Metal working – Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for... – Common reciprocating support for spaced tools
Patent
1983-05-04
1986-09-30
Bilinsky, Z. R.
Metal working
Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...
Common reciprocating support for spaced tools
29 26A, 29 485A, 294263, 408 35, 409211, B23Q 3157
Patent
active
046140204
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a mechanism and a method for automatically changing tools, and more particularly to such an automatic tool changing mechanism and method suitable for application to an apparatus in which a spindle and a tool magazine are rotated by a single spindle motor.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Automatic tool changing (hereinafter referred to as "ATC") functions are capable of automatically detaching a tool from a spindle and mounting a new tool on the spindle without manual intervention based on a tool change command, there being included a tool magazine storing a plurality of tools. A conventional ATC apparatus with such an ATC function has a complex mechanism for rotating the tool magazine to index to a desired new tool. An ATC apparatus as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,251, for example, converts movement of a spindle mechanism along a Z-axis into intermittent rotation of a tool magazine for changing tools. However, such a construction is complicated, and it takes a long period of time for tools to be changed as one reciprocating motion of the spindle mechanism in the direction of the Z-axis corresponds only to an angular displacement of the tool magazine for a single tool pitch.
There is another ATC apparatus in which a tool magazine is rotated by a separate motor for a tool changing operation. This apparatus however is large in size and costly to construct.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic tool changing method and apparatus which is simple, capable of changing tools in a short period of time, and less costly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic tool changing method and apparatus with no need for a separate motor for rotating a tool magazine.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of automatically changing tools in an automatic tool changing apparatus having a first gear on a spindle mechanism and a second gear on a tool magazine which is brought into mesh with the first gear for changing tools, the method being capable of bringing the first and second gears into a proper meshing relation with each other and of preventing the gears from being damaged due to incomplete gear meshing or failure of gear meshing.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic tool changing method capable of indexing tools with high precision.
There is disclosed an automatic tool changing method for an apparatus including a spindle mechanism having at least a spindle and a first gear rotatable in unison with the spindle; a spindle motor for rotating the spindle; a tool magazine having at least a storage unit for storing a plurality of tools, a second gear rotatable in unison with the storage unit, and a slider slidably mounted on the spindle mechanism; a Z-axis motor for moving the spindle mechanism in the direction of the Z-axis; a constraining member for constraining the tool magazine against movement thereof in the direction of the Z-axis and a rotation control circuit for controlling the indexing. During a machining operation, the first and second gears are brought out of mesh with each other, and the spindle is rotated by the spindle motor at a prescribed speed to enable a tool mounted on the spindle to machine a workpiece. For changing tools, the first and second gears are held in mesh with each other, and the spindle motor is rotated by the control circuit to index to a desired new tool.
According to this automatic tool changing method, there is no need for a separate motor for rotating the tool magazine, and a new tool can be indexed in a short period of time with high precision through a simple construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic tool changing apparatus into which an automatic tool changing method according to the present invention can be incorporated;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a new-tool indexing circuit;
FIG. 3 is a block
REFERENCES:
patent: 2544617 (1951-03-01), Shankweller
patent: 3520228 (1970-07-01), Wohlfeil
patent: 4223579 (1980-09-01), Stark et al.
patent: 4237595 (1980-12-01), Kitamura
European Search Report, Application EP No. 79302205.4.
Supplementary European Search Report, Application EP No. 82902742.
European Patent Application No. 0088133 (claims only).
Fujioka Yoshiki
Kawada Shigeki
Bilinsky Z. R.
Fanuc Ltd
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