Patent GB-657898-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in multiple spindle lathe
IPC: B23B9/02
Filed: 1948-07-21
Abstract: 657,898. Lathes. CONE AUTOMATIC MACHINE CO., Inc. July 21, 1948, No. 19545. Convention date, Aug. 20, 1947. [Class 83 (iii)] A multi-spindle lathe comprises an indexing turret 10, Figs. 7 and 21, carrying in circular array around its axis a plurality of rotatable work-spindles 15, front and rear tool slides 450 ... 455 adjustably movable to and from the work carried by the spindles, end-working tools adjustably movable parallel to the spindles in position to operate on the work in certain of the spindles, connecting mechanism interposed between an actuating shaft 20 and the tool slides and end-working tools, and independent means in each of these mechanisms for adjusting the effective motions of its respective slide and end-working tools in the form of a follower connected to the tool holder and engaging a transverse slot in a disc which is rotatable to vary the effective motion of the follower. As shown in Fig. 7, the machine is of the " Cone " type with certain of the drive mechanism disposed in an end column 2, the turret 10 housed in a second column 3, and the shaft 20 mounted for rotation at either a slow working or fast idle speed under automatic control in an upper frame member 4. Each spindle 15 carries a gear 18 meshing with a central gear 17 on a drive-shaft 16 coaxial with the turret. Drive mechanism.-A shaft 40, Fig. 11, driven from a motor 30, Fig. 7, carries pick-off gears providing the fast drive of the shaft 20 through a shaft 45 and its slow drive through a shaft 100. Two bevel gears 46, 47, Fig. 13, journalled on the shaft 45, mesh with a gear 52 on a transverse shaft 53 which drives the shaft 20 through worm gearing 54, 55. Clutches 48, 60, which are operated by rock-shafts 73, 74, 80, 81 from either the front or rear of the column 2, permit either gear 46, 47 to be coupled to the shaft 45 for forward or reverse drive, means being provided to prevent both clutches being engaged at the same time. The shaft 73 carries an upstanding arm 90, Fig. 13, with a follower engaging a speed-change cam 92, Fig. 7, on the shaft 20. A shaft 104, which is driven from the slow-drive shaft 100, Fig. 11, selectively at either of two speeds through gear and clutch mechanism, is connected by a chain drive 120 with the drive-shaft 16 of the work spindles 15. A further chain drive 140 rotates on a shaft 142 which carries one of a set of pick-off gears for driving a shaft 144, and thence, through worm gearing 151, 152, the hub 153 of an overrunning clutch 154 connected by a clutch 155 to the shaft 53. When the shaft 53 is not driven at high speed through the clutch 48 and the clutch 155 is closed, the drive from the shaft 144 acts through the clutch 154 to drive the shaft 53 and shaft 20 at slow speed, but the latter clutch over-runs when the shaft 53 is driven by the high-speed clutch 48. The clutch 155 is actuated by a rock-shaft 168, Fig. 11, geared with a shaft 164 adapted to be rocked by either of two handles 165, 185, Fig. 13, at the front and rear of the column 2 or through linkage from the actuating shaft 81 of the reverse high-speed clutch 60. Closure of the clutch 60 automatically opens the clutch 155, the clutch 155 being open when the clutch 60 is closed and can be opened without closing the clutch 60, to permit turning of the shaft 53 by a hand wheel 178. The clutch 60 is opened to stop the reverse drive with the tools out of the work by a cam 183, Fig. 13, on the shaft 20 . operating an arm in the shaft 81. In order to stop or slow the rotation of the shaft 20, operation of the rock-shaft 74 of the clutch 48 actuates a cam roller to force a brake 193, Fig. 11, against a drum 192 on a shaft 190 driven from the gears 46, 47. Indexing and locking of the turret 10.-A gear 275 on the shaft 20 drives through gearing 310, 312, Fig. 30, an arm 314 carrying a follower 315 engageable with slots 316 in a Geneva wheel 317 on a shaft 318 coaxial with the shaft 16 and attached to the turret. Just before the turret is indexed, a cam 320 on the shaft 313 of the gear 312 actuates levers 322, 323 to withdraw a follower 324 from one of the slots 316. Further rotation of the shaft 313 causes the follower 315 to engage a slot 316 and indexes the turret. Before the operation is complete, the cam 320 allows the lever 322 to rise under the action of a spring 325 and the follower 324 is then ready to spring into the next slot 316. The turret is locked in indexed position by a spring-pressed pin 319a, Fig. 25, engaging one of a series of notches 351 in the turret; the pin is lifted to permit indexing either by a cam 360, Fig. 7, on the shaft 20 co-operating with a lever 361, or a manually-operable cam 362 on the shaft 20. Collet-actuation and work feed.-A spring collet 202, Fig. 53, of the reciprocating gripper type is housed in each work spindle 15 and comprises an actuating sleeve 205 which is slidable on the spindle and co-operates with an enlarged head 203 on the rear end of the collet sleeve and rock fingers 207 surrounding the spindle. When a control sleeve 214 co-operating with the rock fingers is moved to the position shown, these fingers are wedged against the spindle and the sleeve 205 is urged rearwardly to close the collet; adjustment of clamping pressure is effected by screw-threading the head 203 on the collet sleeve, and, in its adjusted position, connecting it to the sleeve 205 by a spring-pressed bolt 219 engaging one of a series of circularlyarranged holes in this sleeve. The sleeve 214 is actuated from a cam drum 230, Figs. 7 and 26, on the shaft 20 and has an annular groove 215 engaged by a yoke 238 on a slide 236 movable on pins 237 on the turret 10. An upstanding shoe 235 on the lower arm of a vertically-pivoted yoke 232 co-operates with whichever of the slides 236 is indexed, with the turret, into working position, and rocking of the yoke by the follower 231 then clamps or unclamps the collet; a roller registers the slide with the shoe during indexing. A shaft 240, Fig. 26, may be pushed inwardly against a spring 242 and rocked to operate the yoke when the work is to be released manually. Within each collet 202 is a feeder sleeve 220, Fig. 53, having a work-gripper at its forward end and an enlarged rear head 225 by which it is movable under the action of a cam 250, Fig. 7, on the shaft 20 to and from its retracted position in engagement with a work feed tube 226. The head 225 co-operates with a yoke 390, Fig. 27, which is caused to slide by the lower arm of a vertically-pivoted lever 380, the upper arm of which has a slidable pivoted connection 375, 376 with a lever 372 adapted to be rocked by a cam follower 370; adjustment of the connection 375, 376 by a screwed rod 385 controls the degree of movement of the yoke 390. During the early part of its indexing movement to loading position, the spindle co-operates with the yoke 390 for retraction of the feed mechanism, and, when indexing is complete, the head 225 is pressed by a plate 396 on the yoke for the feed stroke in which the work is fed until stopped by a work stop 400, Fig. 39. This stop is adjustably clamped on a shaft 404 which is rocked from a cam drum 430, Fig. 7, on the shaft 20 through a rack engaging a gear 420 journalled on the shaft 404. The gear has a clutch engagement with a rotatable sleeve 412 which has a similar engagement with a collar 410 keyed for limited axial movement on the shaft 404. A spring urges the parts into driving engagement and permits axial movement of the collar so as to uncouple it when the stop is to be manually rocked. The cam 250 and indexing gear 275 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 20 and are normally connected to the latter by a manuallyoperated slidable key 277, Fig. 7, passing through the hub of the collet-operating cam 230. By suitable movement of this key, either the cam 250 or both this cam and the gear 275 may be disconnected from the drive for facilitating setting-up the machine. Tool slides.-Six front and rear tool slides 400 ... 455, Fig. 21, operate on the workspindles 15 and are controlled from the shaft 20 through gearing 520 ... 527, Fig. 27, driving two vertical shafts 526, 528 carrying cam drums 530 ... 535 co-operating with followers 540 connected to the slides ; the mechanism includes means similar to that described in Specification 634,518 and to that described below in connection with the end-working tools for independently varying the extent of the fast and slow feed motions of each slide. A graduated drum 1570 on the shaft 526 provides a visual indication of the course of the cycle. As shown in Fig. 23, a tool slide 490 may be horizontally-slidable on wear strips 472, 495 on a bed 485 and provided with an upstanding arm 496 received in a slot 466 in a vertical frame member 465; an edge strip 499 holds the slide in position. Alternatively, the slide may be constructed without the horizontal extension and retained in the slot 466 by plates 470, Fig. 21, the tool carrier being seated in a slot 475 in the slide by clips 476 and adjustable along the slot by wedges 475a. At the end of each tool slide is fixed a member 601, Fig. 21, provided with six adjustable stop screws 602 which are arranged in line and each is set to the stop position for one of the spindles 15. The movement of the slide for each of the spindles is limited by an abutment block 603 which is horizontally-slidable on the machine frame to a position opposite the appropriate screw, and the operation of all the blocks is controlled from a cam 623, Fig. 25, on the turret 10 through rock-shafts, levers, and slides 606 ... 620; as the turret is indexed, each block is positioned opposite the screw corresponding to the next working spindle. End-working tools.-A tool-carrying turret 655, Fig. 7, is slidably mounted on a tube 650 which surrounds the shaft 16 and is secured at one end to the turret 10 and bears at the other end in the column 2. A two-part post 656, Fig. 17, is clamped on one end of the tur