US 6,598,504 B2Granted

Structure for a machining center

AssigneeTornos SA

InventorsPatrick Schuettel, Michel Frésard

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Abstract

A machining center comprising a frame and, borne by this frame, two devices, referred to as workpiece support devices because each allows a workpiece to be machined to be supported and driven in rotation about a control axis, this machining center being characterized in that: each of the two workpiece support devices is supported by a device for control and for translatory displacement along a first axis, the said devices for control and for translatory displacement being actuated in such a way that each of the workpiece support devices is movable between a position of maximal distance from the opposite support device and a position of maximal bringing closer together with this opposite workpiece support device, the sum of the ranges of possible displacements of the two workpiece support devices being at least equal to the distance which separates the two workpiece support devices when they are placed in their maximal spaced apart position, the main device for holding and for displacement of at least one machining tool is disposed in such a way as to bring about the displacement of this tool at most in a plane which, on the one hand, is orthogonal to the first axis and, on the other hand, is situated between the two workpiece support devices in such a way as to bring about the machining of a workpiece borne by at least one of these workpiece support devices.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A machining center comprising:

a frame;
said frame bearing first and second workpiece support devices, each workpiece support device configured to allow a workpiece to be machined and supported, and driven in rotation about a control axis;
the control axes of said workpiece support devices being aligned along an axis referred to as the first axis;
said workpiece support devices being separated by a predetermined distance, and, oriented to bring about an operation of taking by one of the workpiece support devices of a workpiece driven by the other workpiece support device,
at least one main device holding and displacing at least one machining tool relative to said workpiece support devices in such a way as to allow the machining of a workpiece borne by at least one of the workpiece support devices,
each of the workpiece support devices is supported for control and translatory displacement along the first axis in such a way that the workpiece support devices are movable away from each other and closer to each other, the sum of the ranges of possible displacements of the two workpiece support devices being at least equal to the distance which separates the two workpiece support devices when they are placed in their maximal distance apart,
the main device being disposed to displace a machining tool in a plane which is orthogonal to the first axis, and situated between the workpiece support devices to machine a workpiece borne by at least one of the workpiece support devices.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.