Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Yasuo Tanahashi

Shouki Yasuda

Kouichi Yasumoto

A control device for outputting a selected one of machine control programs in response to program selection signals received from an external device, the device including a memory for storing the programs in relation to respective program identification numbers, a signal input portion having terminals for receiving the respective program selection signals, an arrangement for correlating the identification numbers of selected ones of the programs with respective code values corresponding to respective combinations of states of the program selection signals, a correlation memory for storing a relationship between the identification numbers of the selected programs and the code values, an encoder for encoding the combination of states of the program selection signals received at the terminals into the corresponding code value, an arrangement for reading one of the program identification numbers which corresponds to the code value obtained by the encoder, and an arrangement for outputting to the machine one of the selected programs whose number has been read.

Device for outputting machine control programs in response to external

A machine tool includes a spindle head (4) movable in a predetermined direction, a spindle (9) attached to the spindle head (4) for undergoing machining of a workpiece, a column (3) supporting the spindle head (4), the column (3) being movable over a predetermined plane (X-Y plane) perpendicular to the predetermined direction so that the spindle head (4) is movable over a plurality of machining regions (22L, 22R), a plurality of palettes (23L, 23R) each detachably mounting the workpiece and movable into and away from its associated machining region, and a table (13) mounting the plurality of palettes (23L, 23R) thereon. In one aspect of the invention, an external operation box (101) is provided from which a selected program number is entered and is impressed on an input port of a CPU (100). The CPU (100) calls a machining program identified by the selected program number to thus perform machining of the palette loaded on the associated machining region. In another aspect of the invention, an end point to which the column is finally moved is checked if it is within an allowable movement range of the column and the movement of the column is prohibited if the end point is out of the allowable range.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Yasuo Tanahashi