Automatic drill loader

An automatic drill loader is used with a drill grinding machine to automatically present drills to the drill grinding machine workhead for being ground thereat and to carry ground drills to a storage receptacle. The automatic drill loader comprises a magazine, a timing station, and two sets of grippers. The magazine stores a quantity of drills, which may have stepped shanks. The magazine is adjustable to suit drills of different lengths and diameters. The magazine presents one drill at a time to a staging station. A load gripper grips the drill at the staging station and conveys it to the timing station, whereat the drill is linearly and angularly oriented. The load gripper then transports the drill to the drill grinding machine workhead. Simultaneously, an unload gripper carries a ground drill from the drill grinding machine workhead to the storage receptacle. After the load gripper has transported the timed drill to the drill grinding machine workhead, the load gripper returns to the staging station to grip another drill. Simultaneously, the unload gripper returns to the workhead to grip and remove the finished ground drill thereat. The cycle continues automatically until all the drills in the magazine are ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention pertains to workpiece handling, and more particularly to 
apparatus for loading workpieces into a machine tool. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various equipment has been developed to automatically transport workpieces 
to a machine tool for processing. Such equipment varies widely to suit 
both the workpieces to be processed and the particular machine tools. A 
specialized application of workpiece handling and processing involves 
machines for grinding drills, end mills, taps, and similar cutting tools. 
For example, workpieces in the form of new drill blanks are inserted into 
tool holding chucks of drill grinding machines for having the drill 
cutting edges ground. After grinding, the drills are removed from the 
chucks. 
In the past, it was common practice to manually load and unload drill 
grinding machines. However, productivity is increased considerably with 
the use of automatic mechanisms for loading and unloading the drills. 
Accordingly, many modern drill grinding machines include automatic 
loaders. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,463 describes a robot-like 
mechanism for storing, loading, and unloading drills. U.S. Pat. No. 
3,711,997 shows a drill pointing machine with an automatic drill locator 
that includes a hopper-shuttle assembly. Other loading apparatus utilizes 
horizontal or vertically oriented carousels together with appropriate 
mechanisms for transferring the tools to and from the machine chuck. 
For several reasons, the prior tool loading devices associated with drill 
grinding machines are somewhat deficient. One important drawback is that 
the prior drill loading devices occupy an undesirably large amount of 
space around the grinding machine. Many of the prior loaders are also 
undesirably complicated in their design and construction. In addition, the 
prior loaders are limited to handling drills of only one length on a 
particular setup and grinding operation. The prior loading and unloading 
mechanisms are also unable to handle multi-diameter drill shanks. 
Consequently, further development of equipment for loading and unloading 
drill grinding machines is required. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a versatile automatic drill 
loader is provided that efficiently presents and removes different sized 
drills to a drill grinding machine. This is accomplished by apparatus that 
includes a drill-storing magazine having multiple adjustments and two sets 
of drill grippers that cycle in a unique combination of synchronous and 
independent motions to load and unload the drill grinding machine. 
The automatic drill loader is designed to mount to the wheel guard and lid 
of several different models of commercially available drill grinding 
machines. The automatic drill loader is further designed to be retrofit 
onto existing machines and thereby upgrade the prior machines with the 
latest tool handling technology. 
The automatic drill loader magazine includes a hopper having vertical front 
and back end plates. The front and back end plates lie in planes that are 
perpendicular to the axis of the machine workhead chuck. That is, 
considering the axis of the machine workhead chuck to be the Z axis, the 
front and back end plates lie in respective X-Y planes, where X is defined 
as a horizontal axis and Y is defined as a vertical axis, with the X and Y 
axes being perpendicular to the Z axis. Drills in the form of new blanks 
or existing drills that need resharpening are stored in the hopper such 
that their longitudinal axes are parallel to the Z axis. The cutting ends 
of the drills are adjacent the hopper back end plate. 
The automatic drill loader magazine is attached by a sturdy magazine 
housing to the machine wheel guard. A hopper back end plate is 
stationarily secured to the magazine housing. A support bracket is also 
mounted to the magazine housing. The support bracket and magazine housing 
support and guide a pair of horizontal rails that are movable in the Z 
directions. A front end bracket is connected to the rails. Accordingly, 
the spacing between the front end bracket and the stationary back end 
plate can be adjusted horizontally by sliding the rails in the Z 
directions. 
The drills are supported within the hopper by front and back wear plates. 
The back wear plate is joined to the hopper back end plate to support the 
cutting ends of the drills. The front wear plate is joined to the hopper 
front end plate. The front wear plate supports the shanks of the drills. 
The hopper is able to accommodate drills of different lengths by adjusting 
the distance between the moveable front end bracket and the stationary 
back end plate. In addition, drills having length variations of up to two 
inches can be stored in the hopper for a particular distance between the 
front end bracket and the back end plate. The front end plate is capable 
of vertical adjustment relative to the back wear plate. With the cutting 
ends of the drills supported on the back wear plate, the front wear plate 
can be adjusted by means of the adjustable front end plate to support the 
shanks of drills having different diameter shanks and cutting ends. 
The front and back wear plates are sloped in a manner that causes the 
drills in the hopper to roll toward the axis of the machine workhead 
chuck. To retain the drills within the hopper, gates are adjustably 
connected to each of the back and front end plates. The gates are 
vertically adjustable to create openings between their respective bottom 
edges and bottom walls of the front and back wear plates. The openings 
permit one drill at a time to roll out of the hopper and to a pickup 
station. 
To remove a drill from the pickup station, the magazine further comprises a 
staging mechanism including a stage block that undergoes compound motions 
in an X-Y plane. The stage block is supported for reciprocation within a 
stage housing that is pivotally connected to the magazine housing. A first 
stage actuator of the staging mechanism causes reciprocation of the stage 
block relative to the stage housing. A second stage actuator pivots the 
stage housing relative to the magazine housing. The operation of the two 
stage actuators is coordinated to impart a compound motion to the stage 
block. The stage block moves in a path to position independently 
adjustable V-blocks secured thereto under a drill at the pickup station 
and lift the drill from the pickup station and transfer it to a nearby 
staging station. 
From the staging station, the drill is conveyed to a timing station. For 
that purpose, one of the sets of drill grippers, referred to as the load 
gripper, grips the drill and lifts it from the staging station to the 
timing station. 
The load gripper, together with the second set of grippers, called the 
unload gripper, are mounted through a single housing to the lid of the 
drill grinding machine. A single X-axis power slide built into the single 
housing supports and translates an X-axis carrier in the X directions. The 
X-axis carrier supports a pair of brackets to which are mounted respective 
fluid operated Z-axis power slides. The two Z-axis power slides support 
respective Z-axis carriers and reciprocate them independently in the Z 
directions. Built into the Z-axis carriers are respective Y-axis power 
slides. The Y-axis power slides support respective Y-axis carriers and 
reciprocate them independently in the Y directions. Thus, it is seen that 
actuating the X-axis power slide causes the two Z-axis power slides and 
the two Z-axis carriers, together with the two Y-axis power slides and the 
two Y-axis carriers, to traverse simultaneously as a unit in the X 
directions. On the other hand, the two Z-axis power slides on the X-axis 
carrier can be operated independently of each other to move the Z-axis 
carriers, together with their respective Y-axis power slides and Y-axis 
carriers, independently in the Z directions. The two Y-axis power slides 
are also independent of each other to move the respective Y-axis carriers 
in the Y directions independently of each other. 
The load and unload grippers comprise generally similar drill gripping 
mechanisms. Each drill gripping mechanism is comprised of a long 
vertically extending gripper plate and a base slide attached to the 
gripper plate. The gripper plate and base slide define a vertically 
oriented channel. A pair of levers and a cam slide fit within the channel. 
Two pins held in the base slide and the gripper plate pass through the 
channel and through the first ends of respective levers such that the 
levers can pivot within the channel about their respective pins. A roller 
is mounted in each lever and rides in a corresponding angled slot in the 
cam slide. A gripper power actuator attached to the gripper plate 
reciprocates the cam slide. Such reciprocation causes the slots in the cam 
slide to act on the rollers of the levers in a manner that oscillates the 
levers about their respective pins. The angled slots are designed to 
enable the levers to pivot in opposite directions about their first ends 
so as to open and close their second ends. Jaws on the second ends of the 
levers are suitable for gripping and releasing a drill in response to 
closing and opening of the lever second ends. 
With a drill at the staging station, the X-axis power slide moves the 
X-axis carrier, and thus the Y-axis and Z-axis carriers, until the 
longitudinal axis of the load gripper is in the same vertical plane as the 
longitudinal axis of the drill at the staging station. Then the Z-axis 
power slide of the load gripper acts to position the drill gripping 
mechanism of the load gripper directly over the drill at the staging 
station. The Y-axis power slide operates to lower the open jaws of the 
drill gripping mechanism over the drill. At that point, the jaws close 
over the drill at approximately its midpoint. Finally, the Y-axis power 
slide operates to raise the Y-axis carrier a predetermined amount to 
convey the drill to the timing station. 
In the preferred embodiment, the timing station comprises a bushing holder 
sized to suit the drills that are to be ground during a particular 
operation. The bushing holder is installed in a timing station housing 
that may be fastened to the drill grinding machine lid or other suitable 
structure. Axially aligned with the bushing holder is a timing disk. The 
timing disk is mounted to the shaft of a rotary drive. The timing disk 
carries a pin. The pin extends axially from the timing disk, and the pin 
axis is radially displaced from the axis of the timing disk. 
The timing station further comprises a pusher mechanism mounted to the 
magazine front end bracket. The pusher mechanism includes a shaft capable 
of combined rotary and linear motions, as well as an arm on the end of the 
shaft. A pusher power actuator normally operates to place the shaft and 
arm in a retracted configuration out of the way of the drill and the load 
gripper at the timing station. 
The load gripper conveys the drill from the staging station to a pre-timing 
position between the timing station housing and the pusher mechanism, with 
the drill being in axial alignment with the bushing holder. The pusher 
mechanism power actuator operates to extend the shaft and simultaneously 
rotate the arm in a manner that enables the arm to contact the back end of 
the drill in the drill gripping mechanism. The load gripper relaxes its 
grip on the drill, and the shaft extends further to push the drill from 
the pre-timing position into the timing station bushing holder until the 
drill point abuts the timing disk. 
With the drill point against the timing disk, the rotary drive rotates 360 
degrees and stops at a particular angular orientation relative to the 
drill grinding machine. That motion assures that the pin enters a drill 
flute and rotates the drill to stop at a predetermined angular orientation 
in space. With the drill point both axially and rotationally at the 
desired location, the drill is said to be timed. 
At that point, the load gripper regrips the drill. The Z-axis power slide 
operates the Z-axis carrier to pull the drill out of the timing station 
bushing holder. That accomplished, the X-axis and Y-axis power slides 
operate the X-axis and Y-axis carriers, respectively, to move the load 
gripper horizontally and vertically until the drill is axially aligned 
with the workhead chuck of the drill grinding machine. The Z-axis power 
slide operates to insert the drill into the workhead chuck. The Z-axis 
motion is carefully controlled by an adjustable positive stop. In that 
manner, the timed drill is presented to the grinding wheel of the drill 
grinding machine. The jaws of the load gripper open completely and the 
workhead chuck grips the drill. While the drill is being ground, the load 
gripper repeats the X, Y, and Z-direction motions to pick up another drill 
at the staging station. 
Meanwhile, simultaneously with the actions of the load gripper, the unload 
gripper is undergoing multi-directional motions that are necessary to 
remove a finished ground drill from the drill grinding machine workhead 
and to carry the ground drill to a suitable storage receptacle. 
Specifically, as the load gripper is transporting a fresh drill in an X 
direction into position axially aligned with the workhead chuck, the 
unload gripper is simultaneously carrying a finished ground drill the same 
distance in the same X direction to place that drill at the storage 
receptacle. The unload gripper releases its finished drill while the load 
gripper is inserting and releasing its fresh drill in the machine 
workhead. Then, as the load gripper returns in the X direction to 
vertically align its drill gripping mechanism with another drill at the 
staging station, the unload gripper simultaneously moves the same amount 
in the same X direction to be vertically aligned with the drill being 
ground. Subsequent Y-direction and Z-direction motions position the jaws 
of the load and unload grippers over the drills at the staging station and 
workhead chuck, respectively. In that manner, the load and unload grippers 
cooperate on a continuous basis to present unground drills to the machine 
workhead and to remove ground drills from the workhead. 
To minimize the possibility of mechanism jams during operation, the various 
power actuators of the automatic drill loader of the present invention are 
preferably pneumatic cylinders operating on relatively low pressures. As a 
related consideration, all of the various motions of the load and unload 
grippers are controlled by limit switches or optical sensors. The limit 
switches and optical sensors are located to indicate the important end 
positions of the various carrier movements. In that manner, reliable and 
efficient operation of the automatic drill loader is assured. 
After a run of drills having a predetermined diameter has been completed, 
the automatic drill loader is easily and quickly readjusted for a run of 
new drills of a different diameter. Some of the adjustments include the 
V-blocks of the magazine staging mechanism and the opening size set by the 
magazine gates. The bushings for the timing station and workhead chuck 
must be changed to suit the new drill diameter. In addition, the magazine 
hopper front end bracket is adjusted if the lengths of the new drills are 
different than the lengths of the previous drills. The wear plate on the 
magazine hopper front end plate is adjusted vertically if the new drills 
have a stepped shank diameter different than the drills in the prior run. 
All the adjustments are accomplished with minimum effort and time to 
thereby minimize downtime for setup changes. 
Other advantages, benefits, and features of the invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description 
of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those 
skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments 
herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention, which may be embodied in 
other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the 
claims appended hereto. 
GENERAL 
Referring to FIG. 1, a drill grinding machine 1 is illustrated that 
advantageously utilizes the automatic drill loader of the present 
invention. The particular drill grinding machine 1 shown is merely 
representative of a wide variety of equipment that is used to manufacture 
and maintain cutting tools such as end mills and taps, as well as drills. 
The drill grinding machine 1 includes a workhead 3 having a generally 
horizontal axis 4. A typical drill 5 is gripped in a chuck of the workhead 
3. The workhead undergoes rather complicated three dimensional cyclical 
motions in space to impart corresponding motions to the drill 5. The drill 
point is pressed against a rotating grinding wheel, not shown, as the 
drill undergoes its cyclical motions. The result is that a proper point is 
ground on the drill. Thereafter, the finished drill is removed from the 
workhead chuck, a fresh drill is presented to the workhead, and the 
process is repeated. An exemplary machine for grinding several types of 
points on drills is described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 513,080. 
The drill grinding machine 1 typically includes a wheel guard 6. The wheel 
guard 6 is shown in the form of a rather heavy pan having a floor 8 and 
upstanding sides 10. Also see FIG. 5. A heavy lid 12 is pivotally 
connected to the wheel guard near the back of the machine. When the lid 12 
is closed, as is shown in FIG. 1, the workhead 3, the grinding wheel, and 
the components for cyclically driving the workhead are covered and 
inaccessible to nearby persons. On the other hand, by pivoting the lid 12 
open, a person can gain access to the various internal mechanisms of the 
machine. 
For convenience, a coordinate system will be used in describing the 
structure and operation of the invention. Horizontal directions 
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 4 of the workhead 3 will be 
considered to be X directions. Vertical directions perpendicular to the 
longitudinal axis of the workhead are considered to be Y directions. 
Directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the workhead are 
considered to be Z directions. 
In addition, as viewed with respect to FIG. 1, the horizontal direction 
toward the right will be called the +X direction, and the horizontal 
direction toward the left will be the -X direction. The upward vertical 
direction will be the +Y direction, and the downward vertical direction 
will be the -Y direction. The horizontal direction toward the back of the 
drill grinding machine 1 will be the +Z direction, and the horizontal 
direction toward the front of the drill grinding machine will be the -Z 
direction. 
AUTOMATIC DRILL LOADER 
In accordance with the present invention, drills 5 are automatically 
presented to and removed from the workhead 3 of the drill grinding machine 
1 by an automatic drill loader 7. Looking especially at FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, 
the automatic drill loader 7 is comprised of four major components: a 
magazine 9, a timing station 11, and a pair of drill grippers 13 and 15. 
The magazine 9 is mounted to the wheel guard 6 of the drill grinding 
machine 1. The timing station 11 and the drill grippers 13 and 15 are 
mounted to the machine lid 12. 
A quantity of drills 5A are stored in a hopper 17 of the magazine 9 with 
the longitudinal axes of the drills lying in the Z direction. The drills 
5A are allowed to roll one at a time from the hopper 17 to a pickup 
station 19. A staging mechanism 27 of the magazine 9 moves with compound 
motion to transfer a drill 5A from the pickup station 19 to a nearby 
staging station 23. 
The drill gripper 13, known as the load gripper, grips the drill 5F at the 
staging station 23 and conveys it to the timing station 11. At the timing 
station, the drill 5G is properly located in space, both axially and 
angularly. Then the load gripper 13 transports the timed drill 5G to the 
workhead 3 for being gripped therein and ground. While the drill 5 is 
being ground, the load gripper returns to the staging station 23 to grip a 
fresh drill 5F waiting there and to convey it to the timing station. 
Simultaneously, the drill gripper 15, known as the unload gripper, moves 
to the workhead chuck to remove the finished drill 5H. The unload gripper 
carries the finished drill 5H to a storage receptacle 25 at the same time 
the load gripper brings a fresh drill 5G from the timing station to the 
workhead chuck. The load and unload cycle is repeated in conjunction with 
the drill timing and grinding processes until all the drills 5A stored in 
the magazine hopper 17 have been ground. 
MAGAZINE HOPPER 
The magazine 9 of the automatic drill loader 7 is comprised of the hopper 
17, the pickup station 19, and the staging mechanism 27. The magazine is 
attached to the wheel guard 6 of the drill grinding machine 1 by means of 
a magazine housing 29. The magazine housing 29 has spaced apart front and 
back plates 31 and 33, respectively. Also see FIG. 4. The housing front 
and back plates 31 and 33, respectively, are connected by a bottom bar 35 
and by a side bar 37. The magazine housing bottom bar 35 attaches to the 
underside of the wheel guard through a spacer 39. The side bar 37 of the 
magazine housing 29 attaches to the wheel guard through a similar spacer 
41. 
The front plate 31 of the magazine housing 29 has an upper surface 43 that 
is indented to receive right and left rail guides 45 and 47, respectively. 
To the back plate 33 of the magazine housing 29 is secured a back end 
plate 49 of the hopper 17. The hopper back end plate 49 is sandwiched 
between the magazine housing back plate 33 and a support bracket 51. The 
support bracket 51 is generally L-shaped and has an upper surface 53 that 
is machined with right and left grooves 55 and 57, respectively, FIG. 6. 
The right and left grooves 55 and 57, respectively, of the L-shaped 
support bracket 51 are aligned in the Z directions with the right and left 
rail guides 45 and 47, respectively, of the magazine housing front plate 
31. 
The right rail guide 45 in the magazine housing front plate 31 and the 
right groove 55 in the L-shaped bracket 51 support and guide a right rail 
59 for sliding in the Z directions. The left rail guide 47 in the magazine 
housing front plate 31 and the left groove 57 in the L-shaped bracket 51 
support and guide a left rail 61 for sliding in the Z directions. The 
slidable rails 59 and 61 are tied together through a front end bracket 73 
and conventional fasteners, not shown. 
A U-shaped clamp block 63 fits over the rails 59 and 61 and is fastened to 
the L-shaped bracket 51 to slidingly capture the rails. To clamp the rails 
59 and 61 at desired locations along the grooves 55 and 57 and the rail 
guides 45 and 47, and to simultaneously fix the location of the front end 
bracket 73, a pair of generally similar clamps 65 are used in connection 
with the clamp block 63. Each clamp 65 has a threaded shaft 67, a knob 69, 
and a heel 71. The heels 71 of the clamp 65 are contactable with 
associated rails 59 and 61. By manually turning the knob 69, the rails are 
selectively clamped against sliding along the guides 45 and 47 and the 
grooves 55 and 57. By sliding the rails along the guides 45 and 47 and the 
grooves 55 and 57, the spacing between the hopper back end plate 49 and 
the front end bracket 73 is changeable. 
Looking especially at FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the front end bracket 73 
adjustably supports a front end plate 74 of the magazine hopper 17. The 
front end plate 74 is adjustable in the vertical directions by means of an 
adjustment mechanism 72. The adjustment mechanism 72 includes a dovetail 
slide 76 formed on the front end plate 74, a matching groove 70 in the 
front end bracket 73, and an adjustment screw 78. The adjustment screw 78 
has a knurled knob 80 and a shank 82 threadably received in the front end 
bracket 73. A collar 84 axially retains the adjustment screw 78 to the 
front end plate 74. By rotating the shank 82 through the knob 80, the 
front end plate 74 is vertically movable relative to the front end bracket 
73 and relative to the back end plate 49. 
To store the drills 5A in the magazine hopper 17, a front wear plate 75 is 
joined to the front end plate 74, and a back wear plate 77 is joined to 
the back end plate 49. The front wear plate 75 is fabricated with a sloped 
back wall 79 and a sloped bottom wall 81. The back wear plate 77 is 
fabricated with a back wall 83 that is generally parallel to the front 
wear plate back wall 79. The back wear plate 77 also has a bottom wall 85 
that is generally parallel to the bottom wall 81 of the front wear plate 
75. The drills are stored in the hopper 17 with their cutting ends 5B 
adjacent the back end plate and resting on the back wear plate, and with 
their shank ends 5C resting on the front wear plate. It is thus seen that 
sliding the rails 59 and 61 along the guides 45 and 47 and the grooves 55 
and 57 changes the spacing between the magazine hopper front end plate 74 
and back end plate 49 to suit drills of different lengths that are to be 
stored in the hopper. 
Adjustment of the adjusting screw 78 provides vertical adjustment between 
the bottom wall 81 of the front wear plate 75 and the bottom wall 85 of 
the back wear plate 77. In that manner, the front wear plate 75 can 
support the shanks 5C of drills 5A that have shanks that are smaller than 
the cutting ends 5B. For drills having a single diameter, the front end 
plate 74 is adjusted relative to the back end plate 49 such that the front 
and back wear plates 75 and 77, respectively, are coplanar. 
The drills 5A stored in the magazine hopper 17 tend to roll by gravity down 
the front and back wear plates 75 and 77, respectively. To prevent the 
drills from rolling out of the hopper without control, a pair of gates are 
included in the magazine 9. A front gate 87 is adjustably connected to the 
front end plate 74, and a back gate 89 is adjustably connected to the back 
end plate 49. The gate 87 is independently adjustable relative to the gate 
89 in order to enable drills having stepped shanks 5C to pass with control 
under the gates. 
Adjustment of the front and back gates 87 and 89 relative to the front and 
back end plates 74 and 49 is provided by respective adjustment mechanisms 
91 and 93. Also see FIG. 6. The adjustment mechanisms 91 and 93 are 
generally similar to the adjustment mechanism 72 between the front end 
bracket 73 and the front end plate 74 described previously. Considering 
the back adjustment mechanism 93, a screw 97 has a threaded end 92 that 
mates with a block 98 fixed to the back end plate 49. The screw 97 is 
captured in a collar 96 that is attached to the gate 89 and that passes 
through a vertical slot 94 in the back end plate 49. By turning the 
adjusting screws 95 and 97 of the respective adjustment mechanisms 91 and 
93, the gates can be raised and lowered relative to the bottom walls 81 
and 85 of the front and back wear plates 75 and 77, respectively. Locking 
screws 88 and 90 that pass through vertical slots in the front and back 
end plates retain and guide the gates 87 and 89, respectively. FIG. 6 
shows the slot 86 in the back end plate 49 for the locking screw 90. 
MAGAZINE PICKUP STATION 
A drill 5A rolls by gravity under the hopper gates 87 and 89 and to the 
magazine pickup station 19. Turning to FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 7, and 12, the 
pickup station 19 is defined by independently adjustable front and back 
stops 99 and 100, respectively. The back stop 100 is horizontally slidable 
within a pocket 103 machined in the back end plate 49. A stud 102 passes 
through a horizontal slot 105 in the back end plate and terminates in a 
knob 104. Similarly, the front stop 99 is horizontally slidable in a 
pocket in the front end plate 74. A stud 124 passes through a horizontal 
slot 126 in the front end plate and has a knob 128. By loosening and 
tightening the knobs 104 and 128, the stops 100 and 99, respectively, can 
be slid horizontally independent of each other in X directions. 
The stops 99 and 100 have respective upper surfaces 116 and 118. The stops 
99 and 100 are located within the front and back end plates 74 and 49 such 
that their upper surfaces 116 and 118 intersect the bottom walls 81 and 85 
of the front and back wear plates 75 and 77, respectively, and form 
horizontal extensions thereof. Bumpers 120 and 122 on the ends of the 
stops 99 and 100, respectively, retain the drill 5E against rolling off 
the stops. 
It will be appreciated that the horizontal locations of the axial 
centerlines of drills 5E at the pickup station 19 would vary with the 
drill diameters if the bumpers 120 and 122 of the stops 99 and 100, 
respectively were to remain at fixed locations. However, by means of the 
knobs 104 and 128, the stops 99 and 100, respectively, are adjustable in 
the X directions no accommodate different size drills. Adjustment of the 
stops assures that the drill is located external of the gates 87 and 89. 
The front stop 100 is adjustable independently of the back stop so as to 
enable drills with stepped shanks to be properly retained at the pickup 
station. The vertical location of the drill centerlines at the pickup 
station is not critical. 
MAGAZINE STAGING MECHANISM 
To transfer a drill 5E from the pickup station 19 to the staging station 
23, the automatic drill loader 7 includes the staging mechanism 27. In the 
preferred embodiment, the staging mechanism 27 comprises a generally 
L-shaped stage housing 101. The stage housing 101 is located between the 
front and back plates 31 and 33, respectively, of the magazine housing 29. 
The stage housing is pivotally connected to the magazine housing front and 
back plates by a pin 107 passing through spaced upstanding legs 109 of the 
stage housing. A finger 110 having a flat 112 depends from the stage 
housing 101. Also see FIG. 13. A button 115 is screwed into the stage 
housing finger 110 and seats against the flat 112. 
Pressed into a central block 114 of the stage housing 101 are a pair of 
horizontally oriented bushings, not shown. The bushings slidably support 
respective horizontal rods 113. One end of each rod 113 is pressed into a 
stage block 117. 
The stage block 117 and the rods 113 reciprocate in the X directions under 
the influence of a first stage actuator 119. Preferably, the first stage 
actuator 119 is an air cylinder that operates under relatively low 
pressure. The first stage actuator 119 is secured to the undersurface of 
the stage housing central block 114. The piston rod 121 of the first stage 
actuator 119 is attached by means of a small block 123 to the undersurface 
125 of the stage block 117. Accordingly, actuation of the first stage 
actuator 119 reciprocates the stage block 117 and the rods 113 in the X 
directions. To provide an end stop for the stroke of the first stage 
actuator 119, a long stud 127 is threaded at one end into the stage block 
117. The stud 127 slidingly passes through the stage housing central block 
114. A pair of nuts 129 threaded onto the second end of the stud 127 
adjustably set the end stop of the stage block motion in the +X direction 
relative to the stage housing 101. 
To pivot the stage housing 101 about the pin 107, a second stage actuator 
131 in the form of a low pressure air cylinder is employed. The second 
stage actuator 131 has one end 133 thereof pivotally connected between the 
front and back plates 31 and 33, respectively, of the magazine housing 29. 
The piston rod 135 of the second stage actuator 131 is pivotally connected 
through a clevis 137 to an eye bracket 139. The eye bracket 139 is 
attached to the underside of the first stage actuator 119. Actuation of 
the second stage actuator 131 causes the stage housing 101 and the stage 
block 117 to pivot in an X-Y plane. By simultaneous actuation of the first 
and second stage actuators 119 and 131, respectively, the stage block 117 
undergoes a compound motion in the X-Y plane. 
Fastened to the vertical face of the stage block 117 opposite the rods 113 
and stud 127 is an elongated horizontal carrier 141. Near the back end 143 
of the carrier 141 is mounted a back V block 145. The back V block 145 has 
a vertically extending slot (not shown) and a sharp inner edge 146. A back 
knob 147 has a threaded shank 148 that extends through a hole in the 
carrier 141 and through the slot in the back V block 145. A nut is 
threaded on the knob shank 148 and is captured in a step along the back V 
block slot. By turning the back knob 147 to sequentially loosen and 
tighten the nut on the knob shank 148, the position of the back V block 
can be adjusted vertically relative to the carrier 141. 
A front V block 149 is also mounted to the carrier 141, FIGS. 2 and 4. The 
front V block 149 is generally similar to the back V block 145, having a 
sharp inner edge. However, a slider 151 is interposed between the carrier 
141 and the front V block 149. The slider 151 is stepped to mate with and 
to slide along the carrier 141 in the Z directions. The slider 151 is also 
stepped to mate with and enable the front V block 149 to slide vertically 
within the slider. A front knob 153 has a threaded shank 154 that passes 
through a long horizontal slot 155 in the carrier 141, through a hole in 
the slider 151, and through a vertically extending slot (not shown) in the 
front V block 149. A nut is captured within a step in the front V block. 
The nut is threaded onto the shank 154 of the front knob 153. By turning 
the front knob 153 to loosen and tighten the nut on the front knob shank 
154, the front V block 149 is adjustable in both the Y and Z directions 
independently of the adjustment of the back V block 145. 
Operation of the first and second stage actuators 119 and 131, 
respectively, causes the transfer of a drill 5E from the magazine pickup 
station 19 to the staging station 23, FIG. 7. Phantom lines 5F represent a 
drill at the staging station. Specifically, the first and second stage 
actuators cooperate to position the back and front V blocks 145 and 149, 
respectively, under the drill 5E resting on the surfaces 116 and 118 of 
the front and back stops 99 and 100, respectively. Then the second stage 
actuator 131 operates to cause the V blocks to rise under the drill, 
cradle it, and lift it generally vertically off the stops. Finally, the 
first stage actuator 119 operates to move the drill generally horizontally 
in a +X direction to the staging station. The adjustments possible to the 
back and front V blocks by means of the back and front knobs 147 and 153, 
respectively, enable the V blocks to cradle both different length drills 
and drills having stepped shanks. A major advantage of the design of the 
magazine hopper 17, pickup station 19, and staging mechanism 27 is that 
drills having up to two inch variations in their lengths can be 
accommodated for a particular setup distance between the hopper front and 
back end plates 74 and 49, respectively. 
It will be appreciated that the location of the longitudinal axis of a 
drill 5E resting on the stop surfaces 116 and 118 and against the 
corresponding bumpers 120 and 122 varies with the diameter of the drill. 
The bumpers 120 and 122 locate the drill surface 363 that is farthest from 
the machine workhead axis 4 to be slightly to the right, as shown in FIG. 
7, of the gates 87 and 89. The independent adjustability of the stops 99 
and 100 enables drills having stepped shanks to be located at the pickup 
station. 
TIMING STATION 
From the staging station 23, the drill 5F is conveyed by the load gripper 
13 to the timing station 11. See FIGS. 2, 3, 10, 11, and 14. At the timing 
station, the drill, represented by phantom lines 5G, is oriented in space 
in the Z directions and in an angular direction about the drill 
longitudinal axis. For that purpose, the timing station includes a timing 
housing 157 that fastens to a pad 158. The pad 158 is on an angled section 
159 of the drill grinding machine lid 12. The timing housing 157 has a 
bore that defines a timing station axis 185. The timing station axis 185 
is parallel to the axis 4 of the drill grinding machine workhead 3. The 
timing housing bore interchangeably receives a number of bushing holders 
typically represented at reference numerals 161, 163, and 165. The bushing 
holders 161, 163, and 165 have identical outer diameters, but they have 
different inner diameters. Each bushing holder 161, 163, and 165 
interchangeably receives a number of bushings typically represented at 
reference numerals 167, 169, and 171. The bushings 167, 169, and 171 are 
removably held in place in their respective bushing holders by set screws 
173. 
The bushings 167, 169, or 171 for each associated bushing holder 161, 163, 
and 165 have constant outer diameters but variable inner diameters. The 
inner diameter of each bushing 167, 169, 171 is sized to accept a certain 
drill size. Drills of greater or lesser diameter than can be accommodated 
by the bushings of a particular bushing holder 161, 163, 165 require that 
a different bushing holder be used. 
The bushing holders 161, 163, 165 are manufactured with identical flanges 
175. An arcuate cutout 177 is formed in each flange 175 for the full 
length thereof. A step 179 is formed in the flange adjacent the cutout 
177. A locking screw 181 is threaded into the timing housing 157. A 
relatively large diameter head 183 on the locking screw 181 overlaps the 
housing step 179. By rotating the bushing holder about the timing station 
axis 185 with the locking screw 181 loosened until the cutout 177 
coincides with the locking screw head 183, the bushing holder can be 
removed from the timing housing 157 and a different bushing holder can be 
inserted into the timing housing. Then the bushing holder is rotated such 
that the step 179 underlies the locking screw head 183. Tightening the 
locking screw firmly holds the bushing holder in place. 
The timing station 11 also includes a timing device 186. In the illustrated 
construction, the timing device 186 is comprised of a rotary drive 187 
fastened to the plate 158 of the machine lid 12. The rotary drive 187 has 
an output shaft 189 with a shoulder 191. The shaft 189 is concentric with 
the timing station axis 185. An annular disk housing 193 is secured to the 
shaft shoulder 191. The disk housing 193 has external threads 195 that 
mate with internal threads of a collar 197. Sandwiched between a 
counterbore 199 of the disk housing 193 and a shoulder 201 of the collar 
197 is one of a series of timing disks 203, 204, 206. Like the bushing 
holders 161, 163, 165 and the bushings 167, 169, 171, the timing disks 
203, 204, 206 are designed to suit different ranges of drill diameters. 
Inserted into each timing disk 203, 204, 206 parallel and eccentric to the 
timing station axis 185 is a pin 205. A set screw 207 holds the pin 205 in 
place in the timing disk. Also pressed into the timing disk concentric 
with the timing station axis 185 is a hardened stop 209. The dimensions of 
the pin 205 and the hardened stop 209 vary with the particular timing disk 
203, 204, 206. By energizing the rotary drive 187, the disk housing 193, 
collar 197, timing disk, and pin 205 rotate as a unit about the timing 
station axis 185. 
Also part of the timing station 11 is a pusher mechanism 211, as is best 
shown in FIGS. 2-7. The pusher mechanism 211 is spaced in the -Z direction 
from the timing housing 157. Consequently, there is a portion 212 of the 
timing station axis 185 that lies in the space between the timing housing 
and the pusher mechanism. The pusher mechanism 211 is comprised of an 
elongated pusher block 213 that is mounted to the front bracket 73 of the 
magazine 9. The pusher bracket 213 slidingly supports a pusher shaft 215 
through a pair of conventional ball bearing bushings, not illustrated in 
the drawings. To one end of the pusher shaft 215 is attached one end of an 
arm 219. The second end of the arm 219 is provided with a pusher button 
221. The pusher block 213 is manufactured with a partial generally helical 
groove 223. A shoulder screw 225 is threaded into the pusher shaft 215 
with the head 227 of the shoulder screw extending through the pusher block 
groove 223. A low pressure air cylinder acting as a pusher actuator 229 is 
mounted to the top of the pusher block 213 and parallel to the pusher 
shaft 215. One end of a yoke 233 is connected to the piston rod 231 of the 
pusher actuator 229. The other end of the yoke 233 slidingly receives the 
pusher shaft 215 adjacent the arm 219. A guide rod 235 is threaded into 
the yoke 233 parallel to the pusher shaft 215. The guide rod 235 is 
slidable within the pusher block 213. 
Actuation of the pusher actuator 229 causes reciprocation of the pusher 
shaft 215 and the arm 219 in the Z directions. Because of the helical 
groove 223 and the shoulder screw 225, reciprocation of the pusher shaft 
215 causes simultaneous rotation of the pusher shaft and the arm 219. The 
guide rod 235 and the sliding fit between the yoke 233 and the pusher 
shaft 215 eliminate any rotational forces on the pusher actuator piston 
rod 231 during operation of the pusher mechanism 211. The groove 223 is so 
designed that the arm 219 is in a vertical upright attitude when the 
pusher shaft 215 is fully retracted, as is shown in FIGS. 2-5 and 7. The 
arm 219 is in a generally horizontal attitude, FIG. 6, when the pusher rod 
215 is in the fully extended position. When the pusher shaft 215 is in the 
fully extended position and the arm 219 is in the generally horizontal 
attitude, the axial centerline of the pusher button 221 is generally 
coaxial with the timing station axis 185 and the portion 212 thereof that 
lies outside of the timing housing 157. 
To sense when a drill 5G is inserted into the timing housing 157, pairs of 
fiber optic switches 237 and 239 are utilized. The fiber optic switches 
237 and 239 are mounted by means of respective brackets 241 and 243 to the 
wheel guard pad 158 on opposite sides of the timing station housing 157. 
Both fiber optic switches are installed such that their light beams pass 
through the timing station axis 185. 
LOAD GRIPPER 
Looking especially at FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 7, the load gripper 13 is used to 
transport a drill 5F from the staging station 23 to the timing station 11, 
and from the timing station to the machine workhead 3. For that purpose, 
the load gripper is capable of moving in the X, Y, and Z directions. In 
addition, the load gripper 13 includes a drill gripping mechanism 245. 
The lid 12 of the drill grinding machine 1 is fabricated with a 
horizontally extending plate 247. To the top of the lid plate 247 is 
fastened an elongated casing 249. The casing 249 slidingly supports two 
long shafts 251 capable of X-direction reciprocation. Upstanding plates 
253 are fastened to the opposite ends of the shafts 251. A double ended 
X-axis power slide 255, such as a low pressure pneumatic cylinder, is 
mounted to the top of the casing 249. The piston rods 257 of the X-axis 
power slide 255 are secured to the associated plates 253. An X-axis 
carrier 259 extends between and is joined to the plates 253. Actuation of 
the X-axis power slide 255 causes reciprocation of the X-axis carrier 259 
in the X directions. 
Supported on the X-axis carrier 259 is the load gripper Z-axis power slide 
261. Support for the Z-axis power slide 261 may be by means of an angle 
plate 265. The Z-axis power slide 261 includes a pair of piston rods 269 
that extend in the Z directions and that are reciprocable in the Z 
directions when the Z-axis power slide is actuated. A long Z-axis carrier 
271 is supported by the piston rods 269 through a pair of plates 273 
joined to the opposite ends of the piston rods 269. Actuation of the 
Z-axis power slide 261 thus causes reciprocation of the Z-axis carrier 271 
in the Z directions. 
Attached to the Z-axis carrier 271 is a vertically oriented Y-axis power 
slide 275. The Y-axis power slide 275 has a pair of piston rods 277, to 
the opposite ends of which are connected plates 279. A Y-axis carrier 281 
extends between and is fastened to the plates 279. Actuation of the Y-axis 
power slide 275 causes the Y-axis carrier 281 to reciprocate in vertical 
directions. 
To keep the weight and inertia of the load gripper 13 to a minimum, most of 
its components are made from aluminum. 
DRILL GRIPPING MECHANISM 
Mounted to the Y-axis carrier 281 is the drill gripping mechanism 245. 
Turning also to FIGS. 8 and 9, the drill gripping mechanism 245 is 
comprised of a base slide 283 that extends generally perpendicular to the 
plane of the Y-axis carrier 281. That is, the base slide 283 lies 
principally in an X-Y plane. Conventional fasteners 280 attach an edge 
surface 282 of the base slide 283 to the Y-axis carrier 281. Preferably, 
the base slide 283 is manufactured with a base portion 284 and a pair of 
integral spaced parallel pedestals 285. The pedestals 285, together with 
the base portion 284, define a channel 287. The pedestals 285 also define 
a vertical centerline 288 for the drill gripping mechanism 245. 
Fastened to the pedestals 285 of the base slide 283 by screws, not shown, 
is a vertically extending gripper plate 291. The gripper plate 291 
cooperates with the base portion 284 and the pedestals 285 of the base 
slide 283 to surround the channel 287 on four sides. 
Pivotally received within the channel 287 of the drill gripping mechanism 
245 are a pair of levers 295. The upper end 296 of each lever 295 is 
pivotable about an associated pin 297. Each pin 297 is supported on its 
opposite ends by the base portion 284 of the base slide 283 and by the 
gripper plate 291. The lower ends 299 of the levers 295 protrude below the 
lower ends of the base slide 283 and of the gripper plate 291. 
Received for sliding within the channel 287 of the drill gripping mechanism 
245 is the head 301 of a generally T-shaped cam slide 303. An opening 305 
is formed through the cam slide head 301. The pins 297 pass through the 
cam slide opening 305. Machined in the front face of the cam slide 305 are 
a pair of upwardly converging slots 307. The slots 307 are sized to accept 
the rollers 309 of associated cam followers 311. The shank 313 of each cam 
follower 311 is threaded into a corresponding lever 295. By reciprocating 
the cam slide 303 in Y directions, that is, vertically with respect to 
FIGS. 8 and 9, the levers oscillate about their respective pins 297. 
Specifically, sliding the cam slide upwardly with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9 
causes the lower ends 299 of the levers to pivot apart in the directions 
of arrows 315. Sliding the cam slide downwardly with respect to FIG. 8 
causes the lever lower ends to pivot toward each other in the directions 
of arrows 317. 
To reciprocate the cam slide 303 and thus oscillate the levers 295, the 
drill gripping mechanism 245 further comprises a gripper actuator 293. The 
gripper actuator 293, which may be an air operated cylinder, is fastened 
to the upper end of the gripper plate 291. A limit switch 371 mounted to 
the drill gripping mechanism plate 291 controls the operation of the 
gripper actuator 293. The piston rod 319 of the gripper actuator 293 is 
connected through a clevice 321 and pin 323 to a T-shaped connector 325. A 
leg 327 of the connector 325 slides within the channel 287 formed by the 
gripper plate 291 and the base slide 283. The connector 325 is joined to 
the head 301 of the cam slide 303 by long screws 329. The first ends of a 
pair of pins 333 are pressed into associated arms 331 of the connector 
325. The second ends of the pins 333 are slidingly received within 
corresponding ball bearing bushings 335 pressed into the pedestals 285 of 
the base slide 283. In that manner, actuation of the gripper actuator 293 
causes the cam slide 303 to reciprocate and the levers 295 to oscillate in 
the directions of arrows 315 and 317. 
The purpose of the drill gripping mechanism 245 is to selectively grip and 
release a drill 5. To facilitate that function, the lower ends 299 of the 
levers 295 are provided with respective interchangeable jaws 339. The jaws 
339 have identical attachment sections 341 for attaching to the levers 
295. However, the jaws 339 have different sized gripping sections 343. The 
gripping sections 343 are designed to grip a drill when the levers 295 are 
pivoted in the directions of arrows 317. The gripping sections 343 of the 
jaws 339 are sized to grip a range of drill sizes. It is contemplated that 
two or three sizes of gripping sections 343 are sufficient to handle 
drills ranging from 6 millimeters to 26 millimeters in diameter. 
For safety and other purposes to be explained, the levers 295 are biased to 
their closed configuration, that is, in the direction of arrows 317. 
Biasing is achieved through a compression spring 345 set into a recess 347 
in the base portion 284 of the base slide 283. The spring 345 acts against 
a small retainer 346 fastened to the underside of the cam slide 303. The 
spring urges the cam slide downwardly. As explained previously, downward 
motion of the cam slide 303 induces the levers 295 to pivot in the 
directions of arrows 317, that is, to pivot to their closed configuration 
to grip a drill in the jaws 339. The spring 345 maintains sufficient force 
on the cam slide to maintain the levers 295 in their closed configuration 
even if drill gripping force by the gripper actuator 293 is removed. 
Now looking at FIG. 15, a Z-direction adjustment mechanism 348 is 
incorporated into the load gripper 13 for a purpose to be explained 
presently. The Z-direction adjustment mechanism 348 is made up of a shaft 
350 having a threaded portion 352 and a head 354. The shaft 350 passes 
through aligned holes in the gripper plate 291 and in the base slide 283. 
A threaded insert 356 in the base slide 283 mates with the threads 352 on 
the shaft 350. A knob 358 is placed on the front end of the shaft. By 
turning the knob 358, the shaft is axially translated in the Z directions 
relative to the gripper plate 291. 
UNLOAD GRIPPER 
The unload gripper 15, FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, is used to transport drills 5 
from the machine workhead 3 to a storage receptacle 25. The unload gripper 
15 is very similar to the load gripper 13. The unload gripper is comprised 
of a Z-axis power slide 347 mounted to the X-axis carrier 259 by means of 
an angle plate 349. The Z-axis power slide 347 includes two piston rods 
351 that support a Z-axis carrier 353 through end plates 362. The Z-axis 
power slide 347 can be actuated to horizontally reciprocate the Z-axis 
carrier 353. 
The Z-axis carrier 353 supports a Y-axis power slide 355. In turn, the 
Y-axis power slide 355 supports a Y-axis carrier 357 through piston rods 
359 and end plates 360. Actuation of the Y-axis power slide 355 causes 
reciprocation of the Y-axis carrier 357. 
A drill gripping mechanism 361 is mounted to the Y-axis carrier 357 of the 
unload gripper 15. The drill gripping mechanism 361 is substantially 
identical to the drill gripping mechanism 245 described previously in 
conjunction with FIGS. 8 and 9. However, the drill gripping mechanism 361 
does not include the Z-direction adjustment mechanism 348 of FIG. 15. 
Like the load gripper 13, most of the components of the unload gripper 15 
are made of aluminum. 
SETUP AND ADJUSTMENT 
As part of the manufacture of the automatic drill loader 1, certain 
settings are made at the factory. To properly remove a drill 5E from the 
magazine pickup station 19, the end limit of the stage block 117 in the -X 
direction and the clockwise rotation of the stage housing 101 must be set. 
For that purpose, a first limit switch, not shown, is used in conjunction 
with the first stage actuator 119, and a second limit switch, also not 
shown, is used in conjunction with the second stage actuator 131. The two 
limit switches are set together to locate the stage block 117 and the V 
blocks 145 and 149 proximate and under the drill 5E on the horizontal 
surfaces 116, 118 of the stops 99, 100, respectively, when the two stage 
actuators are in their respective retracted positions. Specifically, the 
two limit switches are set such that the sharp edge 146 of the back V 
block 145 is vertically in line with the surface 363 of the drill cutting 
end 5B that is furthest from the machine workhead axis 4. The X-direction 
location of the front V block 149 is automatically in proper position to 
suit the drill shank, whether or not the shank is stepped. 
Transferring a drill 5E from the pickup station 19 to the staging station 
23 requires that the end limit of the first stage actuator 119 in its 
extended position be set to place the centerline of the V blocks 145 and 
149 vertically in line with the staging station. The end limit of the 
first stage actuator 119 in its extended position is set by adjusting the 
nuts 129 on the stud 127 associated with the stage housing 101. Normally, 
the nuts need no further adjustments, because the X-direction location of 
the staging station is fixed and is independent of the drill diameter. 
Transferring a drill 5E from the pickup station 19 to the staging station 
23 also requires that the vertical position of the V blocks 145 and 149, 
as controlled by the extended position of the second stage actuator 131, 
be carefully set. For that purpose, an adjustment stop 365 in the form of 
a set screw 367 and a pair of nuts 369 are employed in conjunction with 
the button 115 on the finger 110 of the stage housing See FIG. 13. The set 
screw 367 is threaded into a lug 387 that is a part of the magazine 
housing 29. By adjusting the set screw 367, the end limit of the 
counterclockwise rotation of the stage housing 101 and of the stage block 
117 (as viewed with respect to FIG. 13) is set. The counterclockwise end 
limit is set to locate the centerline of the V blocks 145 and 149 on the 
vertical centerline passing through the staging station 23. Like the 
X-direction adjustment provided the nuts 129 and stud 127, the 
counterclockwise rotational adjustment of the stage housing provided by 
the adjustment stop 365 normally needs little or no adjustment after 
initial setting at the factory. 
Although the automatic drill loader 7 is capable of handling a wide range 
of drill lengths and diameters, only drills having the same cutting end 
diameter and the same shank end diameter can be handled with one setup. 
Such individual setups are made by the machine operator. Similarly, the 
lengths of all the drills for a particular setup must be within two inches 
of each other. The individual adjustments of the automatic drill loader 
will be explained in connection with drills 5A having stepped shanks 5C, 
FIG. 3. For each setup, a series of manual adjustments to the magazine 9, 
timing station 11, and workhead 3 are required. Although no specific order 
is required, the following sequence will be found helpful. 
The clamps 65 of the magazine 9 are loosened by properly turning the knobs 
69, FIG. 6. Then the rails 59 and 61 are slid along the rail guides 45, 47 
and the grooves 55, 57, FIG. 2. Sliding the rails simultaneously moves the 
front-end bracket 73 and the front end plate 74 of the magazine hopper 17 
in the Z directions. When the hopper front end plate 74 is in the proper 
horizontal location to suit the lengths of the drills 5A, the clamps 65 
are retightened, FIG. 3. The drills 5A can then be stored in the magazine 
hopper 17 with their cutting ends 5B supported on the hopper back wear 
plate 77. 
To support the shank ends 5C of the drills 5A in the magazine hopper 17, 
the front end plate 74 is vertically adjusted by means of the adjustment 
mechanism 72. Specifically, the knob 80 is turned in the proper direction 
until the bottom wall 81 of the front wear plate 75 contacts and supports 
the drill shank ends 5C. 
Next, the front and back gates 87 and 89, respectively, of the magazine 
hopper 17 are adjusted. Those adjustments are accomplished by 
appropriately turning the screw 95 of the front adjustment mechanism 91 
and the screw 97 of the back adjustment mechanism 93. The back gate 89 is 
adjusted until the drill cutting end 5B of one drill 5A can roll between 
that gate and the bottom wall 85 of the back wear plate 77. The front gate 
87 is adjusted until the drill shank end 5C of a drill 5A rolls proximate 
the gate 87 when the drill cutting end 5B rolls under the back gate 89. 
The front and back stops 99 and 100, respectively, are adjusted to assure 
that the particular diameter drills 5E are properly located at the 
magazine pickup station 19, FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 7, and 12. The front stop 99 is 
adjusted horizontally by means of the knob 128. The front stop is adjusted 
such that its bumper 120 locates the surface 363 of drill 5E slightly 
closer to the machine workhead axis 4 than the gates 87 and 89. That is, 
the drill surface 363 is to the right with respect to FIG. 7 of the gates. 
Because the front stop 99 is received within the front end plate 74, the 
front stop moves vertically with the front end plate whenever the front 
end plate is adjusted by the adjustment mechanism 72 to properly locate 
the front wear plate 75 to support the shanks 5C of the drills 5A. 
Accordingly, the vertical level of the front stop horizontal surface 116 
is set concurrently and automatically whenever the front end plate is 
adjusted to suit the drill shanks. The back stop 100 is horizontally 
adjusted by turning the knob 104. The magazine hopper 17 is now set up to 
store a quantity of drills 5A having stepped shanks 5C. 
If the drills 5A do not have stepped shanks, the front end plate 74 is 
adjusted by means of the adjustment mechanism 72 such that the front wear 
plate 75 is coplanar with the back wear plate 77. The horizontal surfaces 
116 and 118 of the stops 99 and 100, respectively, are then automatically 
coplanar. In addition, the opening between the front gale 87 and the 
bottom wall 81 of the front wear plate is adjusted to be the same as the 
opening between the back gate 89 and the bottom wall 85 of the back wear 
plate 77. 
The next set of adjustments concerns the magazine staging mechanism 27. 
Those adjustments are necessary to assure that the various diameter drills 
that the magazine hopper 17 can store are properly removed from the pickup 
station 19 and transferred to the staging station 23. 
To properly locate the drills 5F of different diameters at the staging 
station 23, it is necessary to vertically adjust the V blocks 145 and 149. 
The back knob 147 is loosened to enable the back V block 145 to slide 
vertically relative to the carrier 141 until the longitudinal axis of the 
particular drill to be transferred by the stage mechanism 27 is concentric 
with the staging station 23. Then the back knob 147 is retightened. The 
front V block 149 is adjusted independently of the back V block 145 by 
means of the front knob 153. If the drill has a straight shank, the front 
V block is set at the same vertical setting as the back V block. If the 
drill has a stepped shank, the front V block is set at an appropriately 
higher level than the back V block. The front V block is also adjusted 
along the carrier 141 in the Z directions to suit the length of the 
drills. After the two V blocks have been properly adjusted, drills of a 
particular diameter and length are consistently transferable from the 
pickup station 19 to the staging station 23. 
The setup of the timing station 11 requires the insertion of the correct 
bushing holder 161, 163, or 165 into the timing station housing 157 (FIGS. 
10, 10a, 11, and 14). The proper sized bushing, such as bushing 167, for 
the particular drill 5G is then inserted into the bushing holder. Also, 
the correct disk 203, 204, or 206 is installed in connection with the 
rotary timing device 186. 
The proper sized jaws 339 are attached to the levers 295 of the two drill 
gripping mechanisms 245 and 361 (FIGS. 2, 8, 9, and 15). 
The proper bushing is inserted into the chuck of the machine workhead 3. 
For example, the chuck bushing may be as is described in U.S. patent 
application Ser. No. 513,080. 
Other adjustments will be explained shortly in connection with the 
explanation of the operation of the automatic drill loader 7. 
OPERATION 
After the drill grinding machine 1 and the automatic drill loader 7 are 
setup and adjusted as previously described, operation of the machine to 
automatically process drills 5A stored in the magazine 9 can begin. A 
conventional programmable controller may be used to control the operation 
of the conventional automatic drill loader by properly actuating the 
various air cylinder actuators. The limit switches and other sensors 
provide signals that assure a particular step has been completed before 
the next step can begin. 
The operation of the automatic drill loader 7 will be described as 
beginning with a drill 5A rolling down the front and back wear plates 75 
and 77, respectively, under the gates 87 and 89, onto the stops 99 and 
100, and to the pickup station 19. The first and second stage actuators 
119 and 131, respectively, of the magazine staging mechanism 27 are 
actuated to move the stage block 117 with a compound motion to locate the 
front and back V blocks 149 and 145, respectively, under the drill 5E at 
the pickup station 19. Then the second stage actuator 131 extends a short 
amount to pivot the stage housing 101 and the stage block 117 such that 
the V blocks rise up under and lift the drill 5E from the pickup station. 
The second stage actuator extends completely, and the first stage actuator 
extends to transfer the drill to the staging station 23. Meanwhile, a new 
drill rolls down the front and back wear plates 75 and 77, respectively, 
of the magazine hopper 17 to the pickup station 19. 
While the magazine staging mechanism 27 is transferring a drill 5E to the 
staging station 23, the load gripper 13 is in its normal X-direction 
position vertically over the staging station. The load gripper is also in 
its normal Z-direction position at the -Z-direction limit. In that 
situation, the jaws 339 of the drill gripping mechanism 245 are overto the 
drill 5F at the staging station 23. 
The gripper actuator 293 of the load gripper drill gripping mechanism 245 
is actuated to open the jaws 339, i.e., to pivot the levers 295 in the 
directions of arrows 315. Then the Y-direction power slide 275 is 
energized to lower the Y-axis carrier 281 and thus the drill gripping 
mechanism 245 to a -Y-direction limit. When the Y-axis carrier 281 and the 
load gripper drill gripping mechanism 245 are at the -Y-direction limit, 
the jaws 339 surround the drill 5F at the staging station 23 and are 
located between the V blocks 145 and 149 of the Staging mechanism 27. At 
that point, the gripper actuator 293 is reversed to close the jaws in the 
directions of arrows 317 and thereby snugly grip the drill 5F. The Y-axis 
power slide 275 is then actuated to retract the Y-axis carrier 281 and to 
raise it and the drill 5F in the +Y direction. The Y-axis power slide 275 
is deenergized when the drill axis is concentric with the axis 185 of the 
timing station 11. At that point, the drill is located at a pre-timing 
station coincident with the portion 212 of the timing station axis 185 
between the timing housing 157 and the pusher mechanism 211. The cutting 
end of the drill is a short distance in front of the timing station 
housing 157. 
With the drill at the pre-timing station 212, the gripper actuator 293 of 
the drill gripping mechanism 245 is deactuated to remove the force on the 
levers 295. However, the gripper actuator is not actuated with a reverse 
motion that would cause the jaws 339 to open. Rather, the drill remains 
loosely gripped within the jaws under the force of the spring 345. 
The pusher actuator 229 is then actuated to extend the piston rod 221 and 
with it the yoke 233, pusher shaft 215, and arm 219. As the pusher shaft 
215 extends, the groove 223 in the pusher block 213 acts on the shoulder 
screw 225 screwed into the pusher shaft. The groove 223 and shoulder screw 
225 cause the pusher shaft and arm 219 to rotate approximately 90 degrees 
such that the pusher button 221 is coaxial with the timing station axis 
185. Continued extension of the pusher actuator 229 causes the pusher 
button 221 to ultimately contact the back of the drill shank. The stroke 
of the pusher shaft 215 is designed to accomodate the two inch variations 
in length of the drill stored in the magazine hopper 17. Continued 
operation of the pusher actuator pushes the drill from the pre-timing 
station 212 into the bushing 167, 169, or 171 in the bushing holder 161, 
163, or 165 until the drill cutting tip passes through switch 237, which 
actuates the rotary drive 187 while the drill is pushed to contact the 
hardened stop 209 of the timing disk 203, 204, or 206. At that point, the 
drill 5G is timed in the Z direction, and the rotary drive finishes 
orientation of the drill angularly in space. The drill is then at a 
predetermined location in space in the all linear and angular directions. 
The rotary drive 187 operates to rotate the disk 203, 204, or 206 a 
predetermined amount, such as 360 degrees. During such rotation of the 
disk, the pin 205 engages a flute of the drill and thus rotate the drill 
with the disk. Consequently, the drill 5G is at a known and predetermined 
angular orientation in space when the rotary drive 187 ceases its 
rotation. The drill is then angularly timed. At that point, the pusher 
actuator 229 retracts the pusher shaft 215 and arm 219 from against the 
back of the drill. Full retraction of the pusher actuator causes the 
groove 223 and shoulder screw 225 to swing the arm back to its vertical 
position. The pusher button 221 is then displaced from the timing station 
axis 185 and out of the way of the drill. During the timing operation, the 
staging mechanism 27 withdraws the stage block 117 away from the staging 
station 23 to underlie a new drill at the pickup station 19. 
Next, the gripper actuator 293 is reactuated to again snugly grip the drill 
5G. The Z-direction power slide 261 actuates to extend the Z-axis carrier 
271 in the -Z direction by an amount sufficient to withdraw the drill 5G 
from the timing housing 157 and move it back to the pre-timing station 
212. When the sensing switches 239 assure that the drill 5G has indeed 
been removed from the timing housing, the Y-axis power slide 275 is 
actuated to extend the Y-axis carrier 281 in the -Y direction. The Y-axis 
power slide is deactuated when the drill is back at the staging station 
23. (The stage block 117 is still under the pickup station 19 and away 
from the staging station 23.) When the machine workhead chuck is ready, 
the X-axis power slide 255 is actuated to move the X-axis carrier 259 and 
the timed drill such that the drill longitudinal axis is concentric with 
the axis of the machine workhead chuck. Then the Z-axis power slide 261 
again actuates to retract the Z-axis carrier in the +Z direction and 
insert the drill 5 into the chuck of the workhead 3. 
To control the location of the drill 5 within the workhead chuck, the 
Z-direction adjustment 348 is utilized. A limit switch 379 and a stop 
button 381 mounted to the drill grinding machine 1 are used in conjunction 
with the Z-axis adjustment 348. The stop button 381 is attached to the lid 
12 of the drill grinding machine 1. The knob 353 is adjusted to produce 
contact of the head 354 of the shaft 350 against the stop button 381 when 
the tip of the drill is at the proper location relative to the machine 
grinding wheel (not shown). The limit switch 379 is set to trip when the 
shaft head 354 contacts the stop button 381. Then the workhead chuck grips 
the drill, the load gripper 13 releases the drill, the Y-axis power slide 
271 is actuated to raise the Y-axis carrier 281 to its upper or retracted 
position, and the grinding cycle can begin. 
While the grinding cycle is continuing, the load gripper 13 returns to its 
normal position vertically over the staging station 23, ready to pick up a 
fresh drill 5F transferred there in the meantime by the staging mechanism 
27. Return to the staging station is achieved by energizing the X-axis 
actuator 255 to move the X-axis carrier 259 to an end limit set by a 
-X-direction limit switch, not illustrated in the drawings. The 
-X-direction limit is set such that the vertical centerline 288 of the 
drill gripping mechanism 245 is aligned in the X directions with the 
timing station axis 185 and the staging station 23. The Z-axis power slide 
261 is also energized to move the Z-axis carrier 271 in the -Z direction 
to a limit set by a -Z-direction limit switch. When the Z-axis carrier 271 
is at the -Z-direction limit, the jaws 339 of the drill gripping mechanism 
are over the drill 5F at the staging station 23. The load gripper 13 
returns to the staging station directly from the workhead 3 without 
stopping at the timing station 11. 
Simultaneous with the various movements of the load gripper 13 are 
associated movements of the unload gripper 15. The various components of 
the automatic drill loader 7 are so dimensioned that the vertical 
centerline 383 of the unload gripper is aligned with the machine workhead 
axis 4 when the load gripper vertical centerline 288 is aligned with the 
timing station axis 185 and the staging station 23. When the load gripper 
13 is located such that the timed drill gripped in the jaws 339 is at the 
staging station 23, the unload gripper is located vertically above the 
machine workhead 3, as is shown in FIG. 2. Both grippers wait in those 
locations until the grinding operation is completed on the drill 5. 
At the completion of the drill grinding cycle, the Y-axis power slide 355 
of the unload gripper 15 is actuated to lower the open jaws 339a of the 
drill gripping mechanism 361 to surround the ground drill 5. The jaws 339a 
close to grip the drill, and the workhead collet releases the drill. Then 
the Z-axis power slide 347 is actuated to extend the Z-axis carrier 353 in 
the -Z direction and remove the drill from the workhead chuck. The Y-axis 
power slide 355 is actuated to return the Y-axis carrier 357 to its upper 
or retracted position. 
It is at that point that the X-axis power slide 255 translates the X-axis 
carrier 259 in the +X direction to bring the timed drill from the staging 
station 23 to the machine workhead 3. That X-axis carrier movement 
simultaneously brings the unload gripper 15 over the storage receptacle 
25. The load gripper inserts the fresh drill into the workhead chuck, and 
the unload gripper releases the finished drill 5H to the receptacle 25. At 
the same time, the unload gripper Z-axis power slide 347 is actuated to 
retract the Z-axis carrier 353 in the +Z direction to its retracted 
position. As the X-axis power slide 255 moves the load gripper 13 in the 
-X direction by means of the X-axis carrier 259 back toward the staging 
station 23, the unload gripper 15 simultaneously moves in the -X direction 
to be vertically over the workhead 3. The unload gripper remains in that 
location while the load gripper undergoes the various motions to grip 
another drill at the staging station, convey it to the timing station, and 
return it to the staging station. At that point, the cycle is complete. 
The cycle is repeated until all the drills 5A in the magazine hopper 17 
are processed. 
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the 
invention, an automatic drill loader that fully satisfy the aims and 
advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in 
conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many 
alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it 
is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and 
variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended 
claims.