Machine tool

Details Machine tool Machine tool

2001-10-15

2004-01-27

Howell, Daniel W. (Department: 3722)

Gear cutting, milling, or planing

Milling

With means to protect operative or machine

C074S608000, C408S089000, C160S202000, C160S223000, C409S137000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06682276

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine tool having a table adapted to move back and forth with respect to a main spindle on a bed with a workpiece mounted thereon, more particularly to a machine tool having a table adapted to pivot up and down about a pivot shaft extending perpendicularly to the direction of the movement of the table.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One example of a machine tool of the aforesaid type is a vertical machining center
50
as shown in FIG.
5
. As shown, the vertical machining center
50
includes a saddle
53
movable back and forth along the X-axis on a column
52
provided upright on a bed
51
, a spindle head
54
attached to the saddle
53
and vertically movable along the Z-axis, and a rotatable table
55
which is movable back and forth along the Y-axis on the bed
51
. The table
55
is supported pivotally about a pivot shaft extending along the X-axis by a table frame
56
which is movable back and forth along the Y-axis along slideways
57
provided on the bed
51
.
The bed
51
has a center trough
51
a
extending along the Y-axis between the slideways
57
, and a chip conveyer is provided in the center trough
51
a.
Therefore, chips generated by machining of the workpiece fall within the center trough
51
a
and transported away from a machining space by the chip conveyer.
Extendible covers
58
for covering the slideways
57
are attached to the table frame
56
which is movable back and forth along the Y-axis along the slideways
57
on the bed
51
, so that the chips generated by the machining of the workpiece are prevented from adhering on the slideways
57
.
In the vertical machining center
50
, the table
55
per se is adapted to move along the Y-axis, so that a pivot mechanism such as a reduction gear mechanism and a servo motor for rotating the pivot shaft fixed to the table
55
should be mounted on the table frame
56
. Inevitably, cables such as power supply lines for supplying electric power to the pivot mechanism and the servo motor are located within the machining space where the chips are generated. The pivot mechanism including the reduction gear mechanism and the servo motor attached to the table frame
56
may be covered with a cover, but it is impossible to perfectly prevent intrusion of a coolant and the chips.
In order to assuredly introduce the chips generated by the machining of the workpiece into the chip conveyer, the coolant may be sprayed over the periphery of the center trough
51
a
and the table frame
56
. In such a case, there is a high possibility that a cable cover accommodating the cables is exposed to the coolant. This reduces the service life of the cable cover, requiring replacement thereof every several years.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a machine tool which is constructed so that a table pivot mechanism and cables such as power supply lines are protected from chips and a coolant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention to achieve the aforesaid object, there is provided a machine tool of a center trough structure, which comprises: a bed having a trough provided in a widthwise middle portion thereof, and slideways provided thereon on widthwise opposite sides of the trough; a chip conveyer provided in the trough; a rotatable table; a table frame supporting the table pivotally about a pivot axis and movable back and forth along the slideways perpendicularly to the pivot axis of the table on the bed; a pivot mechanism provided on an outer side of the table frame for pivoting the table; and covers attached to the table frame and adapted to be partly extended and partly contracted in directions of the movement of the table frame for covering the slideways and the pivot mechanism.
In the machine tool having the aforesaid construction, the covers adapted to be partly extended and partly contracted in the directions of the movement of the table frame are attached to the table frame so as to cover the table frame slideways and the table pivot mechanism provided on the outer side of the table frame. Therefore, the table pivot mechanism and the table frame slideways are located outside a machining space defined between the covers thereby to be perfectly protected from chips and a coolant in the machining space.
Since the table pivot mechanism is located outside the machining space defined between the covers, cables such as a power supply line connected to a servo motor of the pivot mechanism can be routed outside the machining space. Therefore, not only the pivot mechanism but also the cables can perfectly be protected from the chips and the coolant.
The foregoing and other objects, features and effects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5611137 (1997-03-01), Braun
patent: 5882158 (1999-03-01), Lechleiter et al.
patent: 2003/0113179 (2003-06-01), Yasumatsuya
patent: 2003/0143048 (2003-07-01), Sugata et al.
patent: 2-279249 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 10-328968 (1998-12-01), None

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