JPS63174840A - Automatic tool exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To aim at the shortening of tool exchanging time and the compactification of a tool exchanger, by making a tool holder travel between a stand-by position and at exchange position as interlocking with longitudinal operations of a column by a guide member to deliver it to one side of a grip part of an exchange arm. CONSTITUTION:A tool holder 13 is traveled between a stand-by position and an exchange position a interlocking with longitudinal operations of a column 2 by a guide rail 9 to deliver it to one side of a grip part 7a of at exchange arm 7. Therefore, when only a spindle 3 is moved upward and reset to the zero position, both of new and old tools A and A' can be gripped to both grip parts 7a to the exchange arm 7. Therefore, at the time of tool exchanging, there is unnecessary to make the exchange arm 7 into longitudinal operation and rotation, whereby the shortening of time required for the tool exchange is promoted as far as portion for that. In addition, it is unnecessary to install an exclusive actuator for exchange action in the exchange arm 7, compactification in a tool exchange is wall promotable as much as a portion for that.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to an improvement in a device for automatically exchanging tools with respect to a main shaft that is vertically movably provided on a column that moves back and forth in a machine tool.

(Prior Art) Generally, when automatically exchanging old and new drawing tools for the main spindle of a machine tool, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 50-43991, the column and the main spindle are moved from the processing position to the replacement position. It is well known to automatically exchange old and new drawing tools with respect to the main shaft by moving the tool to the main axis (returning to the original position) and then moving back and forth and rotating an exchange arm that has grips at both ends. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, with the above-mentioned conventional art tool, when the drawing tool is gripped onto both grips of the exchange arm in order to exchange old and new drawing tools, each of the column and main shaft is There is a problem in that the time required for tool exchange is unavoidably long because two separate and independent processes have to be performed: the process of returning to the original position of the tool, and the process of exchanging the tool using the exchange arm.

Further, in order to cause the exchange arm to perform a tool exchange operation, a dedicated actuator is required, which causes the problem that the device becomes larger.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide an appropriate means that can effectively utilize the return operation of the column that returns to the home position in conjunction with tool exchange after completing machining on a workpiece. By taking the above steps, the new tool to be replaced with respect to the main shaft is gripped by one grip part of the replacement arm in conjunction with the movement of the column returning to its original position. By returning the main spindle to its original position, the old tool mounted on the main spindle after machining can be gripped. This eliminates the need to move the exchange arm back and forth and rotate it in order to grip both the new and old tools when exchanging tools, thereby eliminating the time required for this and reducing the time required for exchanging tools by 1q. It lies in the fact that it is unplanned.

Further, by doing as described above, it is possible to eliminate the need for a dedicated actuator for causing the exchange arm to perform the tool exchange operation, thereby making the apparatus more compact.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the solving means of the present invention provides an Mfffi that automatically exchanges tools with respect to a main shaft that is vertically movably provided on a column that moves back and forth of a machine tool. An exchange arm is provided on the column so as to be movable back and forth and pivotable. Roughly speaking, the tool holder is fitted and held by a tool holder, and the tool holder is moved by the retracting movement of the column so that the tool fitted and held by the tool holder is received by one grip part of the exchange arm. A guide member is provided for guiding from the standby position to the exchange position. Further, a tool holder moving means is provided for moving the tool holder between the standby position and the exchange position in conjunction with the back and forth movement of the column.

(Function) With the above configuration, in the present invention, after the completion of machining on the workpiece, when the column returns to its original position by moving backward during tool exchange, the tool is held in conjunction with the return movement of the column. The body is moved by the tool holder moving means from the standby position to the exchange position while being guided by the guide member.

By this movement of the tool holder, the tool mounted and held on the tool holder is gripped by one grip portion of the exchange arm. On the other hand, when the main spindle returns to its original position due to epigastric movement, the worker attached to the main spindle after processing is gripped by the other grip portion of the exchange arm.

In this way, both tools are gripped by both grips of the exchange arm in conjunction with the return operation of the column and spindle to their respective home positions. There is no need to move the exchange arm back and forth or rotate it, and therefore the time required for this is omitted, and the time required for tool exchange can be shortened accordingly.

Furthermore, since the tool is exchanged as described above, there is no need to provide the exchange arm with a dedicated actuator for performing the tool exchange operation, and the apparatus can thereby be made more compact.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

1 to 3 show the general structure of a machine tool equipped with an automatic tool changer 1 & device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 2
3 is a column rotatably installed on a bed (not shown) so as to be movable back and forth, 3 is a main shaft rotatably mounted on a spindle head 3a, and is supported by the column 2 together with the main spindle head 3a so as to be movable up and down; 4 is the above-mentioned column; A changing device is a fixed plate member supported horizontally above the column 2, and has a built-in drive mechanism at the upper end of the column 2 for rotating a changing arm 7, which will be described later, of the automatic tool changing device 1. The main body 5 is supported so as to be movable back and forth along a guide rail (not shown).

The exchanger main body 5 is equipped with a rotating shaft 6 whose tip is protruded in front of the column 2, and which is rotated by lateral operation.
An exchange arm 7 is rotatably attached to the exchange arm 7. The exchange arm 7 has a pair of grip portions 7a, 7a which are biased forward by a biasing means such as a spring (not shown) so as to hold the exchange arm 7. The exchange arm 7 is supported by the column 2 so as to be movable in and out of the column 2 by the back and forth movement of the exchange device main body 5, and to be pivotable about its axis by the rotation movement of the rotation shaft 6. has been done.

On the other hand, on the front end side of the fixed plate member 4, a support plate portion IJ8 extending diagonally upward in a forward upward direction is integrally protruded. A rail 9 is fixedly installed. The guide rail 9 is also slidably attached to the tool pot holder 10'/fi sliding member 11 (shown in FIG. 3) having a U-shaped vertical section. , a tool pot 12 with a tool A2B mounted thereon is removably fitted and held in the tool pot holder 10, and a tool holder 13 that fits and holds the tool A by this tool pot 12 and the tool pot holder 10. is configured.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the tool holder 13 includes:
A bracket 14 extending toward the guide rail 9 is integrally fixed thereto, and a swinging cylinder 15 disposed toward the rear of the fixed plate member 4 is attached to a mounting portion 14 a projecting from the bracket 14 and extending rearward. The tips of the piston rods 15a extending forward are connected by pins 16. Further, an abutting member 17 is attached to one end side of the pin 16, and the abutting member 17 connects the swinging cylinder 15 to a stopper member 18, which is physically protruded upward from the upper front end of the column 2. Even under normal pressure, they are kept in constant contact.

Therefore, during processing when the column 2 moves forward, the normal pressure of the swing cylinder 15 causes the contact member '1 to
7 is brought into contact with the stopper member 18 and the tool pot holder 10 is pushed forward and diagonally upward along the guide rail 9, thereby moving the tool pot holder 10 to the standby position shown by the imaginary line. In this state, the tool pot 12 with the tool A to be replaced is set in the tool holder holder 10. On the other hand, when the column 2 moves backward in preparation for tool exchange, the stopper member 18, which moves backward as the column 2 moves backward, pushes the piston rod 15a of the swing cylinder 15 against its normal pressure. By pushing the tool pot holder 10 backward and diagonally downward along the guide rail 9 to avoid shrinkage, the tool A fitted and held by the tool pot holder 10 is transferred to one (upper) grip of the exchange arm 7. In order to transfer the tool pot 12 to the section 7a, the tool pot 12 is moved to an exchange position shown by a solid line. Therefore, the swing cylinder 15 and the stopper member 18 constitute a tool holder moving means 19 for moving the tool holder 13 between its position and the exchange position.

Next, the operation of the automatic tool changer 1 according to the above embodiment will be explained.

(1) First, during workpiece processing when the column 2 moves forward to the processing position, the tool pot holder 10 moves along the guide rail 9 to the upper end of the support plate member 8 due to the normal pressure of the swing cylinder 15. In this state, the tool pot 1 is pushed up to the standby position shown by the imaginary line, and in this state, the tool to be replaced (hereinafter referred to as new tool A) is fitted and installed.
2 is held in the tool pot holder 10. On the other hand, the main spindle 3 is moved downward to the processing position, and the workpiece is processed using the tool (hereinafter referred to as "old tool") attached to it. The exchange arm 7 is moved backward by the backward movement of the exchange device main body 5 with respect to the column 2, in preparation for exchanging both the old and new tools A and A-.

(2) When the machining of the workpiece is completed and the column 2 is moved backward to return from the machining position to the origin position in order to exchange both the old and new tools A, A=, the backward movement of the column 2 causes The piston rod 15a of the swing cylinder 15 is pushed rearward by the stopper member 18, thereby pushing the tool pot holder 10 down along the guide rail 9 from the standby position shown by the imaginary line to the position shown by the solid line. It is moved to the replacement position. On the other hand, the exchange arm 7 also moves backward as the column 2 moves backward, so that the tool pot holder 10 gradually approaches one (upper) grip part 7a of the exchange arm 7 from above, and the tool pot 12 The new tool A is fitted and held in the tool pot holder 10 through the column 2.
At the same time as the above-mentioned one grip part 7a returns to its original position,
is gripped by.

(3) Next, the main spindle 3 is moved upward from the processing position to the origin position. As a result, the old tool attached to the main spindle 3 is attached to the other (lower) grip part 7a of the exchange arm 7.
The old tool is gradually approached from below, and at the same time as the main shaft 3 returns to its original position, the other grip part 7
It is gripped by a.

(4) After that, move the exchanger main body 5 forward with respect to the column 2. As a result, the exchange arm 7 is moved forward from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. Each will be handled separately. After that, the drive I! built into the exchanger main body 5 is activated. When the groove is activated, the pivot shaft 6 is pivoted, and the exchange arm 7 is pivoted 180° about the pivot shaft 6. As a result, the new tool is placed on the spindle 3 side, and the old tool A' is placed on the tool pot 12 side. Then,
Avoid moving the shaft 3 & device body 5 backwards with respect to the column 2.

As a result, the exchange arm 7 is moved backward from the state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2 to the state shown by the solid line in the same figure.
The new tool A is installed on the spindle 3, and the old tool A' is installed on the tool pot 12.

(5) When the spindle 3 is moved down to the machining position for machining the next workpiece, the new tool A is released from the grip part 7a on one side (lower side) of the exchange arm 7. It is delivered to the main shaft 3. Thereafter, the column 2 is moved forward to return from the original position to the processing position. Due to the forward movement of the column 2, the piston rod 15a of the swing cylinder 15 expands due to normal pressure, and as a result, the tool pot holder 10 moves toward the guide rail 9.
It is pushed up to the upper end of the support plate member 8 along the line and moves from the replacement position shown by the solid line to the standby position shown by the imaginary line! 8
1 session is completed. On the other hand, the exchange arm 7 also moves forward in accordance with the forward movement of the column 2, and as a result, the tool pot holder 10 is attached to one (upper) grip portion 7a of the exchange arm 7.
The old tool is gradually separated from the grip portion 7a and transferred to the tool pot 12. Then, the old tool A- delivered to this tool pot 12
The tool pot 12 is removed from the tool pot holder 10 at the above-mentioned position, and the tool pot 12 with another new tool A attached is attached to this empty tool pot holder 10.
It is mated and retained. Then, the tool waits at the standby position until the new tool A mounted on the spindle 3 is replaced.

After that, use old and new drawing tools A in the same manner as described above.

8-Exchange.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the column 2 moves backward to replace the tools A and A' and returns from the processing position to the original position, the stopper member 18
The piston rod 15 of the swing cylinder 15 due to the pressing force of
A is contracted against the normal pressure, thereby moving the tool pot holder 10- from the standby position to the replacement position along the nocoid rail 9, thereby removing the new tool mounted on the tool pot 12. Replace A with one side of arm 7 (
grip part 7a (upper side). Therefore, by simply moving the main 1IIh3 upward from the processing position to its origin position, the old and new drawing tools A and A- can be gripped on both grips 7a and 7a of the exchange arm 7, and thereby New and old painting tools A in tool exchange t+ n;'r
, A-, it is not necessary to move the exchange arm 7 back and forth and rotate it separately from the operation of returning the column 2 to its original position, and therefore the time required for this is omitted.
19, the time required for tool exchange can be reduced by that much.

Furthermore, since the tool is exchanged as described above, there is no need to install a dedicated actuator on the exchange arm to perform the operator exchange operation, and this makes it possible to make the device more compact. can.

In the above embodiment, the tool holder 13 is composed of the tool pot holder 10 and the tool pot 12, and the tool A is transferred to the tool pot holder 1 through the tool pot 12.
0, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it is also possible to configure the tool pot holder 10 to have the ability to hold the tool pot 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, the stomach motion of the main shaft 3 and the back and forth motion of the column 2 are made independent, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is preferable to perform the retracting operation of the column 2 at the same time, as this will further reduce the 16 hours required for tool exchange.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, the tool holder is guided by the guide member to be transferred to one grip part of the exchange arm in conjunction with the back and forth movement of the column, and the tool holder is guided to the standby position. Since it is made to move between the exchange position and the exchange position, all that is left to do is to move the main shaft upward and back and return it to its home position Kl, allowing the old and new drawing tools to be gripped by both grips of the above-mentioned exchange arm. . Therefore, when exchanging tools, there is no need to move the exchange arm back and forth and rotate it in addition to returning the column to its original position in order to cover the old and new drawing tools with the grip, and the space required for this purpose can be omitted. As a result, the space required for changing tools can be shortened accordingly.

Furthermore, since the tool is exchanged as described above, there is no need to provide the exchange arm with a dedicated actuator for performing the tool exchange operation, and this allows the device to be made more compact.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall general structure of a machining machine equipped with an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the automatic tool changer, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the automatic tool changer. It is an enlarged plan view of the same. 1... Automatic tool change & device, 2... Column, 3...
・Main shaft, 7... Replacement arm, 7a... Grip part,
9... Guide rail, 10... Tool pot holder, 12... Tool pot, 13... Tool holder, 1
5... Swing cylinder, 18... Stopper member, 19
...] Two-shell holder moving hand FU, A, A-...]
NiQ.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A device that automatically exchanges tools with respect to a main shaft that is installed on a column that moves back and forth of a machine tool so that it can move up and down, and that is installed on the column so that it can move back and forth and rotate, and that always holds tools at both ends. an exchange arm having a pair of grip sections biased in such a manner, a tool holder that fits and holds a tool, and a tool that is fitted and held in the tool holder and transfers the tool to one grip section of the exchange arm. a guide member that guides the tool holder from a standby position to an exchange position by the backward movement of the column; and a tool that moves the tool holder between the standby position and the exchange position in conjunction with the back and forth movement of the column. An automatic tool changer characterized by comprising a holding body moving means.