Patent ID: 8979616
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: B23F

Abstract:
1. A gear processing machine configured to perform a tooth alignment operation before processing a processing target gear using a gear processing tool, the tooth alignment operation causing the gear processing tool and the processing target gear to establish a meshable rotational phase relationship, the gear processing machine characterized in that the gear processing machine comprises: a workpiece processing rotary shaft rotatably supported by a bed and configured to rotate the processing target gear placed at a workpiece processing position for performing the processing by the gear processing tool; a tailstock capable of holding the processing target gear; workpiece revolution means, rotatably supported on the bed, for supporting the tailstock moveably in a workpiece revolution axis direction and for causing the tailstock to revolve about the workpiece revolution axis, between the workpiece processing position and a workpiece replacement position for performing replacement with an unprocessed processing target gear; workpiece moving means, provided in the workpiece revolution means, for moving the tailstock in the workpiece revolution axis direction; a workpiece tooth aligning rotary shaft provided in the tailstock and configured to rotate the processing target gear held by the tailstock; rotational phase detection means for detecting a rotational phase of the processing target gear rotated by the workpiece tooth aligning rotary shaft; and control means for controlling a rotation of the workpiece tooth aligning rotary shaft to cause the processing target gear to have such a rotational phase as to be meshable with the gear processing tool, on the basis of the rotational phase detected by the rotational phase detection means, before the processing target gear held by the tailstock is placed at the workpiece processing position by the workpiece revolution means and the workpiece moving means.