Turning – Process of turning
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-14
2001-07-10
Tsai, Henry (Department: 3722)
Turning
Process of turning
C082S118000, C082S124000, C082S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257108
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work transfer method and a work transfer apparatus in a machine tool with a movable main spindle (i.e., movable spindle type machine tool) and a machining system therefor. In this machine tool, a headstock for rotatably supporting the spindle may move at least in an axial direction (Z-axis direction) of the spindle and in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle. The work transfer apparatus serves to transfer a work (workpiece) in and out. The machine tool receives and sends the work between a chuck provided at a lower end of the spindle and the apparatus for transferring the work.
2. Related Art
A work changer for changing works for the machine tool with the movable main spindle as related art (Japanese Patent Application No. 9-362060, i.e., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-170101) has been proposed. In this work changer, two or four portions for placing the works are formed in parallel with each other in a horizontal plane, and these portions for placing the works (work placement portions) are rotated or moved back and forth.
Also, other related arts such as a work feeder in the machine tool with the movable main spindle (Japanese Patent Application No. 9-297774, i.e., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-114701) and a work stocker (Japanese Patent Application No. 10-48840, i.e., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-226801) have been proposed. In the work feeder and the work stocker, a plurality of portions for placing the works are rotated in a horizontal plane to thereby feed the work to the machine tool or remove it from the machine tool.
In any piece of the above-described related art, the plurality of work placement portions on which the works are to be laid are not arranged in the two stages in the vertical direction but in the horizontal plane. As a result, an apparatus for moving the work placement portions tends to be enlarged. In particular, in the case where the works having a large diameter are to be transferred, the work placement portions become large in physical size.
Also, a headstock of the machine tool moves in the X-axis direction to perform the operation to receive a work which has not been machined, after a work that has been machined is laid on the work placement portion within a work receiving/sending region. When the headstock performs the receiving/sending operation of the work, the distance of movement in the X-axis direction of the headstock tends to be elongated.
Thus, not only may an apparatus for transferring the work itself be enlarged but also it is necessary that the headstock be moved in the X-axis direction to perform the work receiving/sending operations, accordingly, this leads to an enlargement of the machine tool as a whole.
As a result, it is difficult to use in common the machine tool for machining the work having a large diameter and the machine tool for machining a standard size work. Also, as a result of the enlargement of the work transfer apparatus and the operation of movement of the headstock, it tends to take long time for changing the works.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the above-noted defects, an object of the present invention is to provide a work transfer method in a machine tool with a movable main spindle, an apparatus therefor and a machining system in which the work transfer apparatus for transferring a work is made compact to downsize the machine tool with the movable spindle as a whole, thereby reducing a work changing time.
In order to attain this and other object, according to the present invention, there is provided a work transfer method for transferring a work to a machine tool with a movable main spindle in which a headstock for rotatably supporting the main spindle moves at least in an axial direction of the spindle and in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the spindle, the work is transferred to the machine tool and is received/sent between a work transfer apparatus and a chuck provided at a lower end of the spindle, the method comprising the following steps of: disposing a machined work transfer portion for laying and transferring a machined work sent from the chuck on a machined work placement portion in an upper stage or a lower stage of a non-machined work transfer portion for laying and transferring a non-machined work for being receipt by the chuck on a non-machined work placement portion; moving the non-machined work placement portion between a non-machined work receiving position for the chuck to receive the non-machined work for machining the work in the machine tool and a work loading position for loading the non-machined work; and moving the machined work placement portion between a machined work sending position for the chuck to lay and send the machined work which has been machined by the machine tool, the machined work sending position being located in upper or lower position of the non-machined work receiving position, and a work unloading position for unloading the machined work, whereby the reception/release of the work is performed between the chuck and the apparatus for transferring the work.
In order to perform the above-described method, it is preferable to provide a work transfer apparatus for transferring a work to a machine tool with a movable main spindle in which a headstock for rotatably supporting the main spindle moves at least in an axial direction of the spindle and in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the spindle, and receiving/sending the work in cooperation with a chuck provided at a lower end of the spindle, the apparatus comprising: a work transfer apparatus base provided at a predetermined position in the vicinity of a machine body of the machine tool; a non-machined work transfer portion provided on the base for laying a non-machined work, which is to be received by the chuck, on a non-machined work placement portion and for transferring the non-machined work; and a machined work transfer portion provided on the base and disposed in an upper stage or a lower stage of the non-machined work transfer portion for laying a machined work, which has been sent from the chuck, on a machined work placement portion and for transferring the machined work, wherein the non-machined work placement portion of the non-machined work transfer portion moves between a non-machined work receiving position where the chuck receives the non-machined work to be machined by the machine tool and a work loading position where the non-machined work is loaded, and wherein the machined work placement portion of the machined work transfer portion moves between a machined work sending position, located above or below the non-machined work receiving position, where the chuck sends the machined work of which a machining operation is effected by the machine tool and a work unloading position where the machined work is unloaded, whereby the reception/release of the work is performed between the chuck and the apparatus for transferring the work.
In the above-described method and apparatus, it is also preferable that the non-machined work receiving position and the machined work sending position are located on a movement path of the headstock, and the movement path is directed in parallel with a direction perpendicular to the axis of the spindle.
Incidentally, it is preferable that the machined work transfer portion is located in the upper stage and the non-machined work transfer portion is located in the lower stage.
Also, preferably, the non-machined work transfer portion and the machined work transfer portion are provided on the base to be overlapped substantially with one on the other. The non-machined work placement portion and the machined work placement portion are moved in the same direction.
The machined work transfer portion is provided so as to straddle the non-machined work transfer portion upwardly and outwardly so that the non-machined work transfer portion and the machined work transfer portion do not interfere
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Hitachi Seiki Co., Ltd.
Tsai Henry
LandOfFree
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