Machine tool

Details Machine tool Machine tool

2001-12-18

2003-12-02

Fridie, Jr., Willmon (Department: 3722)

Turning

Lathe

C082S132000, C082S149000, C082S123000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06655246

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a machine tool for the machining of a workpiece by way of a relative movement between the workpiece and a tool, comprising a machine frame, a support arranged on the machine frame and having a first receiving means for the workpiece or the tool, a cross slide system arranged on the machine frame and having a second receiving means for the tool or the workpiece. The second receiving means which can be moved by the cross slide system relative to the first receiving means in the direction of two cross slide movement axes extending transversely to one another in a movement zone of a cross slide movement surface determined by maximum paths in these cross slide movement directions.
Machine tools of this type are known from the state of the art. In these cases, the cross slide system is constructed such that it has a first slide, which can be moved only in a first cross slide movement direction and can be driven by a drive, and a second slide which is arranged on the first slide and is guided and can be driven only in the direction of a second cross slide movement direction.
With such cross slide systems, large masses are, on the one hand, to be moved so that either the speeds which can be achieved must be low or the drive power high and, on the other hand, inaccuracies in the guidance and any guidance play present are added together, which results in an impairment of the precision of the movement of the second receiving means relative to the first.
The object underlying the invention is therefore to improve a machine tool of the generic type with respect to the characteristics of the cross slide system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a machine tool of the type described above, in that the cross slide system comprises two slide elements. One of the slide elements is supported on the machine frame and the other slide element bears the second receiving means. The slide elements are guided so as to be movable on one another by a single two-dimensional guide means movable in the direction of both cross slide movement axes. This guide means determines the precision of the guidance of the second receiving means parallel to the cross slide movement surface. A drive device is provided, which enables the slide element bearing the second receiving means to be moved and fixed in position relative to the other slide element in the two cross slide movement directions with a defined alignment of the slide elements relative to one another.
The advantage of the inventive solution is that, as a result of providing a single two-dimensional guide means, the problems with respect to precision and play are reduced and, moreover, the masses to be moved can be reduced since it is no longer necessary to also move guide means and drive for the second moved slide on the first moved slide.
Furthermore, a sufficiently large base for the guide means of the second receiving means in relation to the machine frame and thus a large guidance rigidity can be achieved with the inventive solution in a simple manner.
A two-dimensional guide means of this type may be realized in a particularly simple manner when a first one of the slide elements has at least one guide surface extending parallel to the cross slide movement surface and when a second one of the slide elements is supported on this guide surface with at least one supporting element.
In this respect, it is particularly expedient when the guide surface has an areal (surface) extension in the direction of the cross slide movement directions which corresponds at least to the surface extension of the movement zone.
As a result of such a guide surface, which can, for example, be machined as a flat surface with the highest precision, the precision of the two-dimensional guide means can be achieved in a simple manner.
In order to ensure as stable a support as possible of the slide element bearing the second receiving means, it is preferably provided for the first slide element to have two guide surfaces arranged at a distance from one another.
With respect to the surface extension of the area of the guide surface which is acted upon with a force during the guidance of the slide element bearing the second receiving means, many embodiments are conceivable. In principle, it would be conceivable to allow the surface extension of the area acted upon with a force to vary, for example, dependent on the relative position of the slide elements in relation to one another.
However, since the precision of guidance of the slide elements could be impaired as a result, it is particularly advantageous when the surface extension of the area of the guide surface acted upon with a force is approximately the same size in all the positions of the slide elements relative to one another.
The surface extension of the area of the guide surface acted upon with a force may be kept constant in a particularly simple manner when this is predetermined by the design of the supporting element and when the surface extension of the guide surface is of such a size that in all the positions of the slide elements relative to one another the supporting element acts on the guide surface with the predetermined surface extension.
When several supporting elements are used, there is the problem of the alignment of the several supporting elements relative to one another and relative to the guide surface.
For this purpose, it is provided in one advantageous embodiment for at least one of the supporting elements to be adjustable relative to the second slide element.
A constructionally preferred solution provides for the supporting element to be designed as a supporting bar.
The guidance of the second slide element on the first slide element having the guide surface may be brought about in a variety of ways. For example, it would be conceivable to provide the second slide element with a guide surface and roller members resting thereon as supporting element so that the roller members, with which the guide surfaces are supported on one another, act between the two guide surfaces, wherein the roller members can roll along the guide surfaces in both cross slide movement directions.
In an alternative example embodiment, the at least one guide surface extending parallel to the cross slide movement surface may be designed as at least one sliding surface and the second slide element may be guided by at least one sliding support surface of the supporting element resting on the at least one sliding surface so as to be non-tiltable relative to the cross slide movement surface but displaceable therein two-dimensionally.
The advantage of this solution is that the necessity of providing roller members is dispensed with and large forces acting on the guide surface can also be absorbed in a simple manner. Moreover, the sliding guidance has the advantage of a considerable attenuation.
In order to keep the area of the sliding surface acted upon with a force the same size, in particular, in the case of a sliding surface as guide surface and a support surface acting on this sliding surface, it is preferably provided for the sliding support surface to have a smaller surface extension than the sliding surface and for the sliding support surface to rest on the sliding surface over its entire area in each position of the slide elements relative to one another.
The support surface may be held on an adjustable supporting element so that a precise adjustment of the guidance at the sliding surface is possible with this adjustable supporting element, in particular, when several support surfaces are provided.
A particularly favorable solution with respect to the support for the second receiving means provides for the supporting element to be arranged on the slide element bearing the second receiving means. This solution has the advantage that the supporting element is always arranged at a constant distance from the second receiving means in all the positions of the slide element bearing the second receiving means. Therefore the slide

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