Patent ID: 8714891
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: B23Q,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for machining holes in a plate, comprising: a machine head for supporting an elongated milling tool rotatable about a longitudinal axis along which the tool extends, the head being vertically movable along the longitudinal axis to a milling position in which the tool is in milling engagement with the plate and forms an initial hole of an initial size in the plate; a device for moving the plate into the milling position, for holding the plate in the milling position, and for removing the plate from the milling position, the device having an opening that extends in a generally horizontal plane along two mutually orthogonal directions that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the opening being sized to receive the tool with mechanical clearance in both the orthogonal directions in the milling position; a first pair of guides extending along one of the orthogonal directions, and a second pair of guides extending along the other of the orthogonal directions; and a gantry mounted on the guides for supporting the head for movement in the horizontal plane in the milling position, and for jointly moving the tool with clearance within the opening simultaneously along both the orthogonal directions to form an enlarged hole of a greater size than the initial size in the plate.