said gripping plungers for urging each of said gripping plungers to respectively extend toward said opposite ends of said exchange arm so as to thereby grip said tools held in said semi-circular openings;
locking means provided in said exchange arm and movable between first and second positions to respectively permit and inhibit the inward retraction movements of said gripping plungers;
and
plunger control means for retracting at least one of said gripping plungers inwardly of said exchange arm against the force of said biasing means when said locking means is in said first position, wherein said plunger control means comprises a pin member protruding from each of said gripping plungers;
and means for operating at least one of said pin members to thereby retract said gripping plunger associated therewith inwardly of said exchange arm against the force of said biasing means when said locking means is in said first position.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.