Gear cutting – milling – or planing – Milling – Including means to infeed rotary cutter toward work
Patent
1992-02-20
1994-10-11
Briggs, William
Gear cutting, milling, or planing
Milling
Including means to infeed rotary cutter toward work
248631, 248654, 408234, 409145, 409216, 409235, 901 22, 901 23, B23C 106, B25J 1100
Patent
active
053541588
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a machine for locating an operator with respect to an object, and more particularly to a versatile machine tool in which the tool can be moved in three lineal directions and three rotational directions in relation to the surface of a workpiece.
The most versatile form of cutting tool type machine tool presently in use is the so-called machining center which typically can accomplish milling, drilling, boring and tapping operations in up to five axes of movement, the three linear orthagonal axes and two rotational directions. Since its introduction over thirty years ago, the machining center's basic components have not changed. They typically include a bed, an upright column and a spindle head carried by the column. A rotary table for holding a workpiece is typically mounted on the bed and provides one of the rotary directions of motion. The column and table move relative to each other for one of the linear directions of motion, the spindle head and table move relative to each other in a vertical direction for a second linear axis of motion, and the spindle head and workpiece move horizontally with respect to each other for the third linear direction of motion. The fifth axis is provided by rotating the spindle head or the work table in a vertical plane relative to each other.
A sixth axis of rotary motion is available in the present machining centers by controlling the angular position of the spindle. The present machining centers may have either a horizontal spindle or a vertical spindle and they typically are controlled by computer numerical control. The machining centers usually have mechanisms for automatically changing tools from and to a magazine of tools associated with the machining center, and will often have automatic workpiece handling as well.
To achieve the full six axes of motions in a present machining center requires that the movements of the table, column, spindle head, spindle, and bed be coordinated and that these sometimes massive components be moved in very controllable finite increments. Because all of these components are being moved, many times simultaneously under computer numerical control, accuracy requires a rigidity to the components and an accurate path through which the components can be moved. This has resulted in the development of more rigid and massive components such as for the bed and column and very expensive and finely formed ways along which the components can travel relative to each other in the linear directions.
Although the modern machining center provides very accurate machining, the machining center becomes very complex and expensive when it is designed to provide the maximum versatility of being able to machine any point on the exposed five surfaces of the typical cubic workpiece.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Instead of being constrained by the typical construction of machine tools as exemplified by the modern machining center, our invention focuses on the ultimate task of bringing a tool to bear against a workpiece. To accomplish this task with the greatest degree of flexibility, our invention has the effect of suspending the spindle in air relative to the workpiece on a plurality of leg-like members that are connected between a support for the workpiece and a support for the spindle. The leg members can be manipulated by a plurality of actuators to position the spindle. The tool being held by the spindle can thereby be brought to bear against any exposed surface of the workpiece because the spindle can be moved through space in three orthagonal linear directions and in three rotational directions about each of the linear axes. Furthermore, all six degrees of freedom of motion are actively controllable in our unique arrangement. This contrasts with the typical machine tool in which several moving parts each have six degrees of freedom of motion and most are not actively controlled. Also unlike the typical machine tool, the sixth axis in our arrangement allows angular orientation of the tool or other operato
REFERENCES:
patent: Re27051 (1971-02-01), Cappel
patent: 2823591 (1958-02-01), Craddock et al.
patent: 3037286 (1962-06-01), Bower et al.
patent: 3577659 (1971-05-01), Kail
patent: 3596153 (1971-07-01), Brainard et al.
patent: 3683747 (1972-08-01), Pettit
patent: 4280285 (1981-07-01), Haas
patent: 4343610 (1982-08-01), Chou
patent: 4360182 (1982-11-01), Titus
patent: 4364540 (1982-12-01), Montabert
patent: 4407625 (1983-10-01), Shum
patent: 4512695 (1985-04-01), Brun et al.
patent: 4536690 (1985-08-01), Belsterling et al.
patent: 4556957 (1985-12-01), Ichikawa
patent: 4569627 (1986-02-01), Simunovic
patent: 4576577 (1986-03-01), Lam et al.
patent: 4578763 (1986-03-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4621926 (1986-11-01), Merry et al.
patent: 4645084 (1987-02-01), Deike
patent: 4651589 (1987-03-01), Lambert
patent: 4723460 (1988-02-01), Rosheim
patent: 4753596 (1988-06-01), Hart et al.
patent: 4776749 (1988-10-01), Wanzenberg et al.
patent: 4806068 (1989-02-01), Kohl et al.
patent: 4819496 (1989-04-01), Shelef
"Milling With Universal Spindles", American Machinist, Jun. 1989.
"A Platform With Six Degrees of Freedom", D. Stewart, The Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Proceedings 1965-1966, pp. 371-394.
"Universal Tyre Test Machine", V. E. Gough & S. G. Whitehall, Proceedings, Ninth International Technical Congress F.I.S.I.T.A. May 1962, pp. 117-137.
Kirkham Edward E.
Konkel Bruce P.
Ostby Lyle D.
Sheldon Paul C.
Briggs William
Kearney & Trecker Corporation
LandOfFree
Six axis machine tool does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Six axis machine tool, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Six axis machine tool will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1654475