Turret tool post and machine tool equipped with turret tool post

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10213887-B2
Application number	US-201515129377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A turret tool post includes a turret turnably supported by a post body, turret turning part having a turret turning shaft and the like to turn the turret, a tool attachment part turnably holding a rotatable tool and attached to the turret, and tool-attachment-part turning part turning the tool attachment part to turn the rotatable tool. The tool-attachment-part turning part and the turret turning part are provided independently and arranged to face each other. The tool-attachment-part turning part includes a tool turning motor installed inside the turret and an attachment-part transmission shaft connected to the tool turning motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turret tool post of a machine tool, comprising:
a post body;
a turret turnably supported on the post body, the turret including a circumferential surface comprising a plurality of turret faces;
a turret turning shaft and a turret turning gear configured to turn the turret about a first axis;
a plurality of tool attachments attached to the plurality of turret faces, the plurality of turret faces each being configured to be attachable with a respective tool attachment, at least one of the plurality of the tool attachments configured to turnably hold a rotatable tool, the rotatable tool configured to be selected by turning the turret about the first axis:
a tool attachment turning part configured to turn the at least one of the plurality of the tool attachments about a second axis; and
a rotation driving part configured to rotate the rotatable tool about a third axis,
wherein:
the tool attachment turning part includes a tool turning motor, a tool attachment transmission shaft, and a tool attachment turning gear, wherein the tool attachment transmission shaft and the tool attachment turning gear are disposed on the turret, the tool attachment turning part being configured to turn the rotatable tool about the second axis,
the rotation driving part includes a tool rotating motor, a tool-rotation drive shaft, and a tool-rotation gear, the rotation driving part configured to rotate the rotatable tool to process a material,
the turret turning shaft and turret turning gear are disposed on the post body,
the turret turning shaft includes a hollow portion into which the tool-rotation drive shaft is inserted, and
the tool rotating motor is disposed at a side of the post body opposite to a side of the post body at which the turret and the tool turning motor are located.

2. The turret tool post according to claim 1 , wherein the tool turning motor is positioned inside the turret, and the tool attachment transmission shaft and the at least one of the plurality of the tool attachments are connected to the tool turning motor.

3. The turret tool post according to claim 1 , wherein the tool turning motor is located at an end face of the turret, the tool attachment transmission shaft and tool attachment turning gear are connected to the tool turning motor, and the tool attachment transmission shaft and tool attachment turning gear are disposed inside the turret.

4. The turret tool post according to claim 1 , wherein the tool turning motor is disposed on the post body with a supporting member, the tool attachment transmission shaft and tool attachment turning gear are connected to the tool turning motor, and at least a part of the tool attachment transmission shaft and tool attachment turning gear are disposed inside the turret.

5. A machine tool comprising the turret tool post according to claim 1 , wherein
the machine tool is configured to select the rotatable tool by turning the turret about the first axis, is configured to turn the rotatable tool about the second axis using the at least one of the plurality of the tool attachments, and is configured to process a material by rotating the rotatable tool about the third axis.

6. A turret tool post assembly of a machine tool used to process material, the turret tool post assembly comprising:
a post body having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end in a direction of a first axis, the first end being opposite to the second end;
a turret located on the first end of the post body, the turret configured to be turnable about the first axis;
a plurality of tools attached to the turret, at least one of the plurality of tools comprising a rotatable tool, the rotatable tool configured to rotate about a second axis;
a tool attachment part configured to rotatably attach the rotatable tool to the turret, the tool attachment part configured to turn about a third axis;
a tool rotating motor located at the second end of the post body, the tool rotating motor configured to drive the rotatable tool by rotating the rotatable tool about the second axis; and
a tool turning motor located on the first end of the post body, the tool turning motor configured to swivel the rotatable tool by turning the tool attachment part about the third axis,
wherein the turret turns about the first axis to select one of the plurality of tools to be used to process the material, and
wherein, when the rotatable tool is selected, the rotatable tool rotates about the second axis and swivels about the third axis to process the material.

7. The turret tool post assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a turret turning motor configured to turn the turret about the first axis.

8. The turret tool post assembly of claim 7 , wherein the turret turning motor provides, at a position between the tool rotating motor and the tool turning motor, a drive force to a turret turning gear.

9. The turret tool post assembly of claim 6 , wherein the tool turning motor is positioned inside the turret.

10. The turret tool post assembly of claim 6 , wherein the tool turning motor is located at an end face of the turret.

11. The turret tool post assembly of claim 6 , wherein the tool turning motor is fixed to the post body.

12. The turret tool post assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rotatable tool is configured to perform a cutting process.

13. The turret tool post assembly of claim 12 , wherein the rotatable tool comprises an end mill.

14. The turret tool post assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rotatable tool is detachable from the tool attachment part.

15. A machine tool comprising the turret tool post assembly according to claim 6 .

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd
• Citizen Machinery Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aoyagi Atsushi

Classifications

• B23Q5/04

  rotary shafts, e.g. working-spindles · CPC title

• B23Q5/10 Primary

  driven essentially by electrical means · CPC title

• Y10T29/5155

  Rotary tool holder · CPC title

• Y10T409/307672

  Angularly adjustable cutter head · CPC title

• B23B29/323

  Turrets with power operated angular positioning devices · CPC title