US3981605A — X-Y table for machining

Claim 1

Independent Claim 222 words

Apparatus for coordinate positioning of a machining unit, wherein said apparatus comprises a frame assembly, a carriage unit, and a cross slide unit carrying said machining unit; said frame assembly comprises a support structure with a work bed for receiving work pices for machining, two main shafts extending in a first direction, each main shaft having its two ends attached to said support structure, two first guide means parallel to said main shafts and mounted on and supported by said support structure; said carriage unit comprises two end members, and two cross shafts extending in a second direction, each cross shaft having its two ends attached respectively to said two end members, each end member having main-shaft bearing means running on one of said main shafts and first moving support means running on one of said first guide means with a rigid structure between said main-shaft bearing means and said first moving support means; said cross slide unit having two cross-shaft bearing means running respectively on said two cross shafts, and a bridge mounted between said cross-shaft bearing means to carry said machining unit; whereby the carriage unit may be accurately positioned along the main shafts, and the cross slide unit may be accurately positioned along the cross shafts, to locate the machining unit for a machining operation on the work piece.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 222 words

Apparatus for coordinate positioning of a machining unit, wherein said apparatus comprises a frame assembly, a carriage unit, and a cross slide unit carrying said machining unit; said frame assembly comprises a support structure with a work bed for receiving work pices for machining, two main shafts extending in a first direction, each main shaft having its two ends attached to said support structure, two first guide means parallel to said main shafts and mounted on and supported by said support structure; said carriage unit comprises two end members, and two cross shafts extending in a second direction, each cross shaft having its two ends attached respectively to said two end members, each end member having main-shaft bearing means running on one of said main shafts and first moving support means running on one of said first guide means with a rigid structure between said main-shaft bearing means and said first moving support means; said cross slide unit having two cross-shaft bearing means running respectively on said two cross shafts, and a bridge mounted between said cross-shaft bearing means to carry said machining unit; whereby the carriage unit may be accurately positioned along the main shafts, and the cross slide unit may be accurately positioned along the cross shafts, to locate the machining unit for a machining operation on the work piece.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 85 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carriage unit includes cross-structure means mounted to said two end members to provide a rigid assembly, two second guide means parallel to said cross shafts and attached to said cross-structure means; said cross slide unit includes two side members, two second moving support means running respectively on said second guide means, each side member being attached to one of said cross-shaft bearing means and to one of said second guide means to form a rigid structure.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 41 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said main-shaft bearing means and each of said cross-shaft bearing means comprises two ball bushings in tandem on the same shaft, each ball bushing having ball bearings arranged for linear motion.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 70 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further including a collar individual to each of said shafts, each collar having a semicylindrical surface of substantially the same radius as the associated shaft, and clamp screw means attached to each collar to tighten the collar into engagement with the shaft, to thereby lock said carriage unit to said main shafts and to lock said cross slide unit to said cross shafts.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 59 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further including an auxiliary collar for each main shaft, each auxiliary collar having an auxiliary clamp screw means attached thereto extending from one of said end members to the other of said carriage unit to permit the carriage unit to be locked to both main shafts from either side of said apparatus.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said collars for each shaft are located between the said two ball busings on the shaft.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said main shafts and said cross shafts are case hardened and are precisely smooth, round and straight; and wherein said ball bushings are precision units.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 66 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said two first guide means and said two second guide means each comprises a guide bar having a rectangular cross section, and said first moving support means and said second moving support means each comprises a plurality of cam follower type bearing units with rollers running on both the upper and the lower surfaces of the guide bars.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein each of said two end members of said carriage unit has wiper means attached thereto to clean the associated guide bar.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 35 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein some of said cam follower type bearing units have an eccentric offset so that the position of the roller with respect to the guide bar is adjustable.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 56 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the height of said main shafts with respect to said work bed is adjustable by changing the point of attachment of the ends of the main shafts to the support structure, and by changing the distance between said main shaft bearing means and said first moving support means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 70 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including a first dial indicator attached to said carriage unit to run on one of said main shafts to indicate the position of the carriage unit in the first direction, and a second dial indicator attached to said cross slide unit to run on one of said cross shafts to indicate the position of the cross slide unit in the second direction.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, and including means to adjust the height of said main shafts with respect to said work bed by changing the point of attachment of the ends of the main shafts to the support structure, and by means to change the distance between said main shaft bearing means and said first moving support means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 34 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said machining unit includes means to raise it and to rotate it about a central support so that it may face either side of said apparatus.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 15 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said machining unit is a drill press.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 35 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including means to lock said carriage unit in position in said first direction, and means to lock said cross slide unit in position in said second direction.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 164 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said carriage unit each of said two end members comprises a base which is a structural steel channel having a horizontal central section and two vertical side sections, two main bosses welded under the respective ends of the central section, two blocks for the cross shafts welded on top of the central section symmetrically in from the ends, said main bosses being cylindrical with holes bored with their axis parallel to the longitudinal center line of said base and with a precise diameter and straightness, said blocks for the cross shafts having holes bored with their axes perpendicular to the vertical plane through the longitudinal center line of said base with a precise diameter and straightness, said main-shaft bearing means for each end member comprising two ball bushings inserted into said holes bored in the main bosses; said cross shafts having their ends inserted into said holes bored in said blocks for the cross shafts.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 92 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein in said carriage unit each of said two end members further comprises an outer pad welded to the outer one of said side sections of said base, a main roller support plate attached by screws to said outer pad; wherein said two first guide means each comprises a guide bar having a rectangular cross section; wherein said first moving support means comprises a plurality of cam follower type bearing units attached to said main roller support plate with rollers running on said guide bar.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, further including nylon wipers attached to a projecting support welded to said main roller support plate to clean the upper surface of the guide bar ahead of the roller of a cam follower type bearing unit when moving in either direction.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 237 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein said frame assembly includes four corner legs each having an upper portion with four holes having centers at equal intervals with their axes in said first direction, for each corner there being a shaft support and an end cap, each shaft support having a large center hole with a diameter for receiving the end of a main shaft and two tapped holes on either side of the center hole, the three holes of the shaft support having their centers at said equal intervals, each end cap having three holes spaced at said equal intervals, each main shaft having a tapped hole in the center of each end, three main shaft attachment screws for each corner extending respectively through the holes of the end cap then through either the lower three holes or the upper three holes of the leg, then screwed into the tapped holes of the shaft support and the shaft, the choice of the upper or lower three holes of the legs providing an adjustment for the height of the main shafts with respect to said work bed; wherein said outer pad of each end member has an upper set and a lower set of tapped holes, said main roller support plates being attached to either the upper set or the lower set to correspond to the choice of the upper or lower holes of the legs.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 42 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein of said cam follower type bearing units, one has its roller running on the upper surface of the guide bar and two have their rollers running on the lower surface of the guide bar.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein the cam follower type bearing unit having its roller running on the upper surface of the guide bar has an eccentric offset so that the position of the roller with respect to the guide bar is adjustable.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 138 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein in said carriage unit each of said two end members further comprises two inner pads welded to the inner one of said side sections of said base; wherein said rigid structure of the carriage unit comprises two cross channels each having a vertical center section and upper and lower horizontal side sections, each cross channel having an end plate welded to each end, each end plate being attached with screws to one of said inner pads of an end member, with the side sections of the two cross channels extending toward each other; second guide means comprising two cross guide bars attached respectively to the center sections of said cross channels; and cam follower type bearing units attached to said cross slide unit and running on said cross guide bars.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 152 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 23, wherein said cross slide unit comprises a machine head carrier plate, two cross roller support plates attached to opposite sides of the machine head carrier plate, and four cross-shaft bosses attached under the four corners of the machine head carrier plate; said cross-shaft bosses having holes bored with axes in said second direction with precise diameter and straightness, said cross-shaft bearing means being four cross-shaft ball bushings inserted respectively in the four cross-shaft bosses, each cross shaft passing through two of the cross-shaft ball bushings in tandem; and said cam follower type bearing units attached to said cross slide unit are attached to said cross roller support plates, with two running on the upper surface and two running on the under surface of each cross guide bar, some of the cam follower type bearing units of the cross slide having an eccentric offset for adjustment.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 38 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 24, further including a collar and a clamp screw attached thereto for each main shaft and each cross shaft for locking the carriage and the cross slide in position for machine operations.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 15 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said machining unit is a drill press.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 49 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said work bed comprises a base structure, and replaceable strips attached to said base structure, adapted to receive work pieces on said strips so that a machine tool penetrating the work pieces may strike said strips rather than the base structure.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 38 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 27, wherein said base structure comprises steel tubing having a flat upper surface, and said strips are of nylon attached on top of said steel tubing, with substantial space between the strips.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1979-09-21	1980-03-22	1980-09-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1983-09-21	1984-03-22	1984-09-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1987-09-21	1988-03-22	1988-09-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

X-Y table for machining

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