Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Yoshio Doi

Kunimichi Nakashima

Tetsuro Yamakage

Kenichi Munekata

Akihiro Matsuura

Isao Suzuki

Shigeru Doi

A machine tool having an automatic tool changer for transferring tools between a tool magazine and a horizontal tool spindle rotatably mounted in a spindle head and which includes a vertical head which rotatably carries a vertical tool spindle and a horizontal drive shaft connected thereto is removably mounted on a vertical head support. In advance of a machining operation on a top surface of a workpiece, relative movement between the vertical head support and the spindle head is effected in a vertical direction and first and second horizontal directions, so that the vertical head is mounted on the spindle head, with the drive shaft being drivingly connected with the horizontal tool spindle. A tool support station mounted on the vertical head support is provided with two tool grippers each for vertically holding a tool. The tool support station is brought under the vertical head being mounted on the spindle head and selectively presents the two tool grippers in vertical axial alignment with the vertical tool spindle. In this state, the spindle head is moved in the vertical direction and the axial direction of the horizontal tool spindle and enables the vertical tool spindle to return a used tool therefrom to one of the tool grippers and then, to receive therein a new tool from the other tool gripper. A tool transfer device, which cooperates with the tool changer to receive a new tool therefrom and hand over a used tool thereto, is provided between the tool changer and the tool support station and transfers tools therebetween.

Machine tool with tool change function

A numerical controller for a machining center comprising a microprocessor connected to a data input device, a CRT display device and a data storage device. The microprocessor prepares an NC program for a workpiece to be machined, based upon machining information manually input by the use of the data input device and stored in the data storage device. The debugging of the prepared NC program is then executed, wherein the microprocessor obtains by calculation a workpiece interference space defined outwardly from the outer periphery of the workpiece, based upon workpiece blank shape and dimension data and workpiece mounting position data stored in the data storage device. The microprocessor further calculates, based upon the NC program, a tool path along which a tool spindle of the machining center would be moved relative to a work table in accordance with the NC program. The microprocessor ascertains based upon the tool path, a tool interference space, defined outwardly from the outer periphery of each tool, and the workpiece interference space, whether or not the tool interference space would enter the workpiece interference space in any rapid feed movement if relative movement between the tool spindle and the work table were effected in accordance with the NC program. When detecting the entry of the tool interference space into the workpiece interference space, the microprocessor displays on the CRT screen a message informing an operator of the occurrence of an interference.

Menu programmed machine tool numerical controller with an interference

In an apparatus for forming a pair of disk-shaped metal blanks into grooved wheels, a spindle head is mounted on a support base and has rotatably supported therein a spindle for mounting a pair of mounting dies on opposite ends thereof. A pair of clamp heads are mounted on the support base at opposite sides of the spindle head and slidably and rotatably support a pair of clamping dies for clamping two blanks in cooperation with the mounting dies. A pair of brackets are rotatably suppoted on the support base and rotatably carry a pair of rollers for forming the blanks into grooved wheels. The brackets are independently rotated and the rotational movements thereof are individually restricted.

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Yoshio Doi