GUIDING AND SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR SPINDLE HEADS OF MACHINE TOOLS

Abstract: The support and guide system for a spindle head (T) of a machine tool comprises at least a pair of frames (1) secured to the carriage (C) into which the spindle head (T) slides. Each of the frames (1) is formed of four metal bars (2-5) adjustably connected to each other and encompassing the spindle head (T). The frames (1) act as a sliding surface for the spindle head (T) and are intended to increase the supporting surface of the spindle head (T) on the vertically movable carriage (C) and to guide the spindle head (T) in its vertical movement.

Description: The present invention generally relates to machine tools and, more particularly, an improved supporting and guiding system for spindle heads associated to machine tools, for example milling and boring machines. At present, the nowaday machine tools, as for example the milling and boring machines, make use of a spindle head provided with a speed change gear and a d.c.motor which operates the spindle, through the speed change gear, to the different speeds required by the working operation. The unit comprising the spindle head, the speed change gear and the motor is capable of horizontally moving on the upright in opposite guideways within a carriage which is slidably secured to the upright in order to permit the vertical movement along the upright of the above mentioned unit. For the horizontal movement, the spindle head is provided with at least a pair of guideways generally formed of longitudinal grooves provided on the side surfaces of the head, adjacent two edges thereof, these guideways being capable of cooperating with corresponding gibs secured to the spindle head supporting carriage. By means of this horizontal guiding system wherein the head guideways are arranged on the side thereof and cooperate with the gibs secured to the head supporting carriage, a good support of the spindel head is obtained, but the stresses exerted by the working tool and the reaction forces generated are principally directed on a limited surface of the guideways, so that, in the spindle head, light working inaccuracies can be generated. The present invention aims at obviating this disadvantage by providing a new supporting and guiding system of the spindle head of a machine tool, which is simple in construction while offering better performances during the working. More particularly the support and guide system of the spindle head according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises at least a pair of square frames secured to the ends of the vertically movable carriage of the spindle head and each of which is formed of four metal bars adjustably connected to each other and encompassing the spindle head, these frames acting as a sliding surface of the head and being intended to increase the supporting surface of the head on the carriage and to guide the spindle head in its horizontal movement. The present invention will be now further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig.1 is a front view of the support system of the spindle head; and Fig.2 is a side elevation view, partially sectioned, of the above system. As can be seen from the drawings, the spindle head generally indicated with T is represented here as a part of a milling and boring machine of the type having a horizontally movable upright M to which the spindle head is applied. The spindle head T is capable of carrying out a horizontal movement with respect to the upright M within the carriage C which moves vertically up and down along the upright M, these movements being guided by guideways G. The spindle head T can be provided with a speed change gear, not shown, and a d.c.motor MO which operates the spindle F, through the speed change gear, at the different speeds required by the working operation. The unit comprising the spindle head, the speed change gear and the motor is capable of moving in a horizontal direction with respect to the upright M, guided within the support carriage C which is vertically movable, as already said, along the upright in order to permit the vertical movement of this unit. For guiding the spindle head, the carriage is provided with the support and guide system according to the present invention, which is comprised substantially of a pair of square frames, arranged at the ends of the carriage C and secured in position by screws. Each square frame, generally indicated with the numeral 1, is formed of four metal bars 2,3,4 and 5, secured to each other by means of screws 6. More particularly, each of the metal bars 2,3,4,5 is shaped so as to have a stepped end 12,13,14 and 15, respectively, which is intended to receive the end without step of an adjacent metal bar. In this manner the bars are secured to each other with a geometric fit and are maintained in the desired position by the screws 6 which offer also the possibility of an accurate adjustment of the bar position with respect to the carriage C in which the spindle head T slides. Therefore, it can be seen that both the frames 1 provided at the ends of the carriage C and encompassing the spindle head provide a support and guide means for the spindle head along all the four surfaces thereof, both in the front position and in the rear position of the carriage so that there is a complete support of the spindle head at the ends of the carriage C which eliminates the need of providing guideways in the spindle head T and the use of gibs intended to cooperate therewith. As a result, the spindle head can carry out more accurately the working operations because the stresses to which the head is subjected are completely absorbed by the supporting and guiding frames 1. Numeral 7 indicates holes provided in the metal bars for their application by means of screws 8 to the carriage C. From the foregoing,it is readily apparent that the supporting and guiding system of the spindle head according to the present invention offers two very important advantages with respect to the conventional systems, namely the omission of the guideways in the spindle head body which require an accurate machining operation and therefore are very expensive, and the increase of the support surface of the spindle head in the frames for a more uniform distribution of the stresses that the head applies to the supporting and guiding system in accordance to the present invention.

Claims: 1) Supporting and guiding system for the spindle head of machine tools of the type having a carriage in which the spindle head slides, characterized in that it comprises at least a pair of frames secured to said movable carriage and each of which is formed of four metal bars adjustably connected to each other and encompassing the spindle head, said frames acting as a sliding surface of the spindle head and being intended to increase the support surface of the head on said carriage and to guide the head in its horizontal movement. 2) Supporting and guiding system according the claimm 1, characterized in that said frames are two in number and are secured to the ends of the spindle head supporting carriage. 3) Supporting and guiding system according the claims 1 an 2, characterized in that each of said metal bars forming the frames is provided at one end thereof with a stepped portion intended to cooperate with the without step end of the adjacent metal bar. 4) Supporting and guiding system according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said metal bars forming the frames are connected to each other by means of adjusting screws permitting an accurate fit of the metal bars to the outer surface of the spindle head. 5) Supporting and guiding system according to claim 1, characterized in that said frames have a shape mating the shape of the spindle head.

Inventors: NATINO, ALBERTO
Applicants: MAUT S.P.A.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B23Q1
IPC codes: B23Q1