Gear cutting – milling – or planing – Milling – Machine frame
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-03-20
Howell, Daniel W. (Department: 3722)
Gear cutting, milling, or planing
Milling
Machine frame
C408S234000, C409S185000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203256
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vertical cutting metal-working machine, and more specifically to a column and Z-axis slide mounting arrangement for a vertical cutting metal-working machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A regular cutting metal-working machine, as shown in
FIG. 1
, is comprised of a work table
3
, a column
1
vertically disposed at one side of the work table
3
, a longitudinal slide mounted on the work table
3
and adjusted in Y-axis direction, a cross slide
4
mounted on the longitudinal slide to hold the workpiece to be processed and adjusted in X-axis direction, a vertical slide
2
mounted on the column
1
and adjusted in Z-axis direction, and a rotary tool holder
21
mounted in the vertical slide
2
to hold a metal cutting tool. Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the vertical slide
2
comprises two parallel rails
221
bilaterally longitudinally raised from its back side wall and defining a longitudinal coupling groove
22
, and a longitudinal coupling flange
222
of smoothly arched cross section raised from its back side wall on the middle between the parallel rails
221
. The longitudinal coupling flange
222
defines a longitudinal coupling hole
223
for coupling to drive means. The column
1
comprises a vertical track
11
of T-shaped cross section formed integral with its front side wall and connected to the work table
3
at right angles, and a longitudinal coupling groove
12
longitudinally formed at the front side wall of the vertical track
11
on the middle. During assembly process, the longitudinal coupling flange
22
of the vertical slide
2
is inserted into the coupling groove
12
at the vertical track
11
of the column
1
, enabling the vertical track
11
to be inserted into the longitudinal coupling groove
22
of the vertical slide
2
, then two locating plates
23
are respectively securely fastened to the parallel rails
221
of the vertical slide
2
and disposed in contact with the vertical track
11
at a back side, enabling the vertical slide
2
to be secured to and moved along the vertical track
11
, and then the longitudinal center mounting hole
223
of the longitudinal coupling flange
222
of the vertical slide
2
is fixedly connected to a driving device
13
(for example a screw rod, hydraulic cylinder, etc.), for enabling the vertical slide
2
to be moved up and down along the vertical track
11
by the driving device
13
. Further, wearing pads
24
are securely mounted on the vertical track
11
and respectively disposed in contact with the locating plates
23
, enabling the locating plates
23
to be smoothly moved with the vertical slide
2
along the vertical track
11
. This column and vertical slide (Z-axis slide) mounting arrangement has numerous drawbacks as outlined hereinafter.
1. Because the vertical slide
2
is a heavy metal frame having a heavy rotary tool holder
21
in it and, because the vertical slide
2
(the longitudinal coupling groove
22
) has a limited height, the vertical slide
2
tends to vibrate when moved along the vertical track
11
. In order to eliminate this problem, the height of the vertical slide
2
may be made relatively greater. However, the vertical stroke of the tool is relatively shortened if the height of the vertical slide
2
is made relatively greater without increasing the vertical length of the vertical track
11
of the column
1
.
2. Because the two locating plates
23
are respectively securely fastened to the parallel rails
221
of the vertical slide
2
to support the vertical slide
2
on the vertical track
11
, the locating plates
23
tend to be forced to deform, causing the vertical slide
2
unable to be smoothly moved along the vertical track
2
.
3. Because the locating plates
23
are separately made and then respectively fastened to the rails
221
of the vertical slide
2
to support the vertical slide
2
on the vertical track
11
, the coupling precision between the vertical slide
2
and the vertical track
11
is difficult to be accurately controlled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a column and Z-axis slide mounting arrangement which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a column and Z-axis mounting arrangement which is practical and durable in use. A column and Z-axis slide mounting arrangement includes a column vertically disposed at one side of the work table of a vertical cutting metal-working machine, and a Z-axis slide coupled to the column to hold a rotary tool holder and a tool at the rotary tool holder, wherein the column has a vertical sliding groove at a front side wall thereof; the Z-axis slide has a coupling block formed integral with a back side wall thereof and protruded over a bottom side wall and coupled to the vertical sliding groove at the column, the coupling block having a mounting hole connected to a driving device for enabling the Z-axis slide to be moved up and down along the vertical sliding groove by the driving device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 21002 (1858-01-01), Hinds
patent: 3587391 (1971-06-01), Pitts
patent: 3752596 (1973-08-01), Weyand et al.
patent: 3998127 (1976-12-01), Romeu
patent: 4382728 (1983-05-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4534093 (1985-08-01), Jahnke et al.
patent: 4621407 (1986-11-01), Suzuki
patent: 5263800 (1993-11-01), Chen
patent: 5669867 (1997-09-01), Hoppe
patent: 5893690 (1999-04-01), Haninger
A & J
Howell Daniel W.
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