Patent ID: 6454684
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: B23Q,Y10T

Abstract:
An automatic tool changing apparatus comprising:a tool magazine which stores a multiplicity of tools each held by tool holding means, said tool magazine having a tool port through which said tools are loaded into or unloaded from said tool magazine; a tool shifter which is provided laterally of said tool port, said tool shifter translating said tools for loading into or unloading from said tool magazine; a standby magazine which has tool holding means by which said tools loaded or unloaded by said tool shifter are temporarily held and stand by; and an automatic tool changer which is arranged to change said tool held in said standby magazine for said tool fitted to a spindle; said tool shifter translating said tools for delivering operations between said tool magazine and said standby magazine, said automatic tool changer also translating said tools for delivering operations between said standby magazine and said spindle, wherein said standby magazine has a plurality of said tool holding means which are provided on an output shaft of a rotation indexing mechanism and which come to rest at respective delivery positions to/from said tool shifter and said automatic tool changer; and wherein said tool holding means of said standby magazine are arranged to hold said tool such that the axis of said tool held thereby tilts at a predetermined angle relative to the rotational axis of said output shaft so that the direction of axis of said tool upon the translation by said tool shifter is different from the direction of axis of said tool upon the translation by said automatic tool changer.