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US4692873A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Machine tool pick feed method

Assignee: Fanuc Corp
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Filing: 1984-10-30
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Granted: 1987-09-08
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Expires: 2004-10-30
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Abstract

Abstract A curved surface machining method for machining a curved surface through unidirectional cutting by automatically creating a pick-feed path that will not cause a tool (TL) to strike a workpiece when a pick-feed is performed, pick-feeding the tool along the path, and thereafter performing cutting. The pick-feed path is obtained by using a given tool retraction quantity l for retracting the tool from a cutting path end point Pe, a clearance plane (CPL), coordinate values of the cutting end point Pe, and coordinate values of a cutting starting point Ps on the next cutting path. Specifically, there are obtained: coordinate values of a point Pa distanced from the cutting path end point Pe by the tool retraction quantity l in the direction of the central axis of the tool; coordinate values of the foot Pb of a perpendicular dropped from the point Pa to the clearance plane (CPL); coordinate values of a point Pd distanced from the cutting starting point Ps of the next cutting path (PT2) by the tool retraction quantity l in the direction of the central axis of the tool; and coordinate values of the foot Pc of a perpendicular dropped from the point Pd to the clearance plane. The path Pe→Pa→Pb→Pc→Pd→Ps serves as the pick-feed path.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hajimu Kishi
  • 👤 Kunio Tanaka

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 16:38
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/41; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/49; G05B2219/49381; G05B2219/49385

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 326 words
A method of machining using a machine tool having a tool and axes of rotation for subjecting a workpiece to desired machining, said method comprising the steps of: moving the tool, having a central axis, relative to a workpiece in one direction along a first cutting parh from a first maching start point; positioning the tool at a machining starting point on a second cutting path after the completion of machining along said first cutting path at a cutting path end point Pe; moving the tool relative to the workpiece along said second cutting path in said one direction to perform machining; specifying a tool retraction quantity for retracting the tool from the cutting path end point Pe; specifying a plane containing a path along which the tool is moved toward the second cutting starting point Ps, on said second cutting path; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pa distanced from the cutting path end point Pe by said tool retraction quantity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the cutting path end point Pe; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pb in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pa; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pd distanced from the second cuttting path starting point Ps by said tool retraction qunatity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the second cutting path starting point Ps; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pc in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pd; creating NC data, in accordance with the obtained coordinates, for positioning the tool at the second cutting startin point Ps along a pick feed path Pe→Pa→Pb→Pc→Pd→Ps; positioning the tool at the second cutting starting point by moving the tool along said pick feed path in accordance with said NC data; and performing machining by moving the tool along said second cutting path in said one direction.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 326 words
A method of machining using a machine tool having a tool and axes of rotation for subjecting a workpiece to desired machining, said method comprising the steps of: moving the tool, having a central axis, relative to a workpiece in one direction along a first cutting parh from a first maching start point; positioning the tool at a machining starting point on a second cutting path after the completion of machining along said first cutting path at a cutting path end point Pe; moving the tool relative to the workpiece along said second cutting path in said one direction to perform machining; specifying a tool retraction quantity for retracting the tool from the cutting path end point Pe; specifying a plane containing a path along which the tool is moved toward the second cutting starting point Ps, on said second cutting path; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pa distanced from the cutting path end point Pe by said tool retraction quantity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the cutting path end point Pe; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pb in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pa; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pd distanced from the second cuttting path starting point Ps by said tool retraction qunatity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the second cutting path starting point Ps; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pc in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pd; creating NC data, in accordance with the obtained coordinates, for positioning the tool at the second cutting startin point Ps along a pick feed path Pe→Pa→Pb→Pc→Pd→Ps; positioning the tool at the second cutting starting point by moving the tool along said pick feed path in accordance with said NC data; and performing machining by moving the tool along said second cutting path in said one direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 49 words
A method of machining using a machine tool according to claim 1, further including the step of; creating NC data for orienting, at said point Pc, the central axis of the tool in a direction of the central axis of the tool at the second machining starting point Ps.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 293 words
A method of machining using a machine tool having a tool and axes of rotation for subjecting a workpiece to desired machining said method comprising the steps of: moving the tool, having a central axis, relative to the workpiece in one direction along a first cutting path from a first machining start point on the basis of NC data; positioning the tool at a machining starting point on second cutting path after the completion of machining along said first cutting path at a cutting path end point Pe; moving the tool relative to the workpiece along said second cutting path in said one direction to perform machining; specifying a tool retraction quantity for retracting the tool from the cutting path end point Pe; specifying a plane containing a path along which the tool is moved toward the second cutting starting point Ps, on said second cutting path; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pa distanced from the cutting path end point Pe by said tool retraction quantity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the cutting path end point Pe; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pb in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pa; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pd distanced from the second cutting path starting point Ps by said tool retraction quantity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the second cutting path starting point Ps; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pc in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pd; positioning the tool at the second cutting starting point Ps along a pick feed path Pe→Pa→Pb→Pc→Pd→Ps; and performing machining by moving the tool along said second cutting path.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 293 words
A method of machining using a machine tool having a tool and axes of rotation for subjecting a workpiece to desired machining said method comprising the steps of: moving the tool, having a central axis, relative to the workpiece in one direction along a first cutting path from a first machining start point on the basis of NC data; positioning the tool at a machining starting point on second cutting path after the completion of machining along said first cutting path at a cutting path end point Pe; moving the tool relative to the workpiece along said second cutting path in said one direction to perform machining; specifying a tool retraction quantity for retracting the tool from the cutting path end point Pe; specifying a plane containing a path along which the tool is moved toward the second cutting starting point Ps, on said second cutting path; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pa distanced from the cutting path end point Pe by said tool retraction quantity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the cutting path end point Pe; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pb in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pa; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pd distanced from the second cutting path starting point Ps by said tool retraction quantity in the direction of the central axis of the tool at the second cutting path starting point Ps; obtaining coordinate values of a point Pc in said plane on a perpendicular dropped from said plane to the point Pd; positioning the tool at the second cutting starting point Ps along a pick feed path Pe→Pa→Pb→Pc→Pd→Ps; and performing machining by moving the tool along said second cutting path.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method of machining using a machine tool according to claim 3, further including the step of: orienting, at said point Pc, the central axis of the tool in a commanded direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 72 words
A method of machining using a machine tool according to claim 3, further including the step of: inserting into said NC data an instruction, for moving the tool from the cutting path end point Pe to the second cutting path starting point Ps, between items of said NC data specifying cutting paths; obtaining the points Pa, Pb, Pc, Pd in response to said instruction; and moving the tool along the path Pe→Pa→Pb→Pc→Pd→Ps.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4266172A Cited
US4386408A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-09-07 1991-03-09 1991-09-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-09-07 1995-03-09 1995-09-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-09-07 1999-03-09 1999-09-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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