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US 5,855,152 AGranted
Assembly for operating a rotary tool turret of a lathe
AssigneeS&S Tool and Machine Co.
InventorJames R. Clark
Life of this patent
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AssigneeS&S Tool and Machine Co.
InventorJames R. Clark
Estimating the term…
A compressed air valve circuit actuated assembly for operating a rotary tool turret of a lathe is disclosed which includes an actuator movably disposed in a housing and fixedly connected through an opening to the turret. The actuator moves linearly between a recessed position, wherein a first actuator attached ring of spaced apart teeth is closely intermeshed with a second housing attached ring of identical teeth, and an advanced position wherein the rings are decoupled to permit turret and actuator rotation. A series of compressed coil springs confined between the actuator and housing biases the actuator toward the recessed position. Compressed air supplied from the circuit to a housing chamber moves the actuator to the advanced position in opposition to the springs. A cross-piston, disposed in a bore formed in a housing surface portion and movable between start and ending positions, is coupled by an indexing pin to a slot in the actuator only when the actuator is in the advanced position. The circuit actuates the cross-piston to move and, simultaneously, cause the pin to rotate the actuator through a predetermined angle while the actuator is advanced, whereafter, the circuit switches to permit the springs to return the actuator to the recessed position to decouple the pin from the slot. The circuit then return operates to return the cross-piston to the start position to complete an assembly operating cycle.
In combination with a rotary tool turret of a lathe containing a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart tool mounting positions for mounting separate radially projecting tools therein, said turret being rotatable through a predetermined angle to remove one of said tools from an operative position relative to a work piece rotatably held in said lathe to a storage position and to, simultaneously, move a next succeeding one of said tools from a storage position to said operative position, an assembly for operating said turret comprising:
In combination with a rotary turret of a lathe containing a plurality of circumferentially displaced positions for mounting up to a selected maximum number of separate radially projecting tools thereon, wherein said turret can be incremental rotated to bring each one of said tools into an operative position sequentially relative to a work piece held in said lathe, an assembly for operating said turret comprising
An assembly for operating a rotary tool turret comprising
An assembly for operating a rotary tool turret comprising
A method for operating a rotary tool turret, the steps of which comprise
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
Indexing equipment: having means for clamping the relatively movable parts together in the indexed position
With turret mechanism: tool turret
With program control: and tool turret
Lathe: with tool turret
Term ended 18 Dec 2016 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This invention relates broadly to a mechanism for operating the rotary tool turret of a lathe and, more specifically, to a pneumatically actuated tool turret operating assembly for a lathe.
Broadly speaking, pneumatically actuated rotary tool turret operating systems for lathes have long been known and used in the prior art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,847 issued to H. Thumm on Feb. 23, 1993. The prior art system disclosed in the patent to Thumm employs a first rim of teeth fixedly attached relative to a tool turret and a second rim of teeth which is immovable relative to a housing. A locking member is employed which also includes teeth and is arranged for slidable movement between a locking position and an unlocking position by means of an air operated piston. The teeth of the locking member engage the teeth of the first and second rims when in the locking position to immobilize the turret to maintain one of the turret tools in an operative position relative to a work piece held in the lathe. The teeth of the locking member disengage the teeth of at least one of the rims when the locking member is disposed in an unlocked position so that the tool turret can be rotated by a motor and gear train to move another tool mounted on the turret into the operating position in place of a tool which previously occupied that position.
One difficulty that can be encountered using the system of Thumm occurs due to the requirement of a relatively high air pressure on a piston in order to maintain the locking member in engagement with the other two rims of teeth so as render the tool turret immobile. A sudden loss or substantial variation in piston air pressure for any reason can cause the locking member to become decoupled from one or both of the other rims and thus render the turret freely rotatable. If a turret tool happens to be in contact with or in close proximity to a rotating work piece during such an air pressure failure or variation, the system can crash resulting in potentially severe damage to the lathe and even injury to operating personnel who may be present in the work area.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed example and attached drawings upon which, by way of example, only a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated and explained.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a turret lathe having a multi-position tool turret and a compressed air actuated operating assembly, thus illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the tool turret and operating assembly of FIG. 1 having portions torn away to permit internal viewing.
Referring now to the drawing figures and, in particular, to FIG. 1 there is shown, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a turret lathe generally designated 10. Conventional components of the lathe 10 include a head stock 12 which houses a front support frame, a work piece spindle, an electric motor and a gear box, all of well known type and, therefore, not shown. Other conventional components include a carriage 14 movably mounted on a set of ways 16, a longitudinally and manually movable tail stock 18, a rear support frame 20 and a rotatable tool holding turret 22.
A novel tool turret operating assembly, generally designated 24, is mounted on the carriage 14. The turret 22, which, in the present example, is capable of holding up to eight separate tools 26 in eight radially extending slots 27 located around a front face of the turret (only one tool is shown attached to the turret in FIG. 1), is rotatably attached to and supported by the assembly 24. An enclosure 28 containing a novel compressed air valve switching circuit, which circuit is shown in FIG. 10 and generally designated 30, is attached to a rear end of the assembly 24. The circuit 30 of FIG. 10 operates the assembly 24 which assembly, in turn, operates the tool turret 22 to bring a desired one of the tools 26 into operative position for engagement with a work piece, not shown. The work piece is held between the head and tail stocks 12 and 18 in a conventional manner.
Referring in addition to FIGS. 2-9, the mechanical assembly 24 and its various components for operating the turret 22 will now be explained. The assembly 24 includes a rectangularly shaped cast iron housing 32 which is enclosed on an otherwise open rear end thereof by a steel cover plate 34. Within the housing 32 is a generally cylindrically shaped actuator which includes a steel main spindle 36 which is inserted through a close conforming cylindrically shaped bore 37 in a generally cylindrically shaped steel main piston 38 and the main piston. An internally threaded nut 40 is removably secured over a conforming externally threaded rear end portion 41 of the spindle 36 to force a flat washer 42 against a rear facing surface of the piston 38 to assure longitudinal forward movement of the spindle 36 and the surrounding piston 38 in unison within the housing 32 when required. A spring biasing mechanism as later more fully explained urges the piston 38 rearwardly against the washer 42 to assure rearward movement of the spindle 36 and piston 38 in unison when required. An elongated and rectangularly shaped key 44 (See FIGS. 3-4 and 9) is inserted in and between opposing and conforming rectangular slots 45 in the spindle 36 and piston 38 (See particularly FIG. 8) to assure rotational movement of the spindle and piston in unison about their common axial centerline upon command as also later explained.