Patent US3646664A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3646664A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tool exchanger for a plurality of spindles of a machine tool
Assignee: Milacron Inc
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Filing: 1970-05-28
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Granted: 1972-03-07
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Expires: 1990-05-28
Abstract
Abstract A shuttle, which has first means to support a first set of tools for disposition in a plurality of vertically disposed spindles and second means to receive a second set of tools in the spindles for support by the shuttle, is moved from a home position to a first position in which the tools in the spindles are transported to the shuttle for support by the second means. After the second set of tools has been removed from the spindles by a separate interchange arm for each spindle and received by the second means, the shuttle is moved to a second position in which the first set of tools can be transferred to the spindles by the interchange arms. The shuttle is then returned to its home position where the second set of tools is removed from the second means and a new set of tools is disposed in the first means to repeat the operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Wayne L Vearil
- 👤 Lewis A Dever
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 13:12
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23Q; B23Q3/00; B23Q3/155; B23Q3/1552; B23Q3/1554; B23Q3/157; B23Q3/15713; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T483/00; Y10T483/17; Y10T483/1733; Y10T483/1748; Y10T483/1752; Y10T483/1776; Y10T483/1779; Y10T483/1783; Y10T483/1786
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
337 words
A machine tool including: a plurality of housings; each of said housings having a rotatable spindle, said spindles having their axes of rotation substantially parallel to each other; means to support a plurality of tools for use in said spindles; means to move said support means between a home position, a first position, and a second position; said support means having: first means to support a first group of tools equal in number to the number of said spindles; second means to support a second group of tools equal in number to the number of said spindles; said first means receiving tools when said support means is in its home position to form the first group of tools; and said second means receiving tools from said spindLe when said support means is in its first position; means to selectively transport tools between each of said spindles and said support means when said support means is in each of its first and second positions; said transporting means comprising separate means for each of said spindles; each of said separate means of said transporting means being supported by a separate one of said housings; said transporting means transporting a tool when said support means is in its first position from at least one of said spindles to said support means for support by said second means of said support means; said moving means moving said support means from its first position to its second position after the tool in at least one of said spindles has been received by said support means; said transporting means transporting one of the tools of said first group when said support means is in its second position from said first means of said support means to each of said spindles from which a tool was removed when said support means was in its first position; and said moving means moving said support means to its home position after said first group of tools in said support means has been disposed in said spindles.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
337 words
A machine tool including: a plurality of housings; each of said housings having a rotatable spindle, said spindles having their axes of rotation substantially parallel to each other; means to support a plurality of tools for use in said spindles; means to move said support means between a home position, a first position, and a second position; said support means having: first means to support a first group of tools equal in number to the number of said spindles; second means to support a second group of tools equal in number to the number of said spindles; said first means receiving tools when said support means is in its home position to form the first group of tools; and said second means receiving tools from said spindLe when said support means is in its first position; means to selectively transport tools between each of said spindles and said support means when said support means is in each of its first and second positions; said transporting means comprising separate means for each of said spindles; each of said separate means of said transporting means being supported by a separate one of said housings; said transporting means transporting a tool when said support means is in its first position from at least one of said spindles to said support means for support by said second means of said support means; said moving means moving said support means from its first position to its second position after the tool in at least one of said spindles has been received by said support means; said transporting means transporting one of the tools of said first group when said support means is in its second position from said first means of said support means to each of said spindles from which a tool was removed when said support means was in its first position; and said moving means moving said support means to its home position after said first group of tools in said support means has been disposed in said spindles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The machine tool according to claim 1 in which each of said separate means of said transporting means includes a separate interchange arm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The machine tool according to claim 2 including: separate means to mount each of said interchange arms on a separate one of said housings for pivotal and sliding movement; and means to mount said support means for cooperating movement with the movement of said arms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The machine tool according to claim 3 in which: said mounting means for said support means includes: means to mount said support means for pivotal movement relative to said housings; and means to mount said support means for transverse movement between its home position, first position, and second position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The machine tool according to claim 4 in which said transverse mounting means is mounted for pivotal movement with said support means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The machine tool according to claim 5 including means to coordinate the pivotal and transverse movements of said support means with the pivotal and sliding movements of said interchange arms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The machine tool according to claim 3 in which: each of said separate mounting means includes; means slidably movable on one of said housings; and means to pivotally mount said interchange arm on said slidably movable means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The machine tool according to claim 3 including means to coordinate movements of said support means with the movements of said interchange arms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The machine tool according to claim 3 including means to mount said support means for pivotal movement relative to said housings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
92 words
The machine tool according to claim 1 including: means to stop said support means at its first position when said moving means is moving said support means to align each of said first means with one of said separate means of said transporting means; and means to render said stop means ineffective after said support means has received the tools from said spindles to allow said support means to be moved to its second position to align each of said second means with one of said separate means of said transporting means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The machine tool according to claim 1 in which: said separate means of said transporting means are rendered effective simultaneously.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
111 words
The machine tool according to claim 11 in which: each of said separate means of said transporting means is supported by a separate one of said housings; means to stop said support means at its first position when said moving means is moving said support means to align each of said first means with one of said separate means of said transporting means; and means to render said stop means ineffective after said support means has received the tools from said spindles to allow said support means to be moved to its second position to align each of said second means with one of said separate means of said transporting means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
The machine tool according to claim 1 including: means to stop said support means at its first position when said moving means is moving said support means; and means to render said stop means ineffective after said support means has received the tools from said spindles to allow said support means to be moved to its second position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
66 words
The machine tool according to claim 1 in which said transporting means transports a tool from each of said spindles to said second means of said support means when said support means is in its first position and a tool of the first group from said first means of said support means to each of said spindles when said support means is in its second position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-07 | 1975-09-06 | 1976-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-07 | 1979-09-06 | 1980-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-07 | 1983-09-06 | 1984-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |