Patent ID: 7509720

Claim:
A continuous tool rotation tool turret comprising: (a) a turret head having an axis of rotation about which the turret head rotates; (b) a plurality of spindles attached to the turret head, each said spindle being adapted to secure and rotate a cutting tool; (c) a motor adapted to simultaneously rotate each spindle; (d) wherein the spindles are adapted to rotate at an operational speed while the turret head is being indexed; (e) wherein the spindles are sized, positioned and angled with respect to the axis of rotation of the turret head and the turret head such that only one spindle may be in a work position at a time; (f) wherein said motor is operationally connected to the spindles to simultaneously rotate the spindles; (g) a housing providing a slant surface upon which the turret head may rotatably rest and a receptacle within which a portion of the turret head may be rotatably seated; (h) a post attached to the housing such that the post is perpendicularly oriented with respect to the slant surface; (i) wherein said turret head rotatably rests upon the slant surface and partially within the receptacle of the housing such that said turret head has an axis of rotation about which it rotates for indexing on the slant surface; (j) wherein a fastener attached to the post clamps the turret head to the slant surface; and (k) said slant surface of the housing having one or more air grooves wherein each of the one or more slant surface air grooves are connectable to a pressurized air source and are open at the surface of the slant surface for providing a force which tends to unclamp the turret head from the slant surface of the housing.