Automatic wire electrode feeder for wire electric discharge machining devices

Abstract

An automatic wire feeder of a wire electric discharge machine includes an optical sensor for detecting positional information of a wire electrode in an inserting passage between a feed roller for feeding a wire electrode and an upper wire guide; and a control unit for discriminating a state of vibration or deflection of the wire electrode according to the positional information detected by the optical sensor and also for controlling a feeding and rewinding motion of the feed roller according to a quantity of deflection of the wire electrode. Due to the foregoing, buckling caused by an inserting load in the process of automatic wire connection can be positively detected, and the reliability can be enhanced and further the repetition of connecting the wire again can be reduced.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.