Apparatus to determine the operational effectiveness of a machine tool and method therefor
First Claim
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1. A machining station, comprising:
- a frame;
a turret rotatably and movably coupled to said frame;
a worktable positioned relative to said turret and onto which a worksheet is placed;
at least one tool means mounted to said turret, said tool means effective for making openings on said worksheet;
means positioned proximately to said tool means to detect each successive opening, if any, made by said tool means on said worksheet; and
control means for either stopping the operation of said machining station or rotating said turret to replace said tool means with another tool means when said detect means fails to detect any such successive opening on said worksheet.
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Abstract
To determine whether a machine tool is operating effectively, the present invention system, instead of directly measuring the operating parameters of the machine tool, monitors the presence or absence of any holes made by the machine tool and the quality of those holes, if made. The operational effectiveness of the machine tool is then correlated with the data thus monitored.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A machining station, comprising:
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a frame; a turret rotatably and movably coupled to said frame; a worktable positioned relative to said turret and onto which a worksheet is placed; at least one tool means mounted to said turret, said tool means effective for making openings on said worksheet; means positioned proximately to said tool means to detect each successive opening, if any, made by said tool means on said worksheet; and control means for either stopping the operation of said machining station or rotating said turret to replace said tool means with another tool means when said detect means fails to detect any such successive opening on said worksheet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a sheet machining station having a frame, a worktable whereon a to be worked on worksheet is placed, a tool means positioned relative to said frame for making at least one hole on said worksheet, apparatus for determining whether said tool means is effective for making holes, comprising:
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detecting means positioned proximately to said tool means to detect each successive hole, if made, on said worksheet; and control means for correlating the presence or absence of said each successive hole and the quality of said each successive hole, if made, with prestored data immediately after said tool means has supposedly been effected to make a hole to ascertain the operational effectiveness of said tool means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A numerically controlled machining center having at least one work station, a worktable onto which a worksheet for movement with respect to said work station is placed, moving means including gripper means associated with said worktable for presenting at least one selected portion of said worksheet to said work station, tool means positioned proximately to said work station for attempting to effect at least one opening onto said selected portion of said worksheet, comprising:
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means positioned proximately to said worktable and said tool means for detecting each successive opening, if made, by said tool means on said selected portion of said worksheet immediately after said tool means has supposedly made an opening on said worksheet; means working cooperatively with said detecting means for correlating the presence or absence of said each successive opening and, if said opening is present, the quality of said detected opening with prestored data to ascertain the operational effectiveness of said tool means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. In a machining work station having at least one worktable onto which a worksheet for movement with respect to said work station is placed, moving means associated with said worktable for presenting at least one selected portion of said worksheet to said work station, tool means positioned proximately to said work station for attempting to effect at least one opening onto said selected portion of said worksheet, a method of ascertaining the operational effectiveness of said tool means, comprising the steps of:
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positioning a detection means proximately to said tool means; detecting the presence of each successive opening, if any, effected by said tool means at said selected portion of said worksheet; wherein if an opening is immediately detected at said selected portion after said tool means has supposedly made said opening, continuing the operation of said tool means; and wherein if an opening is not immediately detected at said selected portion after said tool means has supposedly made said opening, either stopping the operation of said tool means or replacing said tool means with another tool means. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification