Patent ID: 6367359
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: B23B,B23Q,G05B,Y10T

Abstract:
In a machining center, the combination of:a rotatable and translatable machine tool spindle, a boring and contouring head assembly for attachment to the spindle to support the head assembly, said spindle rotating a rotatable part of the head assembly that carries a cutting tool holder, a first drive device for rotating the spindle, the rotatable part of the head assembly, and the tool holder about a primary axis of rotation, and, a feed device for translating the spindle, the head assembly and the tool holder along the primary axis of rotation, a second drive device for operating the head assembly to radially position the tool holder relative to the primary axis of rotation for controlling a radial offset distance from the primary axis of rotation of a cutting tool carried by the tool holder while the first drive device is rotating the spindle, the rotatable part of the head assembly, the tool holder and the cutting tool about the primary axis of rotation and while the feed device is translating the spindle, the head assembly, and the tool holder along the primary axis of rotation to cause the cutting tool to cut a formation of predetermined configuration in a workpiece that is engaged by the cutting tool, wherein the configuration of the formation cut by the cutting tool is characterized by a plurality of diameters that differ in accordance with radial positions of the cutting tool with respect to the primary axis of rotation, wherein the machining center has a primary control logic that controls both (1) the rotation of the spindle, the rotatable part of the head assembly, the tool holder and the cutting tool about the primary axis of rotation by the feed device, and (2) the translation of the spindle, the head assembly, the tool holder and the cutting tool along the primary axis of rotation by the feed device, and, wherein secondary control logic connected to the primary control logic controls the radial positioning relative to the primary axis of rotation of the tool holder and the cutting tool in response to the positioning of the cutting tool along the primary axis of rotation, and, wherein further at least a part of the secondary control logic is carried by the rotatable part of the head assembly.