Parallel conjugate cam type tool magazine mechanism

Abstract

A tool magazine for use with an automatic machine tool comprising a housing for removably storing tools, a rotatable tool holding disk for rotatingly switching one of the tools between a first position and a second position, the tool holding disk being rotatably supported inside the housing by a shaft about a first axis, and a cam type tool magazine mechanism disposed inside the housing for indexingly rotating the tool holding disk. The cam type tool magazine mechanism is characterized in that it comprises: (1) a follower member having a disk mounted to the shaft so as to be rotatable in unison therewith, the follower member disk having a first surface and a second surface, each of which are rotatably mounted with a plurality of first and second rollers, respectively, in an equally-spaced manner around the first axis; and (2) a drive member comprising a first plate cam and a second plate cam, each being rotatable about a second axis, which is substantially parallel to the first axis and spaced apart therefrom at an axis-to-axis distance, each of the first and second plate cam having at least a camming tooth contactingly engageable with the first and second rollers, respectively, so as to drive the follower member about the first axis in an indexing way, in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. An eccentric offset adjustment member can be provided for adjusting the axis-to-axis distance so as to provide a tight contact engagement between the plate cam and the corresponding rollers.