Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7240411?dq=645576
Timestamp: 2015-05-24 08:04:41
Document Index: 544588109

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Patent US7240411 - Machine tool - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsTo provide a machine tool in which positioning accuracy of a ram is ensured, realizing improved machining accuracy. A cylindrical ram 14 supporting a spindle 6 is inserted in a ram guide hole 13 a formed in a cross slide 13, the ram 14 has supported surfaces 14 d , 14 d in a V-shape formed on a lower...http://www.google.com/patents/US7240411?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7240411 - Machine toolAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7240411 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/389,507Publication dateJul 10, 2007Filing dateMar 27, 2006Priority dateApr 6, 2005Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20060225261Publication number11389507, 389507, US 7240411 B2, US 7240411B2, US-B2-7240411, US7240411 B2, US7240411B2InventorsKazuhiko Matsumoto, Takeshi OtawaOriginal AssigneeMori Seiki Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (10), Referenced by (6), Classifications (21), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMachine tool
US 7240411 B2Abstract
To provide a machine tool in which positioning accuracy of a ram is ensured, realizing improved machining accuracy. A cylindrical ram 14 supporting a spindle 6 is inserted in a ram guide hole 13 a formed in a cross slide 13, the ram 14 has supported surfaces 14 d , 14 d in a V-shape formed on a lower side of an outer circumferential surface thereof, and the supported surfaces 14 d are placed on supporting surfaces 22 a , 22 a in a V-shape formed on an inner circumferential surface of the ram guide hole 13 a of the cross slide 13, so that a Z-axis direction position of the ram 14 is automatically aligned.
FIG. 6( a) and FIG. 6( b) are views of the cross slide;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cross slide (a cross-sectional view taken along the VII—VII line in FIG. 6( a)); and
FIG. 1 to FIG. 8 are views to illustrate a composite lathe according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a perspective view and a right side view of the composite lathe respectively, FIG. 3 is a front view of a spindle supporting mechanism supporting a third spindle, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are a front view and a right side view of a cross slide supporting a ram, FIG. 6( a) and FIG. 6( b) are a front view and a rear view of the cross slide, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the VII—VII line in FIG. 6( a), and FIG. 8 is a view of the third spindle when seen in a Z-axis direction. Note that front/back and left/right mentioned in this embodiment mean front/back and left/right when the machine is seen from a front side, unless otherwise noted.
The bed 2 is constituted of a front bed part 2 a and a back bed part 2 b which are integrally formed. A first and a second mounting surface 2 a′, 2 a″ are formed on the front bed part 2 a and third mounting surfaces 2 b′ are formed on the back bed part 2 b, all these surfaces being horizontal along the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.
The first spindle headstock 3 is mounted on the first mounting surface 2 a′. On the second mounting surface 2 a″, the second spindle headstock 4 and the tool post 5 are movably mounted. Further, on the third mounting surfaces 2 b′, a spindle supporting mechanism 10 movably supporting the third spindle 6 is mounted.
The spindle supporting mechanism 10 includes: a column 11 in a rectangular frame shape which is fixed on the third mounting surfaces 2 b′ of the back bed part 2 b to extend vertically upward; a saddle 12 in a rectangular frame shape which is supported on a front face of the column 11 to be movable in the Z-axis direction; a cross slide 13 supported on a front face of the saddle 12 to be movable in the X-axis direction; and a ram 14 supported by the cross slide 13 to be movable in the Y-axis direction and supporting the third spindle 6.
The column 11 is structured such that left and right support posts 11 c, 11 d and upper and lower beam parts 11 a, 11 b, which couple upper and lower ends of the left and right support posts 11 c, 11 d, are integrally molded. The column 11 is firmly fixed on the third mounting surfaces 2 b′ of the back bed part 2 b. Similarly to the column 11, the saddle 12 is structured such that left and right support posts 12 a, 12 b and upper and lower beam parts 12 c, 12 d, which couple upper and lower ends of the left and right support posts 12 a, 12 b, are integrally molded. The saddle 12 is supported to be movable in the Z-axis direction by a pair of upper and lower Z-axis guide rails 15, 15 which are disposed in parallel to the Z-axis on front faces of the upper and lower beam parts 11 a, 11 b of the column 11. Z-axis ball screws 16, 16 are screwed to nut parts 12 e, 12 e formed in the upper and lower beam parts 12 c, 12 d of the saddle 12. The saddle 12 is driven to reciprocate in the Z-axis direction when the Z-axis ball screws 16, 16 are coaxially driven by servo motors 16 a, 16 a. Note that the Z-axis ball screws 16, 16 are disposed in parallel to the Z axis on the front faces of the upper and lower beam parts 11 a, 11 b of the column 11.
The cross slide 13 is supported to be movable in the X-axis direction by a pair of left and right X-axis guide rails 17, 17 which are disposed in parallel to the X axis on the front faces of the left and right support posts 12 a, 12 b of the saddle 12. X-axis ball screws 18, 18 are screwed to nut parts formed on left and right sides of the cross slide 13. The cross slide 13 is driven to reciprocate in the X-axis direction when the X-axis ball screws 18, 18 are rotary driven by servo motors 18 a, 18 a. Note that the X-axis ball screws 18, 18 are disposed in parallel to the X axis on the front faces of the left and right support posts 12 a, 12 b of the saddle 12.
The third spindle 6 is rotatably inserted in the ram 14. At a tip of the third spindle 6, a tool spindle 6 a is disposed, with its axis directed perpendicularly to the Y axis. A tool is attached to a tip of the tool spindle 6 a and the tool spindle 6 a is rotary driven by a driving motor 6 b. Further, the third spindle 6 can be rotary indexed around the Y axis for positioning by a built-in rotary indexing mechanism (not shown), so that so-called B-axis machining is performed.
The cross slide 13 is structured such that a flat part 13 b in a rectangular thick plate shape formed to cover the front face of the saddle 12 and a cylindrical ram supporting part 13 c extending toward the saddle 12 from a rear face of the flat part 13 b are integrally formed by molding.
The aforesaid X-axis guide rails 17, 17 are disposed on left and right end portions of the rear face of the flat part 13 b, and the aforesaid X-axis ball screws 18, 18 are disposed on an inner side of the X-axis guide rails 17, 17.
The ram guide hole 13 a is formed to pass through the flat part 13 b and the ram supporting part 13 c in the Y-axis direction. Further, the ram 14 has a length large enough to constantly protrude outward from front and back openings of the ram guide hole 13 a while moving along the whole length of the Y-axis stroke.
The ram 14 is composed of: an outer cylinder part 14 a having an octagonal outer circumferential surface; an inner cylinder part 14 b in a cylindrical shape disposed in a center portion of the outer cylinder part 14 a; and a plurality of coupling parts 14 c coupling the inner cylinder part 14 b and the outer cylinder part 14 b, all these components being integrally formed.
Two lower sides of the outer circumferential surface of the ram 14 constitute supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d in a V-shape extending along the whole length of the ram 14, when seen from the front side. Further, two upper sides thereof constitute pressed surfaces 14 e, 14 e in an inverse V-shape extending along the whole length of the ram 14. A contained angle of the supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d and a contained angle of the pressed surfaces 14 e, 14 e are set to 45 degrees.
Further, an inner circumferential surface of the ram guide hole 13 a of the cross slide 13 has lower-side plate mounting seats 13 d, 13 d in a V-shape and upper-side plate mounting seats 13 e, 13 e in an inverse V-shape corresponding to the supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d and the pressed surfaces 14 e, 14 e of the ram 14.
The lower-side plate mounting seats 13 d, 13 d and the upper-side plate mounting seats 13 e, 13 e are formed by machining work, and are machined to make the same angles as the angles made by the supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d and the pressed surfaces 14 e, 14 e respectively.
Slide plates 22, 22 constituting the respective supporting surfaces 22 a, 22 a are fixedly disposed on the upper-side plate mounting seats 13 d, 13 d. Further, pressing plates 23, 23 constituting the respective pressing surfaces 23 a, 23 a are fixedly disposed on the upper-side plate mounting seats 13 e, 13 e. The slide plates 22, 22 and the pressing plates 23, 23 are disposed in each of axial-direction both end portions of the cross slide 13, and lengths and strokes of the ram 14 and the cross slide 13 are set so that a gravity center of the ram 14 is constantly positioned between the both end portions in the whole length of the Y-axis stroke.
The supported surfaces 14 d of the ram 14 are slidably mounted on the respective supporting surfaces 22 a of the slide plates 22 of the cross slide 13, and the Z-axis direction position of the ram 14 is automatically aligned owing to its self weight. The pressed surfaces 14 e of the ram 14 are slidably pressed by the respective pressing surfaces 23 a of the pressing plates 23 of the cross slide 13.
According to this embodiment, the supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d in the V-shape are formed on the lower side of the outer circumferential surface of the ram 14, and the supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d are supported by the supporting surfaces 22 a, 22 a in the V-shape formed in the lower side of the inner circumferential surface of the ram guide hole 13 a of the cross slide 13. Consequently, the Z-axis direction position of the ram 14 is automatically aligned by its own weight, so that positioning accuracy in the Z-axis direction of the ram 14 is improved and the weight of the ram 14 is always given uniformly to the both supporting surfaces 22 a, 22 a of the cross slide 13. As a result, machining accuracy can be improved.
Moreover, the pressed surfaces 14 e, 14 e on the upper side of the outer circumferential surface of the ram 14 are pressed by the pressing surfaces 23 a, 23 a formed on the upper side of the inner circumferential surface of the ram guide hole 13 a of the cross slide 13. Consequently, positioning accuracy of the ram 14 in the Y-axis direction can be also improved, which can enhance machining accuracy.
In this embodiment, the ram 14 is octagonal, with the two lower sides of the ram 14 constituting the supported surfaces 14 d, 14 d in the V-shape and the two upper sides of the ram 14 constituting the pressed surfaces 14 e, 14 e in the V-shape. Therefore, it is possible to realize automatic alignment of the ram 14 with a simple structure.
Further, in this embodiment, the ram 14 is pressed by the left and right pressing plates 23, 23 but in the present invention, the ram 14 may be pressed by, for example, one pressing plate 23′ as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6( a).
In this embodiment, the cross slide 13 is structured such that the flat part 13 b and the cylindrical ram supporting part 13 c having the ram guide hole 13 a are integrally formed by molding. Therefore, cost can be reduced and dimension accuracy can be enhanced, compared with a case where the cross slide is dividedly formed.
Further, the slide plates constituting the supporting surfaces 22 a and the pressing plates 23 constituting the pressing surfaces 23 a are fixedly disposed in the ram guide hole 13 a of the cross slide 13, which can facilitate position adjustment or the like when the ram 14 is mounted.
In this embodiment, the tool spindle 6 a of the third spindle 6 is directed perpendicularly to the axis of the ram 14 and is rotary indexable around the Y axis, which enables complicated machining by so-called B-axis driving.
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