Machine tool with tool changer

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE TOOL; A VERTICALLY UPSTANDING SUPPORTING COLUMN; A SADDLE SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID COLUMN FOR SELECTIVE VERTICAL MOVEMENT; A SPINDLE HEAD SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID SADDLE FOR SELECTIVE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT; A POWER DRIVEN TOOL SPINDLE ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN SAID SPINDLE HEAD FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND BEING ADAPTED TO CARRY A TOOL; A STATIONARY TOOL STORAGE MAGAZINE CARRIED BY SAID COLUMN AND PRESENTING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART GUIDEWAYS DISPOSED IN PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP TO THE AXIS OF SAID TOOL SPINDLE; A PLURALITY OF TOOL HOLDERS INCLUDING AT LEAST THREE INDIVIDUAL TOOL HOLDERS SUPPORTED BY SAID GUIDEWAYS FOR RECTILINEAR EXTENSIBLE MOVEMENTS FROM A RETRACTED TOOL STORAGE POSITION; RELEASABLE TOOL SECURING MEANS RESPECTIVELY PROVIDED AT THE INNER ENDS OF SAID TOOL SUPPORTS WITH ONE OF SAID SECURING MEANS BEING EMPTY TO RECEIVE A TOOL CARRIED BY SAID TOOL SPINDLE AND THE OTHER OF SAID SECURING MEANS BEING RESPECTIVELY ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUALLY STORE TOOLS TO BE SELECTIVELY AN INDIVIDUALLY TRANSFERRED TO SAID SPINDLE FOR OPERATION THEREWITH IN PERFORMING SUBSEQUENT MACHINING OPERATIONS; A PLURALITY OF HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS RESPECTIVELY POSITIONED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID TOOL HOLDERS AND BEING RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO RETAIN SAID TOOL HOLDERS IN RETRACTED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID SPINDLE; POWER DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO MOVE SAID SADDLE AND SAID SPINDLE HEAD FOR MOVING SAID TOOL SPINDLE TO A TOOL CHANGE POSITION IN WHICH SAID TOOL SUPPORTS ARE DISPOSED IN RADIALLY RETRACTED POSITIONS RELATIVE THERETO; AND, CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO OPERATE THE HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HOLDER HAVING SAID EMPTY TOOL SECURING MEANS FOR EFFECTING COORDINATE MOVEMENT OF SAID EMPTY HOLDER AND SAID TOOL SPINDLE FOR TRANSFERRING A TOOL CARRIED THEREBY TO SAID EMPTY TOOL SECURING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH TO RADIALLY RETRACTED STORAGE POSITION, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING SEQUENTIALLY OPERATIVE TO OPERATE A DIFFERENT PRESELECTED ONE OF SAID HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS AND SAID POWER DRIVE MEANS TO EFFECT COORDINATE OPERATION OF SAID TOOL SPINDLE AND SAID HOLDER ASSOCIATED THEREWITH FOR TRANSFERRING THE TOOL THEREFROM TO SAID SPINDLE AND RETURNING THE EMPTY TOOL HOLDER TO RADIALLY RETRACTED POSITION.