Patent Grant
9999961
The present invention relates to a grinding machine that is used for grinding the circumferential surface or end surface of a workpiece having a circular column shape, a conic trapezoidal shape, or a cylindrical shape such as a roller or bearing rings of a rolling bearing.
As a grinding machine for grinding the circumferential surface or end surface of a workpiece having a circular column shape, conic trapezoidal shape, or cylindrical shape, or in other words, having an outer circumferential surface with a circular cross-sectional shape, such as a roller (cylindrical roller or conical roller) or bearing rings of a rolling bearing, a so-called centerless grinding machine that performs grinding of a workpiece while holding the outer-circumferential surface of the workpiece using rollers or shoe is known, referring to JPS62148147 (A) and JP2009136953 (A).
The grinding machine 1 comprises an upper roller 2 and a lower roller 3 that are arranged on both the top and bottom sides of a circular column shaped workpiece W. In a state that the center axes of the upper roller 2 and the lower roller 3 are arranged in the horizontal direction and in parallel to each other, the upper roller 2 and the lower roller 3 rotate at the same speed in the same direction so that the workpiece W is rotated in a state of being supported from both the top and bottom sides. Moreover, in order to simplify the supply and output of a workpiece W, the upper roller 2 is supported so as to be able to rock in the vertical direction about a rocking center (not illustrated in the figure), and presses the workpiece W that is arranged below the upper roller 2 toward the lower roller 3 using the elastic force of a spring (not illustrated in the figure). On the other hand, the lower roller 3 is supported so as to be able to rotate only around the center axis of the lower roller 3, and is not able to move. A shoe 4 is arranged between the upper roller 2 and the lower roller 3 in the vertical direction so as to extend in a direction that is orthogonal to the center axes of the upper roller 2 and lower roller 3. The shoe 4 is such that the tip-end surface thereof comes in contact with the outer-circumferential surface of the workpiece W, and supports the workpiece W from the side. Moreover, a backing plate 5 is arranged on one side in the axial direction of the workpiece W, and one end surface in the axial direction of the workpiece W butts against the backing plate 5. The workpiece W is rotated around the center axis that is arranged in the horizontal direction while being held in the processing position by the upper roller 2, lower roller 3, shoe 4 and backing plate 5. In this state, the outer-circumferential surface or end surface of the workpiece W is ground by a rotating grindstone 6 that is arranged on the other end side in the axial direction of the workpiece W.
In the case of a grinding machine 1 having conventional construction, due to the low degree of freedom of movement of the upper roller 2 and lower roller 3, it is necessary to prepare plural upper rollers 2 and lower rollers 3 having different sizes and shapes according to the type of workpiece W, specifically, kind and size of each component of a bearing.
Moreover, in the conventional grinding machine 1, a workpiece W that is placed underneath the upper roller 2 is pressed toward the lower roller 3 by the elastic force of a spring. The pressure force by the upper roller 2 is constant according to the elastic force of the spring (physical characteristics such as the length and wire diameter of the spring), so in order to change the pressure force by the upper roller 2, it is necessary to replace the spring with a different spring. In JPS62148147 (A), a grinding machine is disclosed in which it is possible to appropriately change the pressure force by the upper roller. However, in this grinding machine, a special and complex mechanism is required just for changing the pressure force, so it is not possible to avoid an increase in size and manufacturing cost of the grinding machine.
[Patent Literature 1] JPS62148147 (A)
[Patent Literature 2] JP2009136953 (A)
Taking the above situation into consideration, the object of the present invention is to provide a grinding machine for which the rollers are made common, and there is no need for replacing the upper roller and lower roller even when the outer diameters or inclination angles of the generating lines of the workpieces being grinded differ.
The grinding machine of the present invention, similar to the grinding machine having conventional construction, comprises an upper roller, a lower roller and a shoe, and is used for performing a grinding process on a circumferential surface (outer-circumferential surface or inner-circumferential surface) or end surface (end surface in the axial direction) of a workpiece, the cross-sectional shape of the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece being a circular shape. Of these, the upper roller and lower roller rotates in the same direction as each other in a state that the upper roller and the lower roller support the workpiece from both the upper and lower sides, to rotate the workpiece. On the other hand, the shoe is positioned in the vertical direction between the upper roller and the lower roller, and supports the workpiece from the side by abutting the tip-end surface of the shoe against the outer-circumferential surface of the workpiece.
Particularly, the grinding machine of the present invention comprises: a vertical position adjustment mechanism for respectively changing the height position in the vertical direction of both the upper roller and lower roller; and an angle adjustment mechanism for respectively changing the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes of both the upper roller and the lower roller. In other words, a vertical position adjustment mechanism and an angle-adjustment mechanism can be provided for both the upper roller and the lower roller, or in other words, two each can be provided for the overall grinding machine, or it is also possible to make the vertical position adjustment mechanism and angle-adjustment mechanism common for both the upper roller and lower roller, and to provide one each for the overall grinding machine.
Preferably, each vertical position adjustment mechanism and angle adjustment mechanism comprises a servo motor, and automatically changes the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller and lower roller, and changes the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes of the upper roller and lower roller according to the outer diameter and inclination state (whether or not there is inclination with respect to the center axes, and when there is inclination, the angle of inclination) of the generating line of the workpiece.
Furthermore, preferably, the vertical position adjustment mechanism controls the pressure force of the upper roller on the workpiece by using torque control to control the torque of the servo motor of the vertical position adjustment mechanism.
With the grinding machine of the present invention, it is possible to make the rollers common even when the outer diameters and inclination states of the generating lines of the objects to be ground differ, so it is possible to eliminate the need for replacement work to replace the upper roller and lower roller.
In other words, the grinding machine of the present invention comprises a vertical position adjustment mechanism for changing the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller and the lower roller, and so it is possible to appropriately change the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller and lower roller according to the outer diameter of the workpiece, so even when the outer diameters of workpieces differ, there is no need to perform replacement work to replace the upper roller and lower roller. Moreover, the grinding machine of the present invention comprises an inclination angle adjustment mechanism for changing the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes of the upper roller and lower roller, and it is possible to appropriately change the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes of the upper roller and lower roller, so even when the inclination angles of the generating lines of workpieces differ, there is no need to perform replacement work to replace the upper roller and lower roller.
As a result, with the present invention, the upper roller and the lower roller can be made common, and when the outer diameters or the inclination states of the generating lines of workpieces differ, there is no need to perform replacement work to replace the upper roller and lower roller. Therefore, even on a production line for producing various kinds of small rod products, there is no need to prepare plural upper rollers and lower rollers, and it possible to omit the work of replacing rollers. Consequently, it is possible to suppress a rise in manufacturing costs due to preparing plural rollers, and it is also possible to reduce the number work steps and work time.
More specifically, the grinding machine 1a of this example comprises a headstock 7 and grindstone base 8. The grindstone base 8 comprises: a cup grindstone 9 that grinds the end surface of a workpiece W; a grindstone spindle 10 that rotates and drives the cup grindstone 9, and an X-Y table 11 that moves the cup grindstone 9 and grindstone spindle 10 in an X direction that is parallel to the axial direction of the workpiece W and a Y direction that is orthogonal to the X direction. Moreover, a controller 66 for controlling the grinding machine 1a is provided in the grindstone base 8.
The headstock 7 is for supporting the workpiece W so as to be able to rotate, and is formed by combining together an upper-roller device 13 that supports the upper roller 12 so as to be able to rotate freely, and a lower-roller device 15 that supports the lower roller 14 so as to be able to rotate freely. In this example, the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 have the same shape, with each having a stepped cylindrical shape and formed by connecting a large-diameter cylindrical section 16 and a small-diameter cylindrical section 17 by a circular ring shaped stepped section 18. The outer-circumferential surface of the large-diameter cylindrical section 16 that becomes the supporting surface for supporting the workpiece W is a simple cylindrical surface of which the outer diameter does not change in the axial direction.
The upper-roller device 13 comprises a base 19, a rotation drive mechanism 20, a turn angle adjustment mechanism 21, a vertical position adjustment mechanism 22, and a skew angle adjustment mechanism 23. The base 19 comprises a pedestal 24 that is fastened to the floor, and a rectangular frame shaped support frame 25 that is fastened to the top surface of the pedestal 24 so as to be inclined a little with respect to the vertical direction.
The rotation drive mechanism 20 has a function of rotating and driving the upper roller 12 around a center axis O12 that is arranged in the horizontal direction (including an inclined state at a specified angle of inclination from the horizontal direction due to operation of the turn angle adjustment mechanism 21). As illustrated in
The turn angle adjustment mechanism 21 has a function of changing the inclination angle of the center axis O12 of the upper roller 12 with respect to the horizontal direction by rotating the center axis O12 of the upper roller 12 around a rotation shaft 33 that is arranged in a position that is orthogonal to the center axis O12 of the upper roller 12, and part thereof is placed inside the support frame 25. The turn angle adjustment mechanism 21 comprises: a turn angle adjustment motor 32, which is a servo motor; a reducer (not illustrated in the figure) that reduces the speed and increases the torque of the rotational force of the turn angle adjustment motor 32; a rotation shaft 33 that is rotated and driven by the reducer; and a clamp device (not illustrated in the figure) that positions the rotation shaft 33 in the circumferential direction. The rotation shaft 33 is supported inside a housing 34 by plural rolling bearings so as to be able to rotate freely, and the tip-ends section of the rotation shaft 33 supports the movable housing 31 of the rotation drive mechanism 20 by an installation plate 35 that is bent into an L-shape and a skew shaft 42. Moreover, the clamp device fastens the rotation shaft 33 by using air pressure, and prevents the rotation shaft 33 from rotating. The turn angle adjustment mechanism 21 is able to adjust the inclination angle of the center axis O12 of the upper roller 12 with respect to the horizontal direction by rotating the turn angle adjustment motor 32 and rotating the rotation shaft 33 by just a specified angle; for example within a range of a maximum of ±20 degrees.
The vertical position adjustment mechanism 22 has a function of adjusting the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12, and comprises: a vertical position adjustment motor 36, which is a servo motor; a drive-side pulley 37 that is fastened to the output shaft of the vertical position adjustment motor 36; a driven-side pulley 38 with a belt (not illustrated in the figure) that extends between the drive-side pulley 37 and driven-side pulley 38; a ball screw shaft 39, one end section in the axial direction of which is fastened to the driven-side pulley 38; and a slide plate 40 having a screw nut (not illustrated in the figure) that screws onto the ball screw shaft 39. The ball screw shaft 39 is supported on the top section of the support frame 25 by plural rolling bearings (not illustrated in the figure) so as to only be able to rotate. Moreover, the slide plate 40 is supported by the support frame 25 via linear guides which are provided between the side edges of a pair of raised wall sections of the support frame 25 and the side plate 40 so as to be able to move only in the vertical direction, which is the axial direction of the ball screw 39 (slight inclined direction with respect to the vertical direction). The slide plate 40 has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and the housing 34 of the turn angle adjustment mechanism 21 is supported inside a through hole (not illustrated in the figure) that is formed in the center of the slide plate 40. The vertical position adjustment mechanism 22, by causing the vertical position adjustment motor 33 to rotate, is able to adjust the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12, for example, within a range of ±several tens of centimeters. Moreover, a clamp device is not provided in the vertical position adjustment mechanism 22, so the vertical position of the upper roller 12 is not secured by a clamp. Therefore, when the workpiece W is held between the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14, a force pressing downward from the upper roller 12 is always applied to the workpiece W. Consequently, during the grinding process, the size of the pressing force is adjusted by controlling the torque of the vertical position adjustment motor 33. In order to apply the force pressing downward to the workpiece W, it is also possible to use the weight of the upper roller 12 itself, or to use a separately provided air cylinder or the like.
The skew angle adjustment mechanism 23 comprises: a skew shaft 42 the tip-end section of which is fastened to the top section of the movable housing 31 of the rotation drive mechanism 20 in a state that the middle section thereof is supported by the top plate section of the installation plate 35 so as to be able to rotate; a skew angle adjustment motor (servo motor) (not illustrated in the figure) for rotating and driving the skew shaft 42; and a reducer (not illustrated in the figure) that reduces the speed of the rotation force and increases the torque of the skew angle adjustment motor. The skew shaft 42 is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the center axis O12 of the upper roller 12, or in other words, in a direction parallel to the ball screw shaft 39. With this kind of construction, by causing the skew angle adjustment motor to rotate, it is possible to adjust the skew angle of the upper roller 12 around the center axis of the skew shaft 42 within a range, for example, of ±10°. In this example, when the skew angle adjustment motor is rotated, the turn angle adjustment mechanism 21 and the vertical position adjustment mechanism 22 are not rotated (displaced). In this example, by the skew angle adjustment mechanism 23 having this kind of construction adjusting the skew angle of the upper roller 12, it becomes possible to generate a specified large thrust on the workpiece W toward the backing plate 5a side, and to position the workpiece W in the axial direction. Moreover, in the skew angle adjustment mechanism 23 of this example, it is also possible to omit the skew angle adjustment motor and reducer. In that case, the worker adjusts the skew angle of the upper roller 12 by directly rotating the skew shaft 42.
The lower-roller device 15 comprises: a substantially rectangular frame shaped base 43 that is fastened to the floor in a raised state in the vertical direction; a rotation drive mechanism 44, a turn angle adjustment mechanism 45, a vertical position adjustment mechanism 46, and an installation arm section 47; however, differing from the upper-roller device 13, there is no skew angle adjustment mechanism. The lower roller mechanism 15 supports the lower roller 14 further below the upper roller 12 that is supported by the upper-roller device 13.
The rotation drive mechanism 44 has a function of rotating and driving the lower roller 14 around the center axis O14 that is arranged in the horizontal direction (including an inclined state at a specified angle from horizontal direction due to operation of the turn angle adjustment mechanism 45). The rotation drive mechanism 44, as illustrated in
The turn angle adjustment mechanism 45 has a function of changing the inclination angle of the center axis O14 of the lower roller 14 with respect to the horizontal direction by rotating the center axis O14 around the rotation shaft 55 that is located in a position that is orthogonal to the center axis O14 of the lower roller 14, and part is placed on the inside of the base 43. This kind of turn angle adjustment mechanism 45 comprises: a turn angle adjustment motor 53, which is a servo motor; a reducer 54 that reduces the speed of the rotational force and increases the torque of the turn angle adjustment motor 53; a rotation shaft 55 that is rotated and driven by the reducer 54; and a clamp device 56 that positions the rotation shaft 55 in the circumferential direction. The rotation shaft 55 is supported on the inside of a housing 57 by plural rolling bearings so as to be able to rotate freely, and the tip-end section thereof supports the movable housing 52 of the rotation drive mechanism 44 via an installation plate 58. The clamp device 56 clamps the rotation shaft 55 using air pressure and prevents the rotation shaft 55 from rotating. The turn angle adjustment mechanism 45 is able to adjust the inclination angle of the center axis O14 of the lower roller 14 with respect to the horizontal direction within a range, for example, of a maximum of 20 degrees, by causing the turn angle adjustment motor 53 to rotate and rotating the rotation shaft 55 just a specified angle.
The vertical position adjustment mechanism 46 has a function of adjusting the height position in the vertical direction of the lower roller 14, and comprises: a vertical position adjustment motor 59, which is a servo motor, that is supported on the top section of the base 43; a drive-side pulley 60 that is fastened to the output shaft of the vertical position adjustment motor 59; a driven-side pulley 62, around which a belt 61 is placed that extends between the drive-side pulley 60 and driven-side pulley 62; a ball screw shaft 63, one end section thereof being fastened to the driven-side pulley 62; a slide plate 64 having a screw nut (not illustrated in the figure) that screws onto the ball screw shaft 63; and a guide clamp device (not illustrated in the figure) that is able to position the slide plate in the vertical direction. The ball screw shaft 63 is supported on the top section of the base 43 by plural rolling bearings so as to be able to only rotate. The slide plate 64 is supported by linear guides 65 that are provided between the side edges of a pair of raised wall sections of the base 43 and the slide plate 64 so as to be able to move only in the up-down direction (vertical direction), which is the axial direction of the ball screw shaft 63. The slide plate 64 has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and supports the housing 57, which supports the rotation shaft 55 of the turn angle adjustment mechanism 45, inside a through hole 67 that is formed in a portion near the bottom of the slide plate 64. By causing the vertical position adjustment motor 59 to rotate, the vertical position adjustment mechanism 46 is able to adjust the height position in the vertical direction of the lower roller 14 within a range, for example, of ±several tens of centimeters.
The installation arm section 47 is fastened to the middle section in the vertical direction of the raised wall section of the base 43, and provided in a state so as to extend in the horizontal direction toward the upper-roller device 13 side. A backing plate 5a is fastened to the tip-end section of the installation arm section 47 for supporting the end surface in the axial direction of the workpiece W, and the shoe 4a for supporting the workpiece W from the side is supported by the middle section of the installation arm section 47.
In this example, the rotation drive mechanism 20, the turn angle adjustment mechanism 21, vertical position adjustment mechanism 22 and skew angle adjustment mechanism 23 of the upper-roller device 13, and the rotation drive mechanism 44, the turn angle adjustment mechanism 45, and vertical position adjustment mechanism 46 of the lower-roller device 15 are all controlled by a controller 66. More specifically, the controller 66 controls the rotation drive motors 26, 48 of the rotation drive mechanisms 20, 44, which makes it possible to match the direction of rotation and rotational speed of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14. Moreover, by inputting the outer diameter or inclined state (whether or not there is inclination with respect to the center axis, and the angle when there is inclination) of the generation line of the workpiece W to the controller 66, it is possible, according to that input, to respectively cause the vertical position adjustment motors 36, 59 of the vertical position adjustment mechanisms 22, 46, and the turn angle adjustment motors 32, 53 of the turn angle adjustment mechanisms 21, 45 to rotate specified amounts in specified directions, and automatically adjust the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14, and the inclination angle of the center axes O12, O14 of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 with respect to the horizontal direction. Furthermore, by inputting the amount of pressure force for pressing the workpiece W toward the backing plate 5a to the controller 66, it is possible to automatically adjust the skew angle of the upper roller 12 by causing the skew angle adjustment motor of the skew angle adjustment mechanism 23 to rotate just a specified amount in a specified direction.
When performing grinding work using the grinding machine 1a of this example, required information such as the outer diameter or the inclination state of the generating line, the size of the pressure force, and the like are inputted to the controller 66 in advance for each of plural types of workpieces W. Then, before starting the grinding work, a program is called up according to the type of workpiece W, and the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14, the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes O12, O14 of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14, and the skew angle are automatically adjusted. Next, a workpiece W is automatically supplied by workpiece supply means (not illustrated in the figure) to a processing position that is surrounded by the upper roller 12, lower roller 14, shoe 4a and backing plate 5a. Then, with the workpiece W held in the processing position, the workpiece W is rotated, and by adjusting the vertical position of the upper roller 12 by torque control of the vertical position adjustment motor 36, the pressure force of the upper roller 12 on the workpiece W is adjusted. Moreover, by moving the X-Y table 11, the rotating cup grindstone 9 is brought close to the workpiece W and an end surface of the workpiece W (or circumferential surface) of the workpiece W is ground.
With the grinding machine 1a of this example, even when the outer diameters or inclination states of the generating lines of the workpieces W to be ground differ, it is not necessary to replace the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14, and thus it is possible to make the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 common. In other words, in the grinding machine 1a of this example, vertical position adjustment mechanisms 22, 46 are provided, so it is possible to suitably change the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 according to the outer diameter of the workpiece W. As illustrated in
In the grinding machine 1a of this example, turn angle adjustment mechanisms 21, 45 are provided, so it is possible to suitably change the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes O12, O14 of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 according to the inclination state of the generating line of the workpiece W. As illustrated in
In this example, it is not necessary to prepare plural upper rollers and lower roller according to the outer diameters or inclination states of the generating lines of the workpieces W, and it is possible to make the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 common, so even when the outer diameters or inclination states of the generating lines of workpieces W differ, it is not necessary to perform replacement work to replace the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14. Therefore, it is possible to keep down manufacturing costs by the amount that the number or required upper rollers and lower rollers is reduced, and it is possible to reduce the number of processing steps and the amount of work time.
The height in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14, and the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the center axes O12, O14 of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 can be changed automatically by using servo motors, so it is possible to reduce the work load and work time of the workers. Furthermore, it is possible to control the pressure force of the upper roller 12 on the workpiece W by using torque control of the vertical position adjustment motor 36 of the vertical position adjustment mechanism 22 of the upper roller 12. Therefore, in order to change the pressure force, it is not necessary to perform spring replacement, or to provide a special mechanism for changing the pressure force. Consequently, it is possible to prevent an increase in the size of the grinding machine 1a, and it is possible to suppress an increase in costs.
Furthermore, the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 move in directions opposite each other when the vertical position adjustment mechanisms 22, 46 are operated. Therefore, by using different ball screw shafts in the lead direction for the upper-roller device 13 and the lower-roller device 15, it is also possible to change the height position in the vertical direction of the upper roller 12 and lower roller 14 by using one servo motor. Moreover, the pulley devices (drive-side pulley, driven-side pulley and belt) and reducer that are used in the upper-roller device 13 and lower-roller device 15 can be interchangeably used. In addition, in regard to the vertical position adjustment mechanisms 22, 46, instead of a ball screw mechanism that comprises a ball screw shaft and screw nut, it is also possible to use a rack-and-pinion type linear motion mechanism. Furthermore, the skew angle of the upper roller 12 can be adjusted manually by rotating the skew shaft 42. The other construction and effects are the same as in the conventional construction.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-122503 | Jun 2013 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2014/065135 | 6/6/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2014/199927 | 12/18/2014 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4062150 | Masuda | Dec 1977 | A |
| 4178719 | Jessup | Dec 1979 | A |
| 5123213 | Vinson | Jun 1992 | A |
| 20030236058 | Kamamura | Dec 2003 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 62-148147 | Jul 1987 | JP |
| 4-109848 | Sep 1992 | JP |
| 8-155800 | Jun 1996 | JP |
| 10-328984 | Dec 1998 | JP |
| 11-77494 | Mar 1999 | JP |
| 2000-117600 | Apr 2000 | JP |
| 2002-283196 | Oct 2002 | JP |
| 2005-088167 | Apr 2005 | JP |
| 2009-136953 | Jun 2009 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report from International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2014/065135, dated Jul. 22, 2014. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160121459 A1 | May 2016 | US |
