US3440905A

US3440905A - Turret indexing mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3440905A
Application number: US657633A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hirofumi Tomiyama
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-08-01
Filing date: 1967-08-01
Publication date: 1969-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 1986-04-29
Also published as: AU2585467A; AU424046B2; GB1286551A

Description

INVENTOR.

om'Ynnn April 29, 1969 HIROFUMI TOMIYAMA TURRET INDEXING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1, 1967 FIG-,2

April 1969 HIROFUMI TOMIYAMA 3,440,905

TURRET INDEX ING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 1. 1967 Sheet of a 1 NV ENTOR:

United States Patent 3,440,905 TURRET INDEXIN G MECHANISM Hirofumi Tomiyama, 1000 Akiwa, Ueda-shi, Nagano-ken, Japan Filed Aug. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 657,633 Int. Cl. F1611 27/10 US. Cl. 74822 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a turret indexing mechanism including a turret, an index gear and a rotating ring having a plurality of equally spaced circumferential depressions which are rotatably mounted on a saddle, there are provided a first fluid pressure (hydraulic) cylinder pivotally connected to the saddle and adapted to drive a rack, a second fluid pressure cylinder adapted to operate a dowel pin to engage and disengage a selected one of said depressions and a motion transmitting linkage responsive to the operation of the second fluid pressure cylinder to pivot the first fluid pressure cylinder, thus establishing or interrupting driving connection between the index gear and the rack.

This invention relates to an indexing mechanism for a turret carrying working tools.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved turret indexing mechanism which has simple and rugged construction and can accurately position the turret to the desired indexing position without being affected by excessive rotation of the turret due to inertia of rotation thereof (such excessive rotation being aggravated by the unbalance among the weights of tools mounted on respective positions of the turret).

Another object of this invention is to eliminate undesirable effects caused by shocks which are generated when the turret engages with means adapted to prevent excessive rotation thereof.

According to this invention these and other objects can be attained by providing a turret indexing mechanism comprising a turret, an index gear, a rotating ring having a plurality of equally spaced depression on the periphery thereof, a saddle, said turret, index gear and rotating ring being integrally secured together and rotatably mounted on said saddle, a first fluid pressure (bydraulic) cylinder, a rack operated by a piston rod of said first fluid pressure cylinder, means to pivotally connect said cylinder to said saddle so as to establish or interrupt driving connection between said index gear and said rack, a second fluid pressure cylinder, a dowel pin carried by a piston rod of said second fluid pressure cylinder and adapted to be received in a predetermined one of said depressions to determine the position of said turret, and means responsive to the operation of said second fluid pressure cylinder to cause pivoted motion of said first fluid cylinder whereby to establish or interrupt said driving connection.

This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of the essential portion of the turret indexing mechanism embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1 taken along a line IIII- FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view showing the rack of the mechanism in the engaged position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, but showing the rack in the disengaged position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view showing direct engagement of the index gear and rack; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the rack in a disengaged position.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, an index gear 2 and a rotary ring 3 having a plurality of equally spaced depressions or openings 3a on its periphery are integrally secured to a turret 1 which carries a number of tools, not shown, and is rotatably mounted on a saddle 5 slidably fitted on guide rails 4. The index gear 2 is coupled to a rack 7a through an intermediate pinion 6. The rack 7a is connected to a piston rod 7 of a first fluid pressure cylinder 8 which is pivotally connected to saddle 5 by means of a pivot pin 9 so as tocause rack 7a to engage with or disengage from intermediate pinion 6. The stroke of piston rod 7 is limited by a pair of stops 10 and 11 which are adjusted to adjust the range of indexing of turret 1. Rotation of piston rod 7 is prevented by a key 12 received in a key slot 7b on the bottom surface thereof. A second fluid pressure cylinder 14 is secured to saddle 5 and is provided with a piston rod 13 formed with a dowel pin 13a at its outer end that cooperates with said depressions 3a to determine the position of turret 1. The opposite end of the piston rod 13 extends through the closed end of the cylinder and is connected one arm of a crank lever 16 pivotally con nected to saddle 5 at 15. The opposite arm of crank lever 16 is connected through a lever 17 to a point of cylinder 8 longitudinally spaced from its pivot pin 9.

FIG. 3 shows the indexing operation, and FIG. 4 the disengaged state of the gear 2 with relation to the rack 7a.

FIG. 5 shows direct engagement between the gear 2 and the rack 7a; FIG. 6, the disengaged position.

In operation, when a fluid under pressure, for example, pressurized oil is introduced into a chamber 18 in the first fluid pressure cylinder 8, piston rod 7 is advanced to impart an indexing motion to turret 1 through rack 7a, intermediate pinion 6 and index gear 2. Thus, turret 1 completes one indexing step when the outer end of piston rod 7 engages stop 10 whereby to bring a predetermined one of depressions 3a to a position facing dowel pin 13a. Concurrently therewith, pressurized oil is admitted into a chamber 19 in the second fluid pressure cylinder 14 to advance piston rod 13 and its dowel pin 13a into a predetermined one of said depressions 3a to hold turret 1 in its indexed position. This movement of piston rod 13 causes the first fluid pressure cylinder 8 to pivot around its pivot pin 9 in the clockwise direction through crank lever 16 and link 17 to disengage rack 7a from intermediate pinion 6, the arrangement being such that rack 7a disengages from intermediate pinion 6 only after dowel pin 13a has been received in one of depressions 3a. Piston rod 7 of the first fluid pressure cylinder 8 is retracted by admitting pressurized oil into a chamber 20 on the opposite side while rack 7a is maintained out of engagement from intermediate pinion 6.

During the next indexing step, pressurized oil is admitted into a chamber 21 in the second fluid pressure cylinder 14 to withdraw dowel pin 13a out of depression 3a and to pivot the first fluid pressure cylinder 8 in the counterclockwise direction through crank lever 16 and link 17, thus causing rack 7a to engage intermediate pinion 6 before dowel pin 13a is completely withdrawn from one of the depressions 3a. Finally, the mechanism is restored to the position shown in FIG. 1, and the cycle of operation mentioned above is repeated. While, in the illustrated embodiments, rack 7a is shown as being adapted to engage with and disengage from intermediate pinion 6, it will be obvious to those skilled inthe art that rack 7a may directly engage with and disengage from index gear 2. Further, means for operating the fluid pressure cylinders are not shown because they are well known in the art.

Thus, this invention provides an improved turret indexing mechanism having rugged construction and yet being capable of operating very smoothly without any excessive rotation as well as impacts of the turret against the dowel pin.

While I have illustrated and described a specific form of mechanism embodying my invention, various other arrangements will occur to those skilled in the art. I do not, therefore, desire my invention to be limited to the details of construction and specific arrangement disclosed, and I intend, by the appended claims, to cover all modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A turret indexing mechanism comprising a turret, an index gear, a rotating ring having a plurality of equally spaced depressions on the periphery thereof, a saddle, said turret, index gear and rotating ring being integrally secured together and rotatably mounted on said saddle, a first fluid pressure cylinder, a rack operated by a piston rod of said first fluid pressure cylinder, means to pivotally connect said cylinder to said saddle so as to establish or interrupt driving connection between said index gear and said rack, a second fluid pressure cylinder, a dowel pin carried by a piston rod of said second fluid pressure cylinder and adapted to be received in a predetermined one of said depressions to determine the position of said turret and means responsive to the operation of said second fluid pressure cylinder to cause pivotal motion of said first fiuid pressure cylinder whereby to establish or interrupt said driving connection.

2. The turret indexing mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includes a motion transmitting linkage between the piston rod of said second fluid pressure cylinder and said first fluid pressure cylinder.

3. The turret indexing mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said rack is caused to directly engage with and disengage from said index gear by the pivotal motion of said first fluid pressure cylinder.

4. The turret indexing mechanism according to claim 1 wherein an intermediate pinion is provided between said index gear and said rack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,947,348 2/ 1934 Lovejoy.

2,400,691 5/ 1946 Grad 74822 2,952,169 9/1960 Johnson 74-822 3,085,452 4/ 1963 Thompson 74-822 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

F. D. SHOEMAKER, Assistant Examiner.