# US 9,873,176 B2 · Rotary indexing machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,873,176 B2 - Document ID: US9873176B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/416,668 - Filed: 2013-06-11 - Published: 2015-06-25 - Granted: 2018-01-23 - Earliest claimed: 2012-07-26 - Assignees: WINEMA Maschinenbau GmbH - Applicants: WINEMA Maschinenbau GmbH - Inventors: Eckhard Neth; Lothar Staiger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9873176B2 ## CPC - B23Q 39/042: {with circular arrangement of the sub-assemblies} - B23Q 39/044: {having at least one tool station cooperating with each work holder, e.g. multi-spindle lathes} - Y10T 74/14: Rotary member or shaft indexing, e.g., tool or work turret - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A rotary indexing machine that includes a machining device, that has at least two machining stations and at least one pre-turn station, which are arranged at least substantially on a shared circumference in respectively a circle segment, and a motor unit, that is provided to drive the pre-turn station. The motor unit is arranged at least largely within the circle segment of the pre-turn station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rotary indexing machine comprising: a machining device that has at least two machining stations and at least one pre-turn station configured to, prior to machining a workpiece by the at least two machining stations, perform at least one turning operation on the workpiece, each of the at least two machining stations and the at least one pre-turn station are arranged on one circular circumference and located in different circle segments of the circular circumference; and a motor unit provided to drive the pre-turn station, the motor unit being arranged within the circle segment of the pre-turn station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machining device has at least one second pre-turn station. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least two pre-turn stations are arranged directly next to one another in a circumferential direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A method for operating a rotary indexing machine according to claim 2, wherein, in at least one indexing process, at least one workpiece is displaced in a circumferential direction by at least two circle segments. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second pre-turn station is supported movably along a longitudinal direction of the second pre-turn station. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a shared housing that substantially encloses the motor unit and the second pre-turn station. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-turn station is supported movably along the longitudinal direction of the pre-turn station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one pre-turn stations include a gearing that protrudes from each of the at least one pre-turn stations, and the motor unit has a motor gearing that protrudes from the motor unit and that is arranged at a distance of less than 10 cm from the gearing of the pre-turn station to the motor gearing of the motor unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the motor unit is directly toothed with at least one pre-turn station. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor unit is an external rotor motor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shared housing that substantially encloses the motor unit and the at least one pre-turn station. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the shared housing comprises at least two housing sections, that are in at least one fitted state of the housings detachably connected to one another. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machining device comprises at least five machining stations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circular circumference has a radius of less than 220 mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machining device comprises at least five machining stations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-turn station performs the at least one turning operation on the workpiece prior to separation of the workpiece from a semifinished product. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor unit includes a rotor that encloses a stator and a motor gearing that is engaged in direct contact with a gearing of the pre-turn station. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The rotary indexing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-turn station includes a machining region and a gripper that releasably fixes the workpiece fed to the pre-turn station and turning tools and that performs the at least one turning operation of the workpiece.