Patent GB-528694-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic multiple spindle machine for turning, drilling, tapping and the like
IPC: B23B9/02
Filed: 1939-02-03
Abstract: 528,694. Lathes. CONE AUTOMATIC MACHINE CO., Inc. Feb. 3, 1939, No. 3683. Convention date, Feb. 4, 1938. [Class 83 (iii)] An automatic multiple-spindle turret lathe has means for indicating the phase of the cycle which the machine has reached at any instant. The machine has a base 1 supporting a headstock 2, a turret housing 4, an end bracket 3 and a top frame 5 housing the cam shaft which is protected by a cover 600. Headstock driving gear.-An electric motor 10 outside the headstock or column 2 drives a shaft 14, Figs. 11 and 12, through a number of belts 12 and a jockey tensioning pulley 15. Change gears 18 connect the shaft 14 with a parallel shaft 19 carrying a multiple sprocket 22 which drives the work rotating shaft 25, extending along the centre of the machine, by means of a number of chains 23. The shaft 25 carries a gear 162, Fig. 6, driving the gears 163 on the six work spindles 161 in the turret 328. The cam shaft 6 is rotated by a worm wheel 160 driven by a worm 150 which is rotated at the slow cutting rate by a worm wheel 77 connected by a two-speed gear and change wheels 73, 64, 67 driven by a chain 61 from the shaft 25, the worm wheel 77 being connected to worm 150 by a hand-controlled clutch 83 incorporating a free-wheel drive 81 which permits this drive to be overrun by a high speed drive controlled by a clutch 43 actuated by hand or by a cam 117, Fig. 6, on the shaft 6. The high speed drive is derived from a bevel gear 41 driving a bevel 47 attached to the worm 150, the bevel gear 41 being adapted for connection directly to the shaft 14 by clutch 43, for forward rotation of the cam shaft, or being driven from shaft 14 through a double chain 27, bevel gears 31, clutch 34, chain 37 and bevel 39 for reverse rotation. The reversing clutch 34 is controlled by hand through lever 52, link 55 and handle 56, this mechanism being mechanically interlocked with the shaft 85 controlling actuation of the forward slow-speed clutch 83. The handle which controls the clutch 43 is connected to a brake 137, Fig. 11, on the shaft 40 carrying the pinion 39 so that when the clutch is opened, the brake will be automatically applied to slow down the cam shaft immediately to the low speed drive, if clutch 83 is engaged, or to stop the cam shaft immediately if the clutch 83 is open. Gauging devices; chuck-operating mechanism. -The stop 200, Figs. 6 and 16, for the stock feed is carried by a shaft 201 splined to a shaft 202 so as to be axially adjustable relatively to the turret 328. A pinion 203 on the shaft 202 is engaged by a toothed segment 205 carrying arms 208 which are rocked positively in both directions by cams inside a drum 212 on the shaft 6 to move the stop into and out of operative position opposite the chuck through which the stock is being fed, as shown in Fig. 16. The actuating ring 165 of each chuck is engaged by a yoke 220, Figs. 6 and 28, slidable on a shaft 221 secured to the turret. As each chuck arrives at the top station the yoke engages a finger 223 carried by a slide 224 which is actuated by a cam drum 226 on the shaft 6 to open the chuck whilst the stock is fed and then close it. In order to ensure the proper closing of the chuck before machining commences the slide 224 carries a pin 228 engaging a lever 230 whose other end lies behind a roller 234 on a slide 240 movable along a fixed rod 236 so that when the cam 226 opens the chuck at the top station, where the finished work is cut off and the stock fed, the slide 240 will be actuated to close the chuck firmly at the first machining station. In order to allow the chuck at this station to be opened manually such as for the insertion of a new stock bar, a rack 250 on the slide 240 is engaged by a pinion 251 rotatable by a handwheel 257, this operation not affecting the chuck at the previous station due to the roller 234 engaging the side only of the lever 230. The chucks are maintained in closed position throughout rotation of the turret by a fixed rib 245 engaging the yokes 220. Feed-motions; selector stop mechanism.- Transverse tool slides 300, 301, Figs. 1 and 24, are moved to and from the work spindles by levers 304 pivoted at 302 and connected by links to slides moved axially in the machine frame by cams on drums 310, 311, springs serving to take up lost motion. The levers 304 are connected by links 315 to adjustable bars 316 on the slides. The inward movement of the tools is separately determined for each turret position by a series of adjustable stops 320 which co-operate with a single stop 321 on a vertically adjustable bar 322 which is moved through crank mechanism to present its stop 321 to the stops 320 sequentially. Inclined transverse tool slides 350, Figs. 1, 24 and 25, are also provided and are guided on blocks 352 which are angularly adjustable on arcuate guides 357 on the central frame member 5. Rack bars 370 are attached to the slides and are engaged by pinions 363 on shafts 360 having other pinions 362 meshing with rack bars 364 which are moved axially on the frame 5 by cams on the drums 367, 368 to feed the tools in. Springs 377 on the bars 370 normally maintain the slides in the upper withdrawn position and stops 384 determine the limit of feed. Each slide 350 has a tapered gib 373 which may be adjusted to take up wear by pivoted pads 375 and screws 374. Further tool holders may be attached to T-slots in a slide 390, Figs. 6 and 24, attached to a carrier 392 movable axially in guides on the underside of the frame 5 by cams on a drum 400. The shaft 201 of the stock feed stop passes through the slide. Drilling; tapping.-End-working tools, such as for drilling and tapping, are carried by a hollow slide 424, Figs. 1, 6 and 24, slidable on a tube 420 rotating with the turret 328 and prevented from turning by a bracket 427 which carries a roller 426 engaging cams on a drum 212 for feeding. A bearing block 550 attached to the slide 424 rotatably supports a drill spindle 553 splined to a tubular shaft 557, Fig. 9, journalled in the headstock 2. A gear 561 on the shaft is driven through back gears 564 from a pinion 565 secured to the main driving shaft 25. Another bearing block 575, Fig. 21, may be attached to a different face of the slide 424, through which is slidable a sleeve 576 carrying a rotatable drill spindle 585 which is splined in a sleeve in the headstock 2, similar to the sleeve 557 and driven through back gears from the pinions 565. The sleeve 576 is fed axially from a cam drum 592 through a lever 590 connected by an adjustable link 593 to a swivel pin thereon. For tapping, a tap 450, Fig. 9, is carried by a spindle 451 splined within a shaft 453 which is splined within a tube 456 and is secured by its end flange 458 to a hollow shaft 459. A yoke 500 engages the tapping spindle and is moved axially to start the tap by a link (not shown) connected through springs to a lever 516, Figs. 1 and 6, rocked about a fixed pivot by a cam drum 520. When the desired length of thread has been cut, the yoke 500 engages a nut 521 on a rod 522 of adjustable length and connected to a spool 488, thereby driving the spool forward so as to bring an annular groove 490 therein opposite balls 457 which lock a clutch-operating rod 485 axially to the shaft 459. The balls thereupon ride outwardly to release the rod and allow a spring 495 to move it forwardly thereby causing a member 533 attached to the rear end of the rod to operate balls 468, 471 controlling clutches for driving the tap spindle at two speeds from gears 498, 499 on the shaft 25. This operation of the clutches throws out the low-speed drive for tapping and couples up the high-speed drive for backing out the tap, the rotation in each case being in the same or opposite direction to the work spindle rotation according to the hand of the thread being cut. When the tap is clear of the work the slide 424 is withdrawn and the shaft 453 presses the rod 485 rearwardly to the slow-speed position ready for the next cutting operation, the rod 522 being returned by a spring 526. The effective length of the reversing rod 485 may be adjusted at 540 where it is attached to the bracket 533. Turrets.-The turret indexing mechanism forms the subject-matter of Specification 528,960. Alarms.-The machine is totally enclosed by the cover 600 and other plates, not shown, and in order to indicate to the operator the cycle phase of the machines at any instant, an edge cam 605, Figs. 6 and 18, is attached to the end of the drum 212 and comprises a continuous rise from the foot to the apex of a step. A roller 606 on a bell crank lever 607 engages the cam, the lever being pivoted at 608 and its other arm carrying an adjustable link 611 pivoted to an arm 613 on a shaft 614. The shaft extends through the front of the frame 5 and carries a pointer 615, Fig. 1, co-acting with a scale 620 indicating the different portions of the cycle such as chuck opening, turret locking, commencement of feed &c. The rise of the cam 605 moves the pointer over the scale and the pointer then moves quickly to the start again, an adjustable screw 622 engaging a fixed stop 623 in this position.