GB2163980A

GB2163980A - Attachment with air ejector

Info

Publication number: GB2163980A
Application number: GB08422316A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eiji Miyakawa
Original assignee: MIYAKAWA INDUSTRY CO Ltd
Current assignee: MIYAKAWA INDUSTRY CO Ltd
Priority date: 1984-09-04
Filing date: 1984-09-04
Publication date: 1986-03-12
Also published as: GB8422316D0; GB2163980B

Abstract

An attachment for use with a machine tool such as a drilling machine or the like includes an attachment body accommodating a rotation transmitting mechanism R composed of a plurality of gears adapted to be coupled to a spindle of the machine tool for rotating at least one cutting tool in response to rotation of the spindle of the machine tool, and an air ejector mounted on said attachment body for ejecting air under pressure through ports 22 around the cutting tool to prevent chips mixed with cutting oil from entering the attachment body. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Attachment with air ejector Background of the invention 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to an attachment for use in a machine tool such as a drilling machine or a tapping machine, and more particularly to an attachment having an air ejector.

2. Description of the prior art Cutting tools such drills or taps to be attached to attachments of machine tooles such as drilling machines or tapping machines are supplied with cutting oil to improve a cutting efficiency while the cutting tool is in use. Where the attachment is directed upwardly in use, chips from a workpiece are mixed into the cutting oil, and find their way into the attachment in which the chips are deposited between gears as the cutting oil flows down the tool into the attachment. The gears are then bought out of proper mesh with each other, are caused to wear rapidly, with the result that the rotation of a main shaft will not be transmitted properly to the tool.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide an attachment having means for preventing chips generated from a workpiece from entering into the attachment to thereby allow gears to mesh properly and hence to permit a tool to rotate correctly.

To achieve the above object, there is provided a multi-spindle attachment such as for drilling machines which has a rotation transmitting mechanism composed of a plurality of gears and is directed upwardly in use, the attachment having an air ejector for ejecting air around tools.

With the above arrangement, when chips cut from a workpiece are mixed into cutting oil, air supplied from an air supply port in a cap member is ejected through air ejector ports to blow up the cutting oil and scatter the same around the attachment. Therefore, the chip-laden cutting oil will not flow into the attachment, and hence no chips will be deposited between gear teeth.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an attachment of the present invention as incorporated in a drilling machine; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the attachment shown in Figure 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment An attachment according to the present invention includes an attachment body 1 substantially in the form of a hollow cylinder. The attachment body 1 comprises a pair of substantially circular body members 2, 3 stacked one on the other, an intermediate tubular member 4 placed on the upper body member 3, and an upper circular plate 5 disposed on the intermediate tubular member 4, the body members 2, 3, the tubular member 4, and the upper circular plate 5 being fastened together by screws 6.

The attachment body 1 has a gear chamber 7 defined therein and housing a rotation transmitting mechanism R composed of a plurality of gears.

The rotation transmitting mechanism R has a main shaft gear 8 fixed by an arbor 10a to an upper end of a drilling machine spindle 10 extggending into the gear chamber 7 through holes 9 defined in the body members 2, 3. A pair of first intermediate gears 11 are disposed in mesh with the main shaft gear 8. A pair of second intermediate gears 12 is positioned upwardly of the first intermediate gears 11 in coaxial relation for rotation therewith. A pair of spindle gears 13 is held in mesh with the second intermediate gears 12, respectively, and has gear shafts 14 extending upwardly through the upper plate 5.

A pair of spindles 15 is mounted on an upper surface of the upper plate 5 and has lower ends coupled with the gear shafts 14 of the spindle gears 13, respectively. Drills 16 are attached by chucks 17 to the upper ends of the spindles 15.

A cylindrical cap member 18 is fixed to the upper plate 5 by means of screws 18a and includes a cover 19 closing an upper end of the cap member 18. An air supply port 20 is defined in a side wall of the cap member 18. An end of an air supply tube 21 disposed outside of the cap member 18 is attached to and around a peripheral edge of the air supply port 20. The other end of the air supply tube 21 is connected to a pressurized-air source such as an air blower (not shown) so that air under pressure will be supplied from the air blower into the cap member 18. A pair of air ejector ports 22 is defined in the cover 19 of the cap member 18, the spindles 15 and the drills 16 extending upwardly through the air ejector ports 22. For an increased service life, the cap member 19 is made of metal or synthetic resin which is highly resistant to oil.

The cap member 18, the pressurized-air source, and the air supply tube 21 jointly constitute an air ejector.

Operation of the attachment thus construction is as follows: The attachment is positioned below a workpiece, and the drilling machine is actuated to rotate the spindle 10. The rotation of the spindle 10 is transmitted by the rotation transmitting mechanism R in the gear chamber 7 and the spindles 15 to the drills 16, which then start drilling the workpiece. At the same time, the air blower is operated to supply air under pressure through the air supply tube 21 into the cap member 18. Since air is supplied continuously from the air blower, air is ejected upwardly through the air ejector ports 22 in the cover 19.

Cutting oil mixed with chips produced from the workpiece as it is drilled is blown up by the air ejected from the air ejector ports 22 and scattered around the attachment. Therefore, no cutting oil finds its way into the attachment and no chips will be deposited between the teeth of the gears in the gear chamber 7.

The attachment of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but may be used with different machine tools. For example, the attachment may be used with tapping machines using taps, reaming machines using reamers, or other rotary machine tools. The attachment may be used in an upwardly oblique orientation. A seal member (not shown) may be disposed in the gap between the inner peripheral edge of the air ejector port 22 and the spindle 15 to prevent dust or other foreign matter from entering the cap member 18 while allowing air to be ejected under pressure through the air ejector ports 22.

With the above arrangement, therefore, the air ejector for ejecting air under pressure around the tools 16 is mounted on the attachment body 1 directed upwardly and housing the rotation transmitting mechanism R composed of the gears 8, 11,12, 13. The air ejected from the air ejector prevents chips generated from the workpiece from entering the upwardly directed attachment. Accordingly, the gears are held in proper mesh to allow the tools to rotate smoothly and properly and to prevent the gears from wearing rapidly.

Although a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An attachment for use with a machine tool having a spindle, comprising: (a) an attachment body accommodating a rotation transmitting mechanism composed of a plurality of gears adapted to be coupled to the spindle of the machine tool for rotating at least one cutting tool in response to rotation of the spindle of the machine tool; and (b) an air ejector mounted on said attachment body for ejecting air under pressure around the cutting tool.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein said air ejector comprises a cap member mounted on said attachment body and having an air supply port and at least one air ejector port through which the cutting tool projects, and an air supply tube connected to said air supply port for supplying air into said cap member and ejecting air through said air ejector port around the cutting tool.

3. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein said air ejector further includes a seal member disposed around an inner peripheral edge of said air ejector port for preventing foreign matter from entering into said cap member through said air ejector port while allowing air to be ejected from said cap member.

4. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein said air ejector further includes a pressurized-air source disposed outside of said cap member and connected through said air supply tube to said air supply port for supply air under pressure into said cap member.

5. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein said cap member is made of metal or a synthetic resin material which is highly resistant to oil.

6. An attachment for use with a machine tool having a spindle substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.