Improvements in or relating to apparatus for performing a plurality of machining operations simultaneously on work pieces

摘要

803,433. Milling-machines. SMITH, G. R. Oct. 17, 1955 [Oct. 18, 1954], No. 29483/55. Class 83 (3). Apparatus for performing a number of machining - operations simultaneously on valvebodies 20, &c., Fig. 1, comprises powered means for moving a number of tools 18, 19 to and from work-tables 12 on a movable carrier 11, first locking-means 55, Fig. 5, for locking the tables to the carrier, and second locking-means 93, Fig. 3, for locking the carrier to the base, and means co-ordinated with the powered-means to actuate motor-means 33, 72, 84 for moving the tables and carrier. The valve-bodies are each located by pegs 115, Fig. 4, and clamped by yokes 120 to a table 12. Each table carries a gear 39, Fig. 5, which can be connected to a driving-gear 38 by a pinion 42 engaged by a cam 45 engaging a follower 44. Each table also carries a locking- pin 55 which can be moved into a resilientlymounted seating 57 in the carrier 11 by rack- and-pinion gearing 53, 50, 49, 48, operated by a rack-plunger 77 which rotates a nut 78 to raise and lower a yoke 71 engageable with the rack-rod 48. Another plunger 89, Fig. 3, operates rack-and-pinion gearing simultaneously to move the pin 93 to lock the carrier 11 to the base and to disengage the adjacent tablerotating pinion 42. In operation, motors 17 rotating the milling and threading tools 18, 19, are started, the tables 12 being locked to the carrier 11 by the pins 55, and the pin 93 locking the carrier 11 to the base being retracted. There being a partly-machined gate-valve-body opposite the cutter 18 and a fully-machined body opposite the thread-milling-tool 19, a new gate-valve-body is clamped in the loading- position, and a switch is closed to energize a solenoid causing the fluid-operated rack-plunger 30 to advance and so rotate a gear 29 fast with the gear 38. The carrier 11 thus rotates to position the new body 20 opposite the cutter 18, and to carry the finished body to the loading- station. At the loading-station, the tablerotating-gear 42 is pulled out of engagement with the gear 38 by operation of the plunger 89 and the carrier is locked by the pin 93. At the milling-station, the cutter is advanced and the planetary-head operated to machine the seat 23, Fig. 4. When the cutter is retracted; a switch is operated to cause the plunger 77 to advance, thus raising the yoke 71 to lift the table slightly on a bearing 69 and to cause the rack-rod 48 to unlock the table. At the same time, a timer is operated by a pinion 82. The gear 38 is next rotated by operation of the plunger 30 to rotate the tables at the machining-stations by 180 degrees. The timer then causes re-locking of the tables. The planetary-threading-tool 19 has meanwhile cut the threads 125. The planetary-tool-heads may be as described in Specifications 564,871 and 661,011.