Kearney & Trecker Corporation

Richard Johnstone

Edward E Kirkham

Russell B Clegg

Charles B Sipek

Lyle D Ostby

Richard E Stobbe

Edward J Hummelt

Jody E Kurtzhaltz

Han C Chung

A probe device (10) for a machine tool includes a part sensing device (28) attached to the end of a piston rod (26), movable along a cylinder (12) mounted on the machine tool spindle head (14). The rod (26) is attached to a piston (42) that is air actuated to extend or retract the rod (26) to respectively move the sensing device (28) to a part measurement position outside the cylinder (12), or to a protected position within the cylinder. When the device (28) is in its measurement position the spindle had (14) is selectively moved to bring device (28) into contact with a machined part to determine the accuracy of machining.

Probe for machine tool

A composite for constructing an article which is composed of a nonmetallic substance as represented by igneous rock of different particle sizes which are compacted and then surrounded by a solidified plastic resin. In a preferred manner, the igneous rock material is a selected type of basalt with the basalt particles being of different mesh sizes to be compacted into a mold. After compaction, the plastic resin as represented by an epoxy resin is introduced into the mold so as to displace air from any voids surrounding the basalt particles and to surround them with a resin which later solidifies. A novel resin delivery system is also presented.

Molded polymer composite

An automatic dynamic error compensator for compensating the position error arising within a servo drive system includes a measuring head which is operative to measure the relative indicated position of two or more measuring vanes on the movable member. The measuring head, together with a feedback transducer, that measures indicated movable member position, are coupled to a feedback system. The feedback system determines the indicated movable member position from the feedback transducer reading and then compares the indicated movable member position to the known vane position upon occurrence of a vane crossing to yield a compensating value.

Automatic dynamic error compensator

A motorized nut for use in conjunction with a fixedly secured lead screw for displacing a movable member along a fixed member into which the lead screw is journaled parallel to the desired path of member movement, includes an induction motor whose case is rigidly secured to the movable member. The motor rotor is made hollow so as to allow the lead screw to extend coaxially therethrough. A pair of nuts are each secured in a separate one of the ends of the tubular motor rotor for threadedly engaging the lead screw so that as the motor rotor rotates in response to motor excitation, the motor stator and hence, the movable member, are displaced on the movable member along the axis of the ball screw.

Motorized ball nut

An adaptive control system for a machine tool or the like includes a temperature sensor for measuring spindle bearing temperature and two pairs of thrust sensors for measuring radial and axial spindle deflection. Data processing apparatus, typically comprised of a microcomputer, is coupled to the temperature and thrust sensors and regulates the percentage of oil in the oil-air mixture lubrication mist sprayed on bearing contact surfaces in accordance with bearing temperature. The microcomputer simultaneously regulates the spindle bearing preload and spindle axis feedrate in accordance with radial and axial spindle thrust, thereby assuring optimum machine tool performance.

Adaptive control system for machine tool or the like

An adaptive control system for a machine tool or the like includes two pairs of thrust sensors for measuring radial and axial spindle deflection and a temperature sensor for measuring spindle bearing temperature. Data processing apparatus, typically comprised of a microcomputer, is coupled to the thrust and temperature sensors and regulates the spindle bearing preload and spindle axis feed rate in accordance with the radial and axial spindle thrust. The microcomputer simultaneously regulates the percentage of oil in the oil/air mixture lubrication mist sprayed on bearing contact surfaces in accordance with bearing temperature, thereby assuring optimum machine tool performance.

An improved ball nut having adjustable preloading comprises a pair of ball nut halves both in threaded engagement with a ball screw. Only one of the nut halves is secured to a movable machine member, the other nut half being movable to the relative fixed nut half. Separating the two nut halves is a pair of concentric sleeves, which are each fabricated from a piezomagnetic material such as nickel or nickel alloy. The sleeves are each keyed to the nut halves to prevent one nut half from rotating independently of the other. Between the sleeves is a magnetic coil which, when energized, causes the sleeves to expand. By varying the coil excitation, the sleeve length, and hence, the force exerted on the ball nut halves by the sleeves can be varied accordingly to vary ball nut preloading.

Ball nut having adustable preloading

An improved flexible manufacturing system comprises a plurality of computer numerically controlled machine tools, each controlled by a machine control system which is supplied with a plurality of sets of machine NC part programs and a program map from a supervisory control computer system. Each of the machine tools is located about the perimeter of a track which carries a plurality of pallet-carrying transporters, each moving under the control of a material handling system controller. The supervisory control computer system, coupled to the control system of each machine tool and to the material handling system controller, is provided with input data indicative of production requirements, material resources and system status, that is to say, the type of part carrying pallet carried by each transporter. In accordance with the input data supplied thereto, the supervisory control computer system supplies routing information to the material handling system controller which, in response, initiates movement of a transporter to a machine tool, shuttling of the part carrying pallet from the transporter to the machine tool, and execution of a selected one of the sets of machine NC part programs by the machine control system in accordance with the program map. During intervals, when the supervisory control computer system is inoperative, continued flexible manufacturing system operation can be maintained by operating the material handling system controller in semi-automatic or manual mode.

Flexible manufacturing system

A voice actuated control system suitable for use on a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tool includes a pair of radio frequency transmitters and a pair of radio frequency receivers, one of the radio frequency receivers and one of the radio frequency transmitters being located at the machine tool site and the other radio frequency receiver and radio frequency transmitter being carried by the human machine tool operator. Operator-spoken commands are transmitted through the operator's transmitter to the machine tool receiver which outputs an audio signal to a voice interpreter that converts the received voice commands into digital signals which are transmitted to the CNC machine tool control system to control machine tool operation. Digital signals generated by the CNC machine tool control system, either in response to received operator commands or in accordance with variations in machine tool operating conditions, are converted by a speech synthesizer into synthesized audio signals representing speech phrases indicative of machine tool operation conditions. The speech synthesizer audio signals are transmitted to the operator to audibly inform him or her that the previously transmitted voice commands have been received or that further instructions are required.

Voice actuated machine control

An unmanned diagnostic communications system for analyzing the operation of a remotely situated computer controlled machine tool and for diagnosing any abnormalities disclosed during machine tool operation includes an auto dialer and MODEM coupled between the computer controlled machine tool and one end of a communications channel and an auto answer MODEM coupled between the other end of the communications channel and a diagnostic computer. In response to a test command entered by an operator to the remotely situated computer controlled machine tool or a machine tool initiated test command, the auto dialer automatically establishes a communications link with the diagnostic computer through the auto answer MODEM. Thereafter, the diagnostic computer determines the identity of the remotely situated computer controlled machine and then transmits instructions to the computer controlled machine tool to direct its operation. In accordance with the program instructions from the diagnostic computer, the computer controlled machine tool transmits data indicative of machine tool operating characteristics to the diagnostic computer which analyzes such data to detect and diagnose any machine tool abnormalities.

Unmanned diagnostic communications system for computer controlled

A numerically controlled machining center has a tool magazine, automatic tool changer, workpiece shuttle, and a workpiece magazine which holds enough workpieces for operation by the machining center for an entire shift of approximately eight hours. The numerical controls are programmed to perform predetermined machining operations on each workpiece, in turn, and to replace each finished workpiece with a fresh workpiece at the end of each machining program. A proximity switch is mounted on the machining center for checking tools to detect broken or incorrect tools. The tools are positioned adjacent to the proximity switch and are rotated while the output of the proximity switch is counted for one complete rotation of the tool to determine the number of radially extending teeth on the tool. If the tool has too few or too many teeth, thus indicating a broken or incorrect tool, it is replaced by another tool of the same type. If no alternate tool is available in the tool magazine, the machining cycle is automatically suspended.

Unmanned machining center with tool checking

A tool storage drum which is adapted to receive and store a plurality of toolholders is rotatably mounted on top of the upright of a horizontal machining center behind the spindle thereof. A tool changer carriage carrying a tool change arm is pivotally mounted on the upright above the spindle and is pivotable between a parked position in which an end of the tool changer arm is adjacent to the tool storage drum and an exchange position in which an end of the tool changer arm is adjacent to the spindle. The tool changer arm is slidably mounted on the carriage for movement between an extended and a retracted position to remove toolholders from their sockets or insert them therein and is rotatable through 180.degree. to interchange its ends for the purpose of exchanging a tool in the spindle for a tool previously removed from the tool storage drum.

Automatic tool changer for machine tool

The bed and upright of a machine tool are made of structural steel tubes which are welded together to form unitary structures. Each of the structural steel tubes is substantially rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

Machine tool with hollow structural steel members

The worktable and pallet shuttle of a machine tool are driven by a common motor which is mounted on the worktable base. The motor is coupled to the worktable by gears which engage when the worktable is raised to be indexed and disengage when the worktable is lowered. The motor is coupled to the pallet shuttle by gears which engage when the worktable base is moved into the shuttle position and disengage when the worktable base is moved out of the shuttle position.

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Richard Johnstone