JPS6056841A - Automatic tool exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To mount/dismount a tool reliably, in an automatic tool exchanger for general vertical machine tool, by providing a click board for exchanging the tool on a tool magazine while mounting/dismounting the tool adaptor through co-operation of up/down motion of click board and said tool holder. CONSTITUTION:Upon finish of working, the spindle 12 will lift and the tool adaptor 61 in tool magazine 3 will position the tool pot 33 immediately below the spindle 12. Thereafter, tool adaptor 613 will lower together with the spindle 12 and engage with the tool pot 33. Then the tool exchange click board 37 will lift through upward motion of cylinder rod 39 thus to lift the collar 66 of tool holder 6. Consequently, the spindle 12 will move upward to separate the tool adaptor 61 from the tool holder 6 and remain in the tool port 33. Thereafter, new tool 612 will move immediately below the spindle 12 and mount while lifting the collar 66 by means of the click board 37. With such arrangement, the tool can be mounted/dismounted reliably.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to automatic tool changing (hereinafter referred to as ATC) of a machine tool, and in particular, to changing tools of a general-purpose vertical machine tool using an X-Y table in a tool magazine of two The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer that automatically changes tools.

When converting a conventional general-purpose vertical machine tool into an ATC, for example, a vertical milling machine has a tool pulling mechanism that fixes the installed tool to the main shaft. Using this, the tool i' is removed from the tool in the tool magazine at the end of the X-Y table, and the tool magazine only plays the role of holding the tool.

However, machine tools such as general-purpose radial drilling machines do not have the above-mentioned tool lifting mechanism, so in order to implement ATC, it is necessary to install 4 = 1 separate mechanisms on the main spindle, which is expensive and causes the rotating part to protrude. There is also a lack of IJ, which does not have a negative effect on the rigidity of the main shaft. Therefore, a simple device is installed on the tool magazine side to pull tools such as general-purpose radial drilling machines.
4i+i on the main spindle even in machine tools without a bending mechanism.
There were many requests for a device that could implement ATC without any additional processing.

The purpose of the present invention is to meet the above-mentioned needs and to provide automatic tool exchange for general-purpose vertical machine tools, especially those that do not have a separate mechanical mechanism on the main shaft, such as radial drilling machines. To provide an automatic tool changer in which tools can be reliably attached and detached by attaching a simple device to a main spindle and a tool magazine.

The gist of the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention is as follows:
An X-Y table is installed on the table of a general-purpose vertical machine tool, and a quick-change tool holder using a steel ball is attached to the main axis of the machine tool (one holder is attached to the top surface of the X-Y table). A device on which a tool magazine holding a tool adapter with a tool mounted thereon is mounted, wherein the angle of the taper part where the holder main body of the tool holder and the tool adapter fit is set to a size that allows easy attachment and detachment, and the tool magazine The replacement claw plate includes a plurality of tool pots that each engage a tool adapter, a replacement claw plate having claws provided at intervals matching the gaps between the tool pots, and one of the replacement claw plates. and an actuator for moving the tool holder downward, and the tool holder and the replacement pawl plate cooperate with each other to attach and detach the tool adapter to and from the holder main body at the time of tool exchange. This is an automatic tool changer with a special feature.

The present invention will be explained in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing a general-purpose radial hole machine 1, an X-Y table 2 placed on the table 11 Jx of the drilling machine 1, and an X-Y table 2 mounted on the upper end of the X-Y table 2. The automatic tool changer of this embodiment is comprised of a tool magazine 3, a numerical controller 5, and a tool holder 6 pivotally attached to the main shaft 12 of the radial drilling machine 1.

The tool magazine 3 is attached to the X-Y table 2 as shown in FIG.
X-Y
It is attached to the upper end of the table 2. The upper plate part 32 of the frame 31 is provided with six openings bored at intervals, into which tool pots 33 (described later) are attached, and the lower plate part 34 is provided with six openings drilled at intervals. Two guide rods 351 and 352 are installed, and a guide block 36 is inserted into the upper part of these guide rods so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.
A tool changing pawl plate 37 is attached via 1 and 362, and this pawl plate 37 is positioned on one side of the upper plate portion 32.

A cylinder device 38 is further installed in the vertical direction on the lower plate portion 33, and the cylinder rod 39 is connected to a tool changing pawl plate 37.
is fixed to the bottom surface of. The tool changing claw plate 37 has a size that covers the entire upper plate part 32 of the frame 31 on which the tool pot 33 is mounted, and the upper part of each tool pot 33 is cut out, and seven pieces are formed as shown in FIG. Claw portions 401 to 407 are formed. The tool pot 33 has tool adapters 611, 612, 614 to 6, which will be described later, in the tool holder 6.
16 is equipped, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which a tool adapter 613 is attached to the tool holder 6. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 41 denotes a cover for preventing chips and the like from scattering toward the tool changing claw plate 37 side.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tool pot 33 has a cylindrical shape and has a tapered hole 42 in the center that engages with the tool adapter 61 and a cylindrical hole 43 following this, and has a thrust bearing 44 and an annular elastic member at the bottom thereof. It is attached to the opening of the upper plate portion 32 of the frame body 31 via the member 45 . Therefore, the tool pot 33 is allowed to move to some extent in the vertical direction due to the elastic force of the elastic member 45, and is also allowed to move to some extent in the rotational direction by the thrust 1fib receiver 44.

The tool holder 6 is a so-called quick change type, and the fourth
As shown in the figure, a shank portion 62 of a holder main body 64, which is composed of a tapered shank portion 62 and a subsequent larger diameter portion 63, is fitted into the tapered hole 13 of the main shaft 12 of the drilling machine l. A collar 66 having a flange portion 65 for engaging with the claw portion 40 of the tool exchange claw plate 37 of the tool magazine 3 is inserted into the outside of the large diameter portion 63. The compression spring 67 interposed between the collar 6
6 is always pressed downward, but its downward movement is limited to a certain level by a stop ring 68 provided on the large diameter portion 63. Further, inside the lower part of the collar 66, a recess 70 for a steel ball 69, which will be described later, is provided. The inside of the large diameter portion 63 is a substantially cylindrical hollow portion 71 with an opening at the bottom, and an annular member 73 having a tapered hole 72 that fits with the tapered outer surface of the tool adapter 61 at approximately the center thereof. is provided to be slidable on the surface of the cavity 71. This annular member 73 is always pressed downward by a compression spring 74 provided at the bottom side of the cavity 71. A stop ring 76 restricts further downward movement. An abutting member 78 of the tool adapter 61 is fixed to the upper bottom part of the cavity 71 via a thrust bearing 77 with a screw 79 in a manner ff that allows some movement in the axial direction. . Further, in the vicinity of the opening of the cavity 71, the aforementioned steel balls 69 are partially inserted into the holes 680 that are bored at intervals of 14 in the circumferential direction.
It is held in a protruding state within 1.

The tool adapter 61 shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) has the annular portion 7 of the holder body 63 on the upper side as described above.
The cylindrical portion 82 has a tapered outer surface 81 that fits into the tapered hole 72 of No. 3, and in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 82 following this tapered outer surface 81 is a steel ball 69 held in the cavity 71 of the holder main body 63.
A hemispherical gate plate 83 is provided which fits into the cylindrical part 82, and a large diameter flange 84 is formed below the cylindrical part 82, and the lower part of the flange 84 engages with the tapered hole 42 of the tool pot 33 of the tool magazine 3. A mating tapered outer surface 85 is formed. Furthermore, inside the tool adapter 61, the 1lib
686 that matches the shank shape of tools such as drills in the direction
is perforated.

In this case, the angle t± of the hinge part where the annular member 73 of the holder body 64 and the tool adapter 61 fit is 12 degrees or more on one side.
- is preferable, so that when the collar 66 is lifted by the tool changing claw plate 37 and the engagement by the steel ball 691 is released, the tool adapter 61 can be lowered by its own weight. In other words, the angle of the taper used to hold the tool is usually 2 to 3 degrees, but this taper angle makes it difficult for it to fall naturally, and experiments have shown that even if it is set at about 11 degrees on one side, it will take some time after the tool is released. It was confirmed that unless there is a delay of 12 degrees or more, it is not sufficient in terms of time advance and reliability. Furthermore, when considering the length of the tool shank installed in the tool adapter 61, it was also found that 12 to 15 degrees is most effective. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the steel ball 6
Although three 9's were used, this number is not restrictive in any way.

FIG. 6 shows the tool adapter 1 shown in FIG. 5 attached to the holter main body 64 shown in FIG. 4, and the tool adapter 6
1 is held in the axial and rotational directions via steel balls 69, and the rotation of the main shaft 12 can be reliably transmitted to the tool 9. Further, the collar 66 is constantly pressed downward by the spring 74, and the steel ball 69 is pushed inward, so that the engaged state can be maintained reliably.

The operation of the automatic tool changer according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure during tool change will be sequentially explained with reference to FIGS. 7(a) to 7(b).

(1) As shown in (a), the processing of the workpiece is completed,
When the spindle 12 is raised, the tool point 33 in which the tool attachment 1 of the tool magazine 3 is empty is moved to the spindle 1.
The tool magazine 3 is moved through the X-Y table 2 so that it is positioned directly below the tool magazine 2.

(2) As shown in (b), the main shaft 12 is lowered to a position where the tool adapter 611 attached to the main shaft 12 engages with the tool point 33.

(3) As shown in (C), the cylinder rod 39 of the cylinder device 38 rises and lifts the tool replacement claw plate 37, and lifts the collar 66 of the tool holder 6 upward via its flange 65. Ru.

(4) As shown in (d), the main shaft 12 is raised, and the tool adapter 61 is left in the tool bot 33 accordingly.

(5) As shown in (e), the tool magazine 3 is moved so that the tool adapter 612 to which another tool 9 is attached is positioned directly below the main shaft 12.

(8) As shown in (f), the main shaft 12 descends, the tool adapter 61 is inserted into the holder body 64, and the collar 66 is pulled up by the tool exchange claw plate 37, which remains elevated. .

(7) As shown in (g), the cylinder rod 39 descends and the main shaft 12 rotates half a turn to one turn. By this operation, the steel ball 69 of the holder body 64 is fitted into the engagement recess 83 of the tool adapter 61, and the tool adapter 6
1.

(8) As shown in (h), after the main shaft 12 rises,
- Move the Y table 2 and move the tool magazine 3 to the spindle 12.
The machined part of the workpiece is removed from directly below the main shaft 12, and the workpiece is brought to a position directly below the main shaft 12.

These series of operations are performed by the numerical control device M5 in FIG.
This is done based on control signals from the machine, and tool exchange work is performed automatically.

As explained above, the automatic tool changer according to the present invention has the following features:
A tool magazine is provided with a tool changing pawl plate that cooperates with the collar of the tool holder to release the combination between the holder body and the tool adapter. This configuration does not require any processing on the machine tool itself, such as a radial drilling machine, and is extremely advantageous when converting a general-purpose machine tool into an ATC or when removing it from an ATC. Furthermore, the tool changing pawl plate device has a simple structure, and even if a specially constructed tool holder is used, the cost of implementing an ATC is extremely low.

The tool holder is a device that uses a normal inclined surface and steel balls, and by simply disconnecting the steel balls by selecting the angle of the inclined surface, the tool adapter will surely fall under its own weight.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of an automatic tool changer according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a general schematic diagram, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tool magazine, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a tool point. Fourth
The figure is a vertical cross-sectional view of the tool holder, Figure 5 (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the tool adapter, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the v-v line in (a), and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tool holder with the tool adapter attached. The longitudinal sectional views and FIGS. 7(a) to 7(h) are operation explanatory diagrams showing the order of tool exchange. Reference numeral 1 is a radial drilling machine, 11 is a table, 12 is a spindle, 2 is an X-Y table, 3 is a tool magazine, 33 is a tool point, 37 is a claw plate for changing tools, 38 is a cylinder device, 401 to 407 are Claw part, 5 is numerical control device,
6 is a tool holder, 61, 611 to 616 are tool adapters, 64 is a holder body, 65 is a flange portion, 66 is a collar, 69 is a steel ball, 71 is a hollow portion, 72 is a tapered hole, 73
81 is an annular member, 81 is a Taber outer surface, 83 is a recessed hole, and 9 is a tool. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 ((t:

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An X-Y table is mounted on the table of a general-purpose vertical machine tool, a quick-change tool holder using a steel ball is mounted on the main shaft of the machine tool, and the X-Y A device in which a tool magazine holding a tool adapter with a tool attached thereto is mounted on the top surface of the table, wherein the angle of the taper part where the holder main body of the tool holder and the tool adapter fit is set to a size that allows easy attachment and detachment; The tool magazine includes a plurality of tool pots to which tool adapters are respectively engaged, a replacement claw plate having claws provided at intervals matching the gaps between the tool pots, and the replacement claw plate. −
An automatic tool comprising: an actuating device that moves the tool holder downward; the tool holder and the replacement pawl plate work together to attach and detach the tool adapter to and from the holder body when exchanging the tool. Exchange device. 2. The automatic tool changer according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the tapered portion where the holder body and the tool adapter fit is 12 degrees or more on one side.