US1922073A - Milling machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 15, A. F. BENNETT MILLING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 W55 I'LL-611w A. F. BENNETT MILLING MACHINE Aug. 15, 1933.

Filed April 26, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 15, 1933.

A. F. BENNETT MILLING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 NuN CNN

Aug. 15, 1933. A, BENNETT 1,922,073

MILLING MACHINE Filed April 26 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ill/"2% Wiinasfi Juan/i01 Patented Aug. 15, 1933 MILLIN G MACHINE Arthur F. Bennett, West Barrington, R. 1., as-

signor to Brown and Sharpe Manufacturing Company, a Corporation of Rhode island Application April 26, 1932. Serial No. 607,565

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in milling machines, and has for its principal object to provide a novel and improved mechanism for both power and manual manipulation of the saddle and knee, which will enable the operator to operate these elements singly or together with any desired combination of hand and power feeds from either the front or rear of the machine quickly and with entire safety to himself and others.

The power drive for the present machine comprises a single main clutch and separate feed trains including three separate reversers for con-- trolling the power operation respectively of the table, saddle and knee. For controlling the operation of the machine, separate power feed control levers are provided for operating each of the reversers for saddle and knee from separate operating stations located on the front and side of the knee to permit the operator to reach the controls from either the front or rear of the machine, and additional hand controls are provided at each of these operating stations on the machine for manually operating the saddle and knee feeds. Each of the power feed control levers may be moved in either direction from an intermediate neutral position to drive the corresponding feed in either direction, and since the feed trains and reversers for the saddle and knee are entirely independent of each other, the several supports may be controlled by the operator to move in either direction simultaneously or individually as desired.

In carrying out the present invention, mechanism is provided which acts automatically upon movement of one of the power feed control levers for the saddle or knee in either direction from its neutral position to render inoperative the hand feed controls both front and rear for the corresponding feed, so that no danger of injury can arise through the movement of the hand controls with the power feed, particularly during the operation of the quick traverse when the gear trains are being operated at a relatively rapid rate.

Since it is sometimes desirable for certain classes of work to maintain the knee rigidly in a single adjusted position, the machine herein disclosed is provided with a clamping device which is arranged to clamp the knee rigidly to the machine column. In order to prevent the operation of the power knee feed while the clamp is in looking position with consequent damage to or breakage of the parts, the present construction contemplates provision of an interlocking device which is arranged to permit the operation of the clamp only with the knee power feed in its neutral position, and which acts during the application or" the clamp to lock the reverser for the knee feed in neutral position.

The several features of the invention consist also in the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View in right side elevation of a milling machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section illustrating particularly the feed mechanism for operating the saddle and knee and the power and hand feed control levers therefor; Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section illustrating particularly the power and manual feed connections for operating the vertical or knee feed and the knee clamp; Fig. i is a detail sectional view of one of the rear hand feed controls for the saddle and knee; and Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in section on an enlarged scale showing particularly the interlocking mechanism for controlling the operation of the knee clamp and the knee power feed.

The milling machine disclosed in the drawings as embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention, comprises a base 8, a machine column 10, a longitudinally movable work table 12, a laterally movable saddle 14 on which the table is carried, and a vertically movable knee support 16 for the saddle and table. The machine is also provided with a cutter spindle 18 which is mounted m the machine column and is'driven from a source of power through a multiple change speed gear train such as ordinarily employed in this type of machine. Power is transmitted to impart movements to the table,

saddle and knee at either a quick traverse rate or No. 181,050, filed April 5, 1927, and therefore need not be further described or illustrated.

The table, saddle and knee are driven by power through separate transmission tra' 5, each of which is provided with a ate r for independently controlling the movement in each direction of each of the three supports. A shaft 32 is common to all of these trans ission trains, and is driven f' 1 the feed dr e shaft 24 through an over -..n.ning clutch ind i. 36, a pinion 31 integral with the riven part of the clutch and a gear fast on the shaft 32 and meshing with the pinion 31. The shaft also be driven from the quick traverse ve 28 through a clutch member 35 splincd on the shaft 32 and movable into and out of engagement with a driving clutch men. on the shaft 28. The shaft 32 is mounted to rotate in bearings on the knee, and passes through a box 34 forming an integral part of the saddle 14 which carries a bevel gear 36 splined to-turn with the shaft 32 and movable lengthwise thereof with the gear box 34 and saddle i4. evel gear 36 is connected. to drive the table through intermediate gearing as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the consn'uction and arrai the same as disclosed in the patent to Gia No. 1,'-l8),99l, dated January 1-5,

The drive for the saddle is take. shaft 32 through intermediate as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which are to impart continuous rotary movements in opposite directions to the reverse gears so ane ii] her The

loosely sleeved on the saddle cross feed shaft 4 journaled in hearings in the knee. A sing clutch member as is mounted on the "t 4% between the reverse gears 40 i'ied to the shaft i l and movable lengt thereof into engagement with corresponding clutch surfaces on the adjacent faces of the 4e 42. The shaft 44 is screw-threaded indicated at 48 to receive a nut rigidly secured to a it-racket 50 on the saddle 14.

The power drive for the vertical. or knee feed comprises a shaft 52 mounted paralwl to the shaft 44 in the knee, and having loosely sleeved thereto the gears 54 and 56 constantly d ven in reverse directions respectively from the i0 and A reversing clutch 1126111 3 58 is splined to the shaft 52, and inovao direction into engagement with clutch surfaces formed on the e to drive the shaft 52 in opposite directi ns.' bevel gear 69 on the forward end of the 6 64 supported against endwise movement on knee 16, and screw-threaded to a vertical post 66 which is rigidly secured at its lower end to the baseS.

The controls for operating the power e the saddle and knee are arranged to permit operator to operate these feeds separately or gcther from either the front or back of the chine, and additional controls are rovided to enable the operator to operate eithe feed by hand from the front or rear of the machine. In order to permit the operator quickly and safely to operate feeds in co ation desired, as for instance where one of .ne feeds is to be operated by hand while the oth 1 feed is to be operated by power, or to cha" "e quickly from a hand to a power feed, particu- 1v during the operation of the quick traversmechanism, the present invention contemplates the provision of means which acts automatically upon the movement of one of the power-controls in either direction into operative position to disfro 1 the connect both of the corresponding hand feed controls for this feed.

or controlling the operation of the reversing cl tch 46 for the saddle feed, a lengthwise movcontrol bar so is provided which is journaled in hearings in the knee, and carries adjacent one end a rack 82 which meshes with a pinion 84 formed on one end of a shaft 86 which is mounted to turn in a bearing 88 on the knee, and at its forward end provided with an offset clutch 30 and a cam roll 90 arranged to engage with peripheral groove 92 in the reversing clutch member so. The control shaft may be moved igthwise in either direction from the neutral tion shown in Fig. 2 to engage the clutch 46 i the ie or 42 and feed the saddle forat its other end is pro Med with a 5 n 98 arranged to engage with a corresponding racl: on the control shaft 30. The con- 1 1 91 r 80 be actuated from the side or rear of the machine by means of an upwardly extending nanual control lever 102 secured to a rock shaft 19 which at its inner end is simi provided with a pinion 106 arranged to ene witl'i a corresponding rack 108 on the conlb 1' 88.

For operating the saddle manually from the front of the machine, a hand wheel 110 is prowhich is secured to a sleeve 112 looscl in ed to turn on the forward end of the feed -w shaf t and is held against endwise moveont with relation thereto between a collar 114 screw-threaded to the shaft l4 and an abutment collar 3 forming a portion of the racket secured the knee 16. hand wheel no is connected to turn with the feed screw shaft 454 by means of a clutch memoer 118 which is sleeved on the end of the shaft id, and is arranged to engage with a corresponding clutch surface formed on the hub of ti e hand wheel 110. The clutch member 118 is keyed to turn with the shaft 44 and is moved lengthwise with relation the 'eto to disengage the clutch means of a shaft 120 which is journaled in an axial core in the shaft l4, and is connected at its forward end the clutch member 118 by a cross pin 122, and at its rear end to a collar 124 by means of a cross pin 125 which or ,ends through slot i the shaft 44. The saddle may be opinanually from the rear of the machine by means of a shaft which is provided at i inner end with a bevel gear 132 arranged to engage a corresponding gear 13% on the cross feed shaft 44, and at its forward end carries a sleeved member 136 which is loosely sleeved to turn on shaft, and is provided with a squared end to receive an actuating crank of ordinary deiption. As shown in Fig. l of the drawing sleeve hub is provided with clutch teeth arranged to with corresponding teeth d on a collar 141 secured to the shaft .g normally held in engagement thereby of a compression spring 142 coiled about the reduced end of the shaft 130 between the sleeve hub 136 and a nut 1.44 on the shaft.

In carrying out the present invention, mech- I is herein provided which acts automatimovement of either of the power feed control levers 94 or 1.02 in either direction from neutral position. to positively disengage the 118 138 for the front and rear hand feed controls, so that the hand feed control levers will remain idle during the operation of the power feed for the saddle. The clutch 118 is thrown out upon actuation of either of the power feed levers 94 or 102 by means of a lever 148 pivoted at 150 on the knee support, and provided at one end with a fork arranged to engage with the collar 124. The other end of the lever 148 is provided with a bearing surface arranged to engage with a pin 152 slidably journaled in a bracket on the knee support, and having its other end arranged to engage in a V-shaped notch 154 in the control bar 80. The endwise movement of the control bar from the neutral position shown in Fig. 2, will cause the pin 152 to ride out of its slot, moving the lever 148 about its pivot to advance the shaft 126 and disengage the clutch 118 from the sleeve hub of a hand wheel 110. The sleeve hub 136, utilized for operating the saddle manually from the rear of the machine, is at the same time moved against the pressure of its spring 142 to disengage the clutch surfaces 140 and 138 by the endwise movement of the control shaft 80 through connections com prising a lever 156 which is pivoted at 158 on the knee support, and is provided at one end with a fork arranged to. engage a collar 160 sleeved on the shaft 130, and at its other end with a pin 162 arranged to engage in a V-shaped slot 164 in the control bar 80. The endwise movement of the collar 160 is rendered operative to move the sleeve hub 136 against the pressure of its spring 142 and disengage this member by means of a clutch shifting collar 166 sleeved on the member inside the clutch teeth and 138, and arran ed to engage an abutting shoulder on the member 136. The collar 166 is connected to move with the collar through con nections comprising a shaft 168 which is arranged to slide in an axial bore in the shaft 130, and is connected respectively to the sleeve 166 and the collar 160 by means of cross pins which extend through slots cut for this purpose in the bar 130. With this construction, an endwise movement of the control shaft 80 from the neutral position shown in Fig. 2, will act to rock the lever 156 about its pivot to advance the collar 160 and the sleeve 166 to move the member 136 outwardly against the pressure of its spring 142 to disengage the clutch members 138 and 140.

The operation of the reversing clutch 58 for the vertical or knee feed is controlled by means of a lengthwise movable control bar 1'74 journaled in the knee support, which has rigidly connected thereto a yoke 1'76 arranged to engage in a groove 178 in the reversing member 58, being further supported by a lengthwise movable bar 180 to secure a rigid construction. The control bar 1'74 may be moved lengthwise to control the operation of the reversing clutch from the front of the machine by means of a manually operable lever 182 secured to a rock shaft 184, which at its other end is provided with a pinion 186 arranged to engage a rack 188 in the control bar174. The movement of the control bar may be similarly controlled from the rear of the machine by means of a manually operable lever 190 secured to a rock shaft 192, which at its inner end is connected through the pinions 194 and 196 with a rock shaft 198 which is provided at its inner end with a pinion 200 arranged to engage with a rack 202 formed on the control bar 174.

The operation of the vertical power feed is automatically controlled to prevent overthrow of the device with consequent breakage of parts, by means of the usual dogs which are adjustably mounted on the machine column in the path of two control shafts mounted on the knee support in the usual manner. One of these shafts is shown at 204 in Fig. 3, connected through the engage ment of a rack on the shaft with a pinion 206 on the rock shaft 198, so that the endwise movement of the shaft 204 by engagement with a proper dog, will act through the rock shaft 198 to move the control shaft 174 to neutral or reverse position as desired. As this mechanism is common and well known in the art, no further description thereof is believed necessary.

The vertical or knee feed may be operated by hand from the front of the machine, by means of a manual control crank arm 210 which is pro vided with a sleeve hub 212 loosely mounted to turn on a shaft 214 which is provided at its inner end with a bevel gear 216 arranged to engage with the gear 62 on the vertical feed nut 64. The crank arm 210 and sleeve hub 212 are connected to turn with the shaft 214 by means of a sleeve clutch member 218 provided with teeth arranged to engage with corresponding teeth on the sleeve hub 212. The vertical feed may be operated manually from the rear of the machine through a sleeve member 220 squared toreceive a crank handle of ordinary description, and loosely mounted on a shaft 222, which at its inner end carries a bevel gear 224 arranged to mesh with the gear 62 on the vertical feed nut 64. The sleeve member 220 is connected to turn with the shaft 222 through clutch mechanism which is identical with that shown in Fig. 4 for the rear saddle hand feed.

'The connecting clutches for the crank 210 at I the front of the machine, and the sleeve member 220 at the rear of the machine for the vertical or knee hand feed, are automatically disconnected upon movement of either of the vertical power hand levers 182 or 190 in either direction from neutral position, so that these parts will be maintained in an idle position during the operation of the power vertical feed. The movement of the reversing clutch 58 into operating position in either direction, is rendered operative to move the clutch 218 out of engagement with the sleeve hub 212 of crank arm 216 through connections which comprise a bell-crank lever 224 pivoted at 226 on the knee support, and provided at one end with a fork arranged to engage a collar 228 on the shaft 214, and at its other end with a bearing surface arranged to engage a pin 286 journaled in a bracket on the knee support 16. The pin 230 is arranged to engage in a V-shaped notch 232 in the control shaft 174, so that endwise movement of the shaft 1'74 from the neutral position shown in Fig. 3, will act to rock the bell-crank lever 224 and impart a corresponding endwise movement to the collar 228. The clutch member 218 is connected to move with the collar 228 out of engagement with'the sleeve hub 212 through conthe clutchmember 218 in engagement with the i sleeve hub 212 of hand crank 218, The sleeve member 220 for the rear hand vertical feed is rendered idle by the disconnecting of its actuating clutch upon the movement of either of the vertical power operating levers 182 or 190 through connections which comprise a lever 240 pivoted on the knee support, and provided at one end with a fork arranged to engage a collar 242 on the shaft 222. At its other end the lever 240 is provided with a bearing surface to engage with a pin 244, which is arranged to engage in a V-shaped notch in the endwise movable shaft 204. Inasmuch as the collar 242 and the actuating connections from the collar for disconnecting the sleeve member 226 from clutching engagement with the shaft 222 are identical with those described and illustrated in connection with the sleev member 136 for ie rear hand saddle feed, it will be seen that the movement of either ofthe power vertical feed levers 182 or 196 from the neutral position shown in Fig. 3 acting through the pin 2% and lever 245) to advance the sleeve 242, will automatically disengage the sleeve mem her 220 for the re-r hand vertical feed.

The machine herein disclosed is provided with a clamping device for clamping the knee rigidly to the machine column. This mechanism, as best shown in Fig. 3, comprises a wedge-shaped clamping member 250 inserted between the track 252 on the machine column and an adjacent portion of the knee member 16., The clamping memher 250 is forced in a direction to clamp, the parts rigidly together by means of a screw bolt 254 keyed against rotary movement in the clamping member 250, and held in position by the locking nuts 256. At its inner end the bolt 254 is screwthreaded into the end of a rotatable shaft 258, which at its other end is provided with a manually operable lever arm 260. With this construction of the parts, a rocking of the shaft 258 will act to screw the bolt 254 into the rock shaft 258, and by thus shortening the efiective length of the shaft and the bolt, cause the clamping member 250 'to be moved into a tight T'clamping engagement with the track 252 on the machine column.

In order to prevent the power vertical feed from being operated while the clamp 250 is in clamping position with consequent risk of damage to the machine, the present invention contemplates the provision of an interlocking device which acts automatically to prevent the operation of the clamping device during the operation of the vertical power feed, and also acts to lock the vertical power feed control mechanism against movement out of neutral position during the operation of the clamp. This mechanism, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, comprises a lever arm 262 pivotally mounted on a stud 264 on the knee support. One end of the arm 262 is provided with a projecting nub 266 which is arranged for the neutral or oif angular position of the control shaft 258 for the clamp, to engage in a corresponding recess 268 in the shaft 258, the other end of the arm 262 being arranged for the neutral position of the vertical feed control shaft 174 to engagein a recess 270 in the bar. A tension spring 272 connected at one end to the lever arm 262 and at its other end to a pin 274 on the knee support, tends to maintain the nub 266 of the arm 262 at all times in engagement with the periphery of the rock shaft 258. With this construction of parts, it will be seen that any movement of the rock shaft 258 and lever arm 260, will cause the nub 266 to ride out of its notch or recess 268, moving the lever 262 about its pivot to bring the abutting end of the lever into engagement with the slot 270 of the control bar 1'74, thus locking the vertical power feed controls in neutral position. Conversely, the movement of the control bar 174 in either direction to render the vertical power feed operative, will cause the slot 270 to be moved out of the path of the lever 262, thus locking the lever against movement about its pivot 264, so that the nub 266 is held positively in engagement with the recess 268 to lock the clamping device in inoperative position.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and a machine embodying the several features of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. In a milling machine, the combination with a machine column of supports comprising a table, saddle and knee, separate power feed trains for the saddle and knee, an independent reverser in each of said trains, control levers for each of said reversers located at different operating stations on the machine, each of said levers having an intermediate neutral position and operating positions at each side thereof for moving the corresponding support in opposite directions, control members for actuating each of said supports manually from either the front or rear of the machine, and m chanism rendered operative upon movement of any one of said power controls from neutral position in either direction to disengage each of the hand control members for the corresponding feed.

2. In a milling machine, the combination with a machine column and supports comprising a table, saddle and knee supported thereon, of separate power feed trains for the saddle and knee each including an independent reverser, actuating connections for said reverser comprising endwise movable shafts and a plurality ofmanually operable control levers for each of said reversers located at dififerent operating stations on the machine and connected to impart endwise move ments to said shafts, each of said levers having an intermediate neutral position and two operating positions corresponding to the two engaging posi tions of the reverser, a plurality of manually operable hand feed members for manually feeding each of said last-mentioned supports located at each of said operating stations on the machine, and mechanism rendered operative by movement of one of saidpower members from neutral position to positively disconnect each of the manual feed members for said feed comprising a clutch for each of said manual feed members, a clutch actuating lever, a V -shaped cam surface in a lengthwise movable shaft connected for move ment with the corresponding power feed reverser, and a cam follower arranged for the neutral position of the reverser to engage the -portion of the cam surface to permit the engagement of the clutch. 1

3. In a milling machine, the combination with a machine column and a table, saddle and knee mounted thereon, or power feed trains for the saddle and knee including an independent reverser in said power feed train for the knee, a lengthwise movable control bar for actuating said reverser, a manually operable control lever for actuating said bar, a clamping device for clamping the knee rigidly to the machine column comprising a clamp, a shaft rotatable to tighten the clamp, and an interlocking device comprising lever adapted atone end to engage in a slot in the endwise movable bar and at its other end to engage in a peripheral notch in said rotatable clamp control shaft, each of said notches being arranged to receive said lever only for the neutral or inoperative position of the corresponding control shaft to permit a movement of the other of said shafts.

4. In a milling machine, the combination with a machine column and a table, saddle and knee mounted thereon, of power feed trains for the saddle and knee including an independent reverser in said power feed train for the knee, a

lengthwise movable control bar for actuating said reverser, a manually operable control lever for actuating said bar, a clamping device for clamping the knee rigidly to the machine column comprising a clamp, a shaftrotatable to tighten the clamp, and an interlocking device for controlling the operation of said bars arranged upon movement of either of said bars from neutral position to lock the other bar in neutral position.

5. In a milling machine, the combination with a machine column and a table, saddle and knee mounted thereon, of power feed trains for the saddle and knee including an independent reverser in said power feed train for the knee, a lengthwise movable control bar for actuating said reverser, a manually operable control lever for actuating said bar, a clamping device for clamping the knee rigidly to the machine column comprising a clamp, a shaft rotatable to tighten the clamp, and an interlocking device for controlling the operation of said bars arranged to permit movement of either of said bars only while the other of said bars occupies a neutral or inoperative position.

6. In a milling machine, the combination with a machine column of supports comprising a table, saddle and knee, separate power feed trains for the saddle and knee, an independent reverser in each of said trains, control levers for each of said reversers located at different operating stations on the machine, each of said levers having an intermediate neutral position and operating positions at each side thereof for moving the cor responding support in opposite directions, control members for actuating each of said supports manually from in one of said operating stations on the machine, and mechanism rendered operative upon movement of any one of said power controls from neutral position to disengage each of the hand control members for the corresponding feed, and upon the return of said power control to neutral position to automatically re-engage each of said hand control members.

7. In a milling machine having a work support and a tool support, the combination of means for causing relative movements thereof in a plurality of paths, said means including a plurality of sliding members traversablein mutually perpendicular paths, and a separate reverse for determining the direction of movement of each of said members in its path, a plurality of manually operable control levers for each of said reversers located at different operating stations on the machine, each of said levers having neutral and power operating positions, a plurality of manually operable hand feed members for manually moving each of said sliding members located at said operating stations on the machine, and interconnecting means whereby movement of any one of said control levers from neutral position will disable each of the manually operable hand feed members for the corresponding sliding member.

8. In a milling machine having a work support and a tool support, the combination of means for causing relative movements thereof in a plurality of paths, said means including a plurality of sliding members traversable in mutually perpendicular paths, a reverser having neutral and operating positions for controlling the movement of one of said members in its path independently of the other of said members, a plurality of manually operable control levers for said reverser located at different parts of the machine, each of s id levers having neutral and power operating positions, a plurality of manually operable hand feed members for manually moving said sliding member located at different parts of the machine, mechanism rendered operative by the movement of any one of said control levers from neutral position to positively disconnect each of the manually operable hand ieed members for said slid ing member, clamping means to secure said sliding member to its support, a lever to operate said clamping means, and an interlocking device arranged upon movement of either the reverser or the clamping lever from neutral position to lock the other of said elements in neutral position.

ARTHUR F. BENNETT.

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