Tool changing – Process
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2001-12-04
Briggs, William (Department: 3722)
Tool changing
Process
C483S041000, C483S051000, C483S053000, C483S062000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325748
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool transfer device for machine tools designed to transfer a next-process tool that is taken out from a tool magazine, where a multiplicity of tools are accommodated and held, to a tool changing position by a transfer pot.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In some machine tools equipped with a tool changer, in order to enable production of a variety of product types with continuous automatic operation, a rack type tool magazine for accommodating and holding therein a multiplicity of tools is disposed on one side of the machine body with the tools directed perpendicular to the axis of the spindle, while a tool transfer device is mounted for transferring a next-process tool from the tool magazine to a tool changing position where the tool is positioned parallel to the axis of the spindle.
One such a tool transfer device has generally been provided having the following structure. That is, a transfer pot that is driven by a horizontal moving unit and a vertical moving unit is disposed on the spindle side of the tool magazine. A next-process tool accommodated in the tool magazine is taken out and moved horizontally by the transfer pot, thereby it is transferred up to a stroke end position. At the stroke end position, the next-process tool is moved over by being pulled out from the transfer pot and inserted into a tilting standby pot. The tilting standby pot is tilted by a tilting device such as a cylinder mechanism so that the next-process tool is positioned to a tool changing position where the tool is parallel to the axis of the spindle. Then, the next-process tool in this tool changing position and a process-completed tool in the spindle are automatically exchanged by the tool changer.
However, in this conventional tool transfer device where the next-process tool is tilted to the tool changing position by the tilting device after being moved over from the transfer pot into the tilting standby pot, there are problems that a loss of tool transfer time is involved. Further the cost of the device increases due to the additional requirement for a driving source for the tilting operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been obtained by considering these and other problems of the prior art. An object of the invention is to provide a tool transfer device for machine tools capable of reducing the tool transfer time and also reducing the cost of the apparatus by eliminating the need for any additional driving source for the tools.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tool transfer device for machine tools, comprising a tool magazine disposed adjacent to a spindle having a tool mounted thereon. The tool magazine serves to accommodate and hold therein a multiplicity of tools so that the tools are held so that their longitudinal axes are directed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the spindle. A transfer pot is set on a spindle side of the tool magazine and the transfer pot is driven and moved by a horizontal moving unit and a vertical moving unit. The next-process tool accommodated in the tool magazine can be removed from the tool magazine and transferred horizontally to a stroke end position by the transfer pot. The next-process tool is tilted at the stroke end position to a tool changing position where the longitudinal axis of the next-process tool is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spindle. The tool transfer device comprises a tool tilting mechanism constructed and arranged for tilting the next-process tool to the tool changing position by horizontal movement of the horizontal moving unit to the stroke end position.
In one embodiment, there is provided a tool transfer device for machine tools as described above, wherein the tool tilting mechanism comprises a tilted cam member set on the transfer pot, and a tilting cam member fixedly set near the stroke end position and serving for tilting the transfer pot so that the next-process tool is positioned to the tool changing position, while making sliding contact with the tilted cam member by horizontal movement of the transfer pot.
In another embodiment, a tool transfer device for machine tools as described above is provided, wherein the tool tilting mechanism comprises a link mechanism for swingably coupling the vertical moving unit with the horizontal moving unit, and guide rails for tilting the vertical moving unit by horizontal movement of the horizontal moving unit so that the next-process tool is positioned in the tool changing position.
In another embodiment, a tool transfer device for machine tools as described above is provided, wherein the transfer pot comprises an upper portion and a lower portion that are vertically movable relative to each other. The tool is gripped by vertical movement of the upper portion and the lower portion.
In another embodiment, a tool transfer device for machine tools as described above is provided, wherein the tool magazine comprises a vertical path and a horizontal path for transferring tools. The horizontal path is provided near the vertical center of the tool magazine.
In the tool transfer device according to the present invention, since the tool tilting mechanism for tilting the next-process tool to the tool changing position by horizontal movement of the horizontal moving unit to the stroke end position is provided, the next-process tool can be tilted by making use of the driving force of the horizontal moving unit that transfers the next-process tool up to the stroke end position. Thus, the need for a conventional driving source such as a cylinder mechanism can be eliminated, producing an advantage that a parts count can be reduced and a cost reduction can be achieved.
Also, since the next-process tool is tilted directly from the perpendicular-to-spindle position to the parallel-to-spindle position with the driving force of the horizontal moving unit, there is the advantage that the tool transfer time can be shortened when compared to the conventional case where the next-process tool is moved over from the transfer pot to the tilting standby pot. This feature contributes to an increase in the tool changing time.
In another embodiment, the tilted cam member is disposed on the transfer pot. The tilting cam member which, while keeping sliding contact with the tilted cam member, tilts transfer pot to the tool changing position disposed near the stroke end position. Therefore, there is an advantage that the tool tilting mechanism can be fulfilled by a simple structure without using any driving source and it can be achieved and implemented with low cost.
In another embodiment, the vertical moving unit is swingably coupled to the horizontal moving unit via the link mechanism. Further, guide rails are provided for tilting the next-process tool to the tool changing position as a whole of the vertical moving unit by horizontal movement of the horizontal moving unit. Therefore, there a further advantage can be achieved in that the tool tilting mechanism can be fulfilled using a simple structure without using any driving sources and thus it can be implemented with a low cost.
In another aspect of the invention, since the transfer pot is composed of an upper portion and a lower portion and since the tool is gripped by vertical movement of the upper portion and the lower portion, an additional advantage can be achieved. Specifically, the need for axial movement of the tool in taking out the tool from the tool magazine can be eliminated so a space savings relative to this unnecessary structure can be obtained.
In another aspect of the invention, since the horizontal path is provided near the vertical center of the tool magazine, an advantage can be obtained by shortening the tool transfer distance, compared with the conventional case where the tool is retreated to the upper end position of the tool magazine and then it is horizontally moved from this upper-end retreat position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3161951 (1964-12-01), Anthony
patent: 3780423 (1973-12-01),
Nakai Masateru
Watanabe Michio
Yamamoto Tatsuya
Briggs William
Mori Seiki Co. Ltd.
Smith Patent Office
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