Spindle apparatus

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle:
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the lubricating device pressurizes the lubricant supplied from the lubricating pump via the pipe, so that the pressurized lubricant is injected from the nozzle by its own pressure without air,
• wherein the lubricating device includes:
• the lubricating pump having a larger discharge quantity than that from the nozzle;
• and
• a switch valve interposed in the pipe for connecting the pump and the nozzle, the switch valve shutting off the pipe to stop the discharging of the lubricant from the nozzle when a discharge oil pressure from the pump is less than a predetermined pressure, the switch valve opening the pipe to allow the lubricant supplied from the pump to be discharged from the nozzle during a given period of time when the discharge oil pressure from the pump is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure, the switch valve repeatedly executing the series of operations.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle:
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the lubricating device includes:
• the lubricating pump having a larger discharge quantity than that from the nozzle;
• and
• a switch valve interposed in the pipe for connecting the pump and the nozzle, the switch valve shutting off the pipe to stop the discharging of the lubricant from the nozzle when a discharge oil pressure from the pump is less than a predetermined pressure, the switch valve opening the pipe to allow the lubricant supplied from the pump to be discharged from the nozzle during a given period of time when the discharge oil pressure from the pump is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure, the switch valve repeatedly executing the series of operations,
• wherein the switch valve includes:
• a fixed member having a fixed sliding contact surface;
• and
• a rotary member having a movable sliding contact surface to be closely contactable with the fixed sliding contact surface, and rotating the movable sliding contact surface in sliding contact with the fixed sliding contact surface about an axial line perpendicular to the fixed sliding contact surface, and wherein on the circumference of the fixed sliding contact surface with the axial line as the center thereof, the fixed sliding contact surface of the fixed member defines a discharge hole to be connected to the pump and an oil feed hole to be connected to the nozzle, and wherein on the circumference of the movable sliding contact surface with the axial line as the center thereof, the movable sliding contact surface of the rotary member defines an arc-shaped slit having a center angle larger than at least a center angle formed between the discharge hole and oil feed hole.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle;
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the lubricating device includes:
• the lubricating pump having a larger discharge quantity than that from the nozzle;
• and
• a switch valve interposed in the pipe for connecting the pump and the nozzle, the switch valve shutting off the pipe to stop the discharging of the lubricant from the nozzle when a discharge oil pressure from the pump is less than a predetermined pressure, the switch valve opening the pipe to allow the lubricant supplied from the pump to be discharged from the nozzle during a given period of time when the discharge oil pressure from the pump is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure, the switch valve repeatedly executing the series of operations,
• wherein the switch valve includes:
• a fixed member having a fixed sliding contact surface;
• and
• a rotary member having a movable sliding contact surface to be closely contactable with the fixed sliding contact surface, and rotating the movable sliding contact surface in sliding contact with the fixed sliding contact surface about an axial line perpendicular to the fixed sliding contact surface,
• wherein the fixed sliding contact surface of the fixed member defines a plurality of oil feed holes to be connected to the nozzle on the circumference of the fixed sliding contact surface with the axial line as the center thereof and a discharge hole to be connected to the pump at the position of the axial line, and wherein the movable sliding contact surface of the rotary member defines a slit extending along the radial direction of the rotary member from the axial line position to the position of the oil feed hole.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle;
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a give at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the lubricating device includes:
• the lubricating pump having a larger discharge quantity than that from the nozzle;
• and
• a switch valve interposed in the pipe for connecting the pump and the nozzle, the switch valve shutting off the pipe to stop the discharging of the lubricant from the nozzle when a discharge oil pressure from the pump is less than a predetermined pressure, the switch valve opening the pipe to allow the lubricant supplied from the pump to be discharged from the nozzle during a given period of time when the discharge oil pressure from the pump is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure, the switch valve repeatedly executing the series of operations,
• wherein the switch valve includes:
• a fixed member having a fixed sliding contact surface;
• and
• a slide member having a movable sliding contact surface to be closely contactable with the fixed sliding contact surface and reciprocating the movable sliding contact surface in a linear direction in sliding contact with the fixed sliding contact surface with respect to the fixed sliding contact surface, wherein the fixed sliding contact surface of the fixed member defines a plurality of discharge holes to be connected to the pump in such a manner as to be spaced from each other in the linear direction, and wherein the movable sliding contact surface of the slide member defines a plurality of oil feed holes to be connected to the nozzle in such a manner as to be arranged in the linear direction at the same intervals as the discharge holes.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle;
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the lubricating device includes:
• the lubricating pump having a larger discharge quantity than that from the nozzle;
• and
• a switch valve interposed in the pipe for connecting the pump and the nozzle, the switch valve shutting off the pipe to stop the discharging of the lubricant from the nozzle when a discharge oil pressure from the pump is less than a predetermined pressure, the switch valve opening the pipe to allow the lubricant supplied from the pump to be discharged from the nozzle during a given period of time when the discharge oil pressure from the pump is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure, the switch valve repeatedly executing the series of operations,
• wherein the switch valve includes:
• a cylindrical-shaped stator having a fixed sliding contact surface on an inner surface thereof;
• and
• a rotor having a rotary sliding contact surface on an outer surface thereof to be closely contacted with the fixed sliding contact surface and rotating while the rotary sliding contact surface is in sliding contact with the fixed sliding contact surface, wherein the fixed sliding contact surface of the stator defines a plurality of oil feed holes to be connected to the nozzle in such a manner as to be spaced from each other around the inner surface of the stator, and wherein the rotary sliding contact surface of the rotor defines a discharge hole to be connected to the pump in such a manner as to be arranged around the outer periphery of the rotor at the same axial position as the oil feed holes.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle:
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the lubricating apparatus discharges a given quantity of lubricant in accordance with on and off of oil pressure applied thereto, and the lubricating apparatus comprises:
• a pump for switching on and off the pressure of oil to be discharged to a hydraulic main pipe;
• a discharge cylinder having a discharge piston therein, the discharge cylinder defines an oil supply chamber formed on one end side of the discharge piston in the moving direction thereof and a hydraulic chamber formed on the other end side of the discharge piston, the oil supply chamber being connected to a discharge port for the pipe, the hydraulic chamber being connected to the hydraulic main pipe, the discharge piston being disposed so as to be energized toward the hydraulic chamber side by a spring;
• a three-way valve connected to the hydraulic main pipe, an oil supply passage to be connected to the oil supply chamber, and an oil storage passage, for allowing the hydraulic main pipe and the oil storage passage to communicate with each other when the oil pressure is switched on and, on the other hand, when the oil pressure is switched off and the oil pressure from the oil storage passage is given to the three-way valve, for allowing the oil storage passage and the oil supply passage to communicate with each other;
• and,
• an oil storage cylinder having an oil storage piston therein, the oil storage cylinder defines an oil storage chamber formed on one end side of the oil storage piston in the moving direction thereof for connecting to the oil storage passage, the oil storage piston being disposed so as to be energized toward the oil storage chamber side by a spring.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle;
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the rolling bearing comprises at least two rolling bearings, and wherein the lubricating device further comprises a multi-distribution mechanism interposed between the lubricating pump and the nozzle, for distributively supplying the lubricant from the lubricating pump to the rolling bearings, respectively,
• wherein the multi-distribution mechanism includes:
• a distribution housing having lubricant supply holes annularly disposed, the number of which corresponds to the number of distribution, and a center flow passage formed in the center of the annularly disposed lubricant supply holes;
• a rotor valve rotatably contactable with the distribution housing to bring a flow passage into communication with the lubricant supply holes sequentially, the rotor valve having a groove serving as the flow passage and extending from the center of rotation thereof up to a diameter position larger than a pitch circle diameter at the positions of the lubricant supply holes;
• and
• a motor for rotating the rotor valve.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle;
• a rolling bearing for supporting the spindle;
• and
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing,
• wherein the rolling bearing comprises at least two rolling bearings, and wherein the lubricating device further comprises a multi-distribution mechanism interposed between the lubricating pump and the nozzle, for distributively supplying the lubricant from the lubricating pump to the rolling bearings, respectively,
• wherein the multi-distribution mechanism comprises:
• a distribution housing having lubricant supply holes, the number of which corresponds to the distribution number;
• a rotor valve rotatably contactable with the distribution housing to bring a flow passage into communication with the lubricant supply holes sequentially;
• a shaft for rotationally driving the rotor valve;
• a spring member for energizing the shaft toward the rotor valve side;
• and
• a thrust bearing for supporting the shaft in a freely rotatable manner.

A spindle apparatus comprising:

• a spindle:
• a plurality of rolling bearings for rotatably supporting the spindle;
• a lubricating device operable to intermittently discharge a lubricant from a nozzle to the rolling bearing, the lubricating device discharging the lubricant supplied from a lubricating pump via a pipe at a predetermined speed sufficient for the lubricant to reach a surface of the rolling bearing to be lubricated while overcoming an air curtain caused by rotation of the rolling bearing;
• an inner housing for covering the outside of the rolling bearings, the inner housing having a nozzle frame disposed therein;
• and
• an outer housing for covering the outside of the spindle apparatus, wherein the pipe is arranged so as to extend from the lubricating device to the nozzle frame through a communication hole for supply of lubricant formed in the outer housing along the axial direction thereof and also through an opening formed in the inner housing,
• wherein the inner housing comprises:
• a first inner housing to which the outer rings of the rolling bearings are to be fixed;
• and
• a second inner housing including an insertion portion for storing therein the first inner housing in the axial direction thereof, wherein the inside diameter of the insertion portion of the second inner housing is set larger than the outside diameter of the first inner housing.