US3821844A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Lathes with automatic tool change facilities
Assignee: HERBERT A Ltd GB
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Filing: 1970-10-09
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Granted: 1974-07-02
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Expires: 1990-10-09
Abstract
Abstract In a tool change lathe, tools are located on a slide structure by means of inter-meshing toothed locating rings. A piston incorporated in the tool mount is interlockingly engageable with a tool and draws the tool onto the tool mount to interengage the toothed locating rings. The piston is rotatable about its axis so that the tool can be indexed to anyone of a plurality of different positions before the toothed locating rings are interengaged.
Inventors
- 👤 J Harman
- 👤 M Norman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 02:03
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23Q; B23Q3/00; B23Q3/155; B23Q3/1552; B23Q3/15553; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T483/00; Y10T483/17; Y10T483/1702; Y10T483/1705; Y10T483/1714; Y10T483/1724
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A lathe comprising a frame, a spindle on said frame, a slide structure on said frame, tool mount means on said slide structure for carrying tools for operating on a workpiece carried on the spindle and tool transfer means for transferring selected tools from a magazine to the tool mount means and vice-versa, said tool nount means including a toothed locating device arranged with its axis perpendicular to the spindle axis, a complementary toothed locating device on a tool, a piston movable by fluid pressure axially of said toothed locating device, means on said piston for non-rotatably engaging a tool transferred thereto by said tool transfer means, axial movement of the piston effecting drawing of the complementary toothed locating device on the tool into engagement with the toothed locating device of the tool mount means, and means for imparting rotation to said piston while said toothed locating devices are out of inter-engagement to permit indexing of the tool to any one of a plurality of different positions before its toothed locating device is inter-engaged with the toothed locating device of the tool mount means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
184 words
A lathe comprising a frame, a spindle on said frame, a slide structure on said frame, tool mount means on said slide structure for carrying tools for operating on a workpiece carried on the spindle and tool transfer means for transferring selected tools from a magazine to the tool mount means and vice-versa, said tool nount means including a toothed locating device arranged with its axis perpendicular to the spindle axis, a complementary toothed locating device on a tool, a piston movable by fluid pressure axially of said toothed locating device, means on said piston for non-rotatably engaging a tool transferred thereto by said tool transfer means, axial movement of the piston effecting drawing of the complementary toothed locating device on the tool into engagement with the toothed locating device of the tool mount means, and means for imparting rotation to said piston while said toothed locating devices are out of inter-engagement to permit indexing of the tool to any one of a plurality of different positions before its toothed locating device is inter-engaged with the toothed locating device of the tool mount means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 1 in which said toothed locating device of the tool mount means is a ring with teeth on one face thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 1 in which sai means for non-rotatably engaging a tool comprises a dovetail rib across one end of the piston.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 3 in which the piston is slidable in a cylinder into which pressurised fluid can be introduced on either side of the piston.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 4 including a locking device on said piston actuable to lock the piston in a withdrawn position and releasable by fluid pressure introduced into said cylinder to move the piston out of its withdrawn position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 5 in which said locking device comprises a sleeve mounted in a bore in the piston, a locking ring having a frusto-conical cam surface Slidable in the annular space between the piston and the sleeve, and a pluralityof balls in cross-bores in the piston ruged outwardly into a groove in the cylinder by a spring acting on said locking ring, said ring being displaceable against said spring by fluid pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 1 in which the piston has an extensioformed with external teeth and a transversely movable toothed rack engaging said extension for turning the piston.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 1 in which said magazine includes a pluralitpof tool carry ing devices each having thereon a track section with which a tool having a portion of complementary section can be interlockingly engaged, said tool mount means having a corresponding track section alignable with the track section of a selected tool-carrying device, and said tool transfer means including a transfer member movable in a direction parallel to said alignable track sections and engageable with a tool.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 8 in which said transfer member is provided with a further track arrangement extending substantially perpendicularly to the alignable track sections and interlockingly engageable with a further complementary portion of the tool.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 8 in which said magazine comprises a disc carrying said tool-carrying devices and mounted on the machine tool for rotation to present a selected tool carrying device to a tool transfer location.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 10 in which the track sections of all the tool-carrying devices are parallel to the rotary axis of said disc.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 11 in which said slide structure comprises a saddle movable along a bed and a slide movable along a guideway on the saddle in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the saddle is movable along the bed, the magazine being mounted on said saddle, and the tool m ount means and the tool transfer means being mounted on the slide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
81 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 8 in which the magazine comprises a rail mounted on the frame and extending in a substantially closed path along which said tool carrying devices are movable, said tool transfer means including a rail section for completing said closed path and means for displacing said rail section to a tool transfer position for alignment of the track section on a tool-carrying device on said rail section with the track section of the tool mount means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
75 words
The lathe as claimed in claim 13 in which the tool transfer means comprises a pair of said rail sections in spaced parallel relationship movable between a position in which one rail section completes said rail, a position in which the other rail section completes the rail, a position in which saione rail section is at said tool transfer positoin and a position in which sai dother rail section is at said tool transfer position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A lathe as claimed in claim 13 further comprising means for angularly moving said rail section about an axis parallel to the direction of movement of said rial section to and from said tool transfer position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
64 words
A lathe as claimed in claim 15 in which tthe rail extends behind a bed on which said slide structure is carried, said bed having a window through which said rail section is moved to an from the tool transfer position, said means for anglarly moving said rail section being operative when the rail section occupies a position intermediate said window and the rail.
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) | 1977-07-01 | 1977-12-31 | 1978-07-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-01 | 1981-12-31 | 1982-07-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-01 | 1985-12-31 | 1986-07-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |