Vertical machining center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9522451-B2
Application number	US-201514733966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2013
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A vertical machining center includes a table, a tool spindle, an angle tool holder, a tool unclamping operation device, and a tool changer. The angle tool holder includes a shank, a spindle, a housing, a collet, a draw bar, and a spring mechanism. The shank has a shank axis and is rotatable around the shank axis. The spindle has a spindle axis perpendicular to the shank axis and is rotatable around the spindle axis. The tool unclamping operation device includes an angle tool holder rest, a hydraulic piston, and a restrictor. The angle tool holder is to be placed on the angle tool holder rest. The restrictor is disposed on the angle tool holder rest to restrict a portion of the angle tool holder and to receive force in a direction of the spindle axis which is generated in a case where the hydraulic piston presses the draw bar.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vertical machining center comprising:
a table;
a tool spindle provided to be relatively movable with respect to the table in a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction;
an angle tool holder attachable to and detachable from the tool spindle, the angle tool holder comprising:
a shank to be inserted into the tool spindle, the shank having a shank axis and being rotatable around the shank axis;
an attachment spindle having a spindle axis perpendicular to the shank axis and being rotatable around the spindle axis;
a housing rotatably supporting the shank and the attachment spindle and including an internal transmission mechanism to transmit drive force from the shank to the attachment spindle;
a collet disposed on the attachment spindle to clamp a tool;
a draw bar disposed in the attachment spindle to move forward and backward along the spindle axis to clamp and unclamp the collet; and
a spring mechanism to press the draw bar along the spindle axis so that the collet clamps the tool;

a tool unclamping operation device to unclamp the tool, the tool unclamping operation device comprising:
an angle tool holder rest on which the angle tool holder is to be placed;
a hydraulic piston to press the draw bar of the angle tool holder along the spindle axis; and
a restrictor disposed on the angle tool holder rest to restrict a portion of the angle tool holder and to receive force in a direction of the spindle axis which is generated in a case where the hydraulic piston presses the draw bar, the restrictor being provided so that a point of application of the force that the restrictor receives is positioned on a plane which is parallel to the shank axis and contains the spindle axis; and

a tool changer to change the tool attached to the angle tool holder with the tool unclamping operation device.

2. The vertical machining center according to claim 1 ,
wherein the angle tool holder comprises an engagement device on a bottom surface of the angle tool holder, and
wherein the tool unclamping operation device comprises the restrictor disposed on the angle tool holder rest to engage with the engagement device.

3. The vertical machining center according to claim 2 ,
wherein the engagement device and the restrictor each have a circular cross-section in a horizontal direction.

4. The vertical machining center according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a determinator to determine whether the restrictor engages with the engagement device, the restrictor having an injection hole through which air is injected into the engagement device at an upper end of the restrictor.

5. The vertical machining center according to claim 4 ,
wherein the tool changer comprises a drum magazine reciprocative in the direction of the spindle axis, and rotatable to be positioned about an axis in parallel with the direction of the spindle axis.

6. The vertical machining center according to claim 5 ,
wherein the tool unclamping operation device and the tool changer are disposed on a column to move between a retracting position and a change position.

7. The vertical machining center according to claim 3 ,
wherein the tool changer comprises a drum magazine reciprocative in the direction of the spindle axis, and rotatable to be positioned about an axis in parallel with the direction of the spindle axis.

8. The vertical machining center according to claim 7 ,
wherein the tool unclamping operation device and the tool changer are disposed on a column to move between a retracting position and a change position.

9. The vertical machining center according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a determinator to determine whether the restrictor engages with the engagement device, the restrictor having an injection hole through which air is injected into the engagement device at an upper end of the restrictor.

10. The vertical machining center according to claim 9 ,
wherein the tool changer comprises a drum magazine reciprocative in the direction of the spindle axis, and rotatable to be positioned about an axis in parallel with the direction of the spindle axis.

11. The vertical machining center according to claim 10 ,
wherein the tool unclamping operation device and the tool changer are disposed on a column to move between a retracting position and a change position.

12. The vertical machining center according to claim 2 ,
wherein the tool changer comprises a drum magazine reciprocative in the direction of the spindle axis, and rotatable to be positioned about an axis in parallel with the direction of the spindle axis.

13. The vertical machining center according to claim 12 ,
wherein the tool unclamping operation device and the tool changer are disposed on a column to move between a retracting position and a change position.

14. The vertical machining center according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tool changer comprises a drum magazine reciprocative in the direction of the spindle axis, and rotatable to be positioned about an axis in parallel with the direction of the spindle axis.

15. The vertical machining center according to claim 14 ,
wherein the tool unclamping operation device and the tool changer are disposed on a column to move between a retracting position and a change position.

Assignees

• Yamazaki Mazak Corp

Inventors

• Nishida Kiyoshi
• Usuda Satoi
• Yoshinobu Satoshi
• Satou Masaya

Classifications

• Y10T409/309464

  and draw bar · CPC title

• Y10T409/309296

  Detachable or repositionable tool head · CPC title

• B23Q3/15706 Primary

  a single tool being inserted in a spindle directly from a storage device, i.e. without using transfer devices (B23Q3/15786 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23Q37/002

  Convertible machines, e.g. from horizontally working into vertically working (B27B5/165: convertible sawing devices) · CPC title

• B23Q5/045

  Angle drives · CPC title