Automatic lathe

Claim 2

An automatic lathe comprising an information source means having a working information fed therein, an electric control device for controlling the operation of a driving source means upon reading the working information, a shaft driven from said driving source means, linear cams each mounted on said shaft and having a cam surface which defines an Archimedes curve, and cam followers each being in engagement with the cam surface of the cooperating linear cam and operatively connected to an associated cutting tool mount.

Claim 3

An automatic lathe as defined in clAim 1, wherein the cam surface of the linear cam consists of a small diameter portion defining an Archimedes curve of a larger curvature and a large diameter portion defining an Archimedes curve of a smaller curvature.

Claim 4

An automatic lathe as defined in claim 1, wherein the cam follower is mounted in an arm, connected to the cutting tool mount, through a clutch mechanism so that said cam follower may be slidable relative to or fixed to said arm, and said clutch mechanism is operated under control of said electric control device.

Claim 5

An automatic lathe as defined in claim 3, wherein a switch is provided on said clutch mechanism to detect an engaged or disengaged position of said clutch mechanism and send a signal to the electric control device.

Claim 6

An automatic lathe comprising an information source means having a working information fed therein, an electric control device for controlling the operation of a driving source means upon reading the working information, a rockable cutting tool mount having a pair of cutting tools mounted thereon and being rockable about a shaft, a cam follower fixed to said rockable cutting tool mount, a cam follower connected to said rockable cutting tool mount through a clutch mechanism, and a pair of linear cams for operating said respective cam followers each having a cam surface defining an Archimedes curve and mounted on a common shaft in such a manner that the inclinations of the cam surfaces thereof are in opposite directions to each other, said common shaft being driven from said driving source means.

Claim 7

An automatic lathe comprising an information source means having a working information fed therein, an electric control device for controlling the operation of a driving source means upon reading the working information, a rockable cutting tool mount having a pair of cutting tools mounted thereon and being rockable about a shaft, a cam follower fixed to said rockable cutting tool mount, a cam follower connected to said rockable cutting tool mount through a clutch mechanism, and a pair of linear cams for operating said respective cam followers each having a cam surface defining an Archimedes curve and mounted on a common shaft in such a manner that the inclinations of the cam surfaces thereof are in opposite directions to each other, said common shaft being driven from said driving source means.

Claim 8

An automatic lathe comprising an axially slidable material feeder adapted to grip and rotate a rod material, a cam follower operatively connected to said material feeder through an arm, a linear cam for operating said cam follower whose cam surface defines an Archimedes curve, a driving source means for driving a shaft on which said linear cam is fixedly mounted, a plurality of cutting tool mounts provided in opposed relation to said rod material, a plurality of cam followers each connected to an arm through a clutch mechanism which arm is in turn connected to the associated cutting tool mount, a plurality of linear cams for operating said respective cam followers each having a cam surface defining an Archimedes curve, another driving source means for driving a common shaft on which said plurality of linear cams are fixedly mounted, and an electric control device for controlling the operations of said two driving source means and said clutch mechanisms in accordance with the working information supplied from said information source means.

Claim 9

An automatic lathe comprising an axially slidable material feeder adapted to grip and rotate a rod material, a cam follower operatively connected to said material feeder through an arm, a linear cam for operating said cam follower whose cam surface defines an Archimedes curve, a driving source means for driving a shaft on which said linear cam is fixedly mounted, a plurality of cutting tool mounts provided in opposed relation to said rod material, a plurality of cam followers each connected to an arm through a clutch mechanism which arm is in turn connected to the associated cutting tool mount, a plurality of linear cams for operating said respective cam followers each having a cam surface defining an Archimedes curve, another driving source means for driving a common shaft on which said plurality of linear cams are fixedly mounted, and an electric control device for controlling the operations of said two driving source means and said clutch mechanisms in accordance with the working information supplied from said information source means.

Claim 10

An automatic lathe comprising an information source means having a working information fed therein, an electric control device for controlling the rotation of stepping motors upon reading the working information, cam shafts driven from said stepping motors respectively, linear cams mounted on said respective cam shafts and each having a cam surface defining an Archimedes curve, driven members such as cutting tool mounts and a material feeder operatively connected to cam followers in engagement with said linear cams respectively, a limit switch provided on each of said cam shafts and an origin detector for detecting the origin of each of said stepping motors; said electric control device including a motor control means for controlling the rotations of said stepping motors, a correction instructing code for receiving a correction instructions from the working information, and a timing control means for sending a signal to said motor control means upon receiving a signal from said correction instructing code and signals from said limit switches and said origin detectors and thereby stopping said stepping motors at the origins thereof.

Claim 11

An automatic lathe comprising an information source means having a working information fed therein, an electric control device for controlling the rotation of stepping motors upon reading the working information, cam shafts driven from said stepping motors respectively, linear cams mounted on said respective cam shafts and each having a cam surface defining an Archimedes curve, driven members such as cutting tool mounts and a material feeder operatively connected to cam followers in engagement with said linear cams respectively, a limit switch provided on each of said cam shafts and an origin detector for detecting the origin of each of said stepping motors; said electric control device including a motor control means for controlling the rotations of said stepping motors, a correction instructing code for receiving a correction instructions from the working information, and a timing control means for sending a signal to said motor control means upon receiving a signal from said correction instructing code and signals from said limit switches and said origin detectors and thereby stopping said stepping motors at the origins thereof.

Claim 12

An automatic lathe according to claim 6, wherein said material feeder comprises a collet chuck for gripping and rotating a workpiece, the gripping action of said collet chuck being controlled by said electric control device.