Numerically controlled machine tool system

Claim 2

In a numerically controlled machine tool system including a machine tool, said machine tool including a cutting element and a workpiece positioning element, and a control system for controlling the relative position of said cutting element and workpiece positioning element including: A. an operator controlled positioning control means including axes drive means for controlling the relative position of said cutting element to a succession of spatial points defined with respect to a reference point on said workpiece positioning element, wherein each of said spatial points corresponds to a point at which a subsequent machining operation is to be performed, B. a position encoding means for generating a coordinate data signal representative of the coordinates corresponding to the current position of said cutting element with respect to said reference point, C. an operator controlled sequence entry means including a digital computer, interface means and operator control/programming station, said sequence entry means being for generating and storing in the memory of said digital computer at least one sequence of digital data comprising a set of digital signals for an associated one of said succession of spatial points, said set of digital signals being related to: the coordinate data signal representative of the associated one of said succession of spatial points, D. a transformation means including said digital computer, said interface, and said operator control/programming station, said transformation means being for selectively transforming each of said stored sequences of digital data into a corresponding series of encoded machine tool control signals wherein each of said series is for directing the relative position of said cutting element toward an associated one of said spatial points, and E. a computer controlled positioning means responsive to said control signals and including said axes drive means, said computer controlled positioning means being for successively controlling the relative position of said cutting element to be at each of said spatial points, an improvement to said sequence entry means comprising: a selectively operative absolute data entry means having: A. operator controlled means for generating at least one sequence comprising a set of digital signals for an associated one of said succession of spatial points, said set of digital signals being related to: the absolute coordinates of said associated one of said succession of spatial points, and B. means for storing said set in the memory of said computer.

Claim 3

In a numerically controlled machine tool system including a machine tool, said machine tool including a cutting element and a workpiece positioning element, and a control system for controlling the relative position of said cutting element and workpiece positioning element including: A. an operator controlled positioning control means including axes drive means for controlling the relative position of said cutting element to a succession of spatial points defined with respect to a reference point on said workpiece positioning element, wherein each of said spatial points corresponds to a point at which a subsequent machining operation is to be performed, B. a position encoding means for generating a coordinate data signal representative of the coordinates corresponding to the current position of said cutting element with respect to said reference point, C. an operator controlled sequence entry means including a digital computer, interface means and operator control/programming station, said sequence entry means being for generating and storing in the memory of said digital computer at least one sequence of digital data comprising a set of digital signals for an associated one of said succession of spatial points, said set of digital signals being related to: the coordinate data signal representative of the associated one of said succession of spatial points, D. a transformation means including said digital computer, said interface, and said operator control/programming station, said transformation means being for selectively transforming each of said stored sequences of digital data into a corresponding series of encoded machine tool control signals wherein each of said series is for directing the relative position of said cutting element toward an associated one of said spatial points, and E. a computer controlled positioning means responsive to said control signals and including said axes drive means, said computer controlled positioning means being for successively controlling the relative position of said cutting element to be at each of said spatial points, an improvement to said sequence entry means comprising: a selectively operative incremental data entry means having: A. operator controlled means for generating at least one sequence comprising a set of digital signals for an associated one of said succession of spacial points, said set of digital signals being related to: the change in coordinates of said associated one of said succession of spatial points relative to the coordinates of the preceding spatial point in said succession, B. means for transforming said set of digital signals to a corresponding set, said corresponding set being related to: the absolute coordinates of said associated one of said succession of spatial points, and C. means for storing said corresponding set in the memory of said computer.

Claim 4

In a numerically controlled machine tool system including a machine tool, said machine tool including a cutting element and a workpiece positioning element, and a control system for controlling the relative position of said cutting element and workpiece positioning element including: A. an operator controlled positioning control means including axes drive means for controlling the relative position of said cutting element to a succession of spatial points defined with respect to a reference point on said workpiece positioning element, wherein each of said spatial points corresponds to a point at which a subsequent machining operation is to be performed, B. a position encoding means for generating a coordinate data signal representative of the coordinates corresponding to the current position of said cutting element with respect to said reference point, C. an operator controlled sequence entry means including a digital computer, interface means and operator control/programming station, said sequence entry means being for generating and storing in the memory of said digital computer at least one sequence of digital data comprising a set of digital signals for an associated one of said succession of spatial points, said set of digital signals being related to: the coordinate data signal representative of the associated one of said succession of spatial points, D. a transformation means including said digital computer, said interface, and said operator control/programming station, said transformation means being for selectively transforming each of said stored sequences of digital data into a corresponding series of encoded machine tool control signals wherein each of said series is for directing the relative position of said cutting element toward an associated one of said spatial points, and E. a computer controlled positioning means responsive to said control signals and including said axes drive means, said computer controlled positioning means being for successively controlling the relative position of said cutting element to be at each of said spatial points, an improvement to said sequence entry means comprising: a selectively operative incremental data entry means having: A. operator controlled means for generating at least one sequence comprising a set of digital signals for an associated one of said succession of spacial points, said set of digital signals being related to: the change in coordinates of said associated one of said succession of spatial points relative to the coordinates of the preceding spatial point in said succession, B. means for transforming said set of digital signals to a corresponding set, said corresponding set being related to: the absolute coordinates of said associated one of said succession of spatial points, and C. means for storing said corresponding set in the memory of said computer.

Claim 5

System according to claim 1 wherein said means for storing of said sequence entry means includes: means for ordering said sequences in said memory in an order corresponding to the order of said spatial points in said succession, and wherein said sequence entry means further includes: coordinate value storage means operative following the storage of a current sequence in said memory to store a most recent coordinate signal associated with each motion axis of said system, each of said most recent coordinate signals being representative of the corresponding motion axis coordinate which is stored in association with said current sequence or with the next previous sequence in said succession which includes a coordinate corresponding to said motion axis.

Claim 6

System according to claim 2 wherein said means for storing of said sequence entry means includes: means for ordering said sequences in said memory in an order corresponding to the order of said spatial points in said succession, and wherein said sequence entry means further includes: coordinate value storage means operative following the storage of a current sequence in said memory to store a most recent coordinate signal associated with each motion axis of said system, each of said most recent coordinate signals being representative of the corresponding motion axis coordinate which is stored in association with said current sequence or with the next previous sequence in said succession which includes a coordinate corresponding to said motion axis.

Claim 7

System according to claim 3 wherein sequence entry means further includes a means for displaying said most recent coordinate signals.

Claim 8

System according to claim 4 wherein sequence entry means further includes a means for displaying said most recent coordinate signals.