US3397616A

US3397616A - Milling machine

Info

Publication number: US3397616A
Application number: US511642A
Authority: US
Inventors: Muller Johann
Original assignee: Friedrich Deckel AG
Current assignee: Friedrich Deckel AG; Friedrich Deckel Praezisions Mechanik und Maschinenbau
Priority date: 1964-12-09
Filing date: 1965-12-06
Publication date: 1968-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 1985-08-20
Also published as: FR1456414A; GB1066419A; AT258671B; CH432190A

Description

g- 20, 1963 J. MULLER 3,397,616

MILLING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ni d S a es- Pe n 9f ABSTRACT OF .THE mscLosunu A milling machine has a main column'p'rovided with a vertical guideway on its front face'aud a spindle stock at its top. A knee supporting a work table moves -ver- 3,397,616 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 a spindle stock 14 displaceable in a front and rear direction along horizontal gu ideways 15. The spindle stock coutains the usual conventional horizontal spindle, the front end of which is indicated in general at 16. Another horizontal guideway extends along the top of the spindle stock 14, in a direction parallel to the guideway 15, and on this second guideway there is movably mounted, in a front to rear "direction, a second spindle stock 18 which carries a spindle head 20 provided with a. spindle 21. The spindlehead 20,is rotatable in the conventional manner about a horizontal axis, parallel to the above mentioned horizontal guideways and intersecting the axis of the tically on the guideway on the main column. In, front of the knee and spaced forwardly from the main'colunin is a vertically extending stationary bracing sltructure'having a vertical guideway on its rear face engaged with'a vertical guide part on the front face of the kne'e,'to give added stability to the knee. Handwheels are'rnounted'on the front of the vertical bracing structure, for'performin'g various adjustments such as thevertical 'adjust'ment'of the knee and the horizontal adjustment of thespindle'stock, these handwheels remaining always ata predetermined convenient elevation notwithstanding upward'ar'id' downward movements of'the knee and work table. A counterstay for a spindle head has asupporting post which is supported from the vertical bracing structureand which can be dropped down at least partly into a socket in the vertical bracing structure when it is not in'use.

' This invention relates to a milling machine, and more particularly to a milling machine of the type iiiWhich the work table is supported from a vertically adjustable spindle 21. Therefore the spindle 21 is not necessarily always in a vertical position, but may be turned to various angular positions. However, it is quite frequently used in a "vertical position and is commonly referred to, in a machine of this general type, as the vertical spindle.

I Extending up and down'the vertical front face of the column :12 are vertical guideways 22, along which moves verticall'ya knee 24 which can be raised and lowered by means of the feed screw or feed spindle 26. The knee 24 carries on its top a work table 28 for carrying the work piece which is to be operated upon by t-ools mounted in either or both of the

spindles

16 and 21. The work table 28, carrying the work piece with it, may be displaced in a longitudinal horizontal direction by any conventional this structure 32 carries vertical guides 34 which mate having simple and satisfactory means for increasing the;

rigidity of the knee and therefore of'the work table carried bytheknee.

Still an'other'object is the provision, in a milling 'nia chine of the knee type, of rigid means serving the'double' purpose of promoting rigidity in the knee at any des ired vertically adjusted position thereof, and at thesame time furnishing a supportfor handwheels or "other control's which can remain at a fixed elevation at the height most convenient to the operator, regardles'sof the upward and same time anchoring a counterstaysupport when the counterstay is in use, and containing the support when the counterstay is not in use.

These and other desirable objects may be attained'in the manner disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, somewhat schematic and with parts broken away, of a milling machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of certain portions of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine of the present invention, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a rigid base 10, and a rigid column 12 rising from the rear portion of the base. On the top of the column 12 is with corresponding guide portions at the front of the knee structure 24. On the box 32, preferably on the front face thereof, there are suitable control members or manipulating members such as the

handwheels

36 and 38. For example, the handwheel 36 is connected by bevel gears and shafts, as shown schematically in FIG. 1, with a handwheel 36' mounted on the side of the column 12, and with a worm 40 which, by means of a wormwheel 42, drives the vertical feed screw or feed spindle 26 for 3 adjusting the height of the knee 24 and work table 28.

Similarly, the handwheel 38 is connected through shafts and bevel gears with a handwheel 38' on the side of the machine column 12, and with conventional feeding means including, for example, the worm 46, Wormwheel 48, and screw feed spindle 50 for imparting forward and rearward horizontal movements to the spindle stock 14. Since the

control members

36 and 38 are mounted on the stationary box structure 32 rather than on the vertically movable knee 24, these control members remain at a constant elevation and such elevation can be designed to be at the most convenient height for the operator. Thus he can easily operate the control members at all times, overcoming the disadvantage experienced in conventional machines of the knee type, where the control members, if

- carried by the knee, are likely to be uncomfortably low when the knee is in a relatively low position and uncomfortably high when the knee is in a relatively high position.

The box structure 32 may be provided with a vertical socket or opening 51 in which a vertical post or support 52 may be seated when desired. This post 52 serves to support the forward end of a counterstay or brace 54 for the vertical spindle head 20, when it is desired to use such a brace for giving greater rigidity to the spindle head. A suitable clamp (conventional per se) clamps the post 52 in its elevated position when the counterstay is in use, and permits it to be dropped to a position wholly or mainly within the socket 51 when the counterstay is not being used.

With this construction, the rigid box structure 32,

rigidly connected with and preferably integral with the base 10, serves to give added stability to the from or the machines in which the knee has a column of circular cross section to assist in supporting it near its front end.

Such circular columns are found in practice to give very little strength or rigidity against horizontal torsional forces. The massive box-like structure 32 of the present invention, however, having a relatively large area in plan or in horizontal section, gives adequate support against horizontal movement of the front end of the knee, and thus, in combination with the rear guideway 22, holds the knee rigidly against horizontal torsional movements. At the same time, such a massive box-like structure serves admirably as a mounting place for mounting the controls and operating elements such as 36 and 38, which are always at a convenient height as above explained. Also. suitable clamping means (conventional per se) may be used to clamp the front of the knee to the guideway 34 on the box 32, in any adjusted elevation of the knee, when greater stability in a vertical direction is desired.

The present construction is distinguished basically from machine tools in which the work table is not supported on a vertically adjustable knee but, rather, directly on the bed of the machine. In such machines (i.e., machines of the bed type) there is no necessity of additionally supporting and stiffening the support of the table, because the work table is directly on the bed. Also, in such machines it is immaterial whether the parts which carry the control or operating elements are of greater or lesser rigidity. But when dealing with a machine of the knee type (that is, one in which the work table is carried by a vertically adjustable knee) the rigidity of the knee under the disprojecting forwardly from said guideway and having its rear side guided for upward and downward movement along said guideway, a work table carried by said knee, and a tool spindle mounted on said column and adapted to carry a tool for operating on work carried by said table, characterized by'fthe provision of stationary upstanding ri'gid means at the front of said knee, "said'means having tat-"vertical guideway onifs rear side for engaging the front side of said knee to give to, said knee added stability against displacing forces,feed screw means for moving said knee vertically, a handwheel mounted on the front side of said upstanding means, and shaft and gear means for operatively connecting s aid handwheel to said feed screw means.

2. A milling-machine of the type comprising a base, a machine columnrising from said base and having a vertically extending guideway, a vertically movable knee projecting forwardly from said guideway and having its rear side ,guidedfor upward and downward movement along said guideway,. a work table. carried by said knee, and a tool'spindle mounted on said column and adapted to carry a tool for operating on work carried by said table, characterized by the provision of stationary upstanding rigid means, at the front of said knee, said means having a verticalguideway on its rear side for engaging the front s'ide of said knee to give to said knee added stability against displacing forces, feed screw means for moving the position of said tool spindle relative to said machine column, a handwheel mounted on the front side of said I 3. A milling machine of the type comprising a base,

a machine column rising from said base and having a placing forces encountered during the machining operation by mounting the control members at a fixed elevation on a rigid box-like structure which at the same time serves as an additional support or brace for the knee, particularly resisting horizontal displacing forces to which the knee may be subjected.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the objects and purposes of the invention are well fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A milling machine of the type comprising a base, a machine column rising from said base and having a vertically extending guideway, a vertically movable knee vertically extending guideway, a vertically movable knee projecting forwardly from said guideway and having its rear side guided for upward and downward movement along said guideway, a work table carried by said knee, a tool spindle mounted on said column and adapted to carry a tool for operating on work carried by said table, a spindle stock in which said tool spindle is mounted, and a counterstay for bracing said spindle stock, characterized by the provision of stationary upstanding rigid means at the front of, said knee, saidmeans having a vertical guideway on its rear side for engaging the front side of said knee to give to said kneeadded stability against displacing forces, said upstanding rigid means having an opening therein, and a vertical support mounted on said upstanding rigid means for supporting a part of said counterstay, said vertical support being arranged so that it may be loweredinto and received at least mainly within said opening when it is not in use for supporting said counterstay.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,991,915 2/1935 -Wallset al '-20.s 'FOREIGN PATENTS 136,100 10/1929 Switzerland. 1 521,317 5/1940 Great Britain.

FRANCIS S. HUSAR, Primary Examiner.