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US 4,665,781 AGranted
Multi-spindle chucking machine
AssigneeHofer Industries Inc.
InventorsJosef Eichenhofer, Karl P. Schubert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine tool includes a carrier supporting a plurality of rotary spindles each carrying a chuck for holding a workpiece. The carrier can be indexed to move the spindles between different stations. In one aspect of the invention, individual drive motors are provided. The drive motors remain stationery while the carrier is indexed and clutches are provided to couple each drive motor to a spindle to be driven. In another aspect of the invention, the carrier includes a central shaft supported at its ends on bearings and spindles are coupled to the shaft by supports.
Claims13
A machine tool comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of spindles, each rotatable ab out an axis and each including workpiece holding means at an end of the spindle;
- a carrier supporting said spindles in axially parallel positions for indexing about an axis paralle lto said spindle axis, the carrier including a central shaft defining said carrier axis, spindle support means coupled to said shaft inwardly of its ends and supporting the spindles with the said workpiece holding means exposed at a first end of the carrier;
- means supporting the shaft on the frame at positions outwardly of the carrier for permitting turning of the carrier about its said axis to index the spindles between machining stations, the shaft extending beyond said first end of the carrier a distance sufficient to permit said indexing and machining of workpieces at said stations, without interference by said support means;
- means for indexing said carrier;
- locking means acting between the frame and carrier and operable to lock the carrier with respect to the frame in each of a plurality of defined angular positions and precisely locate the spindles at said stations, said locking means comprising a latch device including a latch bolt movable in a direction parallel to said carrier axis between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a series of latch blocks each engageable by said bolt for locking the carrier in one of said defined angular positions;
- and,
- means for driving the spindles for machining of workpieces carried thereby.
5 more elements
A machine tool comprising;
- a frame;
- a plurality of spindles each rotatable about an axis and each including workpiece holding means at a first end of the spindle;
- a carrier supporting said spindles in axially parallel positions with said workpiece holding means accessible at a first end of the carrier;
- means for indexing the carrier about an axis parallel to said spindle axes to move the spindles between defined stations;
- locking means acting between the frame and carrier and operable to lock the carrier with respect to the frame in each of a plurality of defined angular positions and precisely locate the spindles at said stations, said locking means comprising a latch device carried by said frame and including a latch bolt engageable in one of a series of latch blocks carried by said carrier at positions corresponding to locking of the carrier in said stations, said latch bolt being movable in a direction parallel to said carrier axis between a locked position in an engagement with one of said latch blocks, and an unlocked position;
- spindle drive means supported by said frame adjacent a second end of the carrier and including a number of individual spindle drive motors each disposed in a fixed position aligned with one of said stations;
- clutch means including:
- a driven clutch plate at a second end of each said spindle and a co-operable driving clutch plate coupled to each spindle drive motor, said driven and driving clutch plates being disposed in respective parallel planes transverse to said carrier axis;
- and means for moving the said clutch plates between engaged positions in which the driving clutch plate makes face-to-face contact with the driven clutch plate to drivingly couple the associated spindle drive motor to the relevant said spindle, and disengaged positions in which the said plates are spaced by a clearance gap sufficient to permit free indexing of the carrier with respect to the driving clutch plate.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.