Automatic machine tool for working elongated material in increments

Claim 2

In an automatic machine tool, a frame having a tope surface forming a bed plate, a nonrotary work holder mounted on said bed plate and adapted to grip and hold the material during a machining operation, a rotary tool head rotatable about said work holder and carrying at least one forming tool spaced in front of and closely adjacent said work holder, clamping means spaced forwardly of said forming tool and adapted to grip the formed material beyond a forming region thereof and including at least two clamping jaws arranged symmetrically about the axis of the workpiece, means moving said clamping jaws toward and away from the workpiece along a common plane, a cutoff device movable toward and from the workpiece and spaced in advance of said clamping jaws, to effect the operation of severing a completed workpiece from one piece of elongated material closely adjacent said clamping jaws, additional clamping means spaced forwardly of said first mentioned clamping means and said cutoff device and including a pair of clamping jaws symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the material, and means moving said additional clamping jaws to come into gripping engagement with the formed material simultaneously with gripping engagement of said first mentioned clamping jaws along a common plane, to accommodate severing of the material between said clamping jaws.

Claim 3

In an automatic machine tool, a frame having a top surface forming a bed plate, a nonrotary work holder mounted on said bed plate and adapted to grip and hold the work during a machining operation, a rotary tool head rotatable about said work holder and carrying at least one forming tool spaced in front of and closely adjacent said work holder, clamping means spaced forwardly of and closely adjacent said forming tool and adapted to grip the formed material beyond a forming region thereof, a cutoff device mounted on said bed plate for movement toward and from the workpiece and spaced in advance of said clamping means, to effect the operation of severing a completed workpiece from the piece of elongated material closely adjacent said clamping means, said clamping means including a support element mounted on said bed plate for adjustable movement along the axis of the formed material, clamping jaws guided on said support element for movement in coincident planes into clamping engagement with the formed material, said clamping jaws conforming to the form of the formed material, and means moving said clamping jaws equal distances toward and away from the workpiece along a common plane.

Claim 4

In an automatic machine tool, a frame having a top surface forming a bed plate, a nonrotary work holder mounted on said bed plate and adapted to grip and hold the work during a machining operation, a rotary tool head rotatable about said work holder and carrying at least one forming tool spaced in front of and closely adjacent said work holder, clamping means spaced forwardly of and closely adjacent said forming tool and adapted to grip the formed material beyond a forming region thereof, a cutoff device mounted on said bed plate for movement toward and from the workpiece and spaced in advance of said clamping means, to effect the operation of severing a completed workpiece from the piece of elongated material closely adjacent said clamping means, said clamping means including a support element mounted on said bed plate for adjustable movement along the axis of the formed material, clamping jaws guided on said support element for movement in coincident planes into clamping engagement with the formed material, said clamping jaws conforming to the form of the formed material, and means moving said clamping jaws equal distances toward and away from the workpiece along a common plane.

Claim 5

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 2, wherein registering transverse slots are formed in said clamping jaws in advance of the clamping portions thereof, wherein the cutoff device is a circular saw, and wherein means are provided for moving said circular saw into said slots to effect a cutoff operation of the formed material.

Claim 6

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 2, in which a slot and wedging arrangement is provided to synchronously move said clamping jaws into and out of engagement with the formed material, and includes T-shaped wedging slots in said clamping jaws and a T-shaped wedge engaging said slots and moved up and down relative thereto.

Claim 7

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 4, wherein spring means bias said T-shaped wedge to bring said clamping jaws into clamping engagement with the formed mAterial.

Claim 8

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 1, including a head stock carrying said nonrotary work holder, wherein the nonrotary work holder includes a tube axially movable along said head stock and encircling the material to be formed, a draw-in collet coaxial with and extending forwardly of said tube, and a clamping sleeve extending about said draw-in collet and engaged by said tube and axially moved by said tube to bring said collet into gripping engagement with the material immediately rearwardly of said forming tool.

Claim 9

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 1, including a feed head mounted on said bed plate rearwardly of said work holder, a head stock forming a support for said rotary tool head and spaced in advance of said feed head, collet gripping means carried by said feed head, means operable to bring said gripping means into and out of gripping engagement with the material to be machined, other means advancing said feed head along said bed plate along the axis of the material to be machined, for advancing the material along said nonrotary work holder and tool head, wherein the nonrotary work holder is in the form of a collet work holder encircling and engageable with the material to be machined, wherein means are provided for bringing said collet into gripping engagement with the material to be machined to hold the material stationary during a machining operation thereon, wherein other means are provided to move the clamping jaws in synchronism with each other, wherein the cutoff device is in the form of a circular saw, wherein means are provided for moving said circular saw to effect a cutoff operation on two aligned pieces of formed material along the rear end of one piece and forward end of the next succeeding piece, and wherein a common drive shaft is provided, and individual cam and lever means are operated by said shaft for bringing said collet in said feed head into gripping engagement with the formed material and for advancing said feed head along said bed plate, for bringing said nonrotary work holder into gripping engagement with the material during the performing of the machining operation thereon, for moving said clamping jaws in synchronism with each other equal distances into and out of clamping engagement with the formed material along diametrical planes intersecting the axis of the formed material and for bringing said cutoff saw into and out of cutting engagement with the formed material.

Claim 10

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 2, in which the forming tool rotates about the material to be formed and is advanced radially inwardly toward the material to effect a forming operation on the material and is held from axial movement relative to the material and is formed to completely machine at least a length of the material and an incision for registry with the cutoff device to effect severing of a workpiece while held by the clamping jaws.

Claim 11

An automatic machine tool in accordance with claim 8, in which the clamping jaws are shaped to conform to conform to the circumferential surface of the machined workpiece and rigidly hold the workpiece for a cutoff operation.