Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Akira Hirose

Toshiyuki Takei

Noboru Hirose

Mitsuo Kobayashi

Katsuaki Sakawa

Futoshi Matsuyama

A cover unit for covering an external face of a machine tool. The cover unit is formed with small opening for allowing a workpiece to pass therethrough. The cover unit is also formed with a large opening for facilitating maintenance to the machine tool. The small opening is selectively closed by a first closure means to avoid scattering of the cutting chips and machining liquid toward outside during machining to the workpiece. The large opening is selectively closed by a second closure means during machining to the workpiece.

Machine tool

A machine tool includes two movable tables on which workpiece is mounted. A base mount has an upper surface provided with at least two machinable regions and workpiece handling regions. A column is supported above the base mount and movable in a first direction, and a spindle head is supported on the column and movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The spindle head is movable over the machinable regions. The tables are arranged in parallelism and movable in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. Each of the tables is movable between each of the machinable regions and the workpiece handling regions. First, second and third drive means are connected to the column, the spindle head and the tables, respectively. The drive means are also connected to a numerical control unit for numerically controlling the movements of the column, the spindle head and the tables in the first, the second and the third directions respectively.

A machine tool having pallets each being movable between machining region and non-machining region. At the machining region, there are provided a movable column which supports a spindle head, and a stationary table confronting the column. In front of the stationary table, a workpiece handling station is provided which defines the non-machining region. When one of the pallets is positioned at the machining region for machining to the one of the workpieces, another pallet is brought to the non-machining region, where already machined workpiece is replaced by a new workpiece, and the another pallet is again introduced into the machining region while the first workpiece is still subjected to machining. Machining to the new workpiece is achievable by simply moving the column within the machining region.

A machine tool having a main spindle head and an indexing table those being inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The machine tool comprises the main spindle head, a main spindle, a reciprocation drive means and the indexing table. The main spindle is provided with a tool mount portion at one end portion thereof for mounting a tool, and the reciprocation drive means drives the main spindle head in an axial direction of the main spindle. The indexing table mounts thereon a workpiece and is angularly rotatable about its central axis. Further, an indexing apparatus is also disclosed. The apparatus comprises a base frame, an indexing table, an indexing shaft, a single drive source, a drive means, a follower member, coupling means and shifting means. The drive means is connected to the single drive source, and the follower member is connected to the indexing shaft and is engageable with the drive means for rotating the indexing shaft about its axis. The shifting means is operably provided for moving said indexing shaft in axial direction thereof in response to the drive means. The axial movement of the indexing shaft provides engagement and disengagement of the coupling means.

Growing community of inventors

Kounan, Japan

Akira Hirose