Machine tool with a tool changer

Claim 1

IN A TOOL STORAGE APPARATUS FOR STORING TOOLS THAT ARE TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE OPERATING STATION OF A MACHINE TOOL WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH TOOL TRANSFER MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE TOOLS BETWEEN THE STORAGE APPARATUS AND THE OPERATING STATION; AN INDEXABLE MAGAZINE; A PLURALITY OF TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT INDEXING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID MAGAZINE AS WELL AS FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID MAGAZINE SO THAT EACH INDEXING MOVEMENT OF SAID MAGAZINE WILL MOVE ONE OF SAID TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBERS INTO A TOOL CHANGE STATION, EACH OF SAID TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBERS CARRYING A PLURALITY OF TOOLS FOR USE IN THE OPERATING STATION; A TOOL READY STATION LOCATED IN THE TOOL CHANGE STATION TO PRESENT TOOLS FOR WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSFER BY THE TOOL TRANSFER MEANS AND TO RECEIVE TOOLS THEREFROM; MEANS CONNECTED TO ACTUATE SAID MAGAZINE IN ITS INDEXING MOVEMENT FOR SUCCESSIVELY LOCATING SAID TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBERS IN A TOOL CHANGE STATION; AND, MEANS CONNECTED TO INDEX EACH OF SAID TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBERS ONE INCREMENT OF MOVEMENT PRIOR TO THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE TOOL CHANGE STATION SO THAT EACH TIME A SUPPORTING MEMBER MOVES INTO THE TOOL CHANGE STATION A DIFFERENT ONE OF THE TOOLS IN THAT TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBER IS MOVED INTO THE TOOL READY STATION SO THAT THE PLURALITY OF TOOLS CARRIED BY SAID TOOL STORAGE APPARATUS ARE MOVED SEQUENTIALLY INTO THE TOOL READY STATION WITH EACH SUCCEEDING TOOL BEING CARRIED BY A DIFFERENT TOOL SUPPORTING MEMBER.