Method and apparatus for controlling tool magazines

Apparatus for controlling a tool magazine having a plurality of tool pots each containing a tool, said tool magazine being divided into at least three tool regions respectively containing substantially the same number of tool pots for receiving tools of the same type, said apparatus comprising:

• reversible magazine driving means for sequentially indexing a designated tool to a tool exchange position;
• a first memory section including a comparison table storing correspondences between absolute pot numbers of respective regions and tool numbers included in respective regions;
• a second memory section including a first memory region for storing a tool number of a tool mounted on a machine tool, a second memory region for storing an absolute pot number of a tool pot indexed to said tool exchange position, a third memory region for storing the absolute pot number of a tool pot containing said designated tool and a fourth memory region for storing the designated tool number;
• means for searching said absolute tool pot number storing said designated tool in accordance with said comparison table prior to movement of said tool magazine;
• means for determining a direction of movement of respective regions of said tool magazine towards said tool exchange position in accordance with contents of said second memory section;
• means controlled by the contents of said first and second memory sections for determining an amount of movement of said tool magazine necessary to index said designated tool to said tool exchange position;
• and
• magazine drive means controlled by said direction determining means and said movement amount determining means for indexing said designated tool to said tool exchange position.

Apparatus for controlling a tool magazine having a plurality of tool pots each containing a tool, said magazine being divided into at least three tool regions respectively containing substantially the same number of pots for receiving tools of the same type, said apparatus comprising:

• means for providing at least two tool exchange positions between adjacent sections and on one side of said tool magazine;
• means for driving said tool magazine to index a designated tool to either one of said tool exchange positions in one or opposite direction in accordance with an absolute pot number of said designated tool with reference to either one of said tool exchange positions;
• means for selectively moving a tool exchanger to either one of said tool exchange positions;
• first memory means including a plurality of memory regions respectively storing tool pot numbers corresponding to absolute tool pot numbers with reference to said tool exchange positions;
• second memory means comprising a comparison table in which are stored correspondences among respective absolute tool pot numbers and tool numbers contained in said tool magazine;
• means for searching said comparison table to read out said designated tool number;
• counting means for counting number of steps of said designated tool with reference to either one of said tool exchange positions;
• and
• means for rewriting absolute pot numbers and tool numbers stored in said comparison table when said tool magazine is moved.