Houdaille Industries, Inc.

James L Frazier

John A Buonauro

A tool changing mechanism or assembly for a machine tool, which has a spindle for rotating a tool on an operating axis and has a tool storage magazine having at least one tool receiving means such as a socket for supporting a tool on a storage axis, has an improvement which enables increased distances between the spindle and the storage axis. The improvement is that a tool changing arm is mounted on a housing or a shuttle to rotate about a first axis and the shuttle is mounted on the frame of the machine tool so that it can be moved between two linear positions as the arm is rotated so that the axis of rotation of the arm is shifted in a linear path. Preferably, the arm in addition to rotating about a first axis is rotated about a second axis which extends along or parallel to the length of the arm so that the tool may be turned end for end as it is being transferred and the means for shifting the shuttle is driven by the same actuator that rotates the arm so that movement of the arm and shuttle are synchronized. In the preferred embodiment, intermittent motion of the shuttle is obtained by using an intermittent motion mechanism.

Tool changer assembly

A machine tool having a tool-supporting hollow spindle has the tool mounted in fixed relation to a draw bar which slides axially within the spindle between a tool retaining position and a tool release position. A barrel cam within the spindle is adapted to be engaged and rotated by a cam driver member secured to an actuating shaft longitudinally movable within the spindle. The spindle rotates with the cam until a predetermined angular position is reached, after which additional longitudinal movement of the actuating shaft causes movement of the draw bar downwardly within the spindle from its tool retaining position to its tool release position, where the tool is resiliently supported until it is removed, either manually or by automatic means.

Tool orienting and release mechanism for machine tool

An automatic tool transport mechanism for a machine tool having an operating axis, in which a tool is to be transferred between the operating axis of such a machine and the storage structure, with the tool being supplied to the operating station on such operating axis, or to such a storage structure on a storage axis thereof, at least a portion of which is spaced from such operating axis, and employing a transfer arm adapted to be mounted on a machine tool for movement in a predetermined path from a first position adjacent said operating axis to a second position adjacent said space portion of said storage axis, tool gripping means carried by said arm movable in a second predetermined path operative to correspondingly orient such tool gripping means and a tool carried thereby on either said operating axis when said arm is in said first position, or on said storage axis when said arm is in said second position, means being provided for selectively actuating said gripping means to and from tool-gripping and tool-releasing position when said gripping means is operatively disposed on either such an operating axis or such a storage axis, the movements of said transfer arm and gripping means preferably being effected mechanically in fixed predetermined sequence without the use of sensors and the like.

Tool changer with dual axis of rotation

An automatic tool transport mechanism for a machine tool having an operating axis, in which a tool is to be transferred between the operating axis of such a machine and the storage structure, with the tool being supplied to the operating station on such operating axis, or to such a storage structure on a storage axis thereof, at least a portion of which is spaced from such operating axis, and employing a transfer arm adapted to be mounted on a machine tool for movement in a predetermined path from a first position adjacent said operating axis to a second position adjacent said space portion of said storage axis, tool gripping means carried by said arm movable in a second predetermined path operative to correspondingly orient such tool gripping means and a tool carried thereby on either said operating axis when said arm is in said first position, or on said storage axis when said arm is in said second position, fluid actuated means, i.e. pneumatic or hydraulic, being provided for effecting transfer movement of said transfer arm and for selectively actuating said gripping means to and from tool-gripping and tool-releasing position when said gripping means is operatively disposed on either such an operating axis or such a storage axis.

Fluid-actuated tool changer with dual axis of rotation

A machine tool includes a head which supports a vertically movable quill within which there is disposed a rotatable spindle to which various kinds of cutting tools may be attached. Within the quill there is provided a spring-biased annular piston for operating actuating means that are connected to clamping members for clamping onto and for releasing tooling from the spindle when it is in its locked position.

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Los Alamitos, CA, United States of America

James L Frazier