GB1236072A - A machine tool assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

1,236,072. Driving trollies. J. WOLLENHAUPT, and A. WOLLENHAUPT. 5 April, 1968 [5 April, 1967], No. 16609/68. Heading B7L. [Also in Division B3] A machine tool assembly built up from a plurality of elements which can be assembled at a single work station or at a plurality of such work stations arranged along a production line comprises a base; a slide 1 mounted on the base ; a frame 2 movable along the slide 1 in a first co-ordinate direction and supporting a tool holder 14 which is adjustable in the frame 2 along a second co-ordinate at right angles to the first, and the frame having pre-setting stops 19 to position the tool holder 14 at a pre-selected position; rails 79 mounted on the frame and carrying pre-settable cams 79a associated with end-limit switches 80 to control the distance moved by the frame 2 along the slide 1; and a workpiece carrier 3 for moving a workpiece along a third co-ordinate perpendicular to the plane of the first two co-ordinates, the workpiece carrier 3 comprising a support member 4 displaceable in a guide bed 27 and supporting a workpiece carrier plate 8, the position of the support member 4 relative to the guide bed 27 being determined by means of preselectable stops 32 mounted on the support member. In a production line the carrier plates 8 are moved between stations I-VI by a chain conveyer and are locked to the support members 4 by retractable pegs (Figs. 14-16, not shown). The support member 4 is movable by a drive unit 5 and clamped by a unit 7. The frame 2 may be moved on the slide 1 by electro-hydraulic, electro-mechanical or electro-pneumatic means. The tool holder 14 is adjustable in the frame 2 by jacks (11), (Fig. 4, not shown) and the spindle is advanced by a feed screw (36) (Fig. 5, not shown). The spindle may carry a milling head, or a multi-spindle drilling head, and the spindle may move in an orbital path. The chain conveyer (Fig. 6-13, not shown) comprises a pair of chains which are driven in one direction to transfer a carrier plate 8 and is then returned ready to pick up another one. The chains carry a pair of dogs that engage stops on the carrier plate for driving it and striker cams that operate a pair of switches 68 that firstly slows down the movement of the plate 8 and finally stop it. Alternatively-the conveyer may be operated by a screw-thread operated scissor or lazy tongs mechanism. The machine tool assemblies may carry vertical machining units (Fig. 2, not shown) enabling an upwardly directed face to be machined. A lifting and turning device 76 may be provided for the multi-spindle drilling heads. Switch means may be provided to prevent a machining operation until the plate 8 is fully locked to the support member 4 by the retractable pegs. The stops 19 may be made up to a required length by using a set of gauge lengths. In operation each station is set to perform a machining operation with the length of movement of the slides, the vertical positioning of e.g. a spindle and the rate of feed &c. preset for a particular workpiece. The information for each particular workpiece is stored in programmed cam panels, punched cards, punched tape and magnetic strips and tapes. In a modified arrangement the tool holders 14 carry a workpiece and a tool head is carried between machining stations on the carrier plate 8.