Rotary transfer machine

Abstract

A rotary transfer machine or rotary index table having an outer carriage ring subject to rotation about a central support frame. The rotary transfer machine includes a plurality of machining stations spaced at radial intervals about the carriage ring. The machining stations can provide outside machining stations on the outside of the carriage ring and inside machining stations mounted to the support frame inside of the carriage ring. The rotary transfer machine includes a plurality of pallets mounted around the carriage ring. Each pallet includes a clamp for holding workpieces to be machined therebetween. Each pallet includes a clearance opening which allows for cutting tools to extend through the pallets to machine the back side of the work piece and to allow for machining the work piece from all six sides. The rotary transfer machine also includes a drive control which includes a pair of servo motors drivingly connected to the carriage ring for rotating the carriage ring about the central frame, a position detector system including a scale mounted in a circle and an electronic detector for sensing the position of the scale and carriage ring, and an electronic controller responsive to the position detector system for selectively operating the servo motors to drive the carriage ring as well as operate the machine tools. The carriage ring is intermittently rotated about the central support frame to sequentially move workpieces through each of the machining stations. The pallets are mounted vertically between a pair of upper and lower ball bearing rings.