GB2357718A

GB2357718A - Sliding rail and saddle arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2357718A
Application number: GB9930794A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ching-Chi Tsai
Original assignee: Chi Fa Machinery Manufacturer
Current assignee: Chi Fa Machinery Manufacturer
Priority date: 1999-12-30
Filing date: 1999-12-30
Publication date: 2001-07-04
Also published as: GB9930794D0

Abstract

The top surfaces of the sliding rails 10 of a CNC lathe are arranged horizontally at different heights such that the tool carrying saddle 50 is supported at an angle to the horizontal. A telescopic dust hood 70 is arranged to cover the slide surfaces.(Figure 7, not shown)

Description

2357718 1

TITLE: STEPPEIG TYPE FIAT SLIDING RAEL BACKGROUND OF THE MTNTION a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to stepping type flat sliding rail for reducing 5 wear in CW lathe machine during displacement of saddle. The top surface of the sliding rail of the CNC lathe machine is designed to have two parallel stepping structure such that the saddle loaded with knife tool, in the process of displacement along the rails, is uniformly exerted with force, and the wear thus formed is lowered. As a result the entire CNC lathe machine, most of the tirne, maintains at a standard precision status and greatly increases its longevity The slope of the saddle is designed in such a way that the space available provides greater elfectiveness in utilization, and the dustproof hood at the two lateral sides of the saddle maintains at best condition.

b) Description of the Prior Art

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a conventional sliding path of a lathe machine (for instance, a CW automatic control lathe machine) having a lathe bed 40 being provided with two types of sliding rails. The two types of sliding rails are flat and straight type sliding rails 30, and sloping tylx sliding rails 20. The lathe beds 40 and the beds 40 provided with a clamping head structure 60 mounted at one side of the beds 40, are a well-known 2 application technique and flirther explanation is omitted. Referring to Fig. 2, the flat and straight type sliding rail 30 is a rather old sliding structure. The structure has two parallel and protruded rails 30, perpendicular to the top surface of the bed 407 and a saddle 50 is provided on the two parallel sliding rails 30. The lower section of the saddle 50 is provided with a sliding path 503 to allow the insertion of the flat and straight type sliding rails 30, so as to allow sliding movement. Thus, the saddle 50 can uniformly slide on the sliding rails 30. The lateral sides of the saddle 50 are respectively connected to a dustproof hood 70, which can be stacked or extendect The dustproof hood 70 retractably covers the sliding rails 30 such that debris from the lathe machine machining will not fall onto the rails 30 and cause jamming to the sliding rails 30 and the sliding path 503. The saddle 50 is moved by a driving motor 52 mounted thereto, which also drives a knife tool holder 51 along the saddle 50 so as to complete the entire machining process.

However, in the flat and straight type sliding rails 30, the force exerted by the saddle 50 onto the sliding rails 30 is evenly distributed on the parallel contact surface. Thus, the wear is small, and the precision is high, but the drawbacks are found as follows:

(a) Debris janm-iing at the dustproof hood:

The dustproof hood 70 is mounted in parallel at the lateral sides of the bed 3 40, the debris from metal machining process will drop into the stepretractable joint of the dustproof hood 70. Thus, after a long period of use, the hood 70 cannot be easily cleaned and also causes other problems.

(b) Top surface area of the bed occupies space:

The flat and straight type sliding rails 30 are in parallel, and therefore, the saddle 50 is parallel to the bed 40. As a result, the width of the bed 40 has to be designed so that it has a relatively large area. Thus, a larger space of worldng site is needed.

Referfing to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a conventional sloping type sliding rails 20 to overcome the drawbacks.of the flat and straight tyW sliding rails 30. The top surface of the two sliding rails 20 is slanting at 30 degree but of difierent height such that the saddle 50 belg inserted into the rails 20 via the two sliding paths 502 at the bottom surface of the saddle 50 forms a slanting position. Similarly, the saddle 50 is also provided with a knife tool holder 51 mounted with a blade and a driving motor 52, and the dustproof hood 70. The slanting design of the sloping sliding rails 20 causes the saddle to have the same size as the sliding rails 30 of the flat and straight tyW sliding rails,' with a slanting edge in order to complete the same cutting route.

The dustproof hood 70 in this instance is also a slanting design. This causes the debris to drop on the bed 40 without causing jamming. However, the 4 slanting design of the saddle 50 causes the le-fife tool holder 51 in a slanting position. At this instance, the weight of the holder 51 is divided into two components, Le, one component on the machining article, which is offset by the cutting force of the Imife tool, and the other component being exerted on the vertical direction of the saddle 50. ' Thus, the stability of cutting of the knife tool holder 51 is better thari the flat and straight Mx sliding rails 30.

In actual application, the slanting design of the top surface of the sloping sliding rails 20 is not an ideal design and the follow drawback is found:

Uneven force exerted on the sliding rails: As the conventional sloping sliding rails 20 are provided with a sloping top surface, when the sliding path 502 of the saddle 50 moves along the sliding rails 20, the frictional force of the entire saddle 50 and the weight thereon are formed at the slanting angle of the top end where the sliding path 502 urges the sliding rails 20, so that the two sliding rails 20, having a narrower force exerting surface area (as a result of its position), causes the pressure per unit area being the largest Thus, the damages produced are also the largest. The lower slanting angle at the contact of the sliding rails 20 and the sliding path 502 does not have the weight of the saddle 50, thus, there is no load. After long period of displacement movement and wear of the entire structure, the top end, support area of the sliding path 502 will form gaps (as a result of long time wearing) and the saddle 50 will move downward. 71herefore, there is a deviation for the precision of the machining article with respect to calculation and m actual practice. In addition, the gap foimed will become wider as the we'ar is prolonged. Ifti view of the extreme torque occurred to the worldmg piece and the saddle 50, abnormal vibration will form. Thus, it is a great damage to the lathe machine and the machining piece.

6 SUNMARY OF THE ENVENHON Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide stepping tyW flat sliding rail for reducing wear m CNC lathe machine during displacement of saddle. The top surface of the sliding rail of the CNC lathe machine is designed to have two parallel stepping structure such that the saddle loaded with knife tool, in the process of displacement along the rails, is uniformly exerted with force, and the wear thus formed is lowered. As a result the entire CNC lathe machine, most of the time, maintains at a standard precision status and greatly increases its longevity. The slope of the saddle is designed in such a way fflat the space available provides greater elfectiveness m utilization, and the dustproof hood at the two lateral sides of the saddle maintains at best condition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide stepping type flat sliding rail, wherein the drawbacks of the conventional t)W of sliding rails are mitigated.

7 BRIEF DESCRIMON OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional flat and straight type sliding rails.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a conventional flat and straight type sliding 5 rails.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional sloping type sliding rails.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional sloping tyW sliding rails.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the sliding rails of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the structure of a dustproof hood of the present invention.

8 DETAILED DESCRIMON OF TBE PRESENT NTION Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the improvement of the present invention with respect to a conventional sloping type sliding rails 20 is that there are two parallel, different height flat sliding rails 10 mounted at the lathe machine bed 40 of a conventional lathe machine, wherein the inclination angle of the parallel, stepped top face of the two sliding rails 10 is 30 degree, and the top face of the two sliding rails are in parallel to allow the saddle 50 to slide along the sliding rails 10. The lower section of the saddle 50 is provided with two sliding paths 501 having an inverted angle of 30 degrees. As a result of the 10inverted angle design of the sliding paths 501, the saddle 50, in combination with the sliding rails 10 by means of the sliding paths 501, has the characteristics as that of the saddle 50 of the sloping type sliding rails 20, and the two sides of the saddle 50 are also provided with dustproofhood 70.

In accordance with the present invention, the saddle 50 slides along the 15flat sliding rails 10 with the sliding path 501. As the sliding paths 501 of the saddle 50 is in combination with the flat sliding rails 10, it has an exerted force direction similar with that of the flat and straight type sliding rails 30. Thus, the weight of the saddle 50 is evenly exerted on the two top surfaces of the sliding rails 10. In accordance with the present invention, the advantage's of the present sliding rails are as follows:

9 1) Forces exerted on the sliding rails are uniform.

As the present saddle 50 being mounted on to the stepping tyW flat sliding rails 10 has a similar type of contact with flidt of the flat and stmight tyW sliding rafis 30, the exerted force direction and area are larger and uniform, thus, partial contact of the sliding rails causing uneven exerted force and excessive wear are not occurred. Therefore, damages to the structure are greatly reduced.

2) Cutting precision is maintained for a long period As little wear has been formed by the shchng rails 10 and the sliding path, and the horizontal gaps are not formed, when the saddle 50 moves along the stepping type flat sliding rails 10, its precision can be maintained widiin a standard range for a long time. Thus, the need for a replacement or maintenance is greatly reduced.

3) No debfisjamniing As the dustproof hood 70 and the saddle 50 have a sloping design, there is no debris jamming to the dustproof hood 70, and the saddle 50 on the lathe machine bed 40 does not occupy space.

4) High stability of saddle As the saddle 50 has a sloping design, the knife tool holder 51 has a higher stability in machining a worldng piece by the knife tool holder 5 1.

In accordance with the present invention, the stepping tyW flat sliding rails can be mounted to all Idnds of cutting machines, and the above advantages and effiectiveness can be obtained.

It will be apparent to those skilled m the art that the disclosed invention may be modified m numerous ways and may assume many embodiments other than the preferred form specifically set out and described above.

Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all modifications of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1 CLAIM:

1. Stepping type flat sliding rails mounted onto the saddle of the lathe machine, characterized in that the sliding rails is a steppmg'type flat rails having a height difierence, and a sliding path being provided at the bottom end of the saddle is formed into an inverted angle to combine with the sliding rails, the top surface of the two sliding rails are in parallel but with high difierence and have an inchnation angle to combine with the inverted shding path design of a knife tool holder, such that the saddle is a slantingly mounted onto the shding rails, and the top surface of the sliding rails urges the lower section of the sliding path by the exerted force, and formed into a sloping angle, which causes the saddle to slide on the sliding rails with uniform and lesser wear.

2. The stepping " flat shding rails as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the angle formed between the two parallel sliding rails matches the saddle.