Tool magazine for machine tool

Abstract

A tool magazine disclosed is fundamentally the same in construction as a corresponding prior art tool magazine but is capable of handling tools of diameters greater than those of tools which can be handled by the prior art tool magazine. The tool magazine comprise a magazine body provided with an endless guide groove, and a plurality of tool pots each for holding a tool, fixedly provided with guide members engaging the endless guide groove for sliding movement along the guide groove. Idlers are disposed between and in contact with adjacent tool pots, respectively, and supported in the endless guide groove so as to move along the endless guide groove. A feed mechanism moves the tool pots and the idlers along the endless guide groove with the idlers in contact with the guide members of the adjacent tool pots, respectively. The idlers are substantially the same in shape and dimensions as the guide members. The surface of each guide member is coated with an abrasion-resistant film having a small coefficient of dynamic friction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.