US 6,785,943 B2Granted

Indexing tool turret

AssigneeHardinge Inc.

InventorsTerrence Sheehan, Stephen M. Wightman, Jacek Mierzejewski, Gary Comstock

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Abstract

An indexing tool turret assembly is disclosed including a rotatable indexable turret tooling plate having mounted thereon stationary as well as live tooling. A single drive motor is utilized in order to perform indexing as well as to drive the live tooling. A plurality of live tools can be simultaneously mounted on the turret tooling plate and the single drive motor is selectively engageable with each of the live tools so that only one of the plurality of live tools is driven at a given time. The selective live tool drive train includes an axially movable drive shaft and bevel drive gear for selectively engaging the driven bevel gear of the desired live tool. The axially movable shaft assembly includes a mechanism for adjusting the backlash between the driving and driven bevel gears when these gears are engaged with one another. The turret assembly further includes a clutch for selectively engaging the single drive motor to index the turret tooling plate and a torque limiter provided in the indexing drive train to disengage the indexing drive in the event of a torque overload occurring during indexing.

Claims40

Dependent claims

An indexing tool turret assembly, comprising:

a drive unit;
a tooling plate including a plurality of tool stations for simultaneously supporting a plurality of live tools, wherein the tooling plate is movable between an operating position and an indexing position, wherein the tooling plate is rotatable about a tooling plate axis, wherein the tooling plate has a rotatable tooling plate gear;
an indexing drive train selectively operatively connected between the drive unit and the tooling plate to allow the drive unit to rotate the tooling plate to index one of the plurality of tool stations during an indexing operation when the tooling plate is in the indexing position, wherein the indexing drive train includes an indexing drive train gear engageable with the tooling plate gear, wherein the indexing drive train is laterally spaced from the tooling plate axis;
and
a live tool drive train selectively operatively connected between the drive unit and the indexed tool station to provide drive to the indexed tool station, wherein the live tool drive train provides drive to only the indexed one of the plurality of tool stations at a given time, wherein the live tool drive train includes a rotatable tool drive shaft having a drive gear located on one end, wherein the rotatable tool drive shaft extends in a longitudinal direction and the rotatable tool drive shaft is laterally spaced from the tooling plate axis and the indexing drive train, wherein the drive gear is selectively engageable with one of the plurality of tool stations at a given time, wherein the rotatable tool drive shaft is selectively displaceable in the longitudinal direction via a retracting mechanism between an extended operating position wherein the live tool drive shaft is in operable engagement with one of the tool stations and a retracted indexing position, wherein the drive gear is laterally spaced from the indexing drive train gear, wherein the indexing drive gear is distinct from the live tool drive train.

2 more elements

An indexing tool turret assembly, comprising:

a drive unit;
a tooling plate including a plurality of tool stations for simultaneously supporting a plurality of live tools, wherein the tooling plate is movable between an operating position and an indexing position;
an indexing drive train selectively operatively connected between the drive unit and the tooling plate to allow the drive unit to rotate the tooling plate to index one of the plurality of tool stations during an indexing operation when the tooling plate is in the indexing position;
a live tool drive train selectively operatively connected between the drive unit and the indexed tool station to provide drive to the indexed tool station, wherein the live tool drive train provides drive to only the indexed one of the plurality of tool stations at a given time, wherein the live tool drive train includes a tool drive shaft extending in a longitudinal direction and the tool drive shaft is laterally spaced from the indexing drive train, wherein the tool drive shaft is displaceable in the longitudinal direction between an extended operating position wherein the live tool drive shaft is in operable engagement with one of the tool stations and a retracted indexing position,
wherein the indexing tool turret assembly further comprises
a hub fixedly mounted with respect to the tool turret assembly and having a hub axis, wherein the tooling plate is rotationally mounted on the hub to rotate about the hub axis, wherein the tool driveshaft is rotatable about an axis parallel to and offset from the hub axis, wherein the tool driveshaft includes,
a gear for operatively engaging the drive unit mounted toward a first end of the tool driveshaft, and a bevel gear mounted at a second end of the tool driveshaft for operatively engaging a live tool bevel gear of a live tool mounted at the indexed tool station for transmitting a drive torque from the drive unit to the live tool, wherein the tool driveshaft is selectively axially displaceable along the tool driveshaft axis to selectively engage and disengage the tool driveshaft bevel gear with the live tool bevel gear;
and
a tool driveshaft retracting mechanism connected between a fixed portion of the tool turret assembly and the tool driveshaft to axially displace the tool driveshaft along the tool driveshaft axis, wherein the tool driveshaft retracting mechanism includes a housing, an internal bore at least partially disposed in the housing having a first stepped portion, a piston having a first stepped outer portion, a portion of the piston disposed in the internal bore, the piston connected to the tool driveshaft for axial movement in the internal bore, a first hydraulic chamber formed between the first stepped portion of the internal bore and the first stepped portion of the piston, the first hydraulic chamber operatively selectively connected to a pressurized hydraulic source, such that connecting the first hydraulic chamber to the pressurized hydraulic source causes the piston and the tool driveshaft to move in a first axial direction, a first biasing mechanism connected to the piston for moving the piston and tool driveshaft in a second axial direction upon disconnecting the pressurized hydraulic source from the first hydraulic chamber, wherein the tool driveshaft retracting mechanism further includes a backlash adjusting mechanism for adjusting a backlash between the tool driveshaft bevel gear and the live tool bevel gear, wherein the backlash adjusting mechanism includes:
a collar having a threaded inner axial bore and a lower engaging surface to engage a surface of the drive shaft retracting mechanism housing;
and
a retaining mechanism for retaining the collar in engagement with the housing;
wherein the piston includes a threaded outer portion for threadably engaging the threaded inner bore of the collar and whereby rotation of the collar with respect to the piston varies the threaded engagement and the axial positioning of the piston with respect to the collar to adjust the backlash between the tool driveshaft bevel gear and the live tool bevel gear.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/389,051Filed 2 Sep 1999 · us provisional application
Priority: 4 Sep 1998
Published: US 2001/0039706 A115 Nov 2001
Granted: 7 Sep 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B23Q 39/02
Metal-working machines incorporating a plurality of sub-assemblies, each capable of performing a metal-working operation: the sub-assemblies being…
B23Q 5/10
Rotary shafts, e.g. working-spindles: driven essentially by electrical means
B23Q 16/102
Rotary indexing: with a continuous drive
B23Q 2220/002
Machine tool components: tool turrets