Western Atlas Inc.

Jerry C Hensley

A coolant delivery method and apparatus comprising a high and low pressure pump for providing high and low pressure coolant flow through a common conduit to a coolant orifice of a cutting tool of a machine tool or a nozzle of a workpiece flushing station. The high pressure pump has a cylinder with a reciprocable piston operably coupled to a drive for moving the piston to discharge coolant under high pressure to the cutting tool while a workpiece is machined by the tool. A one-way flow valve in the conduit permits coolant flow from the low pressure pump to reach the cutting tool as well as the high pressure pump cylinder to recharge the cylinder with coolant while the high pressure pump is not discharging coolant. Cutting tool failure as well as an orifice obstruction is detected by monitoring coolant flow from the high pressure pump during each machining cycle of machine tool operation. A signal is generated if high pressure coolant flow to the cutting tool during a machining cycle is not about the same as coolant flow during a calibration machining cycle where there is no cutting tool failure nor cutting tool orifice obstruction.

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Macomb, MI, United States of America

Jerry C Hensley