Apparatus for guiding a wire or strip-like cutting electrode on a machine tool
AssigneeAG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Lacarno
InventorsBeat Kilcher, Gideon Levy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Axial tension on the wire or strip like electrode is achieved by having the electrode looped around a grooved wheel controlled by a hysteresis motor near an upper or lower guide head while the wire drive is located near the other guide head so that in the working zone the electrode is subject to the action of tensile stress necessary for electroerosion and the remaining electrode guide area is kept free from increased tensile stress on the electrode. Additionally an angle coder is used with the hysteresis motor to measure both the rotational speed and the position of the grooved wheel.
Claims11
An apparatus for guiding a wire or strip-like electrode on a spark erosion machine tool having a first and second electrode guide means for setting the position of the cutting electrode in a working zone located between the two guide means, comprising:
- drive means located in close proximity to one of the guide means for axially drawing the cutting electrode through the working zone, said drive means axially drawing said electrode through said working zone at a predetermined speed, and
- counter-holder means located in close proximity to the other guide means for exerting a selectable force on the cutting electrode to control the axial tension on that portion of the cutting electrode between the guide means in the working zone, the cutting electrode not being subject to substantial tensile forces in the remainder of the guiding apparatus.
An apparatus for guiding a wire or strip-like electrode on a spark erosion machine tool having a first and second electrode guide means for setting the position of the cutting electrode in a working zone located between the two guide means, comprising:
- drive means located in close proximity to one of the guide means for axially drawing the cutting electrode through the working zone, said drive means axially drawing said electrode through said working zone at a predetermined speed, and
- counter-holder means located in close proximity to the other guide means for exerting a selectable force on the cutting electrode to control the axial tension on that portion of the cutting electrode between the guide means in the working zone, the cutting electrode not being subject to substantial tensile forces in the remainder of the guiding apparatus;
- wherein the drive means comprises a motor drive for drawing the cutting electrode through the working zone at a selected speed and the counter-holder means comprises a grooved wheel having a torque action, over which wheel the cutting electrode is wound at least once, said torque being selected to provide a desired retarding force on said cutting electrode.
An apparatus for guiding a wire or strip-like electrode on a spark erosion machine tool having a first and second electrode guide means for setting the position of the cutting electrode in a working zone located between the two guide means, comprising:
- drive means located in close proximity to one of the guide means for axially drawing the cutting electrode through the working zone, said drive means axially drawing said electrode through said working zone at a predetermined speed, and
- counter-holder means located in close proximity to the other guide means for exerting a selectable force on the cutting electrode to control the axial tension on that portion of the cutting electrode between the guide means in the working zone, the cutting electrode not being subject to substantial tensile forces in the remainder of the guiding apparatus;
- wherein the electrode guide means associated with the counter-holder means is adapted to be controllably oriented along the direction of the cutting electrode and the counter-holder is fixed with respect to the machine tool, the apparatus further comprising a telescopic support means positioned between the counter-holder means and its associated guide means for guiding the cutting electrode from the counter-holder means to the associated guide means under various orientations of the associated guide means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.