MXPA00008045A - Quick-coupling face-driver assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A face-driver assembly (10) and method for accurate coupling of a face-driver (102) with the spindle (26) of a rotary-drive machining device. The assembly includes a face-driver, a hub (113) on the spindle defining a prealignment bore (144), a pair of self-centering coacting tooth sets (158, 160) on the hub and face-driver, an engagement post (130) extending into the hub and forming a prealignment shaft (196) closely complementary to the prealignment bore, and a releasable coupling (110) to hold and draw the engagement post rearwardly and thereby join the tooth sets in a manner facilitating final accurate centering.

Description

GEAR ASSEMBLY-FAST COUPLING FRONT ENGINE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to front drive gear assemblies of rotary drive machining devices and, more particularly, to the coupling of the front drive gears with the rotary drive machining devices and to the methods for changing the front drive gears in such devices of machination.

Background of the Invention Many metalworking machines are (or employ) rotary transmission devices which rotate workpieces (often shaft-like parts) in locations that allow work operations to be carried out on workpieces when they rotate. Such machines include lathes, tools for the formation of gears, machining tools by generating milling, grooving tools and grinding tools. Ref.122542 The work pieces are typically supported on such machines by tool collars, transmission winch stops or front drive gears on one end and a mobile head on the other - secured between such mounting structures. The workpiece is retained there and rotated around the axis defined by such an apparatus when the proposed machining operations (work of the metals) are carried out. The collet chucks and transmission winch stops use hooks or jaws to hold the outer radial periphery of the workpiece. This requires that the end portions of the work pieces be machined either before or after the machining of the main portions of the work pieces, or that the end portions of the work pieces are removed after the machining of the portions. main. The front drive gears, on the other hand, apply forces only to the end faces of the workpieces, whereby the working operations of the metals are allowed to be carried out along the entire axial length of a workpiece in a single operation. Because of this, the front drive gears are usually preferred for use in machines that perform metal working operations along the entire axial length of a workpiece. The front drive gears are commercially available, for example, from the Madison Face Driver Company, a division of Speed-Grip, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana. In this document, the term "front engine gear" refers to the unit intended for coupling the work piece itself, that is, to the end of the work piece. Such term is further clarified in the following paragraph. In contrast, the term "front engine gear assembly" refers to the front drive gear together with the axially aligned apparatus by which the front drive gear is coupled with, and secured to, the spindle or shaft of the transmission machining device. rotary A front drive gear typically has a front portion for coupling one end of a work piece and a rear portion made for engagement with the rotary drive machining device (eg, the winch). Each front drive gear includes a conveyor body "or drive head") and, projecting forward therefrom, an axial center point element and a plurality of transmission pins spaced around it for coupling and for rotating the workpiece when the front engine gear rotates. The actuator bolts are adjustably retained in the holes for the transmission bolts in the conveyor body and are supported rearwardly by a compensating means - typically either an elastomeric ring or hydraulic fluid. The means of compensation, of course, allows each transmission pin to adjust to irregular front surface variations of the workpiece end. A front drive gear coupled with a rotary drive machining device (eg, the winch) must be replaced with another front drive gear when necessary during the new adjustment of the tool to accommodate a different work piece. Such replacement of the front drive gear is required at any time that the work piece is of a size (eg, a diameter) which makes the front drive gear already installed (i.e., the first coupled with the rotary drive device for the last machining operation) unacceptable for the new work piece. Some front drive gears are of the so-called double-range or interval type, which include two concentric sets of holes for transmission pins in the conveyor body, making it possible for the front drive gear to accommodate a wider range of diameters of the workpiece. work than would otherwise be possible. However, in spite of such innovation, different operations and sizes of the work piece frequently require the installation of different front motor gears on the lathe or other rotary transmission machining device. The replacement of one front driven gear with another takes time and needs to be done safely. Accordingly, the apparatus and method for coupling the front drive gears - that is, the rear portions thereof - with the rotary drive machining device becomes a matter of great importance. More particularly, the speed and accuracy of the operation and the coupling arrangement have a direct impact on the efficiency and accuracy of the machining operations. The productivity of the machining operations is negatively affected to the extent that the change of the front engine gears occasion a delay to reassume machining operations whether individual or repetitive. The difficulties in the center of the front drive gear aggravate the problems of change and prolong the time of the change, and can also negatively affect the quality of the production. In certain coupling arrangements of the prior art, the centering of the front drive gears in front of the spindles or shafts of the rotary drive machining devices is often a careful and delicate process, even if it is carried out by the machinists with a great deal of effort. experience. The long preparation times of the machine and the times of change are undesirable. They are very detrimental to the efficiency of production in situations in which relatively small part numbers are produced in the machining runs - because a relatively higher percentage of available time is taken up by gear replacement operations. front engine. Several coupling arrangements of the front drive gear have been used. Each of them, however, has disadvantages and / or significant problems associated with them. A coupling arrangement of the front engine gear of the prior art (or "front engine gear assembly") is called a tapered spike assembly. A tapered spike assembly is characterized by the rear portion of the front drive gear having a long tapered spindle which, in the assembly of the front drive gear, is inserted into a long shaft or spindle element which forms part of the transmission device rotary until it is in frictional engagement with it. Such tapered spikes are typically 25.4-40.64 cm (10-16 inches axial length; such a deep insert is proposed both to firmly engage the front drive gear with the spindle and to provide the centering of the front drive gear in front of the spindle. The tapered spindle assemblies have significant disadvantages and have significant problems for mounting or changing the front drive gears: First, such coupling arrangements use a large amount of axial space for mounting a front drive gear - therefore it takes axial space otherwise available for the longer workpieces in the rotary drive machining device. Such coupling arrangements, therefore, limit the versatility of such devices for rotary transmission machining, which are typically very expensive parts of the equipment. After use, the removal of the front drive gears having tapered spindle assemblies is often difficult and time-consuming. A significant force is required to dislodge the spike g tapered from its deep insertion into the shaft or spindle, the female element of such friction assembly. In some cases, such as after prolonged use of a front drive gear in a prolonged production run, it becomes necessary or convenient to use a male hammer and a bar to dislodge the tapered spindle from the shaft or spindle. This and other force applied during the removal can damage the tapered surfaces. Other damage, such as torque damage, can occur to spike assemblies. It is also of importance that the assembly of such a front drive gear - that is, by the insertion of the tapered pin into the shaft or spindle element - can often result in inaccurate centering. Although the longer axial dimensions of the pin and the spindle or axis have to reduce the problems of inaccuracy, the lengthening of the pin and the spindle or limit further limits the available axial space for the workpieces in the transmission machining device rotating and aggravates the problems of removal of the front drive gear. Accurate centering is made more difficult by any damage that has occurred to the male and female parts of a tapered spike assembly. Finally, it should be noted that with the taper shank assemblies fine adjustment, such as adjusting the set screws, is typically not available. Therefore, centering by assembly and reassembly is an operation that consumes some time and is somewhat casual or fortuitous. Another coupling arrangement of the front pre-engine gear (or "front engine gear assembly") is a collet chuck assembly. In such arrangements, the jaw members (typically three) of an externally driven tool sleeve couple the side surfaces of the rear portion of the front drive gear, and hold it in place. The assembly of the tool sleeve of the front drive gears causes significant problems which delay the efficiency and accuracy of the machining operations: In a similar way to the tapered shaft assemblies, the assembly of the tool sleeve takes a large amount of axial space - space which is otherwise usable for considering longer workpieces in a rotary drive machining device. A typical tool carrier sleeve of the front drive gear assembly is approximately 20.32-35.56 cm (8-14 inches) in axial dimension. In addition, because of the nature of a tool sleeve and the control of movement for each of the jaws of the tool sleeve, a highly accurate centering of the work pieces is problematic. When the reassembly is necessary after an assembly attempt is observed (for example, after verification with a centering indicator) that has led to an off-center assembly, it may still be necessary to re-drill (ie, machine) the jaws of the tool holder sleeve. Proper mounting also typically requires that the insertion of the front drive gear into the tool sleeve be after locating one of the jaws in a "downward" position when the tool sleeve is opened, to avoid pinching the edges of the jaw of the tool holder sleeve, which aggravates run-out problems when the tool sleeve is closed. In some cases, it is often necessary to remove a jaw to insert the front drive gear. Accordingly, it can be seen that the engagement of the front drive gear by the mounting of the tool sleeve is a rather complex process, and it is a process which is further complicated by the centering problems which are likely to occur.

Another coupling arrangement of the previous front engine gear (or front engine gear assembly) can be referred to as a multiple bolt nose assembly. In such coupling arrangements, the rear portion of the front drive gear is a projection having a plurality of axially parallel holes, spaced around it, which receive the coupling bolts. Such bolts are used to secure the front drive gear to an adapter of the free face of the shaft or spindle secured to the shaft or spindle. The rear surface of the back portion of the front drive gear is typically complementary to the surface of the adapter - which forms a cylindrical space configured to receive a cylindrical front portion generally complementary to the adapter. The radial centering screws are included in the rear portion of the front drive gear to allow adjustment of the front drive gear relative to the straight or aligned axis of the spindle. The assembly of the projection of the front drive gears, although it leaves more axial space (than the taper shank assemblies or the assemblies of the tool sleeve) free for the assembly of the work piece, have significant problems for the assembly or replacement of the Front engine gears: The replacement of the front drive gear using a protrusion assembly is. an operation that consumes a lot of time. It involves the loosening of the radial centering screws and the loosening and removal of the bolts or screws (typically six) which extend through the nose and into the adapter to remove the front drive gear which has been in use. , and then reverse the operations on such elements to fix the replacement front motor gear. Problems in aligning the bolts or screws can occur because the receiving holes in the adapter are covered by the front drive gear during the assembly operation. Once coupled, the sequencing of the appropriate bolts or screws (in tightening) is important. Bolts or screws should be given the proper torque before centering to achieve accuracy. An indicator of the dial is used to determine the proper centering, which is carried out by adjusting the radial centering screws. The final tightening of the bolts complements the operation. In some cases, such as when a replacement front drive gear that is of very different dimensions from those of the front drive gear is replaced, it may also be necessary to secure an adapter of the free face of the different shaft or spindle, to the shaft or spindle before mounting the replacement front motor gear. Although the centering of the front drive gears is possible using the mounting of the projection, this is far from easy or automatic. And, every time a front drive gear is replaced with another front drive gear, the same complex steps of removal, fastening, partial tightening, adjusting the centering screw and final tightening of the bolts, must be repeated until an assembly is completed. centered acceptably. Accordingly, the mounting of the projection is a means that is far from satisfactory for coupling the front drive gears with the rotary transmission machining devices on which they are used. In summary, none of the older style front drive gear mounting arrangements - the tapered spindle assemblies, the tool collet mountings or the boss mounts provide an acceptable combination of quick and easy mounting, axial clearance, and of centering accuracy. The assembly of the front drive gear in the rotary drive machining devices remains a significant problem which requires new and inventive solutions.

Objects of the Invention It is an object of this invention to provide an improved front motor gear assembly that overcomes some of the problems and disadvantages of the prior art, including those mentioned above. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, fast coupling front motor gear assembly, which requires a minimum time for coupling with a rotary drive machining device and a minimum time for replacement of the front drive gear. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method for changing the front engine gears, which reduces the stoppage of machining operations using rotary transmission machine devices. Another object of the invention is to provide a facilitated front drive gear which ensures proper centering of the front drive gear on the axis of the rotary drive device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-centering, improved, gear coupling arrangement of the front drive gear, which allows the exact assembly of the front drive gears even by workers who do not have a very large experience. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the machining of rotating workpieces., which is subject to a shorter downtime during any change in the size of the work pieces that are going to be machined. Still another object of the invention is to eliminate the need for complex handling steps in changing the front drive gears on a rotary drive machining device. Another object of the invention is to eliminate the need for repetitive steps or a trial and error approach in the centering of a front drive gear on the axis of a rotary drive gear machining device. Another object of this invention is to help ensure the accuracy of machining operations in production by facilitating the accurate centering of the front drive gears on the shafts or spindles of the rotary transmission machining devices.

These and other important objects will become apparent from the descriptions of this invention which are given below.

Brief Description of the Invention This invention is a front engine gear assembly and a method for changing the front engine gears, which overcome the problems and deficiencies mentioned above. The assembly of the front drive gear of this invention allows for the very fast and highly accurate, facilitated mounting of a front drive gear on a rotary drive machining device, such as a lathe. This invention allows the fast and highly accurate change of the front drive gears, so that production machining operations can be quickly resumed after a change of the work pieces of one size to the work pieces of a different size. Changes can be made in seconds. This invention overcomes the problems related to inaccurate centering and avoids the delays of the centering problems during the assembly of the front drive gear. Furthermore, with this invention, the front engine gears can be easily changed by workers who do not have a very large experience. The mounting of the front drive gear according to this invention includes: a hub on the spindle, such hub defines what is referred to herein as a pre-alignment hole (or pre-alignment receptacle); a pair of sets of self-centering, annular coactuator teeth on the hub and the front drive gear; a coupling post which extends rearwardly from the front drive gear and forms a pre-alignment shaft, such a pre-alignment shaft and the pre-alignment orifice are closely complementary (as defined below); and interchangeable means on the bushing and the coupling post for releasably retaining and releasing the back coupling post. When used herein, "closely complementary" means that they have similar axial cross-sectional shapes such that, during the insertion of the pre-alignment shaft into the pre-alignment hole, the first step at the beginning of the coupling of the front drive gear with the rotary transmission machining device, the prealignment shaft is easily inserted into the prealignment hole without tool assistance, but leaving a play off the axis, small or not visible after insertion. There may be a small clearance off the shaft, but the prealignment shaft and the prealignment hole are dimensioned such that their initial facilitated coupling provides a pre-alignment which reliably succeeds in facilitating proper engagement of the two sets of teeth self-centering - the gear that then provides the exact final centering. Accordingly, these parts and structures cooperate to join the sets of teeth in a manner that ensures that the coactuator tooth assemblies provide the final self-centering to axially align the front drive gear with the shaft or spindle. The coupling of the sets of teeth also serves to provide torque transmission to the workpiece, through the front drive gear. The coupling post has multiple functions and interactions in cooperation with the other parts and structures to carry out the coupling of the fast and highly accurate forward motor gear. The sequencing and timing of such interactions and functions, and the structural requirements to achieve them, provide the coupling which is many times faster than with the prior art and highly accurate equipment. Such interactions place the structures in the relative positions that ensure that proper self-centering will occur. In certain preferred modalities, the set of teeth of the front drive gear is on an adapter ring which is secured to the rear end of the front drive gear and which is pre-centered on the front drive gear. The pre-centering is by adjustment using a plurality of precentering adjusting screws extending radially through the front drive gear for coupling the outer periphery of the adapter ring. After precentering, however, an additional adjustment is typically not required. The assembly and removal of the front drive gears proceeds regardless of the adjustment of the position of the adapter ring on its faceplate. In the preferred embodiments, the retention / extraction means on the coupling post is a retention knob at the end of the coupling post, and the retention / removal means on the hub include a clamp-type tool sleeve for the releasable coupling. with the retention knob. The shaft or spindle of the rotary drive machining device includes a shaft drawbar and the hydraulic actuator, and the tool sleeve is preferably secured to the drawbar of the shaft which is to be axially movable by the hydraulic motor gear during the coupling and uncoupling of the front engine gear assembly. Referring again to the coupling post, the portion of the coupling post called the prealignment shaft is adjacent to the rear end of the front drive gear. More preferably, the retention / extraction means on the coupling post are placed on the back of the prealignment shaft. The retention / extraction means on the coupling post, as will be detailed later, are preferably a retention knob forming the rear end of the coupling post. The axis or spindle of the rotary transmission machining device, in addition to the parts of the shaft or spindle already mentioned, include a shaft drive tube or spindle which has a front end to which the above-mentioned hub is fixed. In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the bushing preferably includes a front portion of the annular bushing which engages the front end of the drive tube, and a recess portion of the central bushing extending rearwardly from the front portion of the bushing, serves for various functions. In preferred embodiments, the recess portion of the bushing has an axial bore graduated or stepped to receive the coupling post which extends from the front drive gear. The graduated or stepped orifice includes (a) a front portion of the hole which is the prealignment hole (already mentioned) and (b) a rear portion of the hole. The front portion of the hole (or "pre-alignment hole") is substantially larger in diameter than the rear portion of the hole. The prealignment hole is opened in the front portion of the bushing and is positioned to receive the prealignment shaft. The insertion of the portion of the pre-alignment shaft (or coupling post) into the pre-alignment hole is carried out manually because of a smaller nature than the very tight one of the complementary configurations (as described above). The pre-alignment hole is deep enough so that the pre-alignment axis never "reaches the bottom" in it. The rear portion of the smaller diameter hole is rearward of and adjacent to the pre-alignment hole. The rear portion of the hole is configured (ie, dimensioned) to receive the retention / removal means of the coupling post. The retaining / stretching means of such coupling post, in its preferred form, is a retention knob at the end of the coupling post, as already noted. The retaining knob is movable axially in the graduated or stepped orifice, including in the rear portion of the hole. In preferred embodiments, the retention / removal means in the bushing is a jaw-type tool holder sleeve for releasable engagement with the retention knob. The tool sleeve is configured for insertion into the graduated or stepped orifice, including the rear portion of the hole. The tool sleeve, the rear portion of the hole and the retaining knob are configured and arranged in such a way that the tool sleeve (a) is closed over the retention knob when the tool sleeve moves towards the rear portion of the hole, ( b) is kept closed by its confinement within the rear portion of the hole, and (c) opens under the action of a spring portion of the tool sleeve when the tool sleeve moves from the rear portion of the hole towards the pre-alignment hole. . In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the tool sleeve is fixed or secured to the aforementioned axle bar or spindle and is axially movable by the hydraulic motor gear during the coupling and uncoupling operations, whereby such operations. In a broad description, the front drive gear assembly of this invention includes: a front drive gear: a pair of self-centering sets of teeth, one secured with respect to the rear end of the front drive gear and the other secured with respect to the axle or spindle; a pre-alignment element and a closely complementary pre-alignment receptacle, one secured with respect to the rear end of the front drive gear and the other with respect to the spindle; and releasably interchangeable means, including a portion secured with respect to the rear end of the front drive gear and a second portion secured with respect to the axle or spindle. Such a combination of elements removably retains and removes the front drive gear back after the pre-alignment element is inserted in the pre-alignment receptacle, so that two sets of teeth are joined in a manner that facilitates the centering of the front drive gear. Exact final way and transmission of torque. The method of this invention for the change of the front engine gears involves the use of such assembly of the front drive gear, and includes the following steps: decoupling of the first coupling means from the second coupling means of a first front drive gear ( that is, the front drive gear is removed); then the bushing coupling post is removed during the removal of the first front drive gear; then the coupling post of a second front drive gear (i.e., the front drive gear to be used) is inserted into the bushing by inserting the pre-alignment shaft of such forward drive gear into the pre-alignment hole, thereby 'prealigns the second front drive gear with the axle or spindle; then the first coupling means is coupled to the second coupling means of a second front drive gear; and finally the coupling post is withdrawn or withdrawn backwards to join the coactuator tooth assemblies in a manner that facilitates the exact final centering of the second forward drive gear on the spindle axis.

It is preferred that the decoupling, engagement and backward extraction steps include driving a hydraulic motor gear and the spindle drive rod to axially move the first and second coupling means. In certain of the descriptions of this invention which follows, the aforementioned adapter ring and hub and its related parts are referred to as a two-part adapter. The two parties involved are those secured by the front drive gear and those secured with respect to the spindle.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic fragmentary top plan view of a rotary drive machining device having a front drive gear assembly in accordance with this invention and holding the work piece in place. Figures 2 and 3 are sectional side elevations of an assembly of the front drive gear according to this invention and showing the front drive gear in its attached and disconnected states, respectively.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the front drive gear and the front drive gear assembly adapter of Figures 2 and 3, illustrating the front drive gear in the coupled condition, with the adapter ring (which is a portion of the adapter ) fixed to the bushing (which is another portion of the adapter), by means of the position and closed condition of a tool sleeve. Figure 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the front drive gear assembly of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a front elevation of the adapter hub of Figures 2-5. Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the adapter ring of the adapter of Figures 2-5. Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevation view similar to Figure 4, but illustrating a somewhat different type of tool holder sleeve.

Detailed Descriptions of the Preferred Modalities Figure 1 schematically illustrates the invention in its place of use. A device for the work of the rotary transmission metals, in this case a lathe 10, includes a spindle assembly 26, a mounting of the front drive gear 100, and a movable or tailstock 214 spaced apart from the assembly of the front drive gear 100 for supporting a workpiece 216 for rotating and machining it on the lathe 10. The spindle assembly 26 is mounted on a support (not shown). The movable head or tailstock 214 is mounted on a plunger 218 which in turn is mounted for oscillating movement on the support 220 of the movable head or tailstock. The work piece 216 is removably secured between the assembly of the front drive gear 100 and the movable head or tailstock 214 by the action of the plunger 218 for machining, and is released after the machining is completed. The assembly 100 of the front drive gear includes a front drive gear 102 and, attached to the spindle assembly 26, an adapter device 108 axially aligned. The adapter apparatus 108 supports the front drive gear 102 and is mounted on the spindle assembly 26 by means not shown in Figure 1. The front drive gear 102 includes a carrier body 126, a central point 132 spring-loaded and a plurality of drag fingers 134, as in the front motor gears of the prior art. The center point 132 and the drag fingers 134 extend forwardly from the front face of the carrier body 126 for engagement of the back face of the work piece 216. These parts operate in the manner described above in relation to the prior art. . The configurations and internal parts, including the compensation means mentioned above, are not shown in the drawings. Figures 2-7 illustrate the assembly 100 of the front drive gear (and also the spindle assembly 26) in a very detailed manner, which shows the details of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The spindle assembly 26 includes what will be referred to herein as a spindle drive tube 106, a pull rod 172 of the spindle, and an axially movable rod 124, which connects the pull rod 172 to its hydraulic motor gear 104. The assembly of the front drive gear 100 includes, in addition to the front drive gear 102, a two-part adapter apparatus 108, and a quick connect coupling generally denoted 110 in Figures 2-4. The two-part adapter apparatus 108 includes a first portion 112 attached to the spindle drive tube 106, which drives it rotatably, and a second portion 114 fixed to the front drive gear 102. The first and second adapter portions 112 and 114 are coupled to each other. yes in a precise concentric or coaxial relationship when the front motor gear 102 is engaged in the lathe 10. The hydraulic motor gear 104 and the spindle drive tube 106 are conventional equipment. The hydraulic motor gear 104 is bidirectional, and can move the pull rod 172 of the spindle in any axial direction (during activation by means of a foot pedal or other suitable device). The hydraulic motor gear 104, the driving tube 106 and the pull rod 172 all rotate together. The driving tube 106 of the spindle is connected at its rear end to the hydraulic motor gear 104 by means of the connector 116 and the bolts 118. The driving tube 106 of the spindle is connected at its front end to the first adapter portion 112 by means of a device of suitable securing 120, to which the first adapter portion 112 is secured by bolts 122. The front drive gear 102, except for the modifications described below, is manufactured by Madison Face Driver Company and marketed as Madison 's Tool Series 4262. The front motor gear 102 includes a carrier body 126 and a projection 128. When noted with reference to Figure 1, the front motor gear 102, of course, also includes the center point 132 and the drag fingers 134. The end front of the carrier body 126 is topped by a conventional free face cover 136. In this invention, a coupling post 130 extends axially from the front drive gear 102 in a rearward position. The protruding element 128 is modified to have a recess configured to accommodate a second adapter portion 114. The modifications are made without increasing the overall axial length of the assembled front drive gear and the adapter, when compared to the mounting arrangements of the protrusion Front engine gear of the prior art. The rearwardly extending coupling post 130 has features, as detailed below, which, in cooperation with the other apparatuses described herein, allow the fast and accurate centering engagement of the front drive gear 102 in the lathe 10. Before describing the details of the coupling post 130 ^ and the structure with which it corresponds, the first and second adapter portions 112 and 114 will be described in greater detail and to some extent. The first adapter portion 1-12 includes a bushing 113, which has a front portion 140 of the annular bushing and a recessed portion 138 of the central annular bushing and rearwardly which terminates in the rear wall 141 of the bushing (see Figure 4) . A central graduated or stepped office is formed in a recessed potion 138 of the bushing to receive a tool holder sleeve 166, which forms a portion of the quick connect coupling 110. As more clearly illustrated in Figure 4, the hole has a portion of smaller rear diameter 142 and a larger diameter front portion 144 which extends from the rear portion of the hole 142 to the front face of the hub 113. (Such portions of the hole together are sometimes referred to herein as the graduated or stepped orifice 142/144). A plurality of holes 146 are formed near the periphery of the front portion 140 of the bushing to receive the pins 122 for connection of the bushing 113 to the securing device 120 of the driving tube, as described above . The second adapter portion 114 is an adapter ring (hereinafter referred to as "adapter ring 114"). The adapter ring 114 is received in the recess mentioned above on the rear face of the projection element 128 of the front drive gear 102. It is bolted to the projection element 128 by a plurality of bolts 148 which extend through the holes 150 in the protrusion element 128 and to the threaded holes 152 in the adapter ring 114. Four centered screws 154 are spaced around the periphery of the protrusion element 128 and extend through the threaded holes 156 (see Figure 5) in the protruding element 128 and in engagement with the outer periphery of the adapter ring 114 for centering the front drive gear 102 on the adapter ring 114. It is important to note that, in the device of this invention, such centering only needs to be performed once - when the front motor gear 102 is initially connected to the adapter ring 114. The change of the motor gears Forming a new machining run typically would not require this centering adjustment, because the front drive gear could already have its own adapter ring properly connected. A pair of interchangeable annular sets of teeth, each set having a plurality of teeth, are on the rear surface of the adapter ring 114 and the front face of the front portion 140 of the bushing 113. The transmission teeth 158 are formed on the adapter ring 114 and meshed with the transmission teeth 160 formed on the front portion 140 of the bushing when the assembly of the front drive gear 100 is in its engaged position as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The annular set of drive teeth 160 and the bushing 113, when fully engaged with the annular set of driving teeth 158 on the adapter ring 114, serve to securely and effectively transmit the rotating torque of the impulse tube 106 of the spindle to the front drive gear 102. Such teeth and sets of teeth are of configurations which effect the self-centering of the assemblies (and, consequently, of the ring) wiper 114 on the bushing 113 and, consequently, of the front drive gear 102 on the spindle assembly 26 of the lathe) when the sets of annular teeth are removed axially together, as is the case with the coupling of the assembly of the front drive gear. this invention. An acceptable configuration of such teeth and for such centering of the tooth assemblies is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,307,797 (Belansky), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein for reference. The exact centering is facilitated by the indexing of the interengaging tooth assemblies. This is effected by the engagement or butt contact of a pin 162 which projects from a position along the set of driving teeth 160 on the bushing 113 with an opening 164 for receiving the pin in a position as far as possible. length of the set of the drive teeth 158 in the adapter ring 114. During the assembly of the front drive gear 102, such a front drive gear is indexed manually to a position such that the pin 162 and the opening for receiving the pin will match Another important aspect of the assembly of the front drive gear for the quick coupling of this invention is the manner in which the front drive gear 102, with the adapter ring 114 on it, is removed firmly, quickly and accurately axially on the hub 113. - for coupling the annular teeth assemblies for a reliable, fast centered assembly of the front motor gear 102. This involves the coupling post 130 and the structure with which the coupling post 130 corresponds to form the quick connect coupling 110. The rearwardly extending mating post 130 has a threaded front portion 200 for attachment to the boss element 128. An axial hole 202 is formed in the front portion 200 to receive the spring 204., which serves to divert the central point 132 forward. In addition to these features, the coupling post 130 has other features which are configured to perform various functions related to fast and accurate coupling. More specifically, immediately to the rear of its threaded front portion 200, the coupling post 130 has an enlarged cylindrical intermediate portion, which is referred to herein as a pre-alignment shaft 196. At the rear end of the coupling post 130, and separated from the pre-alignment shaft 196 by an annular groove 169, is a knob which is referred to herein as a detent knob 168. The detent knob 168 is defined in part by a front projection 168a. Before more specifically describing the function of the pre-alignment shaft 196, it will be useful to describe the function of the retention knob 168. The retention knob 168 is removably engageable by a tool holder sleeve 166 within the graduated or stepped orifice 142/144. The tool sleeve 166 is inside the graduated or stepped orifice 142/144 and operates on the basis of its axial positioning by the pull bar 172 of the spindle in the graduated or stepped hole 142/144 - by means of the configuration of the tool sleeve 166 and its interaction with the walls of the holes depending on whether or not the rear portion 142 of the hole is completely inside, of the smaller inner diameter portion.

The interaction of the tool holder sleeve 166 with the retainer knob 168 is best illustrated in Figures 2-5. The tool sleeve 166 includes a drive pin 170 which extends from the inside of the graduated or stepped hole 142/144, through an axial opening in the rear wall 141 of the bushing (see Figure 4), for the connection (by half of a bolt 180) with one end 178 of the drive rod receptacle 172 of the spindle. The drive pin 170 has an enlarged head 182 at its front end. The enlarged head is adjacent to the jaws 184 of the jaw 174. The tongs 184 are spaced around the periphery of the drive pin 170 and are held against them by a washer 186, a corrugated spring 188 and a snap ring 190. Although eight tongs 184 are spaced around the drive pin 170, for convenience reasons only three are shown. As shown in Figure 4, each clamp 184 of the tool sleeve 166 generally has the shape of J and has one end or tail 192 of the clamp (in the back) and a head 194 of the clamp (in the front). Each rear end 192 of the pliers is seated on the corrugated spring 188 and has an internal hook which engages a rear projection on the head portion 182 of the drive pin 170. Each head 194 of the pliers has a similar hook. for engaging the front projection 168a of the detent knob 168. The outer radial surfaces of the pliers 184 are shaped to cooperate with the graduated or stepped hole 142/144 in the bushing 113 in the known manner: When the jaw 174 of the tool sleeve is pulled towards the rear of the bushing 113 by the action of the draw bar 172 of the screw, so that the tongs 184 are captured within the rear portion 142 of the craft, the tongs 184 oscillate inward to capture the retaining knob 168, with the hooks of the tongs heads 194 in the position to engage the protrusion front 168a of the detent knob 168. The additional similar movement of the pull rod 172 of the spindle ensures that the mating post 130, and with it the front drive gear 102 and the adapter ring 114, are firmly pulled towards the hub 113, whereby they firmly attach the two sets of annular teeth. On the other hand, when the jaw 174 of the tool sleeve is pushed out of the front of the hub 113 by the inverse action of the pull rod 172 of the spindle, so that the tongs 184 are no longer held within the rear portion. 142 of the hole, the tongs 184 swing outwardly under the force of the corrugated spring 188, whereby the retaining knob 168 is released under the jaw 174. This allows the coupling post 130 to be removed from the stepped orifice 142/144 , allowing the uncoupling and removal of the front motor gear 102 from the lathe. As already noted, the coupling post 130 has multiple functions for carrying out the coupling of the front drive gear which is not only very fast but also very accurate in the final centering along the axis of the spindle. More specifically, during the coupling of the front drive gear assembly of this invention, when the coupling function related to the tool carrier sleeve described above is about to occur, the pre-alignment shaft 196 (see Figure 5) cooperates with the front portion 144. of the hub bore 113 to place the structures in their relative positions which by means of this facilitate the highly accurate centering movements. The front portion 144 of the hole is sometimes referred to herein as the "pre-alignment hole 144".

The prealignment shaft 196 and the front portion of the bore (or the pre-alignment hole) 144 of the bushing 113 are cylindrical in the embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings. The pre-alignment shaft 196 and the pre-alignment hole 144 are dimensioned to be closely complementary (in their axial cross-section). As stated above"closely complementary" refers to similar axial cross-section shapes such that, during the start of engagement of the front drive gear 102 with the winch 10, the pre-alignment shaft 196 of the coupling post 130 can be easily inserted into the the pre-alignment hole 144 without the aid of the tool, but which, once the pre-alignment shaft 196 has been inserted into the pre-alignment hole 144, there is a 'play off' of the small or non-visible axis. As noted above, there could be a decentering set of the light axis, but the pre-alignment shaft 196 and the pre-alignment hole 144 (i.e., the front portion 144 of the hole) must be dimensioned such that the pre-alignment made by the insertion of the pre-alignment shaft 196 into the pre-alignment hole 144 will be successful in facilitating proper engagement of the drive teeth and driving teeth of the two sets of annular teeth, the interengagement of which will then provide the exact final centering. In the preferred illustrated embodiment in Figures 2-7, the outer diameter of the pre-alignment shaft 196 is approximately 0.0381 cm (0.015 inches) smaller than the internal diameter of the front portion 144 of the hole. This provides excellent prealignment and facilitated insertion, and leads to the highly accurate, automatic centering of the front drive gear 102 on the spindle axis 26. The pre-alignment shaft 196 of the coupling post 130, in addition to guiding the retaining knob 168 to the generally central position within the graduated or stepped hole 142/144, helps prevent damage to either the bushing 113 or the coupling post 130 during coupling and decoupling. But, more importantly, during the coupling, the prealignment of which provides the preliminary cooperation of the structures, in effect ensures the fully focused fast coupling which is desired. In the assembled and coupled condition shown in Figures 3 and 4, the assembly of the front drive gear 100 can be used to drive the work piece 216 in a lathe 10 as illustrated in Figure 1. The assembly of the front drive gear 100 it could also be used in a mill, a milling machine or almost any other machining device that involves rotating workpieces. After the front motor gear 102 is assembled using the assembly 100 of the front drive gear, the use of the front drive gear 102 with the work pieces is with other front driven motor gears of the prior art. A work piece 216 is placed between the movable head or tailstock 214 and the front end of the front motor gear 102, and the movable head or tailstock 214 is then driven by the plunger 218 towards the front motor gear 102 to secure the workpiece. work instead. The centering of the workpieces is carried out when the central point 132 spring-loaded of the front drive gear 102 engages a hole made in the end face of the workpiece, whereby the precise axis of the rotation is established. The center point 132 retracts against its spring 204 and, during the additional movement of the movable head or tailstock 214 towards the front motor gear 102, the driving fingers 134 contact the end face of the work piece 216 and adjust by themselves to its surface. The additional movement of the movable head or tailstock 214 towards the front motor gear 102 causes the driving fingers 134 to penetrate the end face of the work piece, thus complementing the securing operation. The front motor gear 102 can now be rotated by the spindle 26 to rotate the work piece 216 for machining operations. When a machining run on the work pieces of a class is complemented and it is time to machine work pieces of a different size, it may be necessary to change the front drive gears to accommodate the new work pieces. For example, a larger forward drive gear may be necessary to accommodate a larger work piece. The front motor gear 102, which has been in use, is removed in the company of its adapter ring 114 by the start of the initial movement of the pull rod 172 of the spindle and the drive pin 170 under the control of the hydraulic motor gear 104. This axial movement releases the retaining knob 168 from the jaw 174 of the tool sleeve, allowing the facilitated manual removal of the front motor gear 102. A replacement forward drive gear, referred to by the same identification number (102), is then obtained . Similar to the previous front engine gear, such a forward drive gear already has its own adapter ring, and such a front drive gear and adapter ring have been pre-centered with each other by the centering screws 154. The coupling post 130 of the second front drive gear 102 is then inserted into the graduated or stepped hole 142/144 of the bushing 113 and this involves the insertion of the pre-alignment shaft 196 into the front portion 144 of the hole. After this, the movement of axial retraction of the pull bar 172 of the spindle, under the action of the hydraulic motor gear 104 (when it is activated), causes the jaw 174 of the tool sleeve to be completely wrapped in the rear portion 142. of the hole. This causes the jaw 174 to securely hold the locking knob 168 and the extraction adapter ring 114, with its annular drive teeth assembly 158, in firm engagement with the bushing 113, with its annular drive tooth assembly 160. By virtue of the unique structures descd above, the coupling of the annular pulley and driving tooth assemblies will be an appropriate engagement coupling, which then allows the exact, final self-centering of the coupling procedures to be complemented.

Such a change of the front engine gear is effected exactly in seconds, rather than in a large number of minutes or even an hour or more, as with the changes of the front plate in the past. Many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of this invention. The tool sleeve 166, which is of a type manufactured by ITW Oodworth, of Detroit, Michigan, and sold to tool suppliers under the registered trademark "QSC", could be replaced with another tool sleeve or other coupling and extraction connection. suitable. An alternative is the tool holder sleeve 266 as illustrated in Figure 8. The tool holder sleeve 266 is of a type manufactured by Advanced Machine and Engineering Co., of Rockford, Illinois, and sold for tool holders. As in the apparatus of Figures 2-7, the tool sleeve 266 shown in Figure 8 can be used with the adapter 108 and the check knob 168 of the front drive gear assembly 100. The tool holder sleeve 266 has a drive pin 270 and a jaw 274 of the tool sleeve. The drive pin 270 has a rear end which receives a threaded end 271 of a pull rod 272 from the spindle and is secured to the pull bar 272 of the spindle by a safety screw 273. The drive pin 270 has a front end which supports the jaw 274 of the tool sleeve and terminates in an enlarged head 282. The jaw 274 of the tool sleeve is formed from pliers 284 which are mounted in a recess 285 below the head 282 of the drive pin 270. pliers are biased towards a position opened by a circular spring 288. As with the apparatus of Figures 2-7, the operation of the jaw 274 of the tool sleeve involves the subsequent stages of coupling a front driven gear with a lathe or similar device . After insertion of the pre-alignment shaft 196 into the front portion 144 of the hole, which is the largest diameter portion of the graduated or stepped hole 142/144, the jaw 274 of the tool sleeve operates in front of the knob or stop button 168. The jaw 274 of the tool sleeve is closed when it is completely wrapped in the rear portion 142 of the reduced diameter orifice of the graduated or stepped hole 142/144, which occurs when the drive pin 270 is moved rearwardly by the bushing bar. traction 272 of the spindle. The jaw 274 of the tool sleeve holds and then pulls the locking knob or button 168, removing the front motor gear 102 towards the hub 113, the adapter ring 114 in contact with the hub 113, and the ring gear sets in gear engagement. appropriate to allow the final exact self-centering when the coupling is complemented. In the decoupling, the jaw 274 of the tool sleeve opens under the force of the spring 288 to release the stop knob or button 168 when the drive pin 270 moves the jaw 274 of the tool sleeve forwardly beyond the back portion 142 of the tool sleeve. orifice. This allows removal of the pre-alignment shaft 196 from the front portion 144 of the bore, and manual removal of the front drive gear 102 from the lathe. Many other variations, changes and modifications can be made without being outside the scope of the invention. For example, the adapter ring 114 could be secured to the projection element 128 in other ways. And the relative axial alignment of the adapter ring 114 and the element of the projection 128, and / or the pre-adjustment to such relative axial alignment, could be effected by means other than those illustrated in the drawings.

Or, the adapter ring 114, including its annular assembly facing the back of the teeth 158, could be integrally formed with the projection element 128 (ie, on the element of the projection 128). Such integral formation may be in a manner such that such a set of annular teeth on the front drive gear is precisely concentric thereon, instead of being fixed and then adjusted in proper alignment by centering screws or other preset means. The bushing 113 could be secured to the forward end of the driving tube 106 of the spindle in other ways. Or, the bushing 113 could be formed integrally with the driving tube 113 of the spindle, simplifying the structure. The coupling post 130 can be fixed to the post 130 in different ways from those of the fixing by threaded means which is shown and described. The prealignment shaft 196 and the prealignment hole 144, instead of both being concentric, could be of other generally complementary, acceptable shapes. In some such situations, indexing for the identical repeatable engagement of the annular tooth assemblies could be an additional function performed by such complementary forms, thereby eliminating a need for a pin 162 and pin receiving opening 164. or spike on the sets of annular teeth. With any and all of these or other variations, including the integral formation of certain parts with others, the same sequence of cooperative coupling actions could occur to provide rapid coupling with highly accurate, automatic centering of the front drive gears. the axis of the spindle. Although the principles of this invention have been described with respect to the specific embodiments, it should be clearly understood that these descriptions are made by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

It is noted that in relation to this date the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following

Claims (16)

1. A front motor gear assembly for the removable coupling of a front drive gear with a spindle of a rotary drive machining device along the spindle axis, characterized in that it comprises: - a front drive gear having front and rear ends; - a bushing on the spindle and defining a pre-alignment hole; - a pair of sets of coaxing teeth for self-centering, annular, a set on the hub and a set on the front drive gear, - a coupling post 'which extends rearwardly from the front drive gear and forms an axle prealignment which is closely complementary to the prealignment hole that allows the insertion of the prealignment shaft into the pre-alignment hole; and - interengaging means on the bushing and the coupling post for releasably retaining and releasing the back coupling post, thereby removing the alignment shaft further towards the pre-alignment hole for joining the tooth assemblies to facilitate accurate final centering; whereby the rapid assembly of the front drive gear is facilitated with the exact final centering of the front drive gear for transmission of the exact torque to a workpiece retained by the front drive gear.

2. The assembly of the front drive gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the set of teeth of the front drive gear is on an adapter ring which is secured to the rear end of the front drive gear and pre-centered on the front drive gear.

3. The assembly of the front drive gear according to claim 2, characterized in that the adapter ring has an outer periphery and a plurality of precentering adjusting screws that extend radially through the front drive gear for coupling the outer periphery of the ring adapter.

4. The assembly of the front drive gear according to claim 1, characterized in that: the retaining / extraction means on the coupling post are a retention knob or button at the end of the coupling post; and the retaining / removal means on the hub include a jaw-type tool sleeve for releasable engagement with the retaining knob.

5. The assembly of the front motor gear according to claim 4, characterized in that the spindle includes a spindle drive rod and a hydraulic motor gear, and the tool sleeve is secured to the spindle drive rod and is axially movable by the gear hydraulic motor during coupling and uncoupling of the front engine gear assembly.

6. The assembly of the front drive gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the pre-alignment shaft is adjacent to the rear end of the front drive gear.

7. The assembly of the front motor gear according to claim 6, characterized in that the retention / extraction means on the coupling post are behind the pre-alignment axis.

8. The assembly of the front motor gear according to claim 7, characterized in that the spindle includes a spindle drive tube having a front end and wherein the hub comprises: - a front portion of the ring bushing which engages the front end of the tube driving; - a recessed portion of the central bushing extending rearwardly from the front portion of the bushing and having a graduated or stepped axial hole that receives the coupling post, the graduated or stepped orifice including (a) the pre-alignment hole, such Prealignment hole is open in the front portion of the bushing to receive the prealignment shaft, and (b) a rear portion of the hole, backward of and adjacent to the prealignment hole, such rear portion of the hole is smaller in diameter than the Pre-alignment hole and is configured to receive the retention / extraction means of the coupling post.

9. The assembly of the front motor gear according to claim 8, characterized in that: - the retention / extraction means on the coupling post is a retention knob or button on the end of the coupling post, the retention knob or button is movable axially in the graduated or stepped orifice, including the rear portion of the orifice; - the retention / extraction means on the bushing are a jaw-like tool holder sleeve for releasable engagement with the retention knob or button, the tool holder sleeve is configured for insertion in the graduated or stepped orifice, including the rear portion of the orifice; and - the tool sleeve, the rear portion of the hole and the retention knob or button are configured and arranged in such a way that the tool sleeve is closed over the retention knob or button when the tool sleeve moves towards the rear portion of the hole , be kept closed by its confinement within the rear portion of the hole, and open when the tool sleeve moves from the rear portion of the hole towards the pre-alignment hole.

10. The assembly of the front motor gear according to claim 9, characterized in that the spindle further includes a spindle drive rod inside the spindle drive tube and a hydraulic motor gear, and the tool sleeve is fixed or secured to the drawbar of the spindle and which is axially movable by the hydraulic motor gear during the coupling and uncoupling of the front drive gear assembly.

11. The assembly of the front drive gear according to claim 10, characterized in that the set of teeth of the front drive gear is on an adapter ring which is secured to the rear end of the front drive gear and pre-centered on the front drive gear.

12. The assembly of the front drive gear according to claim 11, characterized in that the adapter ring has an outer periphery and a plurality of precentering adjusting screws that extend radially through the front drive gear to couple the outer periphery of the adapter ring.

13. A front motor gear assembly for the removable coupling of a front drive gear with a spindle of a rotary drive machining device along the spindle axis, characterized in that it comprises: a front drive gear having a rear end; - a pair of sets of self-centering teeth, one set secured with respect to the rear end of the front drive gear and the other set secured with respect to the spindle; - a pre-aligned pre-alignment element and closely complementary pre-alignment receptacle, one secured with respect to the rear end of the front drive gear and the other secured with respect to the spindle allowing the insertion of the pre-alignment element into the pre-alignment receptacle; and - releasably interengaging means, including a portion secured with respect to the rear end of the front drive gear and a second portion secured with respect to the spindle, for releasably retaining and releasing the front drive gear rearwardly after the pre-alignment element is inserted into the prealignment receptacle, thereby extracting the prealignment member further into the prealignment receptacle to join the tooth assemblies to facilitate accurate final centering; whereby the centering of the exact front forward driving gear is facilitated to ensure transmission of the torque to a workpiece retained by the front drive gear.

14. A method for changing the front motor gears used on the machining devices of the front drive gear which have spindles for rotating the work pieces, characterized in that it comprises: providing, pre-installed on the spindle, a bushing defining a pre-alignment hole, the hub having a first set of annular teeth thereon and a first releasable coupling means; - providing, pre-installed on each front drive gear, (a) a second set of annular teeth which is self-centering on the first set of teeth, (b) a coupling post which extends rearwardly from the front drive gear for the insertion into the hub and forming a complementary prealignment shaft with the prealignment hole, and (c) a second releasable coupling means that can be coupled with the first coupling means; - uncoupling the first coupling means from the second coupling means of the first of such front engine gears, - extracting the coupling hub from the hub by removing the first front drive gear; - inserting the coupling post of a second one of said front drive gears into the bushing by inserting the pre-alignment shaft of the second front drive gear into the pre-alignment hole, whereby the second front drive gear is pre-aligned with the spindle; - coupling the first coupling means with the second coupling means of the second front drive gear; - extracting the coupling post backwards, thus extracting the prealignment shaft additionally towards the pre-alignment hole, whereby the tooth assemblies are joined in a manner that facilitates the exact final centering of the second front driven gear on the spindle axis .

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the decoupling, coupling and removal steps include the activation of a hydraulic motor gear to axially move the first and second coupling means by means of a spindle drive rod.

16. A coupling assembly for releasably coupling a fastener of the workpiece with a spindle of a rotary drive machining device along the axis of the spindle, characterized in that it comprises: a fastener of the workpiece having front and rear ends; - a bushing on the spindle and defining a pre-alignment hole; a pair of self-centering, annular, coagulative sets of teeth, a set on the bushing and a set on the workpiece holder, a mating post extending rearwardly from the workpiece holder and forming a Pre-alignment shaft which is closely complementary to the pre-alignment hole allowing manual insertion of the pre-alignment shaft into the pre-alignment hole; and interengaging means on the bushing and the coupling post for releasably retaining and releasing the backward engaging post, thereby extracting the prealignment shaft further into the prealignment hole for joining the sets of teeth to facilitate final exact centering; whereby quick fastener mounting of the work piece is facilitated with the exact final centering of the workpiece holder for transmission of the exact torque to a workpiece held by the workpiece holder.