JPS58143932A - Automatic tool changer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To protect tools from adverse effect of chips and dusts and eliminate restriction on the setting place of the tool magazine by enabling the setting the tool magazine separated from the machining position utilizing a movement control shaft for a table, a spindle head or the like. CONSTITUTION:A machine body 10 of a horizontal machining center which has a tool magazine 30 provided separate therefrom is provided with a tool carrying changer 40 between the body 10 and the magazine 30 and additionally, with an attachment carrying changer 60. The magazine 30 is positioned isolated from the body 10 and a plurality of tool holders 31 are formed on the periphery of a drum thereof. The tool carrying changer 40 moves between the magazine 30 separately erected near the final end of a sliding base 22 and the spindle 14 of the body 10. The changer 40 serving as the base of the magazine 30 composes the sliding base 22, the first clamp member 48 and the like and the second clamp member 49 is provided under a table 23.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer for a machine tool such as a machining center.

Conventionally, tool changing devices for machine tools such as machining centers (hereinafter referred to as machining centers) can be roughly divided into so-called arm-type devices that use a tool changing arm to change tools between a tool magazine and the main spindle of a machining center. There is a so-called armless method in which tools are exchanged directly between the magazine and the spindle by relative movement between the tool magazine and the spindle without using a tool exchange arm. Depending on the arrangement of the spindle that is mounted and rotated, that is, whether the axis of the spindle is vertical or horizontal, there are two types: vertical type and h'' type.

However, the arm type that uses a tool exchange arm,
The machining center requires a horizontal or vertical tool change arm, its auxiliary equipment, and installation space, which has the drawback of making the entire machining center large and complicated. Another drawback is that interference with other tools is likely to occur.

In addition, in the case of the armless type, for example, in the case of the vertical type, there are two points: an exchange position where the center of the next tool to be used coincides with the center of the spindle, and a standby position stored in the tool magazine. Tools are exchanged by horizontally moving the entire tool magazine in between, vertically moving the spindle head, and clamping and unclamping the spindle.In this case, the shank of the tool stored in the tool magazine is Since the tool magazine is normally located near the spindle in an exposed state, it is adversely affected by chips and dust, and if the tool magazine is installed on or close to the table, it is likely to cause interference with the workpiece. This method has the disadvantage that the range of movement and, in turn, the range of machining are restricted. On the other hand, in the armless horizontal type, for example, the Tokuko Showa 3g-10θ? As shown in the publication, tools are arranged and stored in a matrix in a tool magazine placed on a table adjacent to the workpiece, and tools are exchanged by mutual movement positioning of the spindle head and table. , this is done between the tool magazine and the spindle by aligning the center of the spindle with the center of the next tool in the tool magazine and by moving in the direction of the spindle N+ line, so it is the same as in the case of a vertical type. It is susceptible to the adverse effects of chips and dust, and has disadvantages such as the need to increase the size of the table to accommodate the tool magazine and to increase the amount of movement accordingly.

This invention was made in view of the shortcomings of the conventional devices mentioned above, and it uses the movement control axes of the table, spindle head, etc. in the machining center to move the tool magazine from the machining position without using a tool change arm. The KL allows it to be installed separately from the machining center main body, protects the tools from chips and dust, and is not restricted by the installation location of the tool magazine. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic tool changer that can also be used to change tools for a tool spindle of an attachment that has a tool spindle attached to the tool spindle in a direction different from that of the main spindle of a machining center.

In order to achieve the above object, the automatic tool changer 1d of the present invention includes a spindle head that is movable by supporting a rotating spindle in which a tool is fitted, and a table that is movable by placing a workpiece thereon. In a numerically controlled machine tool equipped with the above-mentioned spindle and a tool magazine which is disposed at a distance from the machine tool body and which stores a number of tools in respective holders and can be rotated and indexed, a tool holder having seven or more pairs of gripping claws capable of holding a desired tool; a tool exchange position of the tool magazine; and a predetermined movement position of the table. a carrier movable between the pupil, a first clamp member provided on the carrier for clamping the tool holder, and a second clamp member provided on the table for clamping the tool holder; The tool holder is exchanged by mutually moving and positioning the carrier and the table, and the old and new tools can be exchanged through the gripping claw of the tool holder by mutually moving and positioning the table and the spindle. I have a special mission to do this.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1, the machine body /θ of the horizontal machining center equipped with the automatic machining changer according to the present invention has a tool magazine 3θ installed separately, and the tool conveyor is located between the main body IO and the magazine 30. It is equipped with an exchange device DAO and an attachment conveyance exchange device 60 separately. As shown in the figure, the machine body has a column saw that is movably mounted on the bed, a spindle head that is movable up and down on the column, and a spindle head that is movable up and down on the column. 3 is the main axis/
The shaft is supported so that it can be rotated freely and stopped at a fixed angle (tb) (orientation). Further, the spindle head /3 has an attachment 15 removably attached to its tip, and the attachment /j rotatably supports the attachment main $11/A, and this attachment spindle /6 is arranged in a vertical direction, It is designed to rotate and orient the tool in conjunction with the tool. /7 Column /2 feed servo motor, /Z is the main shaft @i3 vertical feed servo motor, /9 is the main shaft /D, for example, C servo motor for rotation and orientation, Co/ is the main shaft / 4
' is a feeding servo motor. The slide table 2.2 is fixed to the floor and extends horizontally and at an appropriate length in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the main spindle/l, and this slide table 12 guide surface is attached to the workpiece. The table 23 on which the W is placed is moved by two feed servo motors.The tool magazine 3θ is placed separately from the machine tool main body IO, and the tools are held on the periphery of the drum. Form several containers (sockets) 3/, each tool holder, ? / I
/(Three hair-cutting tools are held by fitting the shank part No. 33, and are hung vertically downward.
The entire magazine 30 is configured to be rotatably indexable.

It moves between the above-mentioned tool magazine 30, which is installed separately near the end of the slide table 2-, and the main axis /y of the machine main body IO,
The tool transport and exchange device DA0, which transports and exchanges old and new tools, is
As shown in Figure 3, a base 4Z/, which extends parallel to the sliding base λ to the end of the sliding base 2), also supports the base of the tool magazine 3θ. A track holder 3 is provided in the longitudinal direction on the upper side, a movable table 3 is moved horizontally on a drive path 12 by a feed screw 5, and a cylinder 7 is provided. It consists of a carrier gear 6 that moves horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the platform 3, and a first clamp member 17g that is movable up and down on the carrier IA. Below the table λ3, a first clamping member tag 9 is provided on the side facing the tool transport/exchange device llo, and as shown in FIG.
It has the same structure as the clamp member of /, and has a clamp piece that moves at +9b when each piston is operated by fluid pressure.
If ga, 4<9a is not engaged with the tool holder j-/, then 7 flange recess agc, 1Itc K & holder, clamp piece 47fa.

This prevents chips from getting on the lea.

Note that the clamp member 1191d shown in FIG. S has a piston +9b that reciprocates in the horizontal direction, but the first clamp member 41g differs only in that its piston Qgb reciprocates in the vertical direction. .

As shown in Figures 6A and 4B, the tool holder l/
a first clamp groove that engages with the clamp member 44g;
2 is formed at the bottom, and Yuko's clamp member l? A first clamping groove 53 is formed on the back surface, and a pair of gripping claws J&A for gripping tools are formed on the upper part of the horizontal plane parallel to the moving direction of the movable table 3 with a required spacing therebetween.

A tubλ set is installed. Each gripping claw j4 (a.

, t4tb are each fixed claw and spring! The movable claws that are always pressed in the closing direction by the daC and (g) are configured as a pair of gripping claws, and the four gripping parts of the tool 3λ, ? 41 is mechanically gripped. The left lId is a positioning key member that secures the angular position of the tool during transportation.

1st. As shown in the diagrams, the attachment carrier 1 exchanger 10 is located at the rear of the machine body 10 (table, 23
111+1 opposite to 111+1, right side 11111 in Figure 1))
It moves back and forth between the main shaft and the attachment housing 1 to carry and exchange the attachment. A base 62 and a track 6 laid in the longitudinal direction on the base 62
3, and a carrier 6g that horizontally moves on a track 63 to transport the attachment 15 from the attachment storage order t/ to the main @ 1/4t''c. In addition, the attachment transport exchange device fAO automatically transports only the attachment 15, and the attachment /S main - 1 horse / 3
It is possible to attach and detach the attachment to the front surface manually, or to attach and detach it automatically using a known automatic attachment exchange means.

As mentioned above, in the case of the example shown in the 8g/~ AB diagram, the machining center is a horizontal type with a horizontal main axis, but the main @
Attachment 15 having a sentence-type attachment main @/A is attached to the tip of the head /3, and the automatic tool changer is configured to change the tool head of the attachment main shaft /6, which has a tool fitting hole facing downward in the vertical direction. It is.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below. When machining with the current tool fitted to the attachment drive 76 is completed and a command to select a new tool to be used next and to replace it is issued from, for example, several control devices (not shown), the servo motor/9 , Attachment spindle/6 is the machine main body IO
The rotation is stopped at a predetermined angular position via the main shaft of the tool magazine 30, and at the same time, the tool magazine 30 performs an indexing and positioning operation.
The new tool to be used next is positioned at the replacement position P shown in FIG. At this time, the gripping claw tlI-b for gripping the new tool 3.2 is at the same height as the gripping part 34t of the new tool 3.2, which is raised by pc from the position shown in FIG. Since the carrier is located at the replacement position Q point shown in Figure 3, when the determination of #7 of the tool magazine J o is completed, the fluid pressure cylinder is actuated and the carrier lI6 is transferred to the tool magazine JO.
Move the prayer tool 3.2 forward by a distance @D to the side to point P, and grip the prayer tool 3.2 with the gripping claws jlIb. The gripping claw tub grips the new tool 3.2, and by the downward movement of the clamp member 3.2, the gripping claw, r+b
is lowered by yrac, and the new tool 3λ is moved to the tool magazine 30.
is pulled out from the tool holder 3/, and then the cylinder cylinder 7 is operated backward to pull the carrier lI6 away from the tool magazine 30 by a certain distance (the state shown in FIG. 3). Power Nejigu! The four magazines 30 of the sliding table 22 are fixed on the orbit of the base lI/.
Move the side end to a predetermined position R.

After the machining with the current tool is completed, the table 23 is moved on the slide table 2.2 by the drive control of the feed servo motor 2, The end is positioned at a predetermined position aR point, and the clamp piece 4Iqa of the first clamp member lid is projected and is waiting in a state where it can be engaged with the first clamp groove 53 of the tool holder. Therefore, the moving table 11. ? When the end of the slide table 22 moves to a predetermined instant R point, the clamp piece 4t? of the first crank member lid is moved. a and the second clamping left 3 of the tool holder Sl engage. In this state, is the fluid pressure operated piston 4'? Pull in the sifting lamp piece a through b, and clamp the tool holder S/ to the side surface of the table tool 3 with the first clamp member lIt.
The clamp action of is released, and the engagement between the clamp piece era and the first clamp groove S2 of the tool holder 1/ is released.

Next, when the table 23 moves again toward the machine main body IO, the tool holder Sl is released from the seventh clamp member +r, so it is detached from the carrier 6 and the attachment spindle that has finished machining is removed. Move the empty gripping claw jlIa for gripping the old tool 3.2° (l) fitted to the /6 and the gripping claw t+b that grips the new tool 32 to the front of the spindle head 13, Position the middle 7 of the empty gripping claw &lIa at the tool exchange position S point. When the gripping claws jlIa are positioned at the 8 points, the column saw of the machine moves forward on the bed // to the table 23 side by the force feeding servo motor 17 until the center of the attachment main shaft 16 of the attachment 15 reaches the 8 points. Moving. At this time, the gripping parts of the three old tools that are fitted into the attachment spindle/B? Adjust the spindle head /
Since positioning and angular positioning (orientation) are performed by the top 1 multi-feed servo motor 1g and servo motor 9, when the attachment spindle 16 reaches the tool change position ftLltS, the old tools 3 and 1 are moved to the table co 3. The elastic force of the spring jyC and the positioning key are inside the gripping claw jlIa on the tool holder jl that is being delivered and clamped! r&(1), it is reliably and automatically gripped at the -u angular position.

Therefore, the old tool 32° is unclamped within the attachment spindle/6, and the attachment/
When the old tool 32' is moved upward, the old tool 32' is pulled out from the attachment spindle 16. Next, the table 23 is moved to y by the feeding two-body motor, 24t.
111 by a predetermined distance, and with the gripping claws that gripped the three new tools, and the center of t+b positioned at point 8, when the attachment spindle/6 is moved downward again, the shank 33 of the new tool 32 is fitted into the tip hole of the attachment main shaft/6. In this state, when the three new tools are clamped within the attachment spindle 1A and the attachment/S is moved backward by the horizontal backward movement of the column L, the three new tools will fit onto the attachment spindle 16. Reed, finished.

Subsequently, when the table λ3 moves again to the tool magazine 3θ side and is positioned at the predetermined end position R point, the first clamp member l is inserted into the first clamp groove &U of the tool holder 3/.
Clamp piece 4<fa of lr is engaged. Here, the seventh clamp member itt is tightened to clamp the tool holder S/ to the carrier gear, and the seventh clamp member lI9 is released to remove the tool holder S/ from the table controller 3. unlock. Next, the tool transport and exchange device II
o stores the old worker, 3.2°, in the holder 3/ in the predetermined position of the tool magazine 30 in the opposite order of operation to that described above, and the operating cycle of tool change is completed.

The above embodiment is used as an automatic tool changer exclusively for the vertical tool spindle of an exchangeable attachment, separately from the tool changer for tools added directly to the spindle/da. In such cases, there is no need to replace the entire heavy attachment, and only the relatively lightweight tool that should be fitted onto the tool spindle needs to be transported and replaced, reducing replacement time. , the effect is strong. ... Figures 7 to /θ show an embodiment of the tool changing device of the present invention used in a relatively small (/S) vertical machining center in which the table moves in two directions.
In this embodiment, the configurations of the tool magazine 30 and the tool transport/exchange device θ are the same as those in the embodiments shown in FIGS.
:1. is fixed to the bed//soil, and the sliding base-1 of the table 23 is moved together with the table 13 on the bed// by a feeding instep servo motor/7. However, the structure and function of other parts of the machine body/θ'' are basically the same as those of the machine body/θ in the first to sixth ρI embodiments. In Figures 7 to 10, the first
Since the same reference numerals as those in FIGS.

Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to /θ, the slide table movably mounted on the bed of the machine body 10', the tool magazine 2.2, (The end on the 17 side is a feed servo motor, 2
A predetermined position Rd is reached between the table 23 whose horizontal movement is controlled by ' and the carrier 4LA for transferring the tool holder (16) j/ having gripping claws that grip new and old tools.

Note that in the embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 10, no attachments are used, so the old and new tools are attached to the tool holder transferred to the table/one furnace holding claw j+a, rlb.
Direct exchange can be performed between the main spindle LD of the vertical machining center 10'.

In a horizontal machining center, when directly replacing the tool on the main spindle/da, the horizontal holding claws Yfa and jIlb attached to the tool holder 5/ are replaced with the vertical holding claws. Of course, by simply changing the tool magazine 30 from a vertical type to a horizontal type, the tools can be automatically exchanged in the same operating order as in the illustrated embodiment.

As described above, according to the present invention, by effectively utilizing the movement control of the moving table of a numerically controlled machine tool,
The tool magazine can be installed away from the machining position, and the tools can be protected from the harmful influence of chips and dust, and the installation location of the tool magazine is also often subject to restrictions. Therefore, the tool changer can be provided at a relatively low cost and can be additionally installed on an existing machine. It is particularly effective when used as an automatic tool changer for attachment tool spindles.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machining center equipped with an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 1 is a front view of the machining center machine body shown in Fig.
6A [g] is a front view of the tool conveyance and exchange device as seen in the direction shown in FIG.
1 is a plan view of the tool holder, FIG. 6B is a side view of the tool holder, FIG. The side surface of the machine body in Figure 7 is concave, Figure 9 is a plan view showing the tool conveyance and exchange device part of the machine in Figures 7 and t, and Figure 10 is a side view of the machine body as seen in the arrow x direction of the figure. . IO2/θ1@・Machine body, //・Meeting bed, /co...
Column, /3...spindle head, /ri...spindle, /j/ψ attachment, /O/e attachment spindle, /7...servo motor for column feed, 1g...servo motor for downward feed of spindle head, /9φ・Main shaft rotation and orientation motor, λ/・Fist main shaft feed instep servo motor, 22・・
Sliding table 1.23@・Table, 24t・Table feed motor, 301I・Tool magazine, No. 37・Tool holder, 31, 32°・・New and old tools, 3'l・・Holding part, go・・Tool transport exchange device, ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・. lIg
...First clamp member, l19...First clamp member, 4fa, 4t? a・φ clamp piece, lrb, 1I
qb ・φ piston, jl... tool holder, octopus...
1st clamp groove, 33rd and 11th clamp groove, j gummy, t da bam gripping claw,! rllc*m spring, jld fog/position (/de) determining key, 6θ/Φ attachment conveyance exchange device, t
, 2... base, 63 pots/orbits, 6 bowers... carrier. (,20) 64 Figure 6A, Figure 9, Figure 10 Procedural Amendment (Voluntary) July 70, Showa t13 ``1 Mr. Commissioner of the Patent Office 1, Indication of the Case Showa ST Year Type Petitions Collection No. 119-2, Invention Name of automatic tool changer 3, Relationship to the person making the amendment Name of patent applicant (0/Ikegai Tekko Co., Ltd. 4, Agent 5, Subject of amendment (1) Detailed description of the invention in the specification Kusunoki In the is line of page 10 of the detailed description of system correction, correct "convey by main shaft /4" to "convey to main shaft /4".

Claims (1)

[Claims] A numerically controlled machine tool comprising: a spindle head that is movable by supporting a rotating spindle with a tool fitted thereon; and a table on which a workpiece is placed and movable with respect to the spindle head. A device that automatically exchanges tools with a tool magazine that is arranged separately from a machine tool body and that stores a plurality of tools in respective holders and that can be rotated and indexed,
a tool holder having seven or more pairs of gripping claws capable of gripping the desired tools; a carrier movable between a tool exchange position of the tool magazine and a predetermined movement position of the table; and the carrier. a first clamp member provided on the table to clamp the tool holder; and a clamp member 9J, 2 provided on the table to clamp the tool holder; Transferring the tool holder and positioning the table and the spindle relative to each other
Therefore, an automatic tool changer is characterized in that old and new tools are exchanged via the gripping claws of the tool holder.