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US 8,770,065 B2Granted
Rotary workpiece indexing method and apparatus
AssigneeColonial Tool Group Inc.
InventorsMircea Petrescu, Tom Tourangeau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary workpiece indexing apparatus including a spindle supported in a housing for rotation about a spindle axis and including a workpiece-mounting surface coaxially disposed at one axial end of the spindle. A spindle lock releasably secures the spindle against rotational motion relative to the housing and includes clamps carried by the housing in circumferentially-spaced locations around the spindle. The clamps are driven to respective clamped positions securing the spindle against rotational motion by clamping the spindle to the housing through the application of clamping forces at respective spaced-apart locations around the spindle.
Claims26
A rotary workpiece indexing apparatus for rotationally indexing a workpiece for machining operations, the apparatus comprising:
- a spindle supported on a housing for rotation about a spindle axis and including a workpiece-mounting surface coaxially disposed at one axial end of the spindle;
- a spindle lock configured to releasably secure the spindle against rotational motion relative to the housing, the spindle lock including clamps carried by the housing in circumferentially-spaced locations around the spindle and configured to be driven to respective clamped positions securing the spindle against rotational motion by clamping the spindle to the housing through the application of clamping forces at respective spaced-apart locations around the spindle;
- a clamping plate comprising an annular engagement surface, the clamping plate being carried by the housing for axial movement along a clamping stroke between a clamped position with the engagement surface of the clamping plate applying clamping pressure to an annular upper engagement surface of the spindle and an unclamped position releasing clamping pressure from the spindle, the spindle lock clamps being connected to the clamping plate and configured to clamp the spindle against the housing by applying force through the engagement surface of the clamping plate to the upper engagement surface of the spindle;
- axially-oriented clamp bolts that engage the clamping plate and are configured to apply generally axially-directed clamping forces to the spindle by drawing the clamping plate against the spindle, the clamp bolts being positioned to apply clamping forces to the clamping plate at circumferentially spaced locations;
- and
- hydraulic cylinders drivingly connected to respective ones of the clamp bolts through clamp bolt cam linkages operatively connected between the cylinders and the bolts and configured to move the bolts in a direction applying clamping force to the spindle through the clamping plate.
3 more elements
A rotary workpiece indexing apparatus for rotationally indexing a workpiece for machining operations, the apparatus comprising:
- a spindle supported on a housing for rotation about a spindle axis and including a workpiece-mounting surface coaxially disposed at one axial end of the spindle;
- a spindle lock configured to releasably secure the spindle against rotational motion relative to the housing, the spindle lock including clamps carried by the housing in circumferentially-spaced locations around the spindle and configured to be driven to respective clamped positions securing the spindle against rotational motion by clamping the spindle to the housing through the application of clamping forces at respective spaced-apart locations around the spindle;
- a clamping plate comprising an annular engagement surface, the clamping plate being carried by the housing for axial movement along a clamping stroke between a clamped position with the engagement surface of the clamping plate applying clamping pressure to an annular upper engagement surface of the spindle and an unclamped position releasing clamping pressure from the spindle, the clamping plate being in sealing contact with a circumferential sealing surface of the spindle, the spindle lock clamps being connected to the clamping plate and configured to clamp the spindle against the housing by applying force through the engagement surface of the clamping plate to the upper engagement surface of the spindle;
- and
- a first o-ring seal disposed between the circumferential sealing surface of the spindle and a circumferential surface of a workpiece-mounting access hole of the clamping plate.
2 more elements
A rotary workpiece indexing apparatus for rotationally indexing a workpiece for machining operations, the apparatus comprising:
- a spindle supported on a housing for rotation about a spindle axis and including a workpiece-mounting surface coaxially disposed at one axial end of the spindle;
- a spindle lock configured to releasably secure the spindle against rotational motion relative to the housing, the spindle lock including clamps carried by the housing in circumferentially-spaced locations around the spindle and configured to be driven to respective clamped positions securing the spindle against rotational motion by clamping the spindle to the housing through the application of clamping forces at respective spaced-apart locations around the spindle;
- a clamping plate comprising an annular engagement surface, the clamping plate being carried by the housing for axial movement along a clamping stroke between a clamped position with the engagement surface of the clamping plate applying clamping pressure to an annular upper engagement surface of the spindle and an unclamped position releasing clamping pressure from the spindle, the clamping plate being in sealing contact with a circumferential sealing surface of the spindle, the spindle lock clamps being connected to the clamping plate and configured to clamp the spindle against the housing by applying force through the engagement surface of the clamping plate to the upper engagement surface of the spindle;
- and
- an o-ring seal disposed between the clamping plate and the housing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.