Patent GB-724340-A (GB)
Title: Automatic tools for machining junctions between relatively inclined surfaces
IPC: B23C5/18
Filed: 1953-04-22
Abstract: 724,340. Milling turbine blades. CREEK, J. O. April 22, 1953 [April 22, 1952], No. 11091/53. Class 83 (3). An automatic machine tool for machining two relatively inclined surfaces and the junction 5 therebetween comprises a rotary, disc-like cutter 33 having a peripheral machining surface complementary to the desired configuration of the junction, a control means 38 which provides relative oscillation between the cutter and work, and a profile tracer 45 which, together with the control means, maintains the machining surface substantially tangential to one of the surfaces when machining the junction. A milling machine comprises the cutter 33 controlled by cams 14, 15 to machine a turbine blade 1. A rough-machined gas-turbine blade 1 is rotated between chucks 11, 12 rotated synchronously by a variable-speed hydraulic motor 13. (If the blade is relatively strong, the drive may be to the lower chuck only.) Rotated with the blade are an aerofoil pattern 14 and a root pattern 15. The aerofoil follower 45, the root follower 31 and the cutter 33 together with its hydraulic motor 32 are mounted on a yoke 25 supported by leaf springs 24 from a bracket 16a which is freely rotatable on a column 16 which can be fed vertically by screw and nut means 19, 20. The cutter and root follower are oscillated by a motor 36 rotating adjustable cranks 37, 38 which reciprocate hinged connecting rods 39, 40. A spring 46 holds the follower 45 and pattern 14 in contact. In operation, the column 16 is gradually lowered while the aerofoil blade la is machined under the control of the pattern 14, the root portion 2 being machined when the follower 31 contacts the pattern 15. In a multi-spindle machine, Fig. 9, unmachined blanks are placed in chucks 68. At three stations, such as on the right, the blade portion is machined by a cutter 80 under the control of a common aerofoil pattern 69 which revolves once for each revolution of the blade. At the other stations, as on the left, the root portions are machined under the control of the aerofoil pattern 59 and root patterns 81, the yokes 86 being oscillated by hydraulic pistons 90, supported on ball joints and being slidable in bearings 82. The blades may then be interchanged by rotating a common support table 60, 61. A further two indexing motions of the blades may take place for finish-machining. In a further modification, Fig. 11, the cutter 107 and follower 106 are mounted on trunnions in a slide 99 movable vertically on a carriage 98 which is biased to the right by a hydraulic cylinder to maintain a follower 110 in contact with an aerofoil pattern 93. The root pattern is formed with a further surface 92 controlling a slide 114 moving on rods 113 to swing an arm 121 connected to the cutter and follower to orientate them. The follower 110 is movable by a hydraulically operated screw to traverse the cutter to machine the whole width of the root portion. In each machine, to maintain a constant cutting speed round the circumference of the blade, a cam 129, Fig. 12, may be provided on the work spindle to control a valve 128 and hence the hydraulic motor 127.