Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
  • B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
  • B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
  • B23Q3/157—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling of rotary tools
  • B23Q3/15706—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling of rotary tools a single tool being inserted in a spindle directly from a storage device, i.e. without using transfer devices

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a tool changer device for a machine tool provided with a tool spindle with automatic clamping, comprising a tool magazine intended for the machining of mechanical parts and adapted to said tool spindle, this store comprising at least two mobile members arranged to each carry a tool and being associated with drive means for moving the latter in such a way that said members can be in at least one waiting position and one positioning position place of the corresponding tool in said tool-holder spindle, these drive means being managed by control means to control their activation, in which said magazine comprises a rotary support around an axis parallel to the axis of the tool-holder spindle, and said movable members include clamps arranged to hold said tools in a predetermined position allowing them to be taken up by said spindle tool holder, these pliers each comprising two arms pivoting about two fixed axes.
• the publications FR-A-1 51 824, US-A-122 598 and DE-A-3 530 230 describe automatic tool changing devices comprising notches, pliers or cells integral with a store, to support said tools.
• the Moye retaining ns of these tools are free of locking members. Therefore, there is a significant risk of ejection of the tools by centrifugal force, when the magazine is rotated at a certain speed and when the tools have a certain mass.
• the present invention proposes to make available to the mechanical industries, a tool changer device which guarantees a safe and efficient holding of the tools, precise indexing, which has a reduced bulk, and which can be mounted in any position, especially horizontally or vertically.
• the device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises locking means for locking said pivoting arms in the closed position when they clamp a tool.
• said locking means comprise a movable part arranged to lock said arms of these clamps in the closed position.
• Said movable part is preferably supported on a cam arranged to move this part between a disengaged position in which said pivoting arms are free and a locking position in which said pivoting arms are locked in the closed position.
• Said pivoting arms are advantageously urged by spring members arranged to bring them into the closed position, these spring members being linked respectively to the ends of the arms arranged on one side with respect to the fixed axes.
• said pivoting arms each have at the ends disposed on the other side relative to the fixed axes, a clearance arranged to receive said movable part which is wedged in said clearances when said arms are in the closed position.
• said movable part is preferably pivoting and associated with a spring arranged to bring it into its locked position.
• said pivoting arms define a circular opening whose diameter, when these arms are in the closed position, corresponds substantially to the diameter of the tools.
• said drive means comprise a first mechanism for moving the magazine in a translational movement and a second mechanism for moving it in a rotational movement around its axis.
• Said first mechanism may comprise a wheel carrying an eccentric stop, said wheel being rotated by a hydraulic rotary actuator controlled by said control means and said stop being in abutment against two opposite rectilinear faces of a part integral with a carriage carrying said store.
• the two opposite rectilinear faces define the edges of a rectilinear groove formed in a room and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage.
• the two opposite rectilinear faces constitute the two facing edges of two strips arranged in parallel and whose spacing is substantially equal to the diameter of said eccentric stop.
• said second mechanism comprises a toothed ring integral with said rotary support of the magazine, a drive pinion engaged with said toothed ring and mounted on a rotary shaft, a drive reduction motor, a torque limiting coupling and an indexing mechanism between said motor-reduc ⁇ tor and said rotary shaft.
• Said indexing mechanism preferably comprises two double cams.
• the control members of the drive means are arranged to generate the following displacements, at each tool change cycle: displacement in translation of the carriage carrying the support to bring a clamp in the gripping position in charge of the tool, closing of the gripper followed by the release of the tool by the automatic loosening device, retraction of the tool-holder spindle, rotation of the support to bring another tool into the position of support by the spindle, advance of the spindle, opening of the clamp and release of the tool previously supported by the spindle, displacement in translation of the carriage carrying the magazine support.
• FIG. 1 represents a schematic view of the device of the invention positioned in relation to a machine tool
• FIG. 2 represents a perspective view, partially exploded, illustrating the tool changer device according to the invention, in its preferred embodiment
• FIG. 3 represents a side elevation view of the device of the invention
• the figure represents a front elevation view of the device of the invention
• FIG. 5 represents a front view of a clamp and of its locking means
• FIG. 6 represents a sectional view along the line AA of FIG. 5, and
• FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate three successive phases of the handling of a tool by means of the pliers.
• the device 10 is mounted on a machine or tool or more particularly is associated with a machining module 11 which can be a turning, milling, boring, drilling or similar module.
• This tool changer device is mounted in such a way that its axis 12 is parallel to the axis 13 of the machining module 1 1 and that the tools 1 mounted in the magazine 15 can be brought in, by means described below. , in a position such that their axis 16 coincides with the axis 13 of the machining module.
• the machining module is designed in such a way that its tool-holder spindle 17 can be moved axially in the direction of the double arrow A, so that it can support a tool 14 from store 15, previously brought into the appropriate position.
• the device can be mounted vertically or horizontally, or even in any intermediate position, provided that the axis 12 is parallel to the axis 13, as mentioned above.
• FIG. 2 represents a more detailed view of the tool changer device 10.
• This device essentially comprises the tool magazine 15 having the shape of a circular rotating part around its axis, a carriage 18 movable in translation along a vertical axis schematically illustrated by the double arrow B, and drive means for generating both the rotation of the tool holder magazine 15 and the translation of the carriage 18.
• the tools (not shown in this figure) are held by a ring of pliers 19 arranged at the periphery of the circular part which constitutes the magazine 15.
• Each of these pliers 19 comprises two pivoting arms, respectively 19a and 19b, articulated.
• the circular part comprises a ring gear 20 which is engaged with a pinion 21 mounted on a end of an axis 22 whose other end is coupled to a drive mechanism of the Maltese cross type 23 which is itself coupled via a pinion system 24 to the axis driven by a electric motor 25.
• the mechanism 23 of the Maltese cross type is, in this case, particularly interesting because it makes it possible to generate a very rapid rotation of the magazine with great precision. This solution was chosen due to the fact that this mechanism makes it possible to achieve very rapid accelerations.
• the electric motor 25 is preferably a reduction motor of known type and the coupling between the motor for driving and the ring gear is preferably done by means of a torque limiter.
• this mechanism is associated with an indexing device preferably composed of two double cams.
• the mechanism which allows the linear movement of the carriage 18 carrying the magazine 15 is preferably made up of an eccentric stopper 26 which is mounted on a rotary part 27 capable of being rotated by a drive shaft 28 attached to the end of a motor shaft or coupled to a drive motor (not shown).
• the eccentric stop 26 is taken between the inner edges of two strips 29 and 30 which are parallel to each other and whose spacing is substantially equal to the diameter of the stop 26.
• the carriage comprises four rollers or rollers 31 which are respectively pressed against two rails 32 verticals. A rotation of the shaft 28 causes the eccentric stop 26 to move and causes the carriage 18 to translate vertically along the guide rails 32.
• the second mechanism is also associated with an indexing device to allow precise determination of the amplitude of the displacement.
• FIGS 3 and 4 illustrate some details of the device according to the invention.
• An extendable bellows 33 masks the mechanism for linear movement of the carriage 18.
• the pliers include locking means which make it possible to lock the tool in position, when it is caught in the clamp. These locking means are essential because the tools carried by the magazine must undergo very strong accelerations and are therefore subject to significant centrifugal forces which risk ejecting them from the pliers.
• the two pivoting arms 19a and 19b are respectively articulated on two axes 40 and 41 integral with the magazine. At one of their ends, these arms have a recess in an arc 42, 43 whose diameter is equal to that of the cone of the tools, to allow the latter to be taken care of. At their opposite ends with respect to the axes 40 and 41, the pivoting arms each have a clearance 44, respectively 45 to allow the establishment of a movable part 46, intended to block or wedge the arms in the closed position.
• This movable part is fixed by a rod 47 to a ball joint 48, which allows it to move between a disengaged position (represented in particular by FIG. 6) and a locking position (represented by FIG. 7C.
• the movement of the moving part 46 is controlled by a cam 49 fixed to the support of the magazine. This piece 46 is pushed against the cam 49 by a spring 50 which tends to bring it into the locking position shown in broken lines at 46 '.
• the arms 19a and 19b are biased towards the closed position by two springs 51 and 52 which, in the present embodiment, are compression springs bearing against said arms.
• the clamp "descends" on the cone 60 of the tool and opens when the ends of the arms 19a and 19b bear on the surface of this cone, the movable part 46 having previously been pushed back when the arms were released. During this "descent” and this "opening” the arms compress the springs 51 and 52. The maximum opening of the clamp is reached when the ends of the arms are located halfway up the cone 60. Au- beyond this position, the clamp closes to reach the locking position shown in Figure 7C.
• the moving part 46 wedges the arms and locks them during the rotation of the magazine. It will also be noted that the cone is locked in position by a wedge 61 which is engaged in a notch 62 of said cone.
• the device makes it possible to take charge of a tool previously mounted on the spindle and the replacement of this tool by another tool mounted in the store, that is to say carried by one of the pliers.
• the carriage first moves in vertical translation to bring the tool 1 to the axis 13 of the spindle 17 then the mechanism for drive of the magazine generates a rotation of the tool support, that is to say of the magazine itself, to bring a free clamp in position on the tool holder spindle 17 of the machining module.
• the gripper arm thus positioned closes and the spindle of the machining module moves back after releasing the tool. This tool remains caught in the pliers.
• the magazine drive mechanism rotates to bring the new tool into the appropriate position for placement on the spindle.
• the spindle advances again to take over the tool carried by the clamp which is located opposite it.
• the clamp opens and releases the tool.
• the carriage moves vertically upwards to clear the work area of the spindle.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Automatic Tool Replacement In Machine Tools (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=9385495

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Family Cites Families (8)

• 1989
  • 1989-09-12 FR FR8912078A patent/FR2651708A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 1990
  • 1990-09-12 WO PCT/FR1990/000650 patent/WO1991004130A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1990-09-12 EP EP19900914210 patent/EP0443019A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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