Automated artefact handling system for machine tools
First Claim
1. An automated artefact handling system for a machine tool, the machine tool having an indexing spindle rotatable about a first axis and a machining spindle rotatable about a second axis, the artefact handling system comprising:
- a cassette-receiving device,a plurality of artefact-providing cassettes each having first cassette locating features thereon,said cassette-receiving device having an axis and having a plurality of second cassette locating features thereon which are spaced around said axis and which cooperate with the first cassette locating features on the cassettes to receive and locate the cassettes in position on said device, and clamping means for holding the cassettes in said position, said cassette-receiving device being mounted on the indexing spindle with its axis parallel to the first axis to position the cassettes relative to the machining spindle for an operation by the machining spindle on artefacts provided by the cassettes,a cassette-loading system on which said cassettes are stored which is positionable adjacent to the machine tool and which includes drive means for positioning a desired cassette relative to the cassette-receiving device, and a cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the cassettes between the cassette-loading system and the cassette-receiving device, andcontrol means for automatically controlling said drive means, said cassette transfer mechanism, the clamping means and said machine tool to provide the correct artefacts to the machine tool in accordance with a pre-programmed sequence of machining operations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic pallet handling system for a machine tool is described in which the pallets are formed as lightweight cassettes (10) which can be mounted by means of shaped locating features on the external periphery of a receiving device (4) mounted, for example, for rotation with a horizontal indexing spindle (2) in a vertical spindle CNC machine. A portable cassette-loading system (15) which consists of a chain conveyor (17) having links (18) pivotably connected side-by-side and formed from lightweight extrusions is positionable adjacent the machine or removable to a loading station. The extruded links form features for engaging the same cassette-locating features on the cassettes and a transfer mechanism (50) slides the cassettes from the loading conveyor to the periphery of the receiving device. The advantages are that several cassettes holding tools, workpieces or calibration artefacts, all references (26), can be loaded onto or removed from the machine independently of other cassettes which remain in place, to provide great flexibility of operation. The invention can be applied to horizontal spindle CNC machines.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An automated artefact handling system for a machine tool, the machine tool having an indexing spindle rotatable about a first axis and a machining spindle rotatable about a second axis, the artefact handling system comprising:
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a cassette-receiving device, a plurality of artefact-providing cassettes each having first cassette locating features thereon, said cassette-receiving device having an axis and having a plurality of second cassette locating features thereon which are spaced around said axis and which cooperate with the first cassette locating features on the cassettes to receive and locate the cassettes in position on said device, and clamping means for holding the cassettes in said position, said cassette-receiving device being mounted on the indexing spindle with its axis parallel to the first axis to position the cassettes relative to the machining spindle for an operation by the machining spindle on artefacts provided by the cassettes, a cassette-loading system on which said cassettes are stored which is positionable adjacent to the machine tool and which includes drive means for positioning a desired cassette relative to the cassette-receiving device, and a cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the cassettes between the cassette-loading system and the cassette-receiving device, and control means for automatically controlling said drive means, said cassette transfer mechanism, the clamping means and said machine tool to provide the correct artefacts to the machine tool in accordance with a pre-programmed sequence of machining operations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating an automated artefact handling system for a machine tool having an indexing spindle rotatable about a first axis and a machining spindle rotatable about a second axis, said automated artefact handling system including:
- a cassette-receiving device;
a plurality of artefact-providing cassettes each having first cassette locating features thereon;
said cassette-receiving device having an axis and having a plurality of second cassette locating features thereon which are spaced around said axis and which cooperate with the first cassette locating features on the cassettes to receive and locate the cassettes in position on said device, and clamping means for holding the cassettes in said position, said cassette-receiving device being mounted on the indexing spindle with its axis parallel to the first axis to position the cassettes relative to the machining spindle for an operation by the machining spindle on artefacts provided by the cassettes;
a cassette-loading system on which said cassettes are stored which is positionable adjacent to the machine tool and which includes drive means for positioning a desired cassette relative to the cassette-receiving device, a cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the cassettes between the cassette-loading system and the cassette-receiving device, and cassette-retaining features which cooperate with the first locating features on the cassettes; and
control means for automatically controlling said drive means, said cassette transfer mechanism, the clamping means and said machine tool to provide the correct artefacts to the machine tool in accordance with a pre-programmed sequence of machining operations;
said method comprising the steps of;operating the cassette-loading system to align the cassette-retaining features of the cassette-loading system with the second cassette-locating features of the cassette-receiving device, operating the cassette transfer mechanism to cause a linear movement of a cassette mounted on the cassette-loading system towards the cassette-receiving device to disengage the cassette from the cassette-retaining features on the cassette-loading system and to engage the cassette with the second cassette-locating features on the cassette-receiving device. - View Dependent Claims (16)
- a cassette-receiving device;
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17. A method of operating an automated artefact handling system for a machine tool having an indexing spindle rotatable about a first axis and a machining spindle rotatable about a second axis, said automated artefact handling system including:
- a cassette-receiving device;
a plurality of artefact-providing cassettes each having first cassette locating features thereon;
said cassette-receiving device having an axis and having a plurality of second cassette locating features thereon which are spaced around said axis and which cooperate with the first cassette locating features on the cassettes to receive and locate the cassettes in position on said device, and clamping means for holding the cassettes in said position, said cassette-receiving device being mounted on the indexing spindle with its axis parallel to the first axis to position the cassettes relative to the machining spindle for an operation by the machining spindle on artefacts provided by the cassettes;
a cassette-loading system on which said cassettes are stored which is positionable adjacent to the machine tool and which includes drive means for positioning a desired cassette relative to the cassette-receiving device, and a cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the cassettes between the cassette-loading system and the cassette-receiving device; and
control means for automatically controlling said drive means, said cassette transfer mechanism, the clamping means and said machine tool to provide the correct artefacts to the machine tool in accordance with a pre-programmed sequence of machining operations;
said method comprising the steps of;loading the cassette-loading system with at least two artefact-providing cassettes, programming the control means to carry out the following sequential functions, rotating the indexing spindle to cause the cassette-receiving device to be indexed to a position in which it can receive a first one of the cassettes, operating the drive means of the cassette-loading system to position said one of the cassettes opposite to the cassette-receiving device, rotating the indexing spindle to cause the cassette-receiving device to be indexed to another position in which it can receive another cassette, operating the drive means of the cassette-loading system to position another one of the cassettes opposite to the cassette-receiving device, and operating the cassette transfer mechanism to transfer said other one of the cassettes from the cassette-loading system onto the cassette-receiving device. - View Dependent Claims (18)
- a cassette-receiving device;
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19. A method of operating a machine tool which includes an automated artefact handling system, said machine tool having an indexing spindle rotatable about a first axis and a machining spindle rotatable about a second axis, said artefact handling system including:
- a cassette-receiving device;
a plurality of artefact-providing cassettes each having first cassette locating features thereon;
said cassette receiving device having an axis and having a plurality of second cassette locating features thereon which are spaced around said axis and which cooperate with the first cassette locating features on the cassettes to receive and locate the cassettes in position on said device, and clamping means for holding the cassettes in said position, said cassette-receiving device being mounted on the indexing spindle with its axis parallel to the first axis to position the cassettes relative to the machining spindle for an operation by the machining spindle on artefacts provided by the cassettes;
a cassette-loading system on which said cassettes are stored which is positionable adjacent to the machine tool and which includes drive means for positioning a desired cassette relative to the cassette-receiving device, and a cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the cassettes between the cassette-loading system and the cassette-receiving device; and
control means for automatically controlling said drive means, said cassette transfer mechanism, the clamping means and said machine tool to provide the correct artefacts to the machine tool in accordance with a pre-programmed sequence of machining operations;
said method comprising the steps of;loading the cassette-loading system with artefact-carrying cassettes including workpieces, milling tools and static turning tools, programming the control means to carry out the following functions; a) operating the cassette-loading system, the indexing spindle and the cassette transfer mechanism to load onto the cassette-receiving device, at least one workpiece-providing cassette and a tool cassette carrying one of a milling tool or a cutting tool, b) using a tool provided by the tool cassette, performing one of a milling or turning operation on a workpiece provided by the workpiece-providing cassette, c) operating the cassette-loading system, the indexing spindle and the cassette transfer mechanism to load onto the cassette-receiving device, at least one workpiece-providing cassette and a tool cassette carrying the other one of a milling tool or a cutting tool, and d) using a tool provided by the tool cassette performing the other one of the milling or turning operation on a workpiece provided by the workpiece-providing cassette.
- a cassette-receiving device;
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20. An artefact handling system for a machine tool, having an indexing spindle rotatable about a first axis,
said system comprising a plurality of artefact holding cassettes each having locating features thereon, a cassette-receiving device which includes locating and clamping means for co-operating with the locating features on the cassettes to accurately locate and clamp the cassettes in position thereon, said cassette-receiving device being mounted on the indexing spindle of the machine tool for rotation therewith to position the cassettes in relation to the indexing spindle, wherein the artefacts held by the cassettes comprise both tools and workpieces, and the system further comprises: -
a cassette-loading system on which said cassettes are stored which is positionable adjacent to the cassette-receiving device and which includes drive means for positioning a desired cassette relative to the cassette-receiving device, and a cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the cassettes between the cassette-loading system and the cassette-receiving device, in order to provide said tools and said workpieces to the machine tool, and control means for automatically controlling said drive means, said cassette transfer mechanism, the locating and clamping means and said machine tool to provide the correct tools or workpieces to the machine tool in accordance with a preprogrammed sequence of machining operations.
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Specification