Title: Broach Puller Head for Broaching machine-
Technical Field
The invention relates to a puller head for a broaching machine, an elongated broaching tool comprising a shank with at least one radial recess being securable in the puller head for pulling the broaching tool through or past a workpiece to be machined, said puller head comprising radially movable jaws which may engage the recess at radial movement to allow axial transmission of force between the puller head and the broach- ing tool.
Background Art
Conventional puller heads for broaching machines use two, three or four jaws which engage a turned-down recess in the shank of the broach blade. As a result the broaching force is transferred to the broach blade as tensile force. The puller heads are usually made according to the standard DIN 1415. The drawback of this structure is that the broach blade is not radially fixed during the broaching movement why vibrations may arise reducing the life of the broach blade and resulting in poor surface quality on the machined workpiece.
EP 1247605 B1 discloses a broaching machine in which the broach blade is radially clamped at both ends and where the broach blade is simultaneously compressive stress and tensile force. One drawback of this structure is that the puller head thereof does not include jaws being engagable in a recess in the shank of the broaching tool, whereby it is difficult to obtain sufficient pulling force.
Disclosure of Invention
The object of the present invention is to improve a puller head of the above type.
According to the invention the object is obtained in that the puller head further includes a collet gripping about the shank in axial distance away from the jaws, whereby the broaching tool is radially fixed in the puller head. As a result radial vibrations may be prevented, said vibrations causing increased wear and tear on the broaching tool and reducing the surface quality of the machined workpiece. The collet further prevents ax-
ial vibrations occurring in short workpieces having few engaging teeth. Axial vibrations cause an unstable machining which increases the wear and tear on the broaching tool and reduces the surface quality. The collet ensures an accurate alignment and centring of the broach blade such that an improved machining accuracy is obtained.
According to an embodiment the puller may include a housing and a piston unit being axially displaceable in relation to the housing in a fixing direction for securing the broaching tool and in a release direction for releasing the broaching tool.
According to a preferred embodiment collet has a first end and a second end and is divided into collet segments via longitudinal slits, the collet having a first conical outer face facing the first end of the collet, and the puller head having a corresponding first inner conical face being axially displaced in relation to the first conical face of the collet during the movement of the piston unit in the fixing direction and exerting a radially in- ward force thereon, whereby the collet segments fix the shank of the broaching tool in radial direction.
The first inner conical face of the puller head is preferably arranged on the housing.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment the collet has a second outer conical face facing the outer end of the collet, the puller head having a corresponding second inner conical face being axially displaced in relation to the second conical face of the collet during the piston unit1 movement in the fixing direction and exerting a radial force thereon. A particularly effective and accurate centring and securing of the broach- ing tool is obtained thereby.
The second inner conical face of the puller head is preferably arranged on the piston unit.
According to an embodiment the collet includes at least three segments such that an effective centring and securing is obtained.
According to a preferred embodiment the collet includes an equal number of segments and a corresponding equal number of slits, the slits extending alternately from the first end of the collet to a position adjacent the second end of the collet and vice versa.
Such a collet may fix the shank of the broaching tool over a large area and thus ensure an improved fixing and centring.
According to an embodiment the piston unit may include a first set of inclined contact faces engageable with corresponding inclined contact faces on the jaws, whereby the movement of the piston unit in the fixing direction causes the jaws to be displaced in a radially inward direction. As a result the jaws and the collet may be made to engage the shank of the broaching tool during one and the same movement.
According to an advantageous embodiment the jaws further include inclined contact faces, the piston unit including a second set of inclined contact faces which during movement of the piston unit in the release direction affect the additional inclined contact faces of the jaws such that the jaws are moved radially outward. As a result the wear on the broaching tool and the jaws is reduced.
The invention also relates to a broaching machine including such a puller head.
Brief Description of the Drawinq(s)
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a puller head according to the invention without a broaching tool,
Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the puller head provided with a broaching tool,
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a collet, and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a jaw.
Best Mode(s) for Carrying out the Invention
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional view of the puller head with and without a broaching tool. The left-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the puller head in a locking position and the right-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the puller head in a releasing position.
The puller head 1 includes a housing 14 and a piston unit 17 axially displaceable in relation to the housing 14. The piston unit 17 may be driven hydraulically or pneumatically and includes an upper cover 16 being connected with the lower portion of the pis- ton unit 17 via drawbolts 22.
Typically, the puller head 1 includes two, three or four radially movable jaws 5. In the shown embodiment two jaws 5 are shown. The broaching tool, here shown as a broach blade 2, includes a shank 3 being provided with a recess in form of a turned-down re- cess 4. In the puller head's locking position shown to the left in Fig. 2, the jaw 5 is radially displaced into the turned-down recess 4 enabling the jaw 5 to transfer an axial pulling force to the broach blade 2 via its engagement with the lower inclined contact face of the turned-down recess 4. In the fastening position a clearance is provided between the radial surface of the turned-down recess and the jaws such that radial forces are not transferred between the jaws 5 and the shank 3 of the broach blade.
The puller head also includes a collet 6 gripping about the shank 3 above the turned- down recess 4 in the fastening position and fixing the shank 3 radially in the puller head.
The design of the collet 6 is more evident from Fig. 3. The collet 6 substantially comprises a sleeve with a first end 12, a second end 13 and a through-going hole 23 through which the shank 3 of the broaching tool 2 may be inserted. By means of six longitudinal slits 9 the collet 6 is divided into the six collet segments 10. The slits 9 ex- tend from the outer face to the through-going hole 23 alternately from the first end 12 of the collet to a position adjacent the second end 13 of the collet and vice versa, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The collet segments 10 are thus joined two by two in each end of the collet 6. In Fig. 3 the collet 6 is provided with a first conical outer face 7 facing downwards towards the first end 12 of the collet, and a second outer conical face 11 facing upwards towards the second end 13 of the collet.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the jaw 5. As it appears, the jaw has a groove 24 in its lateral face. The groove 24 is provided with an inclined contact face 20, the function of which is explained below.
When the broaching tool 2 is to be fixed in the puller head 1 , the shank 3 is inserted from above into the puller head. The piston unit 17 is then activated and moved downwards. Inclined faces 15 on the piston unit 17 are made to engage the inclined contact face 20 of the jaws 5, whereby the jaws 5 are displaced radially inwards into the turned-down recess 4 in the shank 3 of the broach blade. During the same movement, the upper cover 16 of the piston unit 17 is pulled downwards via the drawbolts 22. As a result, an inner conical face 21 in the cover 16 is pressed against the upper conical face 11 of the collet 6, the lower conical face 7 of the collet 6 being pressed against the inner conical face 8 of the housing. This entails that the segments 10 of the collet 6 are pressed inwards towards the smooth cylindrical part of the shank 3 of the broach blade 2 resulting in a radial centring and fixing thereof. The jaws 5 provide an effective axial transmission of force from the puller head 1 to the broach blade 2, and the collet 6 centres the broach blade 2 and prevents vibrations during machining.
After machining the broach blade 2 is to be released again. For releasing the broach blade 2, the piston unit 17 is moved upwards, whereby pins 25 with inclined contact faces 18 affect the additional inclined contact faces 19 on the jaws 5 and force these radially outwards. An annular, radial projection 26 in the cover 16 of the piston unit 17 engages an annular groove 27 in the outer face of the collet 6, the collet 6 thereby be- ing urged upwards together with the cover 16. The broach blade 2 is thus released and may be pulled out of the puller head 1.
The invention is not restricted to the above embodiment.
List of reference numerals
1 Puller head
2 Broaching tool
3 Shank on the broaching tool
4 Recess in the shank
5 Jaw
6 Collet
7 First conical outer face on the collet
8 First inner conical face of the puller head
9 Longitudinal slit in the collet
10 Collet segment
11 Second outer conical face on the collet
12 First end of the collet
13 Second end of the collet
14 Housing
15 First set of inclined contact face on the piston unit
16 Cover
17 Piston unit
18 Second set of inclined contact face on the piston unit
19 Additional inclined contact faces on the jaw
20 Inclined contact faces on the jaw
21 Second inner conical face in the puller head
22 Drawbolt
23 Through-going hole in the collet
24 Groove in the jaw
25 Pin
26 Annular projection in the cover
27 Annular groove in the outer face of the collet