CA1236279A - Replaceable gang head machine tool - Google Patents
Replaceable gang head machine toolInfo
- Publication number
- CA1236279A CA1236279A CA000468864A CA468864A CA1236279A CA 1236279 A CA1236279 A CA 1236279A CA 000468864 A CA000468864 A CA 000468864A CA 468864 A CA468864 A CA 468864A CA 1236279 A CA1236279 A CA 1236279A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cylinder
- working unit
- rail
- pressure fluid
- movable rail
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
- B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
- B23Q3/157—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling of rotary tools
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
- B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
- B23Q2003/1558—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling involving insertion or removal of other machine components together with the removal or insertion of tools or tool holders
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Automatic Tool Replacement In Machine Tools (AREA)
- Drilling And Boring (AREA)
- Fluid-Pressure Circuits (AREA)
- Actuator (AREA)
- Machine Tool Units (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A replaceable gang head machine tool, comprising a machine base, a slide table arranged to be movable in front and rear directions, a working unit having a driving electric motor, and an annular rail comprising a front mov-able rail and a rear stationary rail provided around the working unit, plural gang heads disposed around the annular rail and supported thereon and turnable along on the annular rail by an index table provided there above so that any desired one of the gang heads may be selected thereby to be positioned on the movable rail, the movable rail and the working unit being interconnected through a telescopic arm comprising a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston mounted in the cylinder and urged toward its contract-ing side by a spring and a source of pressure fluid con-nected through a communication passage to the cylinder of the telescopic arm so that the arm may be pushed toward its contracting side by the pressure fluid supplied into the cylinder.
A replaceable gang head machine tool, comprising a machine base, a slide table arranged to be movable in front and rear directions, a working unit having a driving electric motor, and an annular rail comprising a front mov-able rail and a rear stationary rail provided around the working unit, plural gang heads disposed around the annular rail and supported thereon and turnable along on the annular rail by an index table provided there above so that any desired one of the gang heads may be selected thereby to be positioned on the movable rail, the movable rail and the working unit being interconnected through a telescopic arm comprising a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston mounted in the cylinder and urged toward its contract-ing side by a spring and a source of pressure fluid con-nected through a communication passage to the cylinder of the telescopic arm so that the arm may be pushed toward its contracting side by the pressure fluid supplied into the cylinder.
Description
~36;~7~
This invention relates to a replaceable gang head machine tool.
A machine tool of this type is disclosed, for in-stance, in Japanese unexamined Patent Application Public--lion Show 53 (197~) - 115992 or U.S. Patent 4,216,572. The machine tool has a machine base, aside table movable in front and rear directions, a working unit having a driving electric motor, and an annular rail comprising a front move able rail and a rear stationary rail is provided around the working unit. A plurality of gang heads are disposed around the annular rail and supported thereon, and are arranged to be turntable along on the annular rail by an index table provided there above so that any desired one of the gang heads may be selected to be positioned on the movable rail, and thus if the working unit is then advanced from its no-treated end position, the selected gang head on the movable rail is advanced therewith together with the movable rail for applying a predetermined working operation thereof to a workups set in front thereof.
In this case, in the course of advance of the work-in unit, the movable rail must be stopped together with the selected gang head supported thereon at such a position that the working unit is advanced slightly from its retreated end position, in order to join the working unit to the selected gang head.
275~
To satisfy -this requirement, there has been hitherto proposed an arrangement in which the movable rail and the working unit are interconnected through a telescopic arm, Wesley colllpriSeS
a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston rrloun-ted ion the cylinder and which is urged to its contracted position by a spring. this arrangement, however, is inconvenient in that, if the working unit is advanced relative to the movable rail, the spring is brought into such a condition that a length thereof is increased and accordingly a resilient force thereof is decreased, and consequently i-t is inevitable that the movable rail tends -to be movies more or less forwards.
According to -the present invention -there is provided a replaceable gang head machine -tool having a machine base on which is provided, -through a reciprocable slide -table, a working unit having a driving electric motor; an annular rail made-up by a front movable rail and a rear stationary rail provided around the working unit; end gang heads disposed around the annular rail and supported -thereon so as to be turntable around a circle, moving along -the annular rail, by an index table provided there above so that any desired one of -the gang heads may be selectively post-toned on the movable rail; the movable rail and the working unit being interconnected through a telescopic arm which comprises a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston mounted in the cylinder and which is urged to contract by a spring; and -there beirlg earthier provided a supply source of pressure fluid con-rlectecl through a communication passage to -the cylinder of -the telescopic arm so -that the arm may be urged to contract by pros-sure fluid supplied to -the cylinder.
This invention relates to a replaceable gang head machine tool.
A machine tool of this type is disclosed, for in-stance, in Japanese unexamined Patent Application Public--lion Show 53 (197~) - 115992 or U.S. Patent 4,216,572. The machine tool has a machine base, aside table movable in front and rear directions, a working unit having a driving electric motor, and an annular rail comprising a front move able rail and a rear stationary rail is provided around the working unit. A plurality of gang heads are disposed around the annular rail and supported thereon, and are arranged to be turntable along on the annular rail by an index table provided there above so that any desired one of the gang heads may be selected to be positioned on the movable rail, and thus if the working unit is then advanced from its no-treated end position, the selected gang head on the movable rail is advanced therewith together with the movable rail for applying a predetermined working operation thereof to a workups set in front thereof.
In this case, in the course of advance of the work-in unit, the movable rail must be stopped together with the selected gang head supported thereon at such a position that the working unit is advanced slightly from its retreated end position, in order to join the working unit to the selected gang head.
275~
To satisfy -this requirement, there has been hitherto proposed an arrangement in which the movable rail and the working unit are interconnected through a telescopic arm, Wesley colllpriSeS
a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston rrloun-ted ion the cylinder and which is urged to its contracted position by a spring. this arrangement, however, is inconvenient in that, if the working unit is advanced relative to the movable rail, the spring is brought into such a condition that a length thereof is increased and accordingly a resilient force thereof is decreased, and consequently i-t is inevitable that the movable rail tends -to be movies more or less forwards.
According to -the present invention -there is provided a replaceable gang head machine -tool having a machine base on which is provided, -through a reciprocable slide -table, a working unit having a driving electric motor; an annular rail made-up by a front movable rail and a rear stationary rail provided around the working unit; end gang heads disposed around the annular rail and supported -thereon so as to be turntable around a circle, moving along -the annular rail, by an index table provided there above so that any desired one of -the gang heads may be selectively post-toned on the movable rail; the movable rail and the working unit being interconnected through a telescopic arm which comprises a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston mounted in the cylinder and which is urged to contract by a spring; and -there beirlg earthier provided a supply source of pressure fluid con-rlectecl through a communication passage to -the cylinder of -the telescopic arm so -that the arm may be urged to contract by pros-sure fluid supplied to -the cylinder.
- 2 -Z7~
In -this arrangement, the pressure fluid charged in the cylinder is liable to become more or less a load on the working unit in the course of moving the working unit to its retracted end position. This invention has for a secondary object to provide a foregoing type of machine tool which is free from this inconvenience. In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a detecting means for detecting a no-treated end position of the working unit and an advanced position thereof which is closer to the movable rail of the working unit so that the telescopic arm may be changed over between such a condition that when the detecting means is in its operative condition, the cylinder thereof is connected to the supply source, so that the pressure fluid is supplied into the cylinder, and such a condition that, when the detect-in means is in its inoperative condition, the cylinder there-of is connected to the exterior, so that the pressure fluid is discharged from the cylinder.
The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the machine tool according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, with a working unit thereof in its advanced condition;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of -the same partly omitted;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view, partly in section, of an important portion thereof;
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. I
Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view thereof, with the working unit being in a slightly advanced condition thereof;
Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of a pressure fluid thereof; and Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the operation thereof.
.
~23~ I
Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 denotes a machine base. The machine base 1 is provided thereon, through a slide table 3 arranged to be movable in front and rear directions by an oil pressure operated cylinder 2 or the like, with a working unit 5 having a driving electric motor 4. An annular rail 8 comprising a front movable rail 6 and a rear stationary rail 7 is provided around the working unit 5, and plural gang heads 9,9..... are disposed around -the annular rail 8 and supported thereon. In addition, these gang heads 9,9..... are arranged to be turntable along - on the annular rail 8 by an index table 10 provided there-above so that any desired one of the gang heads 9,9.... may be selected to be positioned on the movable rail 6. Thus, if the working unit 5 is advanced from its retracted end position, the selected gang head 9 on the movable rail 6 may be advanced therewith together with the movable rail 6 for applying a predetermined working operation thereof to a work-piece set on a jig base 11 provided in front thereof.
The working unit 5 is fixedly provided on the table 3 through a working unit casing pa provided on its periphery, and, in the illustrated example, there are disk posed a pair of upper and lower annular rails 8,8 and the pair of the upper and lower movable rails 6,6 thereof are interconnected through a connecting bracket pa, and the pair of I
the upper and lower stationary rails 7, 7 thereof are interconnected through a machine frame pa and are fixed through the machine frame pa to the machine base 1 Each movable rail 6 and each working unit 5 are inter-connected, as shown clearly in jig. 4, through each telescopic arm 15 which comprises a cylinder 13 and a piston rod 14 extending from-a piston aye mounted in the cylinder 13 and is urged toward its contract-in side by a spring 12 so that the movable rail 6 may be movable through a slide engagement of the telescopic arm 15 with the working unit 5 and may be urged towards the unit 5 side, that is, rearward by the spring 12.
In the illustrated example, a pair of the telescopic arms 15 are so disposed on the right and left lateral sides at an upper level and another pair of the telescopic arms 15 are disposed on the right and left lateral sides at a lower level. In addition, as shown clearly in jig. 4, each arm 15 is so constructed that the cylinder 13 thereof is fixed to the working unit 5 and the piston rod 14 thereof is fixed to the movable rail 6, and the spring 12 thereof is provided in the cylinder 13 through a spacer 16 and a spring seat 17 which are provided in the cylinder 13 in front of the spring 12 so that the spring 12 may serve to push the piston rod 14 rearward.
The above arrangement is not especially different from that in the conventional apparatus.
According to this invention, as shown clearly in jig. 7, for instance, there is provided a supply source 18 of a pressure ~Z362~7~
fluid such as a pressure air, a pressure oil or the like and the supply source 18 is connected through a communication passage aye to the cylinder 13 of the telescopic arm 15 so that the arm 15 may be pushed toward its contracting side by the pressure fluid supplied into the cylinder 13.
In the illustrated example, there is used as the pressure fluid a pressure air, and the communication passage aye for introducing the pressure air is provided with a regulator 24 so that the pressure of the pressure fluid may be always kept.
constant.
If the working unit 5 is moved from its retracted end position as shown in Fig. 4 and jig. 5 to its slightly advanced position , which is closer to the movable rail 6 as shown in jig. 6, the telescopic arm 15 is changed from a condition shown in jig. 8 to a condition shown in jig. 9. tamely, the cylinder 13 of the arm 15 its advanced together with the working unit 5 along on the piston rod 14, and in accordance therewith the spring 12 is more or less expanded to result in a decrease in its resilient force as shown in jig. 9, but on this occasion the cylinder 13 is increased in its internal volume and at the same time such an amount of the pressure fluid that corresponds thereto is supplied from the supply source lc8 into the cylinder I and thereby the cylinder 13 can be always kept in such a condition that the same is filled with the pressure fluid, and thus, in turn, the arm 15 is always kept in such a condo-lion that the same is pushed toward its contracting side by that pressure fluid. In other words, the movable rail 6 is always applied with the pushing force of the fluid pros-sure, so that problems with -the conventional apparatus in which the movable rail is liable to be moved more or less forwards can be eliminated.
It is desirable, in this arrangement, that the pressure fluid in the cylinder 13 be discharged therefrom, as an occasion demands, so as not to become an unnecessary load. Namely, with this arrangement, when the working unit 5 is moved from the slightly advanced position shown in Fig.
9 to the retracted end position, it is unavoidable that the internal volume of -the cylinder 13 is decreased as shown in Fig. 8, and such an amount of the pressure fluid that eon-responds thereto is discharged from the cylinder to the exterior through the regulator 24, and consequently a nests-lance to this discharge at the time of this discharging becomes more or less a load on the retracting operation of the working unit, and it is desirable to remove this nests-lance.
According to a second feature of this invention, to meet this need, there is provided a detecting means 19 to detect when the working unit 5 is at its retracted end post-lion and the working unit 5 is at its advanced position there-of, which is closer to the movable rail 6, so that -the telescopic arm 15 may be changed over between such a condo-lion -that, when the detecting means 19 is in its operative condition, the cylinder 13 is connected to the supply source 18 and as a result, the pressure fluid is supplied into the cylinder 13, and such a condition that, when -the detective means 19 is in its inoperative condition, the cylinder 13 is connected to the exterior, and as a result the pressure fluid is discharged from the cylinder 13.
More in detail, as shown clearly in Fig. 7, a changeover valve 20 is interposed in the communication ~23~ I
passage aye so that the cylinder 13 may be selectively con-netted to either the supply source 18 or an external air open side 21 open to the atmosphere, and the detecting means 19 comprises a micro-valve for effecting a changeover control of the changeover valve 20, and is so provided to cooperate with a dog 22 arranged to be movable in front and rear directions along with the working unit 5.
Namely, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, for instance, the detecting means 19 is provided on the machine frame pa side and the dog 22 is provided on the slid able table side, so that when the working unit 5 is located at the retracted end position as shown in Fig. 5 or at the slightly advanced position as shown in Fig. 6, the detecting means 19 is no-leased by the dog 22 and moves to its operative condition, and by such an operation of the changeover valve 20 that is made in conjunction with the operative condition thereof, the cylinder 13 is brought into communication with the supply source 18 to be supplied with the pressure fluid, but when the working unit 5 is located at an intermediate position between the foregoing two position, the detecting means 19 is pushed by the dog 22 to its inoperative condition, and by such an operation of the changeover valve 20 that is made in conjunction with the inoperative condition thereof, the cylinder 13 is brought into communication with the external air open side 21 for allowing the pressure fluid in the cylinder 13 to be discharged therefrom to the exterior.
To explain further in detail, as shown clearly in Figs. 4-6, the changeover valve 20 is provided on, for in-stance, the working unit 5, and has an inlet opening boa which is in communication with the supply source 18, an outlet opening 20b which is in communication with each of the cylinders 13 through a manifold 23, and a discharge opening 20c which is in communication with the external air open side 21, and has also a connecting tube 20d I I
extending to the micro-valve 19 for controlling the change-over valve 20.
As mentioned before, the communication passage 18 for introducing the pressure fluid, for instance, the pros-sure air is provided with the regulator 24 in order that the internal pressure may be always kept constant. A passage for supplying a pressure fluid, for instance, pressure oil, to the cylinder 2 is provided with a relief valve 25 in order that the internal pressure may be always kept constant.
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained as follows:-In the ordinary condition, the working unit 5 is located at its retracted end position a little apart from the movable rail 6 as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.
When the working unit 5 is in this position, the detecting means 19 is in its operative condition and accordingly the cylinder 13 is supplied and filled with the pressure fluid as shown in Fig. 8, so that the telescopic arm 15 is urged toward its contracted position not only by the spring 12 but also by the pressure fluid. In other words, the movable rail 6 its strongly pushed rearward by the spring 12 and the pressure fluid to be firmly connected to the stationary rail 7.
Accordingly, though, under this firm connective condition, any desired one of the gang heads 9 is turned to move to the position on the movable rail 6, and during this turning operation a centrifugal force generated due to a moorer less large weight of the gang head 9 is acted on the rail 6, the rail 6 can be prevented from being advanced unneces~
aridly.
When -the working unit 5 is then advanced to its ~3~;2~
intermediate position, the detecting means 19 is brought into its inoperative condition for discharging the pressure fluid from the cylinder and thereafter when the working unit 5 is advanced to reach its slightly advanced position as shown, for instance, in Fig. 6, the detecting means 19 is again brought into its operative condition for again intro-during the pressure fluid into the cylinder. Thus, in the slightly advanced position, the movable rail 6 is again pushed by both the spring 12 and the pressure fluid as shown, for instance, in Fig. 9, and thereby the gang head 9 on the movable rail 6 is immovably restrained at that position, together with the rail 6, and under this condition the work-in unit 5 and the gang head 9 can be joined together.
Thereafter, if the working unit 5 is further advanced, the gang head 9 is advanced with the working unit under the joined condition for a predetermined operation on the work-piece. In this example, a mechanical clamp mechanism 26 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 may be provided, as an coca-soon demands, which can be simultaneously operated.
If the working unit 5 is retracted together with the gang head 9 from the working position, the same becomes again in such a condition as shown in Fig. 6. If the working unit 5 is further retracted from this condition, -the detect-in means 19 is once brought into its inoperative condition and thereby the cylirlder 13 is brought into such a condition that the same is connected to the open side 21 and the pros-sure fluid previously charged therein is discharged there-from.
Consequently, under the liquid discharge condition, the arm 15 is in such a condition that the same is acted on only by the spring 12 toward its contracting side, so that the same can be expanded with comparatively little force.
Namely, when the working unit 5 is further retracted, the telescopic arm 15 does not become a large load on the working ~6;~7~
unit 5. When the working unit 5 is returned to its retracted end position, the telescopic arm 15 is again brought into such a condition that the same is supplied with the pros-sure fluid, as shown in Fig. 8, for instance, so as to be ready for the next operation.
Thus, the -telescopic arm interconnecting -the move able rail and the working unit is so arranged that the pros-sure fluid may be introduced into the cylinder thereof, and thereby the arm may be pushed both by the pressure fluid and -the spring toward its contracting side, so that there can be removed the foregoing disadvantage with the conventional type, wherein the arm is urged only by a spring, and also there can be obtained a good connection between the movable rail and the working unit.
According to the second feature of this invention, it is so arranged that the pressure fluid may be once disk charged from the cylinder while the working unit is being moved from a slightly advanced position to its retracted end position, so that the pressure fluid does not become a load on the working unit and consequently the working unit can make a light retracting movement.
In -this arrangement, the pressure fluid charged in the cylinder is liable to become more or less a load on the working unit in the course of moving the working unit to its retracted end position. This invention has for a secondary object to provide a foregoing type of machine tool which is free from this inconvenience. In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a detecting means for detecting a no-treated end position of the working unit and an advanced position thereof which is closer to the movable rail of the working unit so that the telescopic arm may be changed over between such a condition that when the detecting means is in its operative condition, the cylinder thereof is connected to the supply source, so that the pressure fluid is supplied into the cylinder, and such a condition that, when the detect-in means is in its inoperative condition, the cylinder there-of is connected to the exterior, so that the pressure fluid is discharged from the cylinder.
The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the machine tool according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, with a working unit thereof in its advanced condition;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of -the same partly omitted;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view, partly in section, of an important portion thereof;
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. I
Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view thereof, with the working unit being in a slightly advanced condition thereof;
Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of a pressure fluid thereof; and Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the operation thereof.
.
~23~ I
Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 denotes a machine base. The machine base 1 is provided thereon, through a slide table 3 arranged to be movable in front and rear directions by an oil pressure operated cylinder 2 or the like, with a working unit 5 having a driving electric motor 4. An annular rail 8 comprising a front movable rail 6 and a rear stationary rail 7 is provided around the working unit 5, and plural gang heads 9,9..... are disposed around -the annular rail 8 and supported thereon. In addition, these gang heads 9,9..... are arranged to be turntable along - on the annular rail 8 by an index table 10 provided there-above so that any desired one of the gang heads 9,9.... may be selected to be positioned on the movable rail 6. Thus, if the working unit 5 is advanced from its retracted end position, the selected gang head 9 on the movable rail 6 may be advanced therewith together with the movable rail 6 for applying a predetermined working operation thereof to a work-piece set on a jig base 11 provided in front thereof.
The working unit 5 is fixedly provided on the table 3 through a working unit casing pa provided on its periphery, and, in the illustrated example, there are disk posed a pair of upper and lower annular rails 8,8 and the pair of the upper and lower movable rails 6,6 thereof are interconnected through a connecting bracket pa, and the pair of I
the upper and lower stationary rails 7, 7 thereof are interconnected through a machine frame pa and are fixed through the machine frame pa to the machine base 1 Each movable rail 6 and each working unit 5 are inter-connected, as shown clearly in jig. 4, through each telescopic arm 15 which comprises a cylinder 13 and a piston rod 14 extending from-a piston aye mounted in the cylinder 13 and is urged toward its contract-in side by a spring 12 so that the movable rail 6 may be movable through a slide engagement of the telescopic arm 15 with the working unit 5 and may be urged towards the unit 5 side, that is, rearward by the spring 12.
In the illustrated example, a pair of the telescopic arms 15 are so disposed on the right and left lateral sides at an upper level and another pair of the telescopic arms 15 are disposed on the right and left lateral sides at a lower level. In addition, as shown clearly in jig. 4, each arm 15 is so constructed that the cylinder 13 thereof is fixed to the working unit 5 and the piston rod 14 thereof is fixed to the movable rail 6, and the spring 12 thereof is provided in the cylinder 13 through a spacer 16 and a spring seat 17 which are provided in the cylinder 13 in front of the spring 12 so that the spring 12 may serve to push the piston rod 14 rearward.
The above arrangement is not especially different from that in the conventional apparatus.
According to this invention, as shown clearly in jig. 7, for instance, there is provided a supply source 18 of a pressure ~Z362~7~
fluid such as a pressure air, a pressure oil or the like and the supply source 18 is connected through a communication passage aye to the cylinder 13 of the telescopic arm 15 so that the arm 15 may be pushed toward its contracting side by the pressure fluid supplied into the cylinder 13.
In the illustrated example, there is used as the pressure fluid a pressure air, and the communication passage aye for introducing the pressure air is provided with a regulator 24 so that the pressure of the pressure fluid may be always kept.
constant.
If the working unit 5 is moved from its retracted end position as shown in Fig. 4 and jig. 5 to its slightly advanced position , which is closer to the movable rail 6 as shown in jig. 6, the telescopic arm 15 is changed from a condition shown in jig. 8 to a condition shown in jig. 9. tamely, the cylinder 13 of the arm 15 its advanced together with the working unit 5 along on the piston rod 14, and in accordance therewith the spring 12 is more or less expanded to result in a decrease in its resilient force as shown in jig. 9, but on this occasion the cylinder 13 is increased in its internal volume and at the same time such an amount of the pressure fluid that corresponds thereto is supplied from the supply source lc8 into the cylinder I and thereby the cylinder 13 can be always kept in such a condition that the same is filled with the pressure fluid, and thus, in turn, the arm 15 is always kept in such a condo-lion that the same is pushed toward its contracting side by that pressure fluid. In other words, the movable rail 6 is always applied with the pushing force of the fluid pros-sure, so that problems with -the conventional apparatus in which the movable rail is liable to be moved more or less forwards can be eliminated.
It is desirable, in this arrangement, that the pressure fluid in the cylinder 13 be discharged therefrom, as an occasion demands, so as not to become an unnecessary load. Namely, with this arrangement, when the working unit 5 is moved from the slightly advanced position shown in Fig.
9 to the retracted end position, it is unavoidable that the internal volume of -the cylinder 13 is decreased as shown in Fig. 8, and such an amount of the pressure fluid that eon-responds thereto is discharged from the cylinder to the exterior through the regulator 24, and consequently a nests-lance to this discharge at the time of this discharging becomes more or less a load on the retracting operation of the working unit, and it is desirable to remove this nests-lance.
According to a second feature of this invention, to meet this need, there is provided a detecting means 19 to detect when the working unit 5 is at its retracted end post-lion and the working unit 5 is at its advanced position there-of, which is closer to the movable rail 6, so that -the telescopic arm 15 may be changed over between such a condo-lion -that, when the detecting means 19 is in its operative condition, the cylinder 13 is connected to the supply source 18 and as a result, the pressure fluid is supplied into the cylinder 13, and such a condition that, when -the detective means 19 is in its inoperative condition, the cylinder 13 is connected to the exterior, and as a result the pressure fluid is discharged from the cylinder 13.
More in detail, as shown clearly in Fig. 7, a changeover valve 20 is interposed in the communication ~23~ I
passage aye so that the cylinder 13 may be selectively con-netted to either the supply source 18 or an external air open side 21 open to the atmosphere, and the detecting means 19 comprises a micro-valve for effecting a changeover control of the changeover valve 20, and is so provided to cooperate with a dog 22 arranged to be movable in front and rear directions along with the working unit 5.
Namely, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, for instance, the detecting means 19 is provided on the machine frame pa side and the dog 22 is provided on the slid able table side, so that when the working unit 5 is located at the retracted end position as shown in Fig. 5 or at the slightly advanced position as shown in Fig. 6, the detecting means 19 is no-leased by the dog 22 and moves to its operative condition, and by such an operation of the changeover valve 20 that is made in conjunction with the operative condition thereof, the cylinder 13 is brought into communication with the supply source 18 to be supplied with the pressure fluid, but when the working unit 5 is located at an intermediate position between the foregoing two position, the detecting means 19 is pushed by the dog 22 to its inoperative condition, and by such an operation of the changeover valve 20 that is made in conjunction with the inoperative condition thereof, the cylinder 13 is brought into communication with the external air open side 21 for allowing the pressure fluid in the cylinder 13 to be discharged therefrom to the exterior.
To explain further in detail, as shown clearly in Figs. 4-6, the changeover valve 20 is provided on, for in-stance, the working unit 5, and has an inlet opening boa which is in communication with the supply source 18, an outlet opening 20b which is in communication with each of the cylinders 13 through a manifold 23, and a discharge opening 20c which is in communication with the external air open side 21, and has also a connecting tube 20d I I
extending to the micro-valve 19 for controlling the change-over valve 20.
As mentioned before, the communication passage 18 for introducing the pressure fluid, for instance, the pros-sure air is provided with the regulator 24 in order that the internal pressure may be always kept constant. A passage for supplying a pressure fluid, for instance, pressure oil, to the cylinder 2 is provided with a relief valve 25 in order that the internal pressure may be always kept constant.
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained as follows:-In the ordinary condition, the working unit 5 is located at its retracted end position a little apart from the movable rail 6 as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.
When the working unit 5 is in this position, the detecting means 19 is in its operative condition and accordingly the cylinder 13 is supplied and filled with the pressure fluid as shown in Fig. 8, so that the telescopic arm 15 is urged toward its contracted position not only by the spring 12 but also by the pressure fluid. In other words, the movable rail 6 its strongly pushed rearward by the spring 12 and the pressure fluid to be firmly connected to the stationary rail 7.
Accordingly, though, under this firm connective condition, any desired one of the gang heads 9 is turned to move to the position on the movable rail 6, and during this turning operation a centrifugal force generated due to a moorer less large weight of the gang head 9 is acted on the rail 6, the rail 6 can be prevented from being advanced unneces~
aridly.
When -the working unit 5 is then advanced to its ~3~;2~
intermediate position, the detecting means 19 is brought into its inoperative condition for discharging the pressure fluid from the cylinder and thereafter when the working unit 5 is advanced to reach its slightly advanced position as shown, for instance, in Fig. 6, the detecting means 19 is again brought into its operative condition for again intro-during the pressure fluid into the cylinder. Thus, in the slightly advanced position, the movable rail 6 is again pushed by both the spring 12 and the pressure fluid as shown, for instance, in Fig. 9, and thereby the gang head 9 on the movable rail 6 is immovably restrained at that position, together with the rail 6, and under this condition the work-in unit 5 and the gang head 9 can be joined together.
Thereafter, if the working unit 5 is further advanced, the gang head 9 is advanced with the working unit under the joined condition for a predetermined operation on the work-piece. In this example, a mechanical clamp mechanism 26 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 may be provided, as an coca-soon demands, which can be simultaneously operated.
If the working unit 5 is retracted together with the gang head 9 from the working position, the same becomes again in such a condition as shown in Fig. 6. If the working unit 5 is further retracted from this condition, -the detect-in means 19 is once brought into its inoperative condition and thereby the cylirlder 13 is brought into such a condition that the same is connected to the open side 21 and the pros-sure fluid previously charged therein is discharged there-from.
Consequently, under the liquid discharge condition, the arm 15 is in such a condition that the same is acted on only by the spring 12 toward its contracting side, so that the same can be expanded with comparatively little force.
Namely, when the working unit 5 is further retracted, the telescopic arm 15 does not become a large load on the working ~6;~7~
unit 5. When the working unit 5 is returned to its retracted end position, the telescopic arm 15 is again brought into such a condition that the same is supplied with the pros-sure fluid, as shown in Fig. 8, for instance, so as to be ready for the next operation.
Thus, the -telescopic arm interconnecting -the move able rail and the working unit is so arranged that the pros-sure fluid may be introduced into the cylinder thereof, and thereby the arm may be pushed both by the pressure fluid and -the spring toward its contracting side, so that there can be removed the foregoing disadvantage with the conventional type, wherein the arm is urged only by a spring, and also there can be obtained a good connection between the movable rail and the working unit.
According to the second feature of this invention, it is so arranged that the pressure fluid may be once disk charged from the cylinder while the working unit is being moved from a slightly advanced position to its retracted end position, so that the pressure fluid does not become a load on the working unit and consequently the working unit can make a light retracting movement.
Claims (2)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A replaceable gang head machine tool having a machine base on which is provided, through a reciprocable slide table, a working unit having a driving electric motor; an annular rail made-up by a front movable rail and a rear stationary rail provided around the working unit; and gang heads disposed around the annular rail and supported thereon so as to be turnable around a circle, moving along the annular rail, by an index table provided thereabove so that any desired one of the gang heads may be selectively positioned on the movable rail; the movable rail and the working unit being interconnected through a telescopic arm which comprises a cylinder and a piston rod extending from a piston mounted in the cylinder and which is urged to contract by a spring; and there being further provided a supply source of pressure fluid connected through a communication passage to the cylinder of the telescopic arm so that the arm may be urged to contract by pressure fluid supplied into the cylinder.
2. A machine tool as claimed in claim 1, and compris-ing a detecting means for detecting a retreated end position of the working unit and a slightly advanced position thereof which is closer to the movable rail so that the telescopic arm is changed over between a condition in which the cylinder thereof is connected to the supply source of pressure fluid, so that pres-sure fluid is supplied into the cylinder, and a condition in which the cylinder thereof is connected to the exterior so that pressure fluid is discharged from the cylinder.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP223131/1983 | 1983-11-29 | ||
| JP58223131A JPS60118457A (en) | 1983-11-29 | 1983-11-29 | Gang head exchange type machine tool |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1236279A true CA1236279A (en) | 1988-05-10 |
Family
ID=16793281
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000468864A Expired CA1236279A (en) | 1983-11-29 | 1984-11-28 | Replaceable gang head machine tool |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS60118457A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1236279A (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2555485B1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2151954B (en) |
| IN (1) | IN163014B (en) |
| IT (2) | IT8454098V0 (en) |
Families Citing this family (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS6357130A (en) * | 1986-08-27 | 1988-03-11 | Honda Motor Co Ltd | Automatic assembling device |
| DE3673167D1 (en) * | 1986-09-23 | 1990-09-06 | Hueller Hille Gmbh | MACHINING MACHINE. |
| FR2611553B1 (en) * | 1987-03-06 | 1994-02-25 | Renault Automation | SINGLE-AXIS DIGITAL CONTROL UNIT, ESPECIALLY FOR TRANSFER MACHINE AND FLEXIBLE WORKSHOP |
| JPH01159112A (en) * | 1987-12-14 | 1989-06-22 | Hokoku Kikai Kk | Replacement of tool head in machine tool with tool head set |
| WO2006112290A1 (en) * | 2005-04-13 | 2006-10-26 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Multi-spindle head replacement type machine tool |
| JP4699795B2 (en) * | 2005-04-13 | 2011-06-15 | 本田技研工業株式会社 | Multi-axis head replaceable machine tool |
| JP4699794B2 (en) * | 2005-04-13 | 2011-06-15 | 本田技研工業株式会社 | Multi-axis head replaceable machine tool |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4216572A (en) * | 1978-12-07 | 1980-08-12 | Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Replaceable gang head machine tool |
| FR2518002A1 (en) * | 1981-12-12 | 1983-06-17 | Honda Motor Co Ltd | MULTIPLE HEAD FOR MACHINE TOOL WITH INTERCHANGEABLE MULTIPLE HEAD |
-
1983
- 1983-11-29 JP JP58223131A patent/JPS60118457A/en active Granted
-
1984
- 1984-11-16 GB GB08428963A patent/GB2151954B/en not_active Expired
- 1984-11-26 IN IN920/MAS/84A patent/IN163014B/en unknown
- 1984-11-27 FR FR848418021A patent/FR2555485B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1984-11-28 CA CA000468864A patent/CA1236279A/en not_active Expired
- 1984-11-29 IT IT8454098U patent/IT8454098V0/en unknown
- 1984-11-29 IT IT68185/84A patent/IT1179836B/en active
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2151954B (en) | 1987-01-21 |
| IT8468185A1 (en) | 1986-05-29 |
| FR2555485A1 (en) | 1985-05-31 |
| FR2555485B1 (en) | 1990-06-08 |
| JPS64162B2 (en) | 1989-01-05 |
| IT1179836B (en) | 1987-09-16 |
| GB2151954A (en) | 1985-07-31 |
| IN163014B (en) | 1988-07-30 |
| JPS60118457A (en) | 1985-06-25 |
| IT8468185A0 (en) | 1984-11-29 |
| GB8428963D0 (en) | 1984-12-27 |
| IT8454098V0 (en) | 1984-11-29 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |