Apparatus for changing blanks and tool automatically in a gear cutting machine

An apparatus for automatically changing blanks in a gear cutting machine, comprising:

• a tool head mounted to a machine bed, said tool head capable of movement along both a vertical and a horizontal axis, the tool head having a spindle and a bearing block disposed about a common horizontal axis and capable of movement toward and away from one another, between and by which a tool is supported and set in motion about the common axis;
• means for supporting and rotating a blank;
• a vertical post rotatable about a vertical axis and having a plurality of restraint and/or support elements exhibiting two dissimilar types of structure, the one type designed to restrain and/or support a blank and the other to restrain and/or support a tool, peripherally disposed in angularly equispaced positions about the vertical axis so that each element can be brought by rotation of the post into a position over the means by which the blank is supported and rotated;
• a central monitoring and control unit by which the tool head is caused to traverse toward and away from the vertical post and to interact with the restraint and/or support elements to automatically bring about a change of tool.