JPH0129656B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a tool pot overturning chain in an automatic tool changer installed in a machine tool, and allows for an arbitrary layout in the relationship between the machine tool body and the tool magazine. It was developed with the aim of making the device more compact.

<Prior art> Overturning structure in which a tool pot attached to a tool pot chain in a tool pot magazine falls 90 degrees outward from a position perpendicular to the chain's rotation plane and transfers the tool to the main shaft of a machine tool. Demand for type tool pot chains is increasing due to the layout of machine tools and tool magazines.

In particular, in the case of large magazines in which a large number of tools can be housed in one tool magazine, various efforts have been made to reduce the total volume and make the magazines more compact.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the conventional tipping type tool magazine has a general shape consisting of two vertically parallel plates extending from the chain pin 2 of a plurality of plate links 1 in the shape of a normal lion. Take out the bracket 3, fit the tool pot 4 inside it, support it rotatably on the lower rotating shaft 5, and move the tipping hook 6 to the left in Fig. 5 to tip it 90 degrees to the right. The device is rotated to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> In this type of format, the pitch line C of the chain
Since the tool pot protrudes to one side of the
The overall shape of the tool pot chain of the magazine shown in the figure can only be used around the outside like or,
It is impossible to create a shape that can fit inside the magazine, so the magazine becomes large.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention is designed so that even if the layout of the tool pot chain shown in FIG. 6 is as shown in FIG. In a tool pot chain where the cylindrical tool pot is a chain pin, the link 1 that connects the tool pots 4 to each other is devised.
Each link 11 is rotatably connected on a chain pitch line C in a plane perpendicular to the moving direction of the chain.

Further, as a typical structural example of a tool pot tipping link, as will be described later, the link consists of a pair of U-shaped brackets 12 having tool pot insertion holes 13 on the top and bottom surfaces and connecting pin insertion holes 14 on the side surfaces. Therefore, good results can be obtained by inserting and connecting the connecting pins 16 into the connecting pin insertion holes 14 in the direction of the pitch line C of the chain.

<Function> With the above structure, the tool pot can be tipped left and right at the center axis of the chain in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the chain. However, it is now possible to arbitrarily select the chain type, just like a normal non-falling chain.

<Example> The tipping type tool pot chain of the present invention will be explained in detail based on the following drawings.

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the tool pot chain.
FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

As is clear from the figure, the cylindrical tool pot 4 serves as a chain pin and is connected to the chain pitch line C by a link 11. A system in which a plate link as shown on the left side of FIG. 4 is used as the link 11 is well known for non-overturning chains.

In the present invention, this link 11 has been modified to be a standardized tipping chain that can be rewired and replaced with a non- tipping type tool pot chain. The link 11 has a rotatable structure. That is, the link 11 is connected to a pair of U-shaped brackets 12, 1 as shown in FIG.
These brackets are standardized members having tool pot insertion holes 13 on the upper and lower surfaces and connecting pin insertion holes 14 on the side surfaces. Then, insert the tool pot 4 into the tool pot insertion hole 13 by stacking the upper and lower surfaces of the pair of U-shaped brackets, and fix the U-shaped brackets 12, 12 in a rotatable position with respect to the tool pot 4 using retaining rings 15 at the top and bottom. It is. This is one unit of link 11 of the tool pot chain.

Links 11 are connected to each other through connection pin insertion holes 14 provided on the sides of opposing U-shaped brackets 12.
This is done by inserting the connecting pin 16 between them. An example of its structure is shown in FIG. 1, in which the sides of the U-shaped bracket 12 are mutually rotatable around the connecting pin 16 by a space ring 17, two flat washers 18, and two bushes 19 between them. The tightening position is fixed. Since the position of the connecting pin 16 is on the chain pitch line C, each tool pot 4
can be tipped left and right from a vertical plane including the chain pitch line C, that is, within a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the chain.

The U-shaped bracket 12 is also bent easily by the chain foil 7 as shown in FIG.
In addition, in order to reduce weight, the width of the side surface was made thinner and the notch 2
1, and a hook holder 22 of the tipping hook 6 is attached to the underside of the bracket, and is used to tip the tool pot 4 90 degrees to the right as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The hook receiver 22 is a chain guide 8 to prevent the tool pot from falling when moving.
It also serves as a guide holder (Fig. 6).

<Effects of the Invention> The tool pot chain of the present invention has a structure in which the tool pot functions as a chain pin and can be tipped left and right with respect to the pitch line (the moving direction of the chain), so the tool pot chain itself can be made smaller. Moreover, since the chain can be bent freely, the layout of the tool magazine can be designed as desired.

As a result, it is possible to store a large number of tools even in a small storage space, and since the tool pot is held on the pitch line C, the inertia in the event of a fall is small and stability is improved, and the tool pot can be used as a chain pin to prevent it from falling over. It can be used interchangeably with the conventional tool pot chain of the type, and has the effect of standardizing with the conventional ATC magazine.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the tool pot chain.
FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 and 5 are a plan view and a side view of a conventional product, and FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of a tool pot chain in a magazine. 4...Tool pot, 6...Tipping hook, 7
... Chain foil, 11 ... Link, 12 ... U-shaped bracket, 13 ... Tool pot insertion hole,
14... Connecting pin insertion hole, 16... Connecting pin.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a tool pot chain in which a cylindrical tool pot serves as a chain pin, each link 11 is rotatable within a plane perpendicular to the moving direction of the chain on the chain pitch line C of the links 11 that connect the tool pots 4 to each other. A tool pot tipping type chain in an automatic tool changer, characterized in that the tool pot is connected to the tool pot. 2. The link consists of a pair of U-shaped brackets 12 having tool pot insertion holes 13 on the upper and lower surfaces and connecting pin insertion holes 14 on the side surfaces. Claim 1 formed by inserting and connecting
The tool pot tipping type chain in the automatic tool changer described in 2.