Gear cutting – milling – or planing – Milling – With detachable or auxiliary cutter support to convert...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-05-22
Howell, Daniel W. (Department: 3722)
Gear cutting, milling, or planing
Milling
With detachable or auxiliary cutter support to convert...
C409S215000, C409S230000, C409S233000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234731
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an angle spindle attachment with an automatic tool chucking device that is operable with a different angle with respect to a axis of a spindle unit of a machine tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Angle spindle attachments for spindle units are known in the prior art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,739.
FIG. 6
shows a conventional angle spindle attachment that is connected to a spindle unit of a machine tool in a vertical orientation. The angle spindle attachment has a housing
1
in which an angle head spindle
2
(referred to as a spindle shaft
2
hereinafter) is rotatably mounted via bearings. The spindle shaft
2
is driven for rotation by a drive shaft
3
included in the spindle unit of the machine tool through a angle gear train including of a pair of bevel gears
4
,
5
mounted on the drive shaft
3
, spindle shaft
2
respectively. A draw bar assembly
6
is mounted in the spindle shaft
2
that includes a tool holder gripping means such as a collet
7
. The draw bar assembly
6
is generally biased by belleville springs
8
to an gripping position so as to hold the tool holder in a tapered bore of the spindle shaft
2
. When the draw bar
6
is forced downward by a cylinder
9
with a rod
10
connected thereto, as viewed in
FIG. 6
, against the bias of the belleville springs
8
, the collet
7
is moved form the gripping position to a releasing position indicated by two-dot chain lines
7
a
to remove the tool holder from the spindle shaft
2
.
A problem and disadvantage of the prior art angle spindle attachment is that the tool holder must be attached or removed to/from the spindle shaft
2
by a operator manually. A further problem with the prior art is that draw bar assembly
6
and the cylinder
9
increases inconveniently a axial length L of the housing
1
inconveniently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact angle spindle attachment capable of permitting an automatic tool changing operation.
With the foregoing object in view, an angle spindle attachment for a spindle unit of a machine tool that carries out machining in a direction different from a axial direction in which a drive shaft of the spindle unit extends comprises a spindle shaft for mounting a tool detachably; a housing for mounting the spindle shaft rotatably such that the spindle shaft is oriented to a different direction with respect to the drive shaft of the spindle unit; a gear train for transmitting the drive power of the spindle unit to the spindle shaft of the angle spindle attachment; a collet means for retaining and releasing the tool that is movable between a position for retaining the tool and a position for releasing the tool so as to interlock the rotation of the spindle shaft; and a switching means for switching the collet means between a operative condition to permit the tool to be retained and released and an inoperative condition for mounting the tool undetachably.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2987969 (1961-06-01), Morton
patent: 3163081 (1964-12-01), Vickers
patent: 4671712 (1987-06-01), Sellner et al.
Howell Daniel W.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
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