US 4,989,376 AGranted

Control mechanism for advancing parts of a machine tool

AssigneeElectro-Matic Products Co.

InventorsJoseph A. Armond, Juanito Rodenas, John F. Sepot

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Abstract

An electronic encoder is driven by the cross shaft in the grinder that moves the grinder. The encoder includes a rotary disc constantly driven by the cross shaft, forwardly and rearwardly. Associated with the encoder is an electronic counter in which counting functions are performed in response to the rotation of the disc. An electrical circuit incorporates the encoder and counter, and the electronic circuits of the latter, and includes terminals in common with the encoder and counter. Control signals are entered so that functions are performed according to the position of the grinding wheel, and to move the grinding wheel. The encoder is mechanically connected with the cross shaft in an add-on arrangement. A hydraulic motor drives the cross shaft through a motion transmitting component that includes a hydraulic unit and a mechanical unit in tandem. The entire apparatus is retrofitted, and has mechanical driving connection with the grinder only through the cross shaft. The apparatus is made up of separate units each of which can be packed in an individual package.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a grinder including a stand having a front and a rear side, a table mounted for reciprocation transversely of the stand, and from front to rear of the stand, the table being capable of supporting a workpiece thereon to be ground, a grinding wheel mounted on the stand for vertical movement between an upper limit retract position and a lower limit position adjacent the table a cross shaft operable on rotation thereof for moving the grinding wheel vertically,

the combination comprising,
motion transmitting means including a hydraulic unit and a mechanical unit, the hydraulic unit including a hydraulic motor operably connected with the mechanical unit for driving the latter, and the mechanical unit having an output shaft constituting an output shaft of the motion transmitting means,
means for driving the motion transmitting means,
a first connecting means operably connecting the output shaft with the cross shaft for rotating the latter,
an encoder having a rotatable input shaft,
second connecting means operable connecting the cross shaft with said input shaft for rotating the latter,
a counter,
an electrical circuit,
the encoder being operable, in response to its rotation by the cross shaft for producing indications in the counter of the positions of the grinding wheel produced by rotation of the cross shaft,
manually acutable means for entering signal in the counter according to predetermined positions of the grinding wheel for pre-setting the counter to produce functions by the encoder according to later positioning of the grinding wheel at the respective position,
the hydraulic unit
including electrically operated valves for controlling flow of the hydraulic fluid and thereby controlling the movement of the mechanical unit, and
the encoder and electrical circuit being operable in response to preset signals entered into the counter for actuating the valves to open and closes positions.

10 more elements

In a grinder including a stand having a front and a rear side, a table mounted for reciprocation transversely of the stand, and from front to rear of the stand the table being capable of supporting a workpiece thereon to be ground, a grinding wheel mounted on the stand for vertical movement between an upper limit retract position and a lower limit position adjacent the table a cross shaft operable on rotation thereof for moving the grinding wheel vertically,

the combination comprising,
an assembly of components capable of being retrofitted to a know grinder of the foregoing character, including, a motion transmitting means including a rotating output shaft,
first connector means for connecting the cross shaft for rotating the latter,
motor means for driving the motion transmitting means,
an encoder including a rotating input shaft,
second connector means operably for driving the encoder from the cross shaft,
the connector means including pulleys mounted on the cross shaft and belt means interconnecting those pulleys and the motion transmitting means respectively,
an electrical circuit operably connected between the encoder and the motion transmitting means, and
the encoder in conjunction with the electrical circuit being capable of being pre-set for producing controlled movements of the motion transmitting means and thereby corresponding vertical movements of the grinding wheel.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.