Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Mitsuo Kobayashi

Noboru Hirose

Kikuo Watanabe

Keiichi Sato

Akira Hirose

Hiroaki Nomura

Katsuaki Sakawa

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.

Machine tool

An automatic tool changing apparatus is disclosed which has first to fourth cam mebers (37, 42, 47, 51) integral with a drive shaft (23). The cam members operate cam index mechanism (FIG. 6), shaft drive mechanism (FIG. 7), claw driving mechanism (FIGS. 8 and 9), and tool clamp-unclamp driving mechanism (FIGS. 11 and 12). The apparatus comprises a main spindle head (3), a main spindle (11) rotatably disposed in the main spindle head (3), tool magazine (8) mounted on the main spindle head (3), a first sleeve (26) rotatably supported by the main spindle head (3), a second sleeve (30) slidable in axial direction thereof and rotatable together with the first sleeve (26), a swing arm (16) disposed at one end of the second sleeve (30), tool holding claws (15) provided at the swing arm (16), claw opening and closing means (FIG. 10) disposed in the swing arm (16), a drive shaft ( 23) rotatably supported by the main spindle head (3) and driven by a motor (17), the four cam members (37, 42, 47, 51), the cam index mechanism (FIG. 6), the shaft drive mechanism (FIG. 7), the claw driving mechanism (FIGS. 8 and 9), and the tool clamp-unclamp driving mechanism (FIGS. 11 and 12).

Automatic tool changing apparatus

A machine tool with a vertically reciprocating spindle head has an automatic tool changer including a rotatingly indexable tool support connected to the machine tool frame and vertically movable independently of the spindle head, a first cam-and-crank mechanism activated by spindle head vertical movement to move the tool support with the spindle head during a portion of the tool changing operation, a second cam-and-crank mechanism also activated by spindle head vertical movement for opening and closing a tool holder on the tool support during another portion of the tool changing operation, and a vertical stop for preventing vertical movement of the tool support with the spindle head into the machining region.

Growing community of inventors

Mie, Japan

Mitsuo Kobayashi