Multiple wire electrode feed mechanism for electroerosion machine

Claim 2

In an electroerosion machine which cuts a metal by means of electrical discharge between an electrically conductive wire and metal, said machine having a frame, a table for carrying metal movably mounted on the frame, a head mounted on the frame, and an electrical system connected to the electrically conductive wire and the metal, the improvement comprising; a plurality of supply spools of electrically conductive wire, each of said supply spools having a wire continuously removed therefrom, a tension assembly receiving a wire from each of the supply spools, a cutting guide assembly receiving each of said wires and holding the wires parallel to each other adjacent to the metal while there is electrical discharge between each of the wires and the metal, and a take-up assembly receiving the wires from the cutting guide assembly.

Claim 3

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the tension assembly includes; an input sheave receiving the wires from the supply spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires, each of the spreader sheaves receiving one of the wires, and a plurality of tension sheaves movably and resiliently supported and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said tension sheaves receiving one of the wires, whereby the tension sheaves keep the wires in the cutting guide assembly at a relatively uniform tension.

Claim 4

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving one of said wires, a discharge guide support pivotally mounted on the head, and a plurality of discharge guides equal in number to the number of wires mounted on the discharge guide support, said discharge guide support being pivotally positionable to align each discharge support with its respective input guide to receive a respective wire from the input guide and hold the wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides.

Claim 5

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the take-up assembly includes; a plurality of spaced take-up guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said take-up guides receiving one of said wires, a take-up sheave receiving the wires from the take-up guides, and a take-up spool windingly receiving the wires from the take-up sheave.

Claim 6

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving one of said wires, and a plurality of discharge guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said discharge guides being positioned relative to a respective input guide to receive the wire from the input guide and hold the wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides.

Claim 7

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the tension assembly includes; an input sheave receiving the wires from the supply spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires, each of the spreader sheaves receiving one of said wires, and a plurality of tension sheaves movably and resiliently supported and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of tension sheaves receiving one of the wires, whereby the tension sheaves keep the wires in the cutting guide assembly at a relatively uniform tension; and the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving a wire, a discharge guide support pivotally mounted on the head, and a plurality of discharge guides equal in number to the number of wires mounted on the discharge guide support, said discharge guide support being pivotally positionable to align each discharge guide with its respective input guide to receive the wire from the input guide and hold its respective wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides.

Claim 8

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving one of said wires, and a plurality of discharge guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said discharge guides being positioned relative to a respective input guide to receive the wire from the respective input guide and hold the wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides; and the take-up assembly includes; a plurality of spaced take-up guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said take-up guides receiving one of said wires, a take-up sheave receiving the wires from the take-up guide, and a take-up spool windingly receiving the wires from the take-up sheave.

Claim 9

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the tension assembly includes; an input sheave receiving the wires from the supply spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires, each of the spreader sheaves receiving one of said wires, and a plurality of tension sheaves movably and resiliently supported and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said tension sheaves receiving one of the wires whereby the tension sheaves keep the wire in the cutting guide assembly at a relatively uniform tension; and the take-up assembly includes; a plurality of spaced take-up guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said take-up guides receiving one of said wires, a take-up sheave receiving the wires from the take-up guides, and a take-up spool windingly receiving the wires from the take-up sheave.

Claim 10

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the tension assembly includes; an input sheave receiving the wires from the supply spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires, each of the spreader sheaves receiving one of the wires, and a plurality of tension sheaves movably and resiliently supported and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said tension sheaves receiving one of the wires, whereby the tension sheaves keep the wires in the cutting guide assembly at a relatively uniform tension; and the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving one of said wires, and a plurality of discharge guides equal of number to the number of wires, each of said discharge guides being positioned relative to a respective input guide to receive the wire from the input guide and hold the wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides.

Claim 11

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving one of said wires, a discharge guide support pivotally mounted on the head, and a plurality of discharge guides equal in number to the number of wires mounted on the discharge guide support, said discharge guide support being pivotally positionable to align each discharge guide with its respective input guide to receive the wire from the input guide and hold the respective wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides; and the take-up assembly includes; a plurality of spaced take-up guides equal of number to the number of wires, each of said take-up guides receiving one of said wires, a take-up sheave receiving the wires from the take-up guides, and the take-up spool windingly receiving the wires from the take-up sheave.

Claim 12

In an electroerosion machine of the character described as defined in claim 1 wherein, the tension assembly includes; an input sheave receiving the wires from the supply spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires, each of the spreader sheaves receiving one of the respective wires, a plurality of tension sheaves movably and resiliently supported and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said tension sheaves receiving one of the wires, whereby the tension sheaves keep the wires in the cutting guide assembly at a relatively uniform tension; the cutting guide assembly includes; a plurality of input guides spaced from each other and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said input guides receiving a wire, and a plurality of discharge guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said discharge guides being positioned relative to a respective input guide to receive the wire from the input guide and hold the respective wire parallel to the other wires between their respective input and discharge guides; and said take-up assembly includes; a plurality of spaced take-up guides equal in number to the number of wires, each of said take-up guides receiving one of said wires, a take-up sheave receiving the wires from the take-up guides, and a take-up spool windingly receiving the wires from the take-up sheave.

Claim 13

In an electroerosion machine which makes a cut in a metal workpiece by means of electrical discharge between an electrically conductive wire and the workpiece, said machine having a frame, a table for carrying the workpiece movably mounted on the frame, a head mounted on the frame, an electrical control system for creating a discharge between an electrically conductive wire and a workpiece, and a control system for moving the table relative to electrically conductive wire, the improvement comprising; a plurality of supply spools of electrically conductive wire rotatably mounted on the head, each of said supply spools providing a length of continuous electrically conductive wire, an input sheave rotatably mounted on the head and receiving the wires from the spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires from the supply spools rotatably mounted on the head, a plurality of wheels equal in number to the number of wires rotatably mounted on the head adjacent to the spreader sheaves, each of said wheels engaging one of said wires, a plurality of tension sheaves equal in number to the number of wires rotatably and resiliently mounted on the head, each of said tension sheaves receiving a respective wire, a delivery assembly receiving the wires from the tension sheaves, an input guide yoke mounted on the head, a plurality of input guides spaced from each other being equal in number to the number of wires mounted on the input guide yoke, a plurality of discharge guides mounted on the head and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said discharge guides being aligned with a respective input guide to hold the respective wire between the input guide and the discharge guide parallel to the other wires held between their respective input guide and discharge guide, a plurality of take-up guides equal in number to the number of wires receiving the wires from the discharge guides, a take-up sheave mounted on the head receiving the plurality of wires from the take-up guides, a level winder assembly mounted on the head and receiving the plurality of wires from the take-up sheave, and a take-up spool mounted on the head and windingly receiving the plurality of wires from the lever winder assembly.

Claim 14

In an electroerosion machine which makes a cut in a metal workpiece by means of electrical discharge between an electrically conductive wire and the workpiece, said machine having a frame, a table for carrying the workpiece movably mounted on the frame, a head mounted on the frame, an electrical control system for creating a discharge between an electrically conductive wire and a workpiece, and a control system for moving the table relative to electrically conductive wire, the improvement comprising; a plurality of supply spools of electrically conductive wire rotatably mounted on the head, each of said supply spools providing a length of continuous electrically conductive wire, an input sheave rotatably mounted on the head and receiving the wires from the spools, a plurality of spreader sheaves equal in number to the number of wires from the supply spools rotatably mounted on the head, a plurality of wheels equal in number to the number of wires rotatably mounted on the head adjacent to the spreader sheaves, each of said wheels engaging one of said wires, a plurality of tension sheaves equal in number to the number of wires rotatably and resiliently mounted on the head, each of said tension sheaves receiving a respective wire, a delivery assembly receiving the wires from the tension sheaves, an input guide yoke mounted on the head, a plurality of input guides spaced from each other being equal in number to the number of wires mounted on the input guide yoke, a plurality of discharge guides mounted on the head and being equal in number to the number of wires, each of said discharge guides being aligned with a respective input guide to hold the respective wire between the input guide and the discharge guide parallel to the other wires held between their respective input guide and discharge guide, a plurality of take-up guides equal in number to the number of wires receiving the wires from the discharge guides, a take-up sheave mounted on the head receiving the plurality of wires from the take-up guides, a level winder assembly mounted on the head and receiving the plurality of wires from the take-up sheave, and a take-up spool mounted on the head and windingly receiving the plurality of wires from the lever winder assembly.