Chain-type tool magazine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10245692-B2
Application number	US-201315034438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A chain-type tool magazine for detachably holding a plurality of pots on a chain and circulating the pots, provided with: U-shaped link members having openings for detachably holding pots, the link members having first rollers protruding on the side of the openings and second rollers on the side opposite from the opening; link members which do not have a roller; a chain assembly in which the plurality of link members are alternately joined by pins in an endless manner; guides for guiding the first rollers and the second rollers so that the chain assembly bends in the forward and reverse directions and circulates in a meandering manner; and driving means for circularly driving the chain assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A chain-type tool magazine including a circulating chain, for removably holding a plurality of pots, to which tools are attached, or a plurality of tools, the tool magazine comprises:
an endless chain in which a plurality of link members is linked to each other, the link members each comprising a base part, a pair of arm portions extending from the base part, at least one first roller rotatably mounted to an end of at least one of the arm portions, and a second roller mounted to the base part, the pair of arm portions of each of the link members defining an opening therebetween for removably holding a pot or a tool, a plane of the opening being aligned in a direction of a propagation of the endless chain;
a guide for guiding the first rollers and second rollers to allow the endless chain to circulate along a serpentine track having multiple turns; and
a driver for driving the endless chain to circulate.

2. A chain-type tool magazine including a circulating chain, for removably holding a plurality of pots, to which tools are attached, or a plurality of tools, the tool magazine comprises:
an endless chain in which a first link member and a second link member are alternatively coupled to each other,
the first link members comprising a base part, a pair of arm portions extending from the base part, first rollers rotatably mounted to ends of the arm portions, and a second roller mounted to the base part, the pair of arm portions of each of the first link members defining an opening therebetween for removably holding a pot or a tool, a plane of the opening being aligned in a direction of a propagation of the endless chain, and
the second link members comprising an opening in a form of substantially a U-shape, no rollers corresponding to the first and second rollers of the first link members being provided to the second link members;

a guide for guiding the first rollers and second rollers to allow the endless chain to circulate along a serpentine track having multiple turns; and
a driver for driving the endless chain to circulate.

3. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 2 ,
wherein the arm portions of the second link member are shorter than the arm portions of the first link member.

4. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 2 , further comprising a shifter adapted to grasp the pot or the tool held in the opening of the first link member or the second link member so as to remove the pot or the tool from the first link member or the second link member to transfer it outside the chain-type tool magazine, and to grasp the pot or the tool outside the tool magazine to transfer it inside the chain-type tool magazine so as to attach the pot or the tool to empty one of the first or second link member.

5. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises a outer guide rail and an inner guide rail, the outer and inner guide rails extending parallel to each other by a predetermined distance so as to define therebetween a circulating track in the form of generally an inversed U-shape.

6. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 5 wherein the first rollers engage the outer guide rail and the second rollers engage the inner guide rail.

7. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 2 , wherein the driver comprises a cam shaft in a form of a screw extending along the circulating chain, and a motor for rationally driving the cam shaft,
wherein the first link member is provided with a cam follower, disposed on the base part, for engaging the cam shaft.

8. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 7 , wherein when the cam follower does not engage the cam shaft, the cam follower engages an inner guide rail of the guide, the second rollers engaging the inner guide rail.

9. The chain-type tool magazine of claim 2 , wherein the guide comprises a outer guide rail and an inner guide rail, the outer and inner guide rails extending parallel to each other by a predetermined distance so as to define therebetween a circulating track in the form of generally an inversed U-shape.

Assignees

• Makino Milling Machine

Inventors

• Nakashima Toru
• Hayashi Naohiro

Classifications

• B23Q3/15724 Primary

  Chains or belts · CPC title

• B23Q2003/15532

  the storage device including tool pots, adaptors or the like · CPC title

• B23Q3/15766

  the axis of the stored tools being arranged perpendicularly to the rotating or circulating plane of the storage means · CPC title

• B23Q3/15713

  a transfer device taking a single tool from a storage device and inserting it in a spindle (B23Q3/15793 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T483/1891

  Chain or belt · CPC title