Metal-cutting machine for machining locating surfaces

Claim 1

A metal-cutting machine for machining locating surfaces, comprising: a bed; a base mounted on said bed; a table for accommodating the workpiece under machining, said table being mounted on said base and having at least two degrees of freedom with respect thereto for an optimum positioning of said workpiece with respect to the cutting tool; a means carrying said cutting tool, mounted on said bed of the machine; at least two table orientation mechanisms whose number depends upon the number of the degrees of freedom of the table, said mechanisms being arranged one upon the other to form a common kinematic chain having the terminal link interconnected with said table carrying the workpiece being machined; a device for a positive locking of said table in a predetermined position with respect to said cutting tool, including an intermediate link ''''floating'''' in said base and adapted for a continuous sliding contact with the surface of said table facing said base in the course of the table orienting with respect to said cutting tool; said intermediate link being made as a pair of T-shaped beams, the vertical portion of each of said beams being, during the orientation of said table, in a continuous sliding contact with the butt surface of the base by means of a spring-loaded plate mounted on said base, and being positively forced against said surface in the course of cutting, whereas on the horizontal portion of each of said beams there is located an insert having a cylindrical recess, said insert being so arranged that said recess faces the table surface, said table having cylindrical pins located on its opposite sides respectively to said beams and parallel to said base, said pins with their bottom portions being accommodated in said recesses so as to be in a continuous sliding contact therewith during the table orienting, while the top portions of said pins mount rockers carrying spring-loaded plates which are adapted to positively force the flanges of said beams through said inserts against the respective of the said table pins in the course of cutting; and means for positively locking said intermediate link simultaneously with said table and said base during the course of cutting.