Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyoda Machine Works, Ltd.

Shigeo Noda

Yoshio Shima

Kunihiko Eto

Hideo Nishimura

Kaoru Owa

Yasuhiro Yamashita

Sadamu Kato

Kazuhiko Hasegawa

Kosei Imamura

Hideo Honma

A tool holder for monitoring the service time of a tool holded on the tool holder is disclosed. A sensor and electric circuit are provided for determining whether or not the machining operation with the tool is executed. Counters are provided for counting time cumulatively during the time when the machining operation is executed, and store the cumulative time as the service time of the tool. The service time is output to a numerical control apparatus via an output device.

Tool holder for monitoring tool service time

A numerically controlled machine tool system having a tool transfer device which, with a change in the kind of workpieces to be machined in a numerically controlled machine tool, operates to replace successively unnecessary dedicated tools in a tool magazine of the machine tool with next to be used dedicated tools supplied to the vicinity of the tool magazine. A central processor reads out from an external memory device one of the numerical control (NC) programs corresponding to the kind of a lot of workpieces to be machined and transmits the NC program to a numerical controller. In advance of the machining of a last one of the lot of workpieces, the central processor modifies the NC program by inserting respectively into correct portions of the NC program a number of replacing command data each instructing that one of the dedicated tools in the tool magazine designated by one of the replacing command data be replaced. When the numerical controller executes the modified NC program for machining the last one of the lot of workpieces, tool replacing operations according to the replacing command data are successively carried out. Accordingly, during the machining of the last one of the lot of workpieces, the dedicated tools in the tool magazine designated by the replacing command data are successively indexed to a tool replacing position of the tool magazine and are successively replaced by the transfer device with the next used dedicated tools in the vicinity of the tool magazine.

Numerically controlled machine tool system capable of setting up tools

A computerized numerical controller wherein a tape reader, upon reading of input tapes, inputs machine control data including source language instruction data into a storage device of a data processing device. The processing device, when operated under the control of an automatic programming program, converts the source language instruction data into blocks of machine part instruction data and stores the same in the storage device. The processing device, when operated under the control of a numerical control program, produces command signals each indicative of the length and velocity that a machine apparatus connected thereto is to move, in accordance with each of the blocks of the machine part instruction data and outputs the command signals to the machine apparatus so as to control the same. The processing device is enabled to operate selectively under the above-mentioned two programs.

Computerized numerical controller for a machine apparatus

A contact detecting apparatus for detecting the contact of a workpiece with a tool in a machine tool which comprises a coil mounted on the periphery of a spindle head and connected to an AC power source for generating an induced current in a looped secondary circuit including the workpiece, a work table, a machine body, a spindle head, a tool spindle and the tool, when the workpiece and the tool are moved relatively into contact with each other. Bypassing elements are included in the secondary circuit for bypassing an electric resistance in spindle bearings. A detector is connected between the AC power source and the coil for detecting a change in an electric signal caused by the contact between the workpiece and the tool.

Contact detecting apparatus

An index device for indexing a rotatable magazine, having a plurality of tool holding devices which store a variety of tools and are addressed in a numerical order, to a predetermined tool change position for a tool exchange operation. A check signal is generated each time a specific tool holding device having an address of a predetermined binary coded state is indexed to the tool change position. A memory device stores a binary coded number of a tool holding device indexed at the tool change position. An abnormality is checked in accordance with a check signal and a content of the memory device.

Index device for tool storage magazine

Machine tool apparatus for handling routine pallets and priority pallets with loading and unloading stations comprising a plurality of machine tools for performing machining operations on a workpiece mounted on a pallet; main conveyer means for carrying a pallet in one direction, buffer conveyer means for storing a pallet to be loaded onto a machine tool; return conveyer means for returning a pallet to an unloading station; pallet transfer means for moving a pallet among the conveyer means, stations and machine tools; and central control means for controlling the machine tools and the conveyer means; the pallet transfer means being responsive to the central control means for carrying a priority pallet from the main conveyer means to one of the machine tools and being responsive to the central control means for moving a routine pallet from main conveyer means to the buffer conveyer means and from the buffer conveyer means to one of the machine tools only when the machine tool on which the routine pallet is to be loaded is not reserved by a priority pallet and is not being occupied by another pallet.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Shigeo Noda