Patent ID: 6609441
Filing Date: 2003-08-26
Classification: B23B,B23Q,Y10T

Abstract:
A turret tool rest comprising:a base; a turret movably supported on said base, on which desired tools, including a rotating tool, can be mounted at predetermined indexable angled positions; a first servo motor for driving said rotating tool; a pair of clutch pieces, one of which is operatively connected to said first servo motor and the other of which is operatively connected to said turret; a pair of coupling elements provided in respective association with said base and said turret and engageable with each other; a second servo motor for moving said pair of clutch pieces between an operative position at which said clutch pieces are engaged with each other and transmit a driving force of said first servo motor to said turret so as to rotationally index said turret and a non-operative position at which said clutch pieces are disengaged from each other so as to separate said turret from said first servo motor, and for moving said pair of coupling elements between an engaged position at which said coupling elements are engaged with each other and hold said turret at in respective indexed positions on said base and a disengaged position at which said coupling elements are disengaged from each other to permit said turret to be rotationally indexed; an interlocking mechanism for interlocking said clutch piece with said coupling element in operation, so that said pair of coupling elements move to said engaged position when said pair of clutch pieces move to said non-operative position, while said pair of coupling elements move to said disengaged position when said pair of clutch pieces move to said operative position; and rotation inhibiting means for preventing said turret from freely rotating on said base during moving operations of said pair of clutch pieces between said non-operative position and said operative position and simultaneously of said pair of coupling elements between said engaged position and said disengaged position; wherein said rotation inhibiting means comprises at least one movable projection retractably provided on said turret, at least one engaging portion fixedly provided on said base to be engaged with said at least one movable projection when said turret is located at said indexed position, and biasing means for biasing said at least one movable projection in a direction for maintaining an engagement of said at least one movable projection with said at least one engaging portion.