Tracing milling machine with an automatic tool changer

Claim 2

A tracing milling machine for duplicating a shape of a model on a workpiece comprising: a vertical spindle head having a rotatable spindle effective to removably hold a cutting tool; a tracer portion having a tracer head and a tracer capable of performing a tracing movement over the model; a work table having a mounting surface on which the model and the workpiece to be machined are fixedly mounted; means for controlling a servo movement of said work table in vertical and horizontal directions; an automatic tool changing means for automatically replacing said cutting tool with another cutting tool; means for defining a predetermined positional relationship between said another cutting tool and said tracer; and means for automatically establishing said predetermined positional relationship whenever said automatic tool changing means completes its replacement of said cutting tool.

Claim 3

A tracing milling machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for defining includes at least a first reference plane for said workpiece and a second reference plane for said model, said first and second reference planes being fixedly mounted on said work table, said first reference plane being contacted by said tracer and said second reference plane being contacted by said cutting tool while said tracer and said cutting tool simultaneously approach said model and said workpiece, and wherein said means for automatically establishing includes means for detecting the contacting of said tracer and said cutting tool with said first and second reference planes, respectively, and means for stopping the approaching movement of said tracer and said cutting tool in response to detection by said means for detecting.

Claim 4

A tracing milling machine according to claim 2, wherein said means for defining includes first and second reference planes for said model and third and fourth reference planes for said workpiece, said first and third reference planes being contacted by said tracer and said cutting tool, respectively, while said tracer and said cutting tool approach said model and said workpiece from a first direction, and said second and fourth reference planes being contacted by said tracer and said cutting tool, respectively, while said tracer and said cutting tool approach said model and said workpiece from a second direction orthogonal to said first direction.

Claim 5

A tracing milling machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically establishing includes means for adjusting an amount of a reference displacement of said tracer with respect to each of a plurality of cutting tools when each of said cutting tools is attached to said spindle for replacement of a previously used cutting tool in said spindle.

Claim 6

A tracing milling machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically establishing further includes means for adjusting a length of each of said plurality of cutting tools with respect to a length of said tracer when each of said cutting tools is attached to said spindle for replacement of said previously used cutting tool in said spindle.

Claim 7

A tracing milling machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically establishing further includes a first means for adjusting an amount of a reference displacement of said tracer with respect to each of a plurality of cutting tools when said each of said cutting tools is attached to said spindle for replacement of a previously used cutting tool in said spindle and a second means for adjusting a length of each of said plurality of cutting tools with respect to a length of said tracer when each of said cutting tools is attached to said spindle for replacement of said previously used cutting tool in said spindle.

Claim 8

A tracing milling machine according to any one of the preceding claims 4 through 6, further comprising a reference displacement setting means for setting each individual reference displacement of said tracer with respect to each of said plurality of cutting tools wherever each of said plurality of cutting tools is attached to said spindle for replacement of a previously used cutting tool.

Claim 9

A tracing milling machine according to claim 5, wherein said means for adjusting a length includes means for gradually moving said spindle in a vertical direction.

Claim 10

A tracing milling machine according to claim 5, wherein said means for adjusting a length includes means for gradually moving said tracer in a vertical direction.

Claim 11

A tracing milling machine for duplicating a shape of a model in a workpiece comprising: a work table; means for controlling motion of said work table in at least first and second orthogonal directions; said model and said workpiece being rigidly affixed in predetermined positional relationships on said work table; a tracer operative to contact the surface of said model whose shape is to be duplicated; said tracer having means for permitting displacement thereof in said second direction; means in said tracer for producing a signal proportional to an amount of said displacement relative to a predetermined displacement; a spindle operative to hold one of a plurality of cutting tools in a corresponding positional relationship to said tracer; means for displacing said cutting tool in said second direction in proportion to said signal; automatic means for replacing said one of a plurality of cutting tools in said spindle with another of a plurality of cutting tools; automatic alignment means for aligning said another of a plurality of cutting tools with said tracer prior to using said another of a plurality of cutting tools for duplicating said shape.

Claim 12

A tracing milling machine for duplicating a shape of a model in a workpiece comprising: a work table; means for controlling motion of said work table in at least first and second orthogonal directions; said model and said workpiece being rigidly affixed in predetermined positional relationships on said work table; a tracer operative to contact the surface of said model whose shape is to be duplicated; said tracer having means for permitting displacement thereof in said second direction; means in said tracer for producing a signal proportional to an amount of said displacement relative to a predetermined displacement; a spindle operative to hold one of a plurality of cutting tools in a corresponding positional relationship to said tracer; means for displacing said cutting tool in said second direction in proportion to said signal; automatic means for replacing said one of a plurality of cutting tools in said spindle with another of a plurality of cutting tools; automatic alignment means for aligning said another of a plurality of cutting tools with said tracer prior to using said another of a plurality of cutting tools for duplicating said shape.

Claim 13

A tracing milling machine according to claim 10, wherein said automatic alignment means includes: at least first and second parallel reference planes affixed to said table; means for moving said work table to a position wherein said tracer is displaced in said second direction by said first reference plane an amount equal to said predetermined displacement; and means for displacing said cutting tool in said second direction until it touches said second reference plane and for thereafter locking said cutting tool in the position attained.

Claim 14

A tracing milling machine according to claim 11, wherein said at least first and second reference planes are located on said model and said workpiece, respectively.

Claim 15

A tracing milling machine according to claim 11, further including third and fourth reference planes, said third reference plane being orthogonal to said first reference plane, and said fourth reference plane being orthogonal to said second reference plane.

Claim 16

A tracing milling machine according to claim 13, wherein said automatic alignment means includes: means for moving said work table to a position wherein said tracer and said cutting tool are simultaneously in contact with said fourth and third reference planes, respectively, and for storing a deflection of said tracer necessary for achieving such simultaneous contact; and means for using said deflection as an offset during machining with said another of a plurality of cutting tools.

Claim 17

A tracing milling machine according to claim 10, wherein said automatic alignment means includes: means for storing at least one dimensional characteristic of each of said plurality of cutting tools; and means for adjusting said spindle in said second direction in response to the stored dimensional characteristic of said another of a plurality of cutting tools and for thereafter locking said spindle in the position attained by the adjustment thereof whereby said cutting tool is locked in a position which compensates for said at least one dimensional characteristic.