Patent ID: 7437810
Filing Date: 2008-10-21
Classification: B23Q,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A machine tool facility equipped with a pallet exchanger for automatically exchanging pallets mounted on a table or on a pallet-mounting plate, comprising: a machine tool having a main spindle supported to rotate about a horizontal axis and for mounting a tool on the front end thereof, and the table or the pallet-mounting plate facing the front surface of the main spindle and for detachably attaching a pallet to a vertical surface of the table of a pallet-mounting face plate, the machine tool being designed to machine a work fixed to a vertical work-attachment surface of the pallet; the pallet exchanger having a base provided neighboring the table or the pallet-mounting plate and serving as a base plate for the pallet exchanger, a pallet support member provided on the base so as to rotate about a vertical axis thereof in an indexing manner, having at least two vertical pallet-mounting surfaces and detachably mounting the pallet, and pallet-moving means for moving the pallet, in a vertical state wherein the vertical work attachment surface remains vertical, between the table or the pallet-mounting plate and the pallet support member to exchange the pallets; and at least one pallet stocker provided near the pallet exchanger to detachably hold at least one of the pallets in the vertical state, and wherein the at least one pallet is moved in the vertical state by using the pallet-moving means so as to exchange the at least one pallet between the at least one pallet stocker and the pallet support member.