Ultrasonic motion adapter for a machine tool

Claim 2

An ultrasonic motion adapter for a machine tool comprising: a housing enclosing a transducer assembly having electroacoustic transducing means for receiving electrical high-frequency excitation and providing in response to such excitation mechanical motion at a predetermined high frequency to said assembly; an input end of said transducer assembly constituting a coupling means extending from said housing and adapted to be removably coupled to a machine tool for receiving rotary motion therefrom; said coupling means forming the sole support for holding said adapter to and in operative relation with the machine tool; an output end of said transducer assembly disposed opposite said input end constituting a tool-receiving means and adapted to receive a tool bit extending from said housing, said output end adapted to undergo rotational and oscillatory axial motion responsive to rotary motion applied at said input end and said excitation applied to said transducer assembly, and bearing means disposed between said transducer assembly and said housing for enabling said transducer assembly to undergo rotary motion relative to said housing.

Claim 3

An ultrasonic motion adapter as set forth in claim 1, an electrical brush assembly supported by said housing; an electrical slipring assembly coupled to said transducer assembly, and said brush assembly being in cooperating relation with said slipring assembly for providing electrical excitation generated exterior of said housing to said electroacoustic transducing means.

Claim 4

An ultrasonic motion adapter as set forth in claim 2, said transducer assembly including one elongate member dimensioned to oscillate in axial direction substantially as a half wavelength resonator responsive to said excitation.

Claim 5

An ultrasonic motion adapter comprising: a housing; a metallic shaft having an input end extending from said housing for causing said adapter to be removably couplable to and supportable by the spindle of a machine tool; a metallic sleeve disposed concentric with said shaft and radially spaced therefrom; said sleeve being dimensioned to undergo high-frequency axial vibrations and be resonant as a half wavelength resonator at the frequency of sound traveling longitudinally through said sleeve, said sleeve when resonant exhibiting a pair of antinodal regions of longitudinal motion; piezoelectric means adapted to be excited with electrical energy of predetermined high frequency coupled to said sleeve for causing said sleeve to be resonant; a pair of radial metallic flanges adapted to undergo flexural motion, a respective flange disposed at each of said antinodal regions and coupling said shaft to said sleeve whereby to support said sleeve about said shaft and said flanges restricting movement of said sleeve when resonant to motion principally along the longitudinal axis; tool-receiving means disposed on said sleeve for causing a tool coupled to said receiving means to undergo rotation responsive to rotating motion imparted to said shaft and undergo axial vibration responsive to the vibratory motion of said sleeve; an electrical slipring assembly coupled mechanically to said shaft and sleeve and electrically coupled to said piezoelectric means for providing electrical excitation to said piezoelectric means when said shaft and sleeve are rotating; means locking said shaft to said sleeve for transmitting axial thrust from said shaft to said sleeve; an electrical brush assembly coupled to said housing and disposed in cooperative relation with said slipring assembly; antifriction bearing means disposed between said shaft and said housing, and electrical connection means disposed for providing electrical energy from outside said housing through said housing to said electrical brush assembly.

Claim 6

An ultrasonic motion adapter comprising: a housing; a metallic shaft having an input end extending from said housing for causing said adapter to be removably couplable to and supportable by the spindle of a machine tool; a metallic sleeve disposed concentric with said shaft and radially spaced therefrom; said sleeve being dimensioned to undergo high-frequency axial vibrations and be resonant as a half wavelength resonator at the frequency of sound traveling longitudinally through said sleeve, said sleeve when resonant exhibiting a pair of antinodal regions of longitudinal motion; piezoelectric means adapted to be excited with electrical energy of predetermined high frequency coupled to said sleeve for causing said sleeve to be resonant; a pair of radial metallic flanges adapted to undergo flexural motion, a respective flange disposed at each of said antinodal regions and coupling said shaft to said sleeve whereby to support said sleeve about said shaft and said flanges restricting movement of said sleeve when resonant to motion principally along the longitudinal axis; tool-receiving means disposed on said sleeve for causing a tool coupled to said receiving means to undergo rotation responsive to rotating motion imparted to said shaft and undergo axial vibration responsive to the vibratory motion of said sleeve; an electrical slipring assembly coupled mechanically to said shaft and sleeve and electrically coupled to said piezoelectric means for providing electrical excitation to said piezoelectric means when said shaft and sleeve are rotating; means locking said shaft to said sleeve for transmitting axial thrust from said shaft to said sleeve; an electrical brush assembly coupled to said housing and disposed in cooperative relation with said slipring assembly; antifriction bearing means disposed between said shaft and said housing, and electrical connection means disposed for providing electrical energy from outside said housing through said housing to said electrical brush assembly.

Claim 7

An ultrasonic motion adapter as set forth in claim 4, said sleeve having an input portion which is fitted with said piezoelectric means and an output portion fitted with said tool-receiving means, and said output portion being of reduced diameter.

Claim 8

A machine tool assembly comprising in combination: A. a machine tool having a spindle adapted to rotate; B. an ultrasonic motion adapter for said tool comprising: B-1. a housing enclosing an electromechanical transducer assembly having electroacoustic transducing means for receiving electrical high-frequency excitation and providing in response to such excitation mechanical motion at an ultrasonic frequency to said assembly; B-2. an input end of said transducer assembly constituting a coupling means extending from said housing and adapted to be removably coupled to said spindle of said machine tool for receiving rotary motion therefrom, said coupling means forming the sole support for holding said adapter to and in operative relation with said machine tool; B-3. an output end of said transducer assembly disposed opposite said input end constituting a tool receiving means and adapted to receive a tool bit extending from said housing, said output end adapted to undergo rotational and oscillatory axial motion responsive to rotary motion applied at said input end and said excitation applied to said transducing means, and B-4. bearing means disposed between said transducer assembly and said housing for enabling said transducer assembly to undergo rotary motion relative to said housing.

Claim 9

A machine tool assembly comprising in combination: A. a machine tool having a spindle adapted to rotate; B. an ultrasonic motion adapter for said tool comprising: B-1. a housing enclosing an electromechanical transducer assembly having electroacoustic transducing means for receiving electrical high-frequency excitation and providing in response to such excitation mechanical motion at an ultrasonic frequency to said assembly; B-2. an input end of said transducer assembly constituting a coupling means extending from said housing and adapted to be removably coupled to said spindle of said machine tool for receiving rotary motion therefrom, said coupling means forming the sole support for holding said adapter to and in operative relation with said machine tool; B-3. an output end of said transducer assembly disposed opposite said input end constituting a tool receiving means and adapted to receive a tool bit extending from said housing, said output end adapted to undergo rotational and oscillatory axial motion responsive to rotary motion applied at said input end and said excitation applied to said transducing means, and B-4. bearing means disposed between said transducer assembly and said housing for enabling said transducer assembly to undergo rotary motion relative to said housing.