A machine tool has a worktable slidably mounted on a bed for movement along a horizontal X axis opposite a spindle which is journalled for rotation about a horizontal Z axis perpendicular to the X axis, the spindle being slidably mounted on the bed for movement along the Z axis toward and away from the worktable and for movement along a vertical Y axis perpendicular to both the X and Z axes. A workpiece storage support is rotatably mounted on a frame adjacent to the worktable on the side thereof opposite the spindle. The worktable and workpiece storage support have guideways thereon for slidably receiving a pallet carrying a workpiece, the guideways being positioned so that they can be aligned to permit a pallet to be slid from the workpiece storage support to the worktable and vice versa along the Z axis. A pallet transfer bar is provided which is dimensioned on one end to fit in the spindle and is dimensioned on the other end to engage a pallet. To transfer a pallet from the workpiece storage support to the worktable or vice versa, the pallet transfer bar is clamped in the spindle, the worktable and spindle are moved along the X, Y and Z axes to align the pallet guideways and to engage the pallet transfer bar with the pallet, and the spindle is then moved in the appropriate direction along the Z axis to pull the pallet onto the worktable or push it off the worktable.
There is provided by this invention an automated machine tool having a rotary indexing table that allows the machine tool to precisely rotate a workpiece 360.degree. to perform a machining function. The rotary indexing table has an aperture therein designed to accommodate an indexing tool supported in a rotatable spindle such that with appropriate movements of the moveable worktable the indexing tool causes rotation of the rotary indexing table to a precise position.
There is provided by this invention an adjustable torque driving tool for use with an automated machine tool wherein the adjustable torque driving tool is comprised of a releasable clutch that releases the tool from the rotating spindle of the automated machine tool when a pre-selected torque is applied. The adjustable torque driving tool gives the automated machine tool the capability to bolt workpieces to the worktable prior to machining and unbolting the workpiece from the worktable after machining.
A metal-cutting machine includes a bed with slideways, a movable unit with a headstock and a drive for moving it in a horizontal plane over the bed slideways, a work table with stock guides for moving the pallets carrying the workpieces and provided with coupling members for gripping the pallets, at least one platform installed before the work table in the direction of movement of the workpieces and is provided with stock guides for the pallets. The platform and work table are arranged for movement relative to each other in a horizontal plane so that when the pallet moves to and from the working position the stock guides of the platform serve as a continuation of the stock guides of the work table. The machine also incorporates a device for gripping the pallet in order to move it over the stock guides of the platform and work table to and from the working position. The pallet-gripping device is installed on the movable unit of the machine at the side facing the pallet with the workpiece, the drive moving the pallet to and from the working position with the aid of the pallet-gripping device being constituted by the drive of the movable unit of the machine.
A machining center type machine tool which is a four-axis, horizontal spindle machining center with a carousel-type automatic tool changer and which is adapted to be controlled by a computer numerical control system. The machining center can perform a variety of machining operations, such as milling, contouring, drilling, tapping and boring, in both roughing and finishing applications. A rotary work table is operatively carried on two movable, perpendicularly disposed slide members to provide movement of the work table along both "X" and "Z" axes. A horizontal tool spindle slide assembly is slidably mounted on a "Y" axis on a twin column assembly. A rotary, carousel-type combination tool storage and tool changer, holding twenty-four tools, is rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis that is aligned and parallel with the axis of the horizontal tool spindle. The rotary carousel functions to automatically load and unload tools directly into the tool spindle at a tool exchange location. The tool spindle extracts the tools from the carousel, and inserts the tools back into the carousel after a cutting operation. The machining center includes a manually operated optional pallet changer for automatically loading a pallet carrying a new workpiece onto the work table, and unloading the pallet with a finished workpiece from the work table. The tool spindle is provided with automatic mechanical spindle positioning for each spindle stop.
There is provided by this invention an automated machining center having a multitude of integrated functions. These functions include automatically loading and unloading a workpiece from a stack of material, securing the workpiece to the worktable in preparation for a machining function, rotating the workpiece, releasing the workpiece and removing the workpiece from the machining area, and finally selecting a new workpiece from a stack of material.
