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3,316,629
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May. 02, 1967
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Machine Tool Tool Changer
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Henry F. Meyer |
Cortland, Cortland County, NY |
This tool changer seems to have been originally developed for Edlund Machinery Co., Inc., but that company was acquired by Monarch shortly before the patent was issued.
Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to machine tools and more particularly to an improved tool change mechanism for changing a tool at the operating station of a machine. In a machining operation where a large number of holes must be accurately bored, a jig boring machining is utilized to drill or bore these holes with a high degree of accuracy both as to location and to hole diameter. The use of these boring machines requires time consuming and laborious preparation by highly skilled operators which therefore requires 'both a large outlay in labor and time of skilled mechanics. Present day computers and programming techniques have helped solve many of the problems in precision machining operations; however, in automatic machining operations, where a minimum amount of supervision is employed, breakdown due to jamming of parts, which may result due to error on the part of the machine operator in set up of the machine can have a costly and disastrous effect. In the present invention there is provided a tool change mechanism readily adapted for automatic or programmed operation and which avoids the problem of manual insertion of tools while permitting rapid removal and insertion of tools at the operating station of a machine tool, such as a boring, tapping, milling or drilling machine.
Claim:
A tool change mechanism for changing a tool at the operating station of a machine comprising: a tool transfer station disposed for receiving tools that are to be transferred to the operating station of a machine, tool transfer means at said transfer station carried by the ma-chine, said tool transfer means including tongs having a pair of arms pinioned at an intermediate position on said arms and disposed for movement in a pair of perpendicular planes, air means connected to said tongs for opening and closing said tongs in one of said planes, motive means including a rack and pinion connected to said tongs for rotating said tongs in the other of said planes whereby said tongs are carried to grasp said tool when said tongs are closed and transfer said tool in an arcuate path upon energization of said motive means to transfer said tool from said tool transfer station to the operating station, a cam surface connected to rotate with said pinion, means arranged for engagement with said cam surface to displace said total transfer station a distance less than approximately 25°, and means at said operating station ranged to receive said tool and operatively retain it therein. |