Citizen Watch Company, Ltd.

Toshio Ishimura

Satoru Akimoto

Shinsuke Kasahara

Eiichiro Someya

Tadashi Fujinawa

An automatic lathe () is provided with a first spindle () having an axis of rotation (), a first tool rest () capable of holding a plurality of tools () in a parallel arrangement, a second tool rest () capable of holding a plurality of tools () in parallel arrangements in a first row and second row exhibiting mutually different nose orientations, and a second spindle () having an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the first spindle and capable of being located facing the first spindle, in such a manner as to be centrally carried on a lathe bed (). The first spindle can move linearly along a first control axis parallel to its axis of rotation. The first tool rest can move linearly along a second control axis perpendicular to the first control axis. The second tool rest can move linearly along a third control axis perpendicular to the first control axis and a fourth control axis parallel to the first control axis. The second spindle can move linearly along a fifth control axis parallel to the third control axis and a sixth control axis parallel to the first control axis. A control unit () enables simultaneous performance of first machining work relating to the first spindle by a desired tool selected at the first tool rest, second machining work relating to the first spindle by a desired tool selected from the first row at the second tool rest, and third machining work relating to the second spindle by a desired tool selected from the second row at the second tool rest.

Automatic lathe

A numerically controlled lathe () includes a control unit () for controlling the operations of at least one spindle () and at least one tool rest () on a lathe bed () along a plurality of control axes in a plurality of lines. The control unit () has an input section () for inputting a plurality of machining programs about a plurality of tools () mounted on at least one tool rest, a storage section () having a plurality of program-describing areas ($1, $2, $3) corresponding to the lines for describing and storing the machining programs input by the input section in the program-describing areas, and a processing section () for allocating the control axes to the program-describing areas in the storage section, each control axes being as a reference control axis, and for applying, to an actual control axis for controlling a machining operation relating to one designated tool designated in each machining program, the reference control axis allocated to a program-describing area freely selected from the program-describing areas to describe a machining program designating the designated tool.

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Kawagoe, Japan

Toshio Ishimura