Method and apparatus for programming and operating a machine tool

An apparatus for use with an electronic processor for performing automatically a series of discrete operations on a work piece using a template which is provided with indications at locations where work is to be done, the apparatus having:

• holding means to locate accurately relative to each other either a template and tracer, or a template and tool means;
• positioning means cooperating with the holding means to permit direct manual movement between the template and tracer, or driven movement between the template and tool means;
• signal generating means cooperating with the positioning means to generate location signals to reflect accurately relative positions between the tracer and template for recording in the processor when in the recording mode;
• drive means cooperating with the processor and positioning means so that, when the processor is in the playback mode, the work piece and tool can be located approximately relative to each other by coarse positioning in response to output position signals from the processor, the apparatus being further characterized by:
• (a) alignment means responsive to the indications on the template when sufficiently close thereto as a result of the coarse positioning to produce directly relative movement between the template and alignment means to position finely the template and alignment means in accurate alignment prior to working on the template.

A method of automatically performing a series of discrete operations on a work piece with a tool, the method including use of an electronic processor programmed to cause relative movement between work piece and tool data, and to cause the tool to operate on the work piece, and use of an alignment means and a template, the template having a datum and tooling indexes thereon to designate accurately locations for operation of the tool, the alignment means being responsive to the tooling indexes, the method being characterized by:

• (a) locating the work piece and template accurately in the apparatus so that the work piece and the template data are fixed relative to each other in a manner similar to a fixed relationship between the tool datum and the alignment means,
• (b) registering the alignment means with a tooling index at a first location to establish in the processor the first location as an origin for the tool and work piece data,
• (c) with the processor operating in a play-back mode, outputting from the processor a plurality of output position signals to reflect relative positions of the work piece and tool data at a second location,
• (d) automatically causing relative movement between the work piece and tool data in response to the output position signals outputted from the processor, to position the work piece and tool data coarsely in an approximate second location,
• (e) permitting the alignment means to detect and register with a tooling index on the template corresponding to the second location thus causing relative movement between the tool and work piece data so as to position and locate the tool and work piece data finely and accurately at the second location,
• (f) when the tool and work piece data attain the second location accurately, simultaneously triggering the processor with a second location signal and operating on the work piece at the second location which accurately reflects the second location on the pattern.

An apparatus for automatically performing a series of discrete operations on a work piece with a tool, the apparatus being adapted to cooperate with an electronic processor programmed to cause relative movement between work piece and tool data, and to cause the tool to operate on the work piece, the processor being programmed for use with an alignment means and a template, the template having a datum and tooling indexes thereon to designate accurately locations for operation of the tool, the alignment means being responsive to the tooling indexes and having a datum which is fixed relative to the tool datum, the template and work piece data being fixed relative to each other;

• the apparatus being further characterized by:
• (a) holding means to provide accurate relative location between the template and alignment means, and between the work piece and tool data so that the data can be located accurately relative to each other,
• (b) positioning means cooperating with the holding means, the alignment means and the tool to permit movement between the template and alignmet means data, and between the work piece and the tool data to establish new relative relationships therebetween,
• (c) drive means operatively connected to the electronic processor and cooperating with the positioning means so that the work piece and tool data can be positioned coarsely relative to each other approximately adjacent a particular location in response to output position and location signals from the processor,
• (d) the alignment means is adapted to cooperate with the tooling indexes on the template when sufficiently close thereto to position finely the work piece and tool data accurately at desired relative positions.