Milling machine accessory providing automatic and manual quill control
AssigneeI.I.C., Inc.
InventorsGary A. Welch, Timothy L. Rashleger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A milling machine has a lower frame portion with a saddle and a table coupled to the lower frame portion by a knee. The milling machine also has a head with a quill and spindle. The table provides movement of a workpiece relative to the spindle along a first axis. The saddle provides movement of the workpiece relative to the spindle along a second axis. A manual controller provides manual control of the quill. An automatic controller provides automatic control of the quill. The automatic controller and the manual controller are cooperable so that the quill can be manually and automatically controlled.
Claims19
A milling machine for milling a workpiece, comprising:
- a lower frame and column portion;
- a knee, coupled to the lower frame and column portion;
- a saddle, coupled to the knee portion;
- a table, coupled to the saddle;
- a ram, coupled to the column portion;
- a head coupled to the ram, the head having a quill and a rotatable spindle and means to rotate the spindle, the table providing movement of the workpiece relative to the spindle along a first axis, and the saddle providing movement of the workpiece relative to the spindle along a second axis;
- manual control means, coupled to the head, for providing manual control of the quill and spindle along a third axis;
- and
- automatic control means, coupled to the head and ram, for providing automatic control of the head, quill, and spindle along the third axis, the automatic control means and the manual control means being independent of one another so that the spindle can be manually and automatically controlled to move along the third axis.
A mill comprising:
- a base having a ram;
- a head assembly mounted to the ram, the head assembly having a quill and a rotatable spindle and means to rotate the spindle;
- manual control means, coupled to the quill and spindle, for providing manual positioning control of the quill and spindle;
- and
- automatic control means, coupled to the head assembly, for providing automatic positioning control of the spindle, the manual control means and the automatic control means being independent of one another so that both are operable simultaneously.
A mill, comprising:
- a base portion having a ram;
- a head assembly having a quill and a rotatable spindle and means to rotate the spindle
- manual control means, coupled to the head assembly, for providing manual control of the quill, the quill having a manual range of motion caused by operation of the manual control means;
- and
- moveable mounting means for movably mounting the head assembly to the ram to provide automatic relative movement of the head assembly with respect to the base portion to provide an automatic range of motion by operation of the movable mounting means, the manual control means and the movable mounting means being operable to provide an increased range of motion of the spindle during a milling operation, the increased range of motion being greater than the manual range of motion and greater than the automatic range of motion.
A knee mill for milling a workpiece, the knee mill comprising:
- a head assembly having a quill and a rotatable spindle and means to rotate the spindle;
- a base and column having a knee, a saddle and a table, the table providing movement of the workpiece along a first axis relative to the head assembly, and the saddle providing movement of the workpiece along a second axis relative to the head assembly;
- a ram extending from an upper portion of the column;
- manual control means, coupled to the head assembly, for providing manual control of relative movement of the spindle with respect to the workpiece along a third axis;
- and
- automatic moveable mounting means for movably mounting the head assembly to the ram to provide automatic movement of the quill, spindle and head assembly relative to the workpiece along the third axis, the manual control means and the automatic movable mounting means both being independently operable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.