Patent Application
20120172186
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a chain-type tool magazine for tools of a machining center and, more particularly, to a chain-type tool magazine for directing the axis of a selected tool in parallel to the axis of a spindle of a machining center.
2. Related Prior Art
A machining center includes a spindle for driving various tools for executing various types of machining (or “tooling”). The machining center further includes a magazine for storing the tools and a tool-changing robot for changing the tools.
A chain-type magazine includes a chain-type conveyor including holders each for holding the shank of one of the tools. With the chain-type conveyor, the tools are moved, one after another, to the vicinity of the tool-changing robot. With the tool-changing robot, a selected one of the tools is moved from the related holder and substituted for a tool originally connected to the spindle. The axis of each of the holders is perpendicular to the axis of the spindle. Hence, the tool-changing robot must take many steps to complete its task. It has to move forward and backward to take the shank of the selected tool from the related holder, and then change the angle of the selected tool, and finally insert the shank of the selected tool into a cavity defined in the spindle. It requires a complicated structure and takes a lot of time to complete the task. Hence, the efficiency of the machining of a work-piece is reduced, and the cost of the work-piece is high. Moreover, the cost of maintaining the machining center is high because of the complicated structure. In addition, conventional chain-type magazines are however complicated and expensive. Furthermore, tool-changing robots are devised according to the conventional chain-type magazine and are therefore expensive.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a machining center with a chain-type magazine for storing tools so that the axis of a selected one of the tools can be located in parallel to the axis of a spindle of the machining center.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the chain-type magazine includes a box, a chain-type conveyor and a spinning unit. The box includes a port defined therein. The chain-type conveyor includes links connected to one another so that each of the links can be pivoted relative to the other links about two axes in parallel to each other. A tool can be inserted in a holder inserted in each of the links. The spinning unit includes a mounting assembly, an elevating assembly, a rotary claw assembly and a connecting rod. The mounting assembly is connected to the box. The elevating assembly is movably connected to the mounting assembly. The rotary claw assembly is rotationally connected to the mounting assembly for catching a selected one of the links. The connecting rod connects the elevating assembly to the rotary claw assembly. The driving element drives the elevating assembly to spin the rotary claw assembly.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
The frame 10 includes an end plate 100, two opposite primary lateral plates 101 and two opposite secondary lateral plates 102. The end plate 100, the primary lateral plates 101 and the secondary lateral plates 102 are connected to one another at the right angle, and preferably made one. The end plate 100 includes an opening 103 centrally defined therein and screw holes 104 defined therein around the opening 103. Each of the primary lateral plates 101 includes an opening 105 defined therein and an aperture 106 defined therein. The opening 105 is made larger and located closer to the end plate 100 than the aperture 106 is.
The reinforcing element 11 is a plate with an opening 110 centrally defined therein and apertures 111 defined therein around the opening 110. The opening 110 is located corresponding to the opening 105. The apertures 111 are located corresponding to the screw holes 104.
The rotational element 12 includes a round base, a round plateau 120 centrally formed on the round base, a boss 121 centrally formed on the round plateau 120, and apertures 122 defined therein around the boss 121. The round base of the rotational element 12 is made corresponding to the opening 103. The round plateau 121 is made corresponding to the opening 110.
The joint 13 is substantially a round disc with a recess 130 centrally defined therein, screw holes 131 defined therein around the recess 130, and a tunnel 132 defined therein along a diameter. The recess 130 is made corresponding to the boss 121. The screw holes 131 are made corresponding to the apertures 122.
To assemble each of the links 1a, the reinforcing element 11 is located against the end plate 100 of the frame 10 before screws 15 are driven in the screw holes 104 via the apertures 111 to secure the reinforcing element 100 to frame 10. The round base of the rotational element 12 is located in the opening 103 of the end plate 100 of the frame 10 while the round plateau 120 is located in the opening 110 of the reinforcing element 11. The joint 13 is located against the rotational element 12, with the recess 130 receiving the boss 121 before screws 16 are driven in the screw holes 131 through the apertures 122 to secure the joint 13 to the rotational element 12. Thus, the joint 13 and the rotational element 12 together are rotationally located on the frame 10 and the reinforcing element 11. A holder 2 is inserted through the openings 105 of the primary lateral plates 101 of the frame 10 of each of the links 1a.
A pin 14 is inserted in the apertures 106 of the primary lateral plates 101 of the frame 10 of each of the links la and the tunnel 132 of the joint 13 of an adjacent one of the links 1a. Thus, the links la are pivotally connected to one another. That is, the chain-like conveyor 1 is made.
Referring to
The rotary claw assembly 32 includes a primary claw 327 and a secondary claw 324. The primary claw 327 includes an arched peripheral groove 320 defined therein, an arched lateral rail 321 formed thereon, an arched lateral groove 322 defined therein along the arched lateral rail 321, and a contact 323 formed thereon. The arched peripheral groove 320 is made corresponding to the arched edge of the restraining plate 303. The arched lateral rail 321 is made corresponding to the arched groove 300. The arched lateral groove 322 is made corresponding to the arched rail 301.
The elevating assembly 31 includes a securing plate 310, a supporting plate 311, a track 312, a slide 314, a block 315 and a connector 316. The supporting plate 311 extends from the securing plate 310 perpendicularly and includes an opening 319 defined therein. The track 312 includes a groove 313 defined therein. The slide 314 is made corresponding to the groove 313. The block 315 is formed on the slide 314. The connector 316 includes two apertures 317 and 318 defined therein.
The driving element 33 is a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a solenoid valve or a motor for example. The driving element 33 includes a rod 330 movably extending from an end.
The connecting rod 34 includes two apertures 340 and 341 defined therein. The aperture 340 is made corresponding to the aperture 318. The aperture 341 is made corresponding to the aperture 325.
To assemble the spinning unit 30, the arched lateral rail 321 is movably located in the arched groove 300 while the arched lateral groove 322 receives the arched rail 301 movably. The arched peripheral groove 320 movably receives the arched edge of the restraining plate 303. The restraining plate 303 is attached to the mounting plate 305 by screws for example. The secondary claw 324 is attached to the primary claw 327 by screws for example. Thus, the rotary claw assembly 32 is rotationally connected to the mounting assembly 30.
A portion of the track 312 is connected to the restraining plate 303 and another portion of the track 312 is connected to the securing plate 310. The slide 314 is movably located in the groove 313. The connector 316 is connected to the block 315.
The driving element 33 is supported on the supporting plate 311. The rod 330 is inserted through the opening 319 and the aperture 317 before a threaded tip thereof is engaged with a nut (not shown). An end of a pin 342 is inserted in the aperture 318 while another end of the pin 342 is inserted in the aperture 340. An end of a pin 343 is inserted in the aperture 325 while another end of the pin 343 is inserted in the aperture 341.
The base 302 is attached to the box 50 near the port 51. Thus, the spinning unit 30 is located near the port 51.
There is a sensor 35 attached to an end of the rod 330. The sensor 35 is used to sense the movement of the spinning unit 30. Thus, the movement of the rod 330 is precisely under control.
Referring to
The tool-changing robot 52 is actuated to substitute the selected tool for the originally used tool. At first, the tool-changing robot 52 pulls the selected tool from the related holder 2 and the originally used tool from the spindle of the machining center. Secondly, the tool-changing robot 52 spins to interchange the positions of the selected tool and the originally used tool. Finally, the tool-changing robot 52 engages the selected tool with the spindle of the machining center and inserts the originally used tool into the related holder 2.
The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
