Apparatus for automatically displacing the radial position of a cross-feed slide in a cross-feed head of a cutting machine

A cutting machine, especially a boring and milling machine, comprising:

• a stand including a guide member;
• a carriage arranged for reciprocating movement along said guide member in a carriage displacement path;
• drive means for displacing said carriage on said stand and including a displacement spindle and a drive motor;
• a machine measurement system mounted on said carriage and including a scale mounted substantially parallel to said guide member for measuring the position of said carriage;
• a spindle having an axis of rotation arranged at said carriage at substantially right angles to said guide member and including a tool holding and chucking fixture;
• said spindle having a groove identifying an indexed position thereof;
• a cross-feed head inserted into said spindle and including:
• a spindle insert;
• a cross-feed slide displaceably arranged in said spindle insert and provided with a tool having a top;
• a displacement mechanism for displacing said cross-feed slide relative to said spindle insert and comprising a spindle drive;
• a cantilever structure;
• a displacement drive means arranged at said cantilever structure at the end of said carriage displacement path for driving said displacement mechanism;
• a clutch arrangement provided between said displacement drive means and said displacement mechanism and comprising a male member and a female member engaging therewith to transmit rotary action, one of which members is advanceable;
• an indexing pin displaceably journalled at said carriage for engaging said groove provided at said spindle in said indexed position thereof such that said spindle is retained in said indexed position;
• a sensor for sensing the position of said cross-feed slide;
• a numerical control provided with an adjusting control mechanism for controlling said drive motor and said displacement drive means and connected with said sensor and with said machine measurement system;
• said numerical control being provided for adjusting a cutting radius defined by a distance between said axis of rotation of said spindle and said tip of said tool;
• clamping means provided in said cross-feed head for clamping said cross-feed slide in a defined position in relation to said spindle insert;
• and
• releasing means provided on said cantilever structure at one end of said carriage displacement path for releasing said clamping means.