Round nut slot processing equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses a machine for machining slotted round nuts, comprising a frame and a worktable. The worktable is equipped with a feeding unit, a clamping unit, a moving unit, and a machining unit. The feeding unit includes a drive assembly and a material box inclinedly mounted on one side of the drive assembly. A turntable is located at the center of the material box, and a waiting plate is located on one side of the material box. One end of the waiting plate is connected to the turntable via a guide plate. The waiting plate includes a horizontal plate and two vertical plates. One end of the horizontal plate has a through hole, and a material drop pipe is located below the through hole. The clamping unit is located below the material drop pipe. The moving unit drives the clamping unit to transport the material to the machining unit. The machining unit is mounted on the worktable via a bracket and includes a lifting assembly and a spindle fixed to the lifting assembly for mounting cutting tools. In this invention, the various units cooperate closely, resulting in more continuous workpiece machining, reducing manual intervention, and improving the continuous operation capability of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining equipment, specifically to a machine for machining slotted round nuts. Background Technology

[0002] A slotted round nut is a type of nut. A slotted round nut is a regular round nut with a slot cut into one end face. The slot is used in conjunction with the pin hole and cotter pin on the bolt to prevent the bolt and nut from rotating relative to each other and the nut from loosening, thus completing the function of fastening and connecting parts.

[0003] Conventional equipment for slotting round nuts includes milling machines and wire EDM machines. Both require clamping devices to hold the nut in place during slotting to prevent displacement. Clamping methods primarily include bench vises and three-jaw chucks. However, using bench vises or three-jaw chucks results in only one nut being processed at a time, leading to extremely low clamping efficiency, high labor intensity for workers, and consequently, high processing costs. Patent document CN212169261 U discloses a fixing fixture for slotting nuts, which relies on the top-pressure fit between the bolt head and the support body to tighten the nut. In use, multiple nuts can be processed by placing them into the receiving slot, achieving higher clamping efficiency than bench vises and three-jaw chucks. However, when this fixture is used on milling machines and wire EDM machines for slotting round nuts, the automation level is low, still requiring manual loading and unloading. Frequent manual operations increase the workload for operators and negatively impact the efficiency of the processing equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention addresses the problem that when machining slotted round nuts, clamping devices are required to hold the nuts to be processed. However, when these clamping devices are used on milling machines and wire EDM machines, the automation level is low, and the manual intervention in loading and unloading is high, which increases the workload of operators and affects the working efficiency of the processing equipment. This invention proposes a slotted round nut machining equipment with a high degree of coordination between the units, which helps to reduce manual intervention and improve the processing efficiency of the equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A slotted round nut machining equipment includes a frame and a worktable fixed on the top of the frame. The worktable has a feeding unit, a clamping unit, a moving unit, and a machining unit. The feeding unit and machining unit are located on the same side of the moving unit. The clamping unit is mounted on the moving unit. The feeding unit includes a drive assembly and a workpiece box tilted on one side of the drive assembly. A turntable is rotatably mounted at the center of the workpiece box. A waiting plate is located on one side of the workpiece box. One end of the waiting plate is connected to the turntable via a guide plate. The waiting plate includes a horizontal plate and two vertical plates on either side of the horizontal plate. A through hole is formed at one end of the horizontal plate, and a drop pipe is located below the through hole.

[0007] The clamping unit is located below the blanking tube. The moving unit is used to drive the clamping unit to be transported to the bottom of the processing unit. The processing unit is mounted on the worktable via a bracket. The processing unit includes a lifting assembly and a spindle fixed on the lifting assembly for mounting the cutting tool. According to the processing requirements of the slotted groove, the cutting tool is a milling cutter.

[0008] Furthermore, the upper half of the material box is open and has a flange at the opening. A notch is formed at the junction of the flange and the lower half of the material box. The guide plate passes through the notch and connects with the turntable. The left half of the guide plate has a slope, and the right half of the guide plate is located above the horizontal plate and connects with the first through hole. The workpiece in the material box passes through the turntable and the guide plate in sequence, then passes through the first through hole of the waiting plate and enters the dropping tube, falling into the clamping unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the drive assembly is mounted on the workbench via bracket two. The drive assembly includes housing one and motor one installed inside housing one. The output shaft of motor one passes through housing one and material box in sequence and is connected to the turntable. The turntable is fixed to the output shaft of motor one by a flat key. The turntable includes a large-diameter section and a small-diameter section arranged coaxially. The small-diameter section is connected to the arc-shaped structure on the left half end face of the guide plate. The drive assembly drives the tilted turntable to rotate.

[0010] Furthermore, the clamping unit includes a second housing, a first base plate, and a second base plate located above the first base plate. The second housing has an opening at the top front and a cover plate is provided at the opening. A fixing plate is provided below the cover plate. A cylinder is provided on the second base plate. The end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder is connected to a push plate. The push plate is located between the second base plate and the cover plate. The push plate has multiple through holes, and a push rod is inserted into each through hole. One end of the push rod is connected to the fixing plate, and the other end passes through the front end face of the push plate. The clamping unit serves to loosen or clamp the workpiece.

[0011] Furthermore, the front end face of the push plate is provided with multiple U-shaped grooves, one end of the bottom plate extends to the outside of the bottom plate and is provided with a baffle, and multiple through holes are provided at intervals along the length direction of the bottom plate near the inner side of the baffle, and the through holes are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the U-shaped grooves.

[0012] Furthermore, a collection box is provided below the push plate. The collection box and the moving unit are mounted together on a support plate, which is fixed to the worktable. The collection box is used to receive workpieces.

[0013] Furthermore, the moving unit includes a guide rail, a ball screw mechanism, and a second motor for driving the ball screw mechanism. The guide rail is configured as two rails parallel to the ball screw mechanism. Each guide rail is equipped with a slider. The slider and the slide of the ball screw mechanism are both fixed below the base plate. The moving unit moves horizontally and serves to transfer the workpiece between the loading unit and the processing unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the lifting assembly includes a guide rod, a screw jack, and a motor for driving the screw jack. The guide rails are configured as two rails parallel to the screw jack, and each guide rail is equipped with a slider. The slider and the slider of the screw jack are connected to a connecting seat. The main shaft is vertically installed in front of the connecting seat. The main shaft can be raised and lowered during operation, driving a rotating milling cutter to mill a slot on the end face of the round nut.

[0015] Furthermore, the motor three is provided with a housing three on its exterior, and a protective cover for covering the lifting assembly is provided below the housing three.

[0016] Furthermore, one of the upright plates of the material waiting plate is equipped with a motor, a stop block, and a sensor. The motor is located on the outer side of the upright plate, the sensor is located on the inner side of the upright plate, and the stop block includes a long side and a short side that are perpendicular to each other. The short side passes through a corresponding notch in the upright plate, and one end of the long side is fixed to the output shaft of the motor. The sensor and the motor cooperate to prevent workpieces from accumulating and causing blockage.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention through the above technical solution are as follows:

[0018] This invention involves batch-loading round nuts into the material box of the feeding unit. As the workpieces rotate, they are conveyed to the guide plate and enter the dropping tube. Subsequently, the workpieces fall into one of the U-shaped grooves on the push plate. As the cylinder extends, the U-shaped groove and the baffle clamp the workpieces together. Then, the workpieces move along the guide rail to the bottom of the processing unit. The liftable spindle drives the rotating milling cutter to mill a slot on the end face of the round nut, completing the processing. The high degree of cooperation between the units makes the slotting process a continuous process, which helps to reduce manual intervention and makes the workpiece processing more consistent, improving the continuous operation capability of the equipment and thus improving the processing efficiency. Furthermore, the interaction between sensors and motors controls the rotation of the stop block to avoid workpiece accumulation and blockage, thus meeting the processing requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the round nut slot processing equipment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a left view of the round nut slotting processing equipment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding unit in the round nut slot processing equipment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This invention relates to a machine for processing slotted round nuts. Figure 3 A diagram in direction A;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping unit in the round nut slot processing equipment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the push plate and baffle clamping the round nut in the round nut slot processing equipment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the moving unit in the round nut slot processing equipment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the processing unit in the round nut slot processing equipment of the present invention.

[0027] The numbers in the attached diagram are:

[0028] 1 is the frame, 2 is the worktable, 3 is the drive assembly, 4 is the material box, 5 is the turntable, 6 is the waiting plate, 7 is the guide plate, 8 is the discharge pipe, 9 is the main shaft, 10 is the second housing, 11 is the first base plate, 12 is the second base plate, 13 is the fixing plate, 14 is the cylinder, 15 is the push plate, 16 is the push rod, 17 is the baffle, 18 is the collection box, 19 is the guide rail, 20 is the ball screw mechanism, 21 is the second motor, 22 is the first slider, 23 is the guide rod, 24 is the screw jack, 25 is the third motor, 26 is the second slider, 27 is the connecting seat, 28 is the third housing, 29 is the protective cover, 30 is the fourth motor, 31 is the stop block, 32 is the sensor, 33 is the round nut to be processed, 34 is the support plate, 35 is the first bracket, and 36 is the second bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "left," "right," "up," "down," "horizontal," and "vertical," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the appendix. Figure 1 The orientations or positional relationships shown are for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of the present invention, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the slotted nut machining equipment includes a frame 1 and a worktable 2 fixed on the top of the frame 1. The worktable 2 has a feeding unit, a clamping unit, a moving unit, and a machining unit. The feeding unit and machining unit are located on the same side of the moving unit. The clamping unit is mounted on the moving unit. The feeding unit includes a drive assembly 3 and a material box 4 tilted on one side of the drive assembly 3 for loading workpieces. A turntable 5 is rotatably mounted at the center of the material box 4. A waiting plate 6 is provided on one side of the material box 4. One end of the waiting plate 6 is connected to the turntable 5 via a guide plate 7. The waiting plate 6 includes a horizontal plate and two vertical plates on either side of the horizontal plate. A through hole is provided at one end of the horizontal plate, and a drop tube 8 is provided below the through hole. The clamping unit is located below the drop tube 8. The moving unit is used to drive the clamping unit to be conveyed to the machining unit. The machining unit is mounted on the worktable 2 via a bracket 35. The machining unit includes a lifting assembly and a spindle 9 fixed on the lifting assembly for mounting cutting tools. A milling cutter is selected as the cutting tool according to the slotted nut machining requirements.

[0033] Please refer to it again. Figure 3The upper half of the material box 4 is open and has a flange. A notch is provided at the junction of the flange and the lower half of the material box 4. The guide plate 7 passes through the notch and is connected to the turntable 5. The left half of the guide plate 7 has a slope, and the right half of the guide plate 7 is located above the horizontal plate and is connected to the through hole. The workpiece in the material box 4 passes through the turntable 5 and the guide plate 7 in sequence, then passes through the through hole of the waiting plate 6 and enters the dropping tube 8, and finally falls into the clamping unit by free fall.

[0034] Please refer to it again. Figure 4 The drive assembly 3 is mounted on the workbench 2 via a bracket 36. The drive assembly 3 includes a housing and a motor installed inside the housing. The output shaft of the motor passes through the housing and the material box 4 in sequence and is connected to the turntable 5. The turntable 5 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor by a flat key. The turntable 5 includes a large-diameter section and a small-diameter section arranged coaxially. The small-diameter section is connected to the arc-shaped structure on the left half end face of the guide plate 7. The drive assembly 3 drives the tilted turntable 5 to rotate.

[0035] In this embodiment, the clamping unit includes a second housing 10, a first base plate 11, and a second base plate 12 located above the first base plate 11. The second housing 10 has an opening at the top front and a cover plate is provided at the opening. A fixing plate 13 is provided below the cover plate. A cylinder 14 is provided on the second base plate 12. The end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder 14 is connected to a push plate 15. The push plate 15 is located between the second base plate 12 and the cover plate. The push plate 15 has multiple through holes, and a push rod 16 is inserted into each through hole. One end of the push rod 16 is connected to the fixing plate 13, and the other end passes through the front end face of the push plate 15. The clamping unit serves to loosen or clamp the workpiece.

[0036] Please refer to it again. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The front end face of the push plate 15 is provided with multiple U-shaped grooves. One end of the bottom plate 12 extends to the outside of the bottom plate 11 and is provided with a baffle 17. Multiple through holes 2 are provided at intervals along the length direction of the bottom plate 12 near the inner side of the baffle 17. The through holes 2 are provided in correspondence with the U-shaped grooves 1-1.

[0037] A collection box 18 is provided below the push plate 15. The collection box 18 and the moving unit are jointly installed on the support plate 34. The support plate 34 is fixed on the worktable 2. The collection box 18 is used to receive workpieces.

[0038] Please refer to it again. Figure 7The moving unit includes a guide rail 19, a ball screw mechanism 20, and a motor 21 for driving the ball screw mechanism 20. The guide rail 19 consists of two rails parallel to the ball screw mechanism 20. Each guide rail 19 is equipped with a slider 22. Both the slider 22 and the slide of the ball screw mechanism 20 are fixed below the base plate 11. The moving unit moves horizontally to transfer the workpiece between the loading unit and the processing unit.

[0039] Please refer to it again. Figure 8 The lifting assembly includes a guide rod 23, a screw jack 24, and a motor 25 for driving the screw jack 24. The guide rails 19 are configured as two parallel to the screw jack 24. Each guide rail 19 is equipped with a slider 26. The slider 26 and the slider of the screw jack 24 are connected to a connecting seat 27. The main shaft 9 is vertically installed in front of the connecting seat 27. The main shaft 9 can be raised and lowered during operation, thereby driving the rotating milling cutter to mill a slot on the end face of the round nut.

[0040] In addition, the motor 25 is provided with a housing 28, and a protective cover 29 is provided below the housing 28 to cover the lifting assembly and protect the internal components.

[0041] It is worth mentioning that one of the upright plates of the waiting plate 6 is equipped with a motor 30, a stop block 31, and a sensor 32. The motor 30 is located on the outer side of the upright plate, and the sensor 32 is located on the inner side of the upright plate. The stop block 31 includes a long side and a short side that are perpendicular to each other. The short side passes through a corresponding notch in the upright plate, and one end of the long side is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 30. The position of the workpiece is detected by the sensor 32, and the motor drives the stop block 31 to rotate, exposing the short side to the inner side of the upright plate. When a workpiece passes through, the next workpiece is blocked by the short side of the stop block 31 and stops until the single workpiece has been processed. Then the motor 30 rotates in the opposite direction, the stop block 31 returns to its original position, and the next workpiece continues to move forward. This cycle is repeated to avoid workpiece accumulation and blockage, thus meeting the processing requirements.

[0042] The working principle of this embodiment:

[0043] In this embodiment, both the material box 4 and the turntable 5 are set to a 15° tilt. Please refer to the previous section again. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As the turntable 5 rotates clockwise, the workpiece is conveyed one by one to the guide plate 7 by the friction between the workpiece and the large diameter section of the turntable 5. With the ramp on the left half of the guide plate 7, the workpiece continues to move towards the through hole 1 on the waiting plate 6, passes through the through hole 1 and falls into the dropping tube 8.

[0044] After the workpiece passes through the blanking tube 8, it falls into one of the U-shaped grooves on the push plate 15. Please refer to the previous section. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As the cylinder 14 extends, the push plate 15 moves toward the baffle 17, and the U-shaped groove and the baffle 17 cooperate to clamp the workpiece; conversely, when the cylinder extends and retracts, the push plate 15 moves away from the baffle 17 to release the workpiece, and as the push rod 16 is exposed, it pushes the workpiece down, and the workpiece falls into the collection box 18 through the second hole.

[0045] Next, the clamped and positioned workpiece moves along the guide rail 19 to below the machining unit as the ball screw mechanism 20 rotates. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 8 The spindle 9 can be raised and lowered during operation, driving the rotating milling cutter to mill a slot on the end face of the round nut. The workpiece is always in a clamped and positioned state during the processing. After processing, the workpiece is moved in the opposite direction to the collection box 18 through the moving unit. The hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts, and the workpiece falls into the collection box 18. In summary, the coordination between the units in this invention is high, making the processing of the workpiece more continuous, which helps to reduce manual intervention and improves the continuous operation capability of the equipment.

[0046] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes or modifications made to the structure, features and principles described in the claims of the present invention should be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A machine for processing slotted round nuts, comprising a frame (1) and a worktable (2) fixed to the top of the frame (1), wherein a feeding unit, a clamping unit, a moving unit and a processing unit are provided on the surface of the worktable (2), the feeding unit and the processing unit are located on the same side of the moving unit, and the clamping unit is mounted on the moving unit, characterized in that, The feeding unit includes a drive assembly (3) and a material box (4) for loading workpieces, which is installed at an angle on one side of the drive assembly (3). A turntable (5) is rotatably arranged at the center of the material box (4). A waiting plate (6) is arranged on one side of the material box (4). One end of the waiting plate (6) is connected to the turntable (5) through a guide plate (7). The waiting plate (6) includes a horizontal plate and two vertical plates located on both sides of the horizontal plate. A through hole is opened at one end of the horizontal plate, and a dropping pipe (8) is arranged below the through hole. The clamping unit is located below the material drop tube (8). The moving unit is used to drive the clamping unit to be transported to the bottom of the processing unit. The processing unit is installed on the workbench (2) through the bracket (35). The processing unit includes a lifting assembly and a spindle (9) fixed on the lifting assembly for mounting the tool. The clamping unit includes a housing (10), a base plate (11), and a base plate (12) located above the base plate (11). The top front of the housing (10) is open and a cover plate is provided at the opening. A fixing plate (13) is provided below the cover plate. A cylinder (14) is provided on the base plate (12). The end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder (14) is connected to a push plate (15). The push plate (15) is located between the base plate (12) and the cover plate. Multiple through holes are provided on the push plate (15). A push rod (16) is inserted in each through hole. One end of the push rod (16) is connected to the fixing plate (13), and the other end passes through the front end face of the push plate (15).

2. The round nut slotting machining equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper half of the material box (4) is open and has a flange. A notch is provided at the junction of the flange and the lower half of the material box (4). The guide plate (7) passes through the notch and is connected to the turntable (5). The left half of the guide plate (7) has a slope, and the right half of the guide plate (7) is located above the horizontal plate and is connected to the through hole.

3. The round nut slotting processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive assembly (3) is mounted on the workbench (2) via bracket two (36). The drive assembly (3) includes a housing and a motor installed inside the housing. The output shaft of the motor passes through the housing and the material box (4) in sequence and is connected to the turntable (5). The turntable (5) is fixed on the output shaft of the motor by a flat key. The turntable (5) includes a large diameter section and a small diameter section arranged coaxially. The small diameter section is connected to the arc structure on the left half end face of the guide plate (7).

4. The round nut slotting machining equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end face of the push plate (15) is provided with multiple U-shaped grooves. One end of the bottom plate (12) extends to the outside of the bottom plate (11) and is provided with a baffle (17). Multiple through holes (2) are provided at intervals along the length direction of the bottom plate (12) near the inner side of the baffle (17). The through holes (2) are provided in correspondence with the U-shaped grooves.

5. The equipment for processing slotted round nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, A collection box (18) is provided below the push plate (15). The collection box (18) and the moving unit are installed together on the support plate (34), which is fixed on the workbench (2).

6. The equipment for processing slotted round nuts according to claim 5, characterized in that, The moving unit includes a guide rail (19), a ball screw mechanism (20), and a second motor (21) for driving the ball screw mechanism (20). The guide rail (19) is configured as two rails parallel to the ball screw mechanism (20). Each guide rail (19) is provided with a slider (22). The slider (22) and the slide of the ball screw mechanism (20) are both fixed below the base plate (11).

7. The equipment for processing slotted round nuts according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lifting assembly includes a guide rod (23), a screw jack (24), and a motor (25) that drives the screw jack (24). The guide rails (19) are set as two rails and are arranged parallel to the screw jack (24). Each guide rail (19) is provided with a slider (26). The slider (26) and the slider of the screw jack (24) are connected to a connecting seat (27). The main shaft (9) is vertically installed in front of the connecting seat (27).

8. The equipment for processing slotted round nuts according to claim 7, characterized in that, The motor three (25) is provided with a housing three (28) on the outside, and a protective cover (29) for covering the lifting assembly is provided below the housing three (28).

9. The equipment for processing slotted round nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material waiting plate (6) has a motor four (30), a stop block (31) and a sensor (32) on one of its upright plates. The motor four (30) is located on the outer side of the upright plate, and the sensor (32) is located on the inner side of the upright plate. The stop block (31) includes a long side and a short side that are perpendicular to each other. The short side passes through a corresponding notch on the upright plate, and one end of the long side is fixed to the output shaft of the motor four (30).

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