US 6,019,554 AGranted

Method and system for computer assisted manual machine tool control

OwnerJiawei Honginventor

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Abstract

A computer assisted manual machine tool system and method for milling, turning and grinding uses a computer model of machine objectives and location feedback signals from the tool to control motion switch means enabling and disabling tool motion. The manual machinist may position a tool to a target position by enabling motion along each controlled axis while the tool's position feedback for that axis is outside of the tolerance specification and disabling motion once the tool is within that tolerance. The machinist may contour within a specified tolerance zone by toggling the motion switch means for each axis to produce motion along that contour. The machinist may pocket by enabling motion while the tool is away from the pocket surfaces and disabling motion when the tool position is within a predetermined distance of any pocket surface.

Claims24

Dependent claims

(a) A manual machine tool system having relative motion of a tool;

(b) first moving means including a hand wheel and a hand wheel drive system connected to the tool and the hand wheel, the hand wheel when manually rotated actuating the hand wheel drive system to move the tool along a first axis;
(c) first sensor means to detect the position of the tool along the first axis and to generate a first axis tool location signal;
(d) second moving means to move the tool along a second axis which is different from the first axis;
(e) second sensor means to detect location of the tool along the second axis and to generate a second axis tool location signal;
(f) a computer based controller to accept machining objectives defining a region in which motion of the tool is prohibited and the tool location signals and to generate therefrom a control signal to disable relative tool motion along at least one axis when a tool location signal indicates that the tool is within the defined region;
characterized in that the machine tool further comprises:
(g) a first electrically controlled motion switch means physically connected to the hand wheel drive system to engage or disengage the hand wheel drive system's connection to the tool and to thereby start or stop the tool's movement along the first axis on receipt of said control signal;
and
(h) a second electrically controlled motion switch means connected to the second moving means to engage or disengage movement of the tool along the second axis on receipt of said control signal.

6 more elements

A machine tool method comprising the steps of providing:

(a) A manual machine tool system having relative tool motion of a tool;
(b) first moving means including a hand wheel and a hand wheel drive system connected to the tool and the hand wheel, the hand wheel when manually rotated actuating the hand wheel drive system to move the tool along a first axis;
(c) first sensor means to detect the position of the tool along the first axis and to generate a first axis tool location signal;
(d) second moving means to move the tool along a second axis which is different from the first axis;
(e) second sensor means to detect location of the tool along the second axis and to generate a second axis tool location signal;
(f) a computer based controller to accept machining objectives defining a region in which motion of the tool is prohibited and the tool location signals and to generate therefrom a control signal to disable relative tool motion along at least one axis when a tool location signal indicates that the tool is within the defined region;
characterized in that the machine tool method further comprises:
(g) electrically controlling a motion switch means physically connected to the hand wheel drive system to engage or disengage the hand wheel drive system's connection to the tool and to thereby start or stop the movement of the tool along the first axis on receipt of said control signal;
and
(h) electronically controlling a motion switch means connected to the second moving means and thereby engaging or disengaging movement of the tool along the second axis on receipt of said control signal.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.