Patent Application
20180281121
The present invention relates to gantry tables, in particular to CNC plasma cutting tables having a cutting torch mounted on a gantry.
It is known to provide a CNC plasma cutting table having a cutting torch mounted to a gantry. The gantry can move along the length of the cutting table on tracks or rails. The torch is held in a movable clamp or bracket that is mounted to the gantry. The movable clamp or bracket moves the torch along the gantry, between lateral sides of the cutting table. Thus, the torch is movable in two perpendicular directions, such as in an X direction along the length of the gantry and in a Y direction along the length of the table as the gantry moves.
The following summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the devices, systems and/or methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the devices, systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify critical elements or to delineate the scope of such devices, systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, provided is a gantry table. The gantry table includes a table main body. A gantry rail extends along the table main body, and a gantry rack extends along the table main body. The gantry table includes a gantry comprising a pinion gear that engages the gantry rack. The pinion gear drives the gantry to move along the table main body on the gantry rail. A tool bracket is movable along the gantry. The gantry table further includes a first adjustment bar and a second adjustment bar. The gantry rail and the gantry rack are attached to both of the first adjustment bar and the second adjustment bar. A joiner plate joins the first adjustment bar to the second adjustment bar. The gantry table includes a vertical adjustment that is configured to adjust a vertical position of the joiner plate with respect to the table main body. The gantry table further includes a depth adjustment configured to adjust a lateral position of the joiner plate with respect to the table main body.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, provided is a gantry table. The gantry table includes a table main body. A gantry rail extends along the table main body, and a gantry rack extends along the table main body. The gantry table includes a gantry comprising a pinion gear that engages the gantry rack. The pinion gear drives the gantry to move along the table main body on the gantry rail. A tool bracket is movable along the gantry. The gantry table includes a plurality of adjustment bars. The plurality of adjustment bars adjustably attach the gantry rail and the gantry rack to the table main body. The gantry table further includes a plurality of depth adjustments configured to adjust lateral positions of the plurality of adjustment bars with respect to the table main body. The gantry table includes a plurality of vertical adjustments configured to adjust vertical positions of the plurality of adjustment bars with respect to the table main body.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, provided is a plasma cutting table. The plasma cutting table includes a table main body. A gantry rail extends along the table main body, and a gantry rack extends along the table main body. The plasma cutting table includes a gantry comprising a pinion gear that engages the gantry rack. The pinion gear drives the gantry to move along the table main body on the gantry rail. A plasma torch bracket is movable along the gantry. The plasma cutting table further includes a first adjustment bar and a second adjustment bar. The gantry rail and the gantry rack are attached to both of the first adjustment bar and the second adjustment bar. A joiner plate joins the first adjustment bar to the second adjustment bar. The plasma cutting table includes a jacking plate. A first screw adjustment extends between the jacking plate and the joiner plate and is configured for adjusting a vertical position of the joiner plate with respect to the jacking plate. A second screw adjustment is configured for adjusting a lateral position of the joiner plate with respect to the table main body.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to gantry tables or CNC (computer numeric control) tables, such as CNC plasma cutting tables. The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It is to be appreciated that the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale from one figure to another nor inside a given figure, and in particular that the size of the components are arbitrarily drawn for facilitating the understanding of the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. Additionally, other embodiments of the invention are possible and the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in ways other than as described. The terminology and phraseology used in describing the invention is employed for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the invention and should not be taken as limiting.
The plasma cutting table 10 has a main body 12 upon which a workpiece, such as a metal sheet or plate, is placed. A plasma cutting torch (not shown) is attached to a movable tool bracket 14 or plasma torch bracket, that can move back and forth along a gantry 16 (e.g., in an X direction). The gantry 16 can move back and forth along the length of the cutting table's main body 12 on tracks or rails (e.g., in a Y direction). The plasma cutting table 10 can be programmed to make precise cuts in the workpiece through controlled movements of the bracket 14 and gantry 16 in the X and Y directions, respectively. In certain embodiments, the tool bracket 14 can move the tool vertically toward and away from the workpiece in a Z direction, so that the tool can be moved in three perpendicular directions.
The plasma cutting table 10 can include an upper water chamber located adjacent the workpiece, and a lower water chamber located beneath the upper water chamber. During a plasma cutting operation, the upper water chamber is filled with water. The water can be drained into the lower water chamber to allow the upper water chamber to be cleaned. Compressed air can be used to pressurize the lower water chamber and return the water to the upper water chamber. The plasma cutting table 10 can be connected to a source of compressed air and can include valves, such as solenoid valves, for controlling the draining of the upper water chamber and emptying of the lower water chamber. Operation of the valves can be controlled by a control system, and can be operated automatically or manually through a human-machine interface (HMI) 18 of the plasma cutting table 10.
The gantry 16 is mounted to a respective foot portion 20 located on either side of the gantry. The foot portions 20 move along gantry rails that are mounted to the main body 12 of the cutting table 10. As best shown in
With reference to
For optimal mechanical performance of the gantry 16, the racks 24 and rails 26 for the gantry foot portions 20 on either side of the cutting table 10 should be correctly aligned parallel with each other and with respect to the length of the cutting table. The cutting table 10 includes an adjustment system for adjusting the vertical position of the racks and rails, and their lateral offset from the main body of the cutting table, at various adjustment points along the table. The adjustment system will be discussed with reference to
The racks 24 and rails 26 are attached to a series of adjustment bars 34 and joiner plates 36. The joiner plates 36 are located between the adjustment bars 34 and at the terminal ends of the adjustment bars and serve to attach the adjustment bars 34 to the main body 12 of the cutting table 10. Moreover, the joiner plates 36 allow adjustment of the position of the adjustment bars 34 with respect to the main body 12 of the cutting table. By adjusting the position of the joiner plates 36 (e.g., up and down and in and out with respect to the cutting table main body), the final position of the adjustment bars 34 and the attached rack and rail system can be adjusted and properly aligned. Alternatively, the adjustment bars 34 can be attached directly to the main body 12 of the cutting table 10 without joiner plates 36, and vertical and lateral adjustments to the position of the adjustment bars can be made on the adjustment bars themselves rather than to the joiner plates as described in below.
Each lateral side of the cutting table 10 can include a suitable number of adjustments bars 34 as desired, such as two, three, four, five, six, more than six, etc. In the example embodiment shown in the figures, the cutting table 10 includes four adjustment bars 34 on each lateral side of the table, and five joiner plates 36 (three joiner plates located between adjustment bars and two joiner plates located at the terminal ends of the adjustment bars). The racks 24 and rails 26 are longer than the adjustment bars 34 and are attached to multiple adjustment bars. In certain embodiments, the cutting table 10 has a single rack 24 and single rail 26 on each lateral side of the table, and the single rack 24 and rail 26 are attached to each of the adjustment bars 34 on that side, and to the joiner plates if present.
In certain embodiments, the main body 12 of the cutting table 10 includes a series of leveling pads 38 to which the joiner plates 36 are attached. The position of the leveling pads 38 with respect to the main body 12 of the cutting table can be fixed (i.e., not adjustable). The leveling pads 38 can be attached to the main body 12 in any suitable fashion, such as by welding or via the use of appropriate fasteners (e.g., bolting, screwing, etc.) Each leveling pad 38 is aligned with a joiner plate 36 and is located between the table main body 12 and a corresponding joiner plate.
The cutting table 10 includes a plurality of depth adjustments 42 for adjusting the lateral positions of the adjustment bars 34 (and, thus, the attached rack 24 and rail 26) with respect to the table main body 12. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the joiner plates 36 include the depth adjustments 42, which set the lateral positions of the joiner plates, such as their offset from the leveling pads 38. The depth adjustments 42 can be screw adjustments (e.g., set screws) that can be threaded into the joiner plates 36 to contact the leveling pads 38 and push the joiner plates outward from the leveling pads 38. Thus, the joiner plates 36 can be moved inward and outward with respect to the leveling pads 38 and the main body 12 of the cutting table 10 via the depth adjustments 42. The depth adjustments 42 could take any form suitable for moving the joiner plates 36 toward and away from the leveling pads 38, such as a small ball screw, an adjustable wedge or shim, and the like.
The cutting table 10 further includes a plurality of vertical adjustments for adjusting the vertical positions of the adjustments bars 34 (and, thus, the attached rack 24 and rail 26) with respect to the table main body 12. In the embodiments shown in
After the joiner plate 36 is properly positioned by adjusting the depth and vertical adjustments, the position of the joiner plate 36 on the leveling pad 38 is fixed by screwing or bolting the joiner plate to the leveling pad. Cap screws 46 are shown in the example embodiments for securing the joiner plate 36 to the leveling pad 38. Through holes in the joiner plate 36 for the cap screws 46 can be slightly oversized to provide some “play”, to accommodate positioning of the joiner plate 36 on the leveling pad 38.
The adjustment bars 34, and the rack and rail system for the gantry, would typically be connected to the joiner plates 36 during adjustment of the joiner plates. As best seen in
An alternative vertical adjustment to the jacking plate and screw system discussed above is shown in
Returning to
It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. The invention is therefore not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited.
Benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/479,447 filed Mar. 31, 2017, is hereby claimed and the disclosure incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62479447 | Mar 2017 | US |
