Tooling machine having surface sensing program starting

Abstract

Abstract AN APPARATUS AND METHOD ARE PROVIDED FOR OPERATING ON MATERIAL BY MEANS OF AN AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED TOOL AND WORK REQUIRING PREPOSITIONING OF THE TOOL AND WORK SURFACE. IN ONE FORM SURFACE-SENSING MEANS IS MOUNTED ON OR ADJACENT THE TOOL FOR SENSING THE LOCATION OF THE WORK SURFACE WHICH, UPON BEING DETECTED THEREBY, EITHER INITIATES AN AUTOMATIC CYCLE OF OPERATION OR PROVIDES A FEEDBACK SIGNAL WHICH IS OPERATIVE TO CORRECT THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS OR COMPENSATE FOR VARIATIONS IN THE LOCATION OF THE SURFACE OF THE WORK PIECE AND THE TOOL FROM ONE WORK PIECE TO THE NEXT. LOCATING THE SURFACE OF THE WORK IS EFFECTED EITHER BY MEANS OF A MOVABLE PROBE MOUNTED ON THE TOOL HEAD OR TOOL MANIPULATOR AND OPERATIVE TO BE DRIVEN INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH OR SENSING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORK, OR BY MEANS OF LOCATING THE SENSING TRANSDUCER ON OR ADJACENT THE TOOL ITSELF WHICH IS MOVED TO PERMIT THE TRANSDUCER TO SENSE THE SURFACE OF THE WORK PRIOR TO INITIATING AN AUTOMATIC OPERATIONAL CYCLE. IN ANOTHER FORM, THE TOOL ITSELF IS ENERGIZED TO DEFINE THE SURFACE-SENSING TRANSDUCER AND RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE WORK AND TOOL IS EFFECTED TO PERMIT LOCATION OF THE WORK SURFACE BY THE TOOL.

Inventors

• 👤 Jerome H Lemelson

Bibliographic Details