Rotary tools and turret tool posts equipped with rotary tools

Abstract

By maintaining the phase position of the key member of the driven shaft and the phase position of the shank key of the sleeve at a specific phase position, assembly is facilitated and the driven shaft and sleeve rotate as a single unit. [Solution] A rotary tool 10 is positioned on the turret surface 52 of the turret 50. The rotary tool 10 comprises a bevel gear member 16 connected to a rotatable tool body 11 having a key notch 11d on its circumferential surface, and a driven shaft 17 that is connected to a drive shaft 63 provided on the turret 50 only when the turret surface 52 on which the rotary tool 10 is positioned is set to a preset machining position P1. The driven shaft 17 has a tenon 17a at one end that engages with the drive shaft 63. A phase adjustment mechanism 18 is positioned between the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 to switch between a separated state in which the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 are rotatable independently around the axis C3 of the driven shaft 17, and a connected state in which the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 are fixed together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary tool and a turret tool post provided with the rotary tool.

Background Art

[0002] The turret tool post has a turret formed in a polygon around an axis. Tools are attached to each of a plurality of turret surfaces. There is a so-called single drive turret tool post in which a rotary tool is provided as a tool, and the drive mechanism rotates the tool body of the rotary tool only when the turret surface provided with the rotary tool is arranged at the machining position (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the single drive turret tool post described in Patent Document 1, a key member (keyway) is formed on a driven shaft interlocked with the tool body, and a key member (key groove) is formed on the shaft of the drive mechanism. At the machining position, the rotation of the tool body at the machining position is enabled by the engagement of the key members (keyway and key groove).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the turret of the turret tool post rotates, the key member of the driven shaft needs to be disengaged from the key member of the drive mechanism. Therefore, the driven shaft needs to maintain the phase position of the key member around the axis at a specific phase position.

[0006] Here, it is proposed that the turret tool post is rotated so that the turret surface on which the rotary tool is mounted is positioned at a replacement position, not the machining position, and the tool body is replaced using an Automatic Tool Changer (ATC). The rotary tool body is mounted in the tool holder with the key notch formed in the tool body aligned with the shank key formed in the sleeve of the tool holder. However, when replacing the tool body, the ATC needs to align the magazine key of the ATC with the key notch in the tool body.

[0007] Thus, the rotary tool needs to be assembled while maintaining the key member of the driven shaft at a specific phase position (first phase position) around the axis, and the shank key of the sleeve at a specific phase position (second phase position) around the axis.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a rotary tool and a turret tool post equipped with a rotary tool that facilitate assembly while maintaining the phase position of the key member of the driven shaft and the phase position of the shank key of the sleeve at specific phase positions, and that allow the driven shaft and the sleeve to rotate integrally after assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The first aspect of the present invention is a rotary tool positioned on one of a plurality of turret surfaces of a turret, wherein the rotary tool comprises a gear member connected to a rotatable tool body having a key notch on its circumferential surface, and a driven shaft connected to a drive mechanism provided on the turret only when the turret surface on which the rotary tool is positioned is set to a predetermined machining position, wherein the driven shaft has a key member at one end that engages with the drive mechanism, and a phase adjustment mechanism is provided between the gear member and the driven shaft to switch between a separated state in which the gear member and the driven shaft rotate independently of each other around the axis of the driven shaft, and a connected state in which the gear member and the driven shaft are fixed together as a single unit.

[0010] The second aspect of the present invention is a turret tool holder comprising: a turret that rotates around an axis and has a plurality of turret surfaces; a rotary tool according to the present invention provided on one of the plurality of turret surfaces; and a drive mechanism that is connected to the key member of the driven shaft provided with the rotary tool only when the turret surface on which the rotary tool is provided is positioned at a preset machining position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The rotary tool and turret tool post equipped with the rotary tool according to the present invention allow for easy assembly while maintaining the phase position of the key member of the driven shaft and the phase position of the shank key of the sleeve at specific phase positions, and after assembly, the driven shaft and the sleeve can be rotated integrally. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a turret tool post and an automatic tool changer (ATC). [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the inside of the turret tool post, including axis C1, showing the turret surface to which the rotary tool is mounted in the position (exchange position) P2 when the tool body is changed by the magazine of the automatic tool changer (ATC). [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the turret tool post, with an inclined surface at a 45-degree angle including axis C1, and shows the turret surface in the position (machining position) P1 where the rotary tool is used for machining the workpiece held in the automatic lathe. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the replacement of the tool body using an ATC (Automatic Tool Changer), showing the positional relationship between the ATC magazine and the rotary tool from a perspective viewed from the rear of the turret. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 6, showing the magazine key of the magazine claw inserted into the key cutout of the tool body. [Figure 6]It is a cross-sectional view on a horizontal plane including axis C2, showing a state where the magazine key of the magazine claw is inserted into the key notch of the tool body. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the keyway of the driven shaft and the anti-rotation ring in a state where the turret surface is arranged at the exchange position, and the driven shaft and the drive shaft are shown in cross-section. [Figure 8] It is a view seen from the rear of the state shown in FIG. 7 with respect to axis C1. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view by a plane along line B-B in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the phase adjustment mechanism. [Figure 11] It is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the phase adjustment mechanism. [Figure 12] It is a view for explaining the operation of the phase adjustment mechanism.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0013] Embodiments of the rotary tool and the turret tool rest according to the present invention will be described as follows with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Turret tool rest> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a turret tool rest 100 and a tool automatic changer (ATC; Automatic Tool Changer) 300. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view on a horizontal plane including axis C1 showing the inside of the turret tool rest 100, showing a state where the turret surface 52 to which the rotary tool 10 is attached is at a position (exchange position) P2 when the tool body 11 is exchanged by the magazine 200 of the ATC 300. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an inclined plane at an angle of 45 degrees including axis C1 showing the inside of the turret tool rest 100, showing a state where the turret surface 52 is at a position (processing position) P1 used for processing a workpiece held by the automatic lathe with the rotary tool 10. The turret tool rest 100 is an embodiment of the turret tool rest according to the present invention, and the rotary tool 10 is an embodiment of the rotary tool according to the present invention.

[0015] The turret tool rest 100 is controlled in its operation by the computer numerical control (CNC) of a lathe.

[0016] <Turret> As shown in FIG. 1, the turret tool rest 100 is disposed on the bed 1. The bed 1 is arranged along an axis C5 inclined with respect to the horizontal direction W, and the turret tool rest 100 moves along the axis C5 on the bed 1. The axis C5 extends in a direction inclined, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction W in a vertical plane.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the turret tool rest 100 includes a turret 50, a swivel mechanism 55, and a drive mechanism 60. The turret 50 swivels (rotates) in the circumferential direction R1 around the axis C1. The turret 50 is formed in a polygonal shape when viewed in the direction of the axis C_{1}. The circumferential surface of the turret 50 around the axis C1 forms turret surfaces 51 and 52 that extend parallel to the axis C1. The turret surface 51 is a plurality of surfaces of the same size, and the turret surface 52 is, for example, one surface formed wider than the other turret surfaces 51.

[0018] Non-rotating tools such as tools are attached to the turret surface 51. A rotary tool 10 is attached to the turret surface 52. The rotary tool 10 includes a tool body 11 that rotates around the axis C2 of the tool body 11. The tool body 11 is, for example, a tool used for milling or drilling. In FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the description of the tools attached to the turret surface 51 is omitted.

[0019] When the turret 50 rotates (swivels) around axis C1 and the turret surface 51 to which the tool is mounted is positioned at a machining position P1 that is inclined at a 45-degree angle with respect to the horizontal direction W, the tool can be brought into contact with the workpiece (object to be machined) held in the automatic lathe, thereby enabling the workpiece to be cut by the tool. Similarly, when the turret surface 52 to which the rotary tool 10 is mounted is positioned at the machining position P1, the tool body 11 can be brought into contact with the workpiece held in the automatic lathe, thereby enabling the workpiece to be machined by the tool body 11. Tools and rotary tools 10 mounted on other turret surfaces 51 and 52 positioned at positions other than the machining position P1 (non-machining positions) cannot machine the workpiece.

[0020] Since the turret tool post 100 has a machining position P1 that is lower than the turret axis C1 and eccentrically positioned diagonally downward with respect to axis C1, it is possible to prevent or suppress the scattering of cutting chips, cutting fluid, etc., generated when machining a workpiece with a tool or rotary tool 10 onto the turret 50, etc.

[0021] Furthermore, the machining position P1 is oriented at an angle of 45 degrees from axis C1 with respect to the horizontal plane passing through axis C1. Since this angle matches the inclination angle of the bed 1 with respect to the horizontal plane, when the program that controls the turret tool post 100 is expressed in a coordinate system based on axis C5 of the bed 1, it is easy to identify the position of the machining point where the tool contacts the workpiece, and highly accurate position control can be performed.

[0022] However, the turret tool post according to the present invention is not limited to one in which the orientation of the machining position P1 with respect to the horizontal plane passing through axis C1 coincides with the inclination angle of the bed 1 with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0023] The turret 50 rotates (swivels) around axis C1, and the turret surface 52 to which the rotary tool 10 is attached rotates by an angle of 135 degrees from the machining position P1. The exchange position P2, where the turret surface 52 is positioned perpendicular to the horizontal direction, is the position where the tool body 11 of the rotary tool 10 is exchanged with another tool body by the ATC 300, which will be described later.

[0024] <Drive mechanism> The swivel mechanism 55 is rotated around axis C1 by a swivel motor (not shown), thereby rotating (swiveling) the turret 50 around axis C1. The drive mechanism 60 is rotated around axis C1 by a drive motor (not shown), thereby rotating the tool body 11 of the rotary tool 10 around axis C2 only when the turret surface 52 on which the rotary tool 10 is mounted is positioned at machining position P1.

[0025] The drive mechanism 60 includes a drive shaft 61, a drive shaft 63, and a transmission unit 62. The drive shaft 61 is positioned along axis C1. The drive shaft 61 rotates around axis C1 by a drive motor. The drive shaft 63 extends from immediately adjacent to axis C1 toward the turret surface 52, in a position along axis C3 which is perpendicular to axis C1.

[0026] The drive shaft 63 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A mortise groove 63a (keyway) is formed at the end of the drive shaft 63 on the side facing the turret surface 52. The mortise groove 63a is formed along the diametrical direction of the drive shaft 63. The transmission unit 62 is composed of a bevel gear 62a formed at the end of the drive shaft 61 on the turret 50 side and a bevel gear 62b formed at the end of the drive shaft 63 on the axis C1 side. By meshing the bevel gears 62a and 62b with each other, the transmission unit 62 transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 61 to the drive shaft 63 and converts the direction of rotation from around axis C1 to around axis C3.

[0027] When the turret surface 52 is positioned at the machining position P1, as shown in Figure 3, the tenon groove 63a engages with a tenon 17a (key member) formed at one end of the driven shaft 17 of the rotary tool 10, which extends in the diametrical direction of the driven shaft 17. In this state, the driven shaft 17 is connected to the drive shaft 63, and the rotation of the drive shaft 63 is transmitted to the driven shaft 17, causing the rotation of the driven shaft 17 to rotate the tool body 11. When the turret surface 52 is positioned at a non-machining position other than the machining position P1 (for example, the exchange position P2 shown in Figure 2), the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 disengages from the tenon groove 63a, and the tool body 11 does not rotate.

[0028] In other words, the turret tool post 100 is a so-called single-drive system in which the drive mechanism 60 rotates the tool body 11 only when the turret surface 52 on which the rotary tool 10 is mounted is positioned at the machining position P1. Since the single-drive turret tool post 100 rotates only when the tool body 11 is in use for machining, it can contribute to energy saving.

[0029] Inside the turret 50, there is a swivel motor 81 that rotates (swivels) the swivel section 15c (tool swivel section) of the tool holding section body 15 around an axis C3 perpendicular to the turret surface 52.

[0030] <Rotating Tools> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rotary tool 10 comprises a tool body (tool shank) 11 and a tool holder 12. The tool holder 12 comprises a tool holder body 15, a sleeve 12a, a driven shaft 17, a bevel gear member 16, a phase adjustment mechanism 18, and slewing gears 13a and 13b.

[0031] The tool holder body 15 comprises a base portion 15a, a holding portion 15b, and a swivel portion 15c. The base portion 15a is fixed to the turret surface 52. When a swivel motor 81 provided inside the turret 50 rotates, the swivel portion 15c swivels around axis C3 via transmission mechanisms provided inside the base portion 15a and the holding portion 15b. As a result, the turret tool post 100 can position the axis C2 of the tool body 11 held by the swivel portion 15c to be tilted with respect to axis C1.

[0032] The swivel section 15c is equipped with a sleeve 12a inside. The sleeve 12a extends along an axis C2 perpendicular to axis C3. The sleeve 12a holds the tool body 11. The sleeve 12a is rotatably mounted around axis C2. The sleeve 12a is equipped with two shank keys 12e. The two shank keys 12e are positioned diagonally around axis C2 of the tool body 11 that they hold, i.e., at an angle of 180 degrees around axis C2.

[0033] The tool body 11 is configured to be detachably attached to the sleeve 12a. The tool body 11 held in the sleeve 12a is removed from the sleeve 12a by the magazine 200 of the ATC 300 and held in the magazine 200. Furthermore, when the sleeve 12a does not have a tool body 11 attached, it allows any of the tool bodies 11 held in the magazine 200 to be attached. The tool body 11 is replaced by the magazine 200 when the turret surface 52 is positioned at a preset replacement position P2 (a position where the turret surface 52 is perpendicular to the horizontal direction).

[0034] The tool body 11 consists of a cutting edge 11a and a shank 11b that holds the cutting edge 11a. The shank 11b has a cone-shaped tapered surface 11c and two key notches 11d. The two key notches 11d are formed at diagonal positions around the axis C2, that is, at an angle of 180 degrees around the axis C2. The two shank keys 12e of the sleeve 12a and the two key notches 11d of the tool body 11 are positioned at the same phase position around the axis C2 and engage with each other, thereby connecting the sleeve 12a and the tool body 11.

[0035] On the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve 12a around the shaft C2, a concave tapered surface 12c is formed, which is the inverse of the cone-shaped tapered surface 11c of the tool body 11. When the tool body 11 is inserted into the sleeve 12a, this tapered surface 12c makes contact with the tapered surface 11c over almost its entire surface. The shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a engages with two key notches 11d formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tool body 11. The sleeve 12a and the tool body 11 are connected by the frictional force between the tapered surfaces 11c and the engaging force between the shank key 12e and the key notches 11d, and rotate together as a single unit around the shaft C2.

[0036] A bevel gear 12b is formed on the sleeve 12a around the axis C2. The bevel gear 12b meshes with a bevel gear member 16 located at the end of the driven shaft 17 closest to the pivot portion 15c. Therefore, the phase of the bevel gear member 16 around the axis C3 corresponds to the phase of the key notch 11d of the tool body 11, which is connected to the bevel gear 12b and the sleeve 12a, around the axis C2.

[0037] The driven shaft 17 has a tenon 17a (key member) extending in the diametrical direction of the driven shaft 17 at one end furthest from the pivot section 15c. As described above, the driven shaft 17 is connected to the drive shaft 63 when the turret surface 52 is positioned at the machining position P1, but it engages with the mortise groove 63a formed in the drive shaft 63 when the phase position of the tenon 17a around the axis C3 is a preset first phase position. In other words, the driven shaft 17 is connected to the drive shaft 63 only when the tenon 17a and the mortise groove 63a are engaged. Then, as the drive shaft 61 rotates due to the motor of the turret tool post 100, the driven shaft 17 rotates around axis C3 via the transmission section 62 and the drive shaft 63.

[0038] The rotation of the driven shaft 17 around axis C3 is controlled by a phase adjustment mechanism 18, described later, which switches the driven shaft 17 and the bevel gear member 16 into a connected state, causing the sleeve 12a to rotate around axis C2, and the rotation of the sleeve 12a causes the tool body 11 to rotate around axis C2.

[0039] <atc> Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the replacement of the tool body 11 by the ATC300, and is a perspective view of the positional relationship between the ATC300 magazine 200 and the rotary tool 10, viewed from the rear of the turret 50. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 6, showing the state in which the magazine key 211 of the magazine pawl 210 is inserted into the key notch 11d of the tool body 11. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view in a horizontal plane including axis C2, showing the state in which the magazine key 211 of the magazine pawl 210 is inserted into the key notch 11d of the tool body 11.

[0040] Furthermore, in the turret tool post 100 shown in Figure 4, similar to the state shown in Figure 2, at the replacement position P2, the swivel section 15c rotates around the axis C3, and the tool body 11 is positioned behind the axis C3 along the axis C1, in which case the tool body 11 is replaced.

[0041] However, depending on the positional relationship with the installation position of the magazine 20, the turret tool post 100 may be configured such that, at the replacement position P2, the tool body 11 is positioned forward of the axis C3 along axis C1, and the tool body 11 is replaced in this manner.

[0042] The magazine 200 is positioned on the ATC bed 301. The ATC bed 301 is perpendicular to axis C1 and extends along the horizontal direction W. Therefore, the magazine 310 moves along the horizontal direction W on the ATC bed 301.

[0043] Because the ATC300's magazine 200 moves along the horizontal direction W, the position of the magazine 200 can be controlled with high precision during the tool body 11 replacement operation. Furthermore, because the ATC300's magazine 200 moves along the horizontal direction W, even when the magazine 200 has moved away from the replacement position P2, it remains at the same height as the replacement position P2. Therefore, compared to a configuration where the magazine 200 moves diagonally upward along the axis C5 on the bed 1, as in the turret tool post 100, the ATC300 makes it easier for the operator to attach and detach the tool body 11 to the magazine 200 when the magazine 200 is in the retracted position.

[0044] When the rotary tool 10 is in the exchange position P2, where the turret surface 52 is perpendicular to the horizontal direction W including the axis C1, it can be exchanged with other tool bodies 11 by the magazine 200, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6. Specifically, when the turret surface 52 is in the exchange position P2, the key notch 11d of the tool body 11 is positioned along the horizontal direction W around the axis C2 (second phase position).

[0045] Meanwhile, the magazine 200 rotates around axis C4 so that an empty magazine pawl 210, which does not hold any other replacement tool bodies 11, is positioned to the side of the rotating tool 10 on the turret surface 52 located at replacement position P2. Axis C4 is parallel to the extended axis C2 of the tool body 11 provided on the turret surface 52 located at replacement position P2, and axes C4 and C2 are located on the same horizontal plane (see Figure 5).

[0046] Subsequently, the magazine 200 moves horizontally in the W direction so that the empty magazine claw 210 is brought closer to the tool body 11, and the shank 11b of the rotary tool 10 is inserted into the empty magazine claw 210. The magazine key 211 formed on the magazine claw 210 that is inserted into the shank 11b is oriented along the horizontal direction W around the axis C2, just like the key notch 11d of the tool body 11. Then, with the magazine key 211 engaged with the key notch 11d of the tool body 11, the magazine 200 moves backward along the axis C4, thereby pulling the tool body 11 out of the tool holder 12 backward along the axis C2 and removing it. The removed tool body 11 is then held in place by the magazine claw 210.

[0047] The magazine 200 rotates around axis C4, positioning the other replacement tool body 11, held by the other magazine pawl 210, rearward along axis C2 of the tool holder 12. The magazine 200 then moves forward along axis C4, advancing the other replacement tool body 11 forward along axis C2 and mounting it in the tool holder 12. The magazine 200 then retracts horizontally W, causing the magazine pawl 210 to move laterally in the horizontal W direction from the tool body 11 held in the tool holder 12, releasing the tool body 11.

[0048] Through the above operations, the ATC300 can automatically replace the tool body 11 of the rotary tool 10 located at replacement position P2.

[0049] Here, the magazine 200 is formed in an annular shape with numerous magazine pawls 210 arranged at equal intervals around the axis C4. Each magazine pawl 210 is open to the radially outward side. As mentioned above, some magazine pawls 210 hold other replacement tool bodies 11, while others are empty and do not hold other tool bodies 11.

[0050] Each magazine pawl 210 has a magazine key 211 extending along the horizontal direction W connecting the axis C2 and axis C4, as shown in Figure 5. The magazine key 211 is formed in a position to engage with a key notch 11d of the tool body 11 when the tool body 11 is held by the magazine pawl 210, as shown in Figure 6.

[0051] In other words, the magazine key 211 is formed in the same second phase position around axis C2 as the shank key 12e when the tool body 11 is held in the sleeve 12a of the tool holder 12. Therefore, the tool body 11 is held by the magazine pawl 210 while maintaining the same second phase position around axis C2 as when the tool body 11 is held in the tool holder 12.

[0052] As a result, all other replacement tool bodies 11 held by the other magazine pawls 210 of the magazine 200 are aligned with the second phase position, where the key notch 11d is the same as the shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a.

[0053] Furthermore, the key notch 11d only needs to be formed at the same second phase position as the magazine key 211, and the shank key 12e does not necessarily need to be formed at the same second phase position as the magazine key 211. In other words, in the above configuration, both the shank key 12e and the key notch 11d are formed in pairs, and since they are formed at an angle of 180 degrees around the axis C2, the phase position of the key notch 11d and the phase position of the shank key 12e coincide.

[0054] However, in a configuration where, for example, two shank keys 12e are formed at an angle of 180 degrees around axis C2, and four key notches 11d are formed at an angle of 90 degrees around axis C2, the shank key 12e does not coincide with the phase position of all the key notches 11d, but only with the phase position of two of the key notches 11d. In this configuration, even if the remaining two key notches 11d that do not coincide with the phase position of the shank key 12e are in the second phase position, the shank key 12e is not in the second phase position.

[0055] Therefore, the rotary tool according to the present invention only requires that the key notch 11d is formed at the second phase position. In the configuration where the shank key 12e is also formed at the second phase position, all key notches 11d and all shank keys 12e are formed at the same phase position. This is preferable because it can reduce the positional error of the shank key 12e relative to the key notch 11d.

[0056] <Anti-rotation ring> Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 and the anti-rotation ring 70 when the turret surface 52 is positioned at replacement position P2, and shows the driven shaft 17 and the drive shaft 63 in cross-section. Figure 8 is a view of the state shown in Figure 7 from the rear of shaft C1, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Figure 8.

[0057] As mentioned above, machining position P1 is the position where the turret surface 52 to which the rotary tool 10 is attached is inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction W, and replacement position P2 is the position where the turret surface 52 is inclined perpendicular to the horizontal direction W including axis C1 (inclined at 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction W). Therefore, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, replacement position P2 and machining position P1 are in a positional relationship at an angle θ = 135 degrees centered on axis C1. Note that replacement position P2 is a phase position corresponding to the horizontal direction in which the ATC magazine moves.

[0058] On the other hand, when the turret surface 52 is in the machining position P1, as shown in Figure 3, the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 and the mortise groove 63a engage, and the rotation of the drive mechanism 60 is transmitted to the tool body 11, causing the tool body 11 to rotate. Note that in Figure 8, when the turret surface 52 is in the machining position P1, the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17, shown by the dashed line, engages with the mortise groove 63a of the drive shaft 63.

[0059] When machining with the rotary tool 10 at machining position P1 is completed and machining is to be performed with another tool, the turret 50 needs to be rotated. When the turret 50 rotates, if the direction in which the tenon 17a extends moves from a position in a plane parallel to the plane on which the turret 50 rotates (a plane perpendicular to axis C1), that is, from a position along the plane perpendicular to axis C1 (a position along the plane on which the turret 50 rotates), the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17, which rotates with the turret 50, cannot be disengaged from the mortise groove 63a, and the turret 50 cannot be rotated.

[0060] Therefore, after machining by the rotary tool 10 is completed, the turret tool post 100 rotates the drive shaft 61 with a drive motor (not shown) before rotating the turret 50, stopping the turret in a position where the direction in which the mortise groove 63a extends is aligned with the plane perpendicular to the axis C1 (aligned with the plane on which the turret 50 rotates). This operation is performed by the control unit of the turret tool post 100 controlling the rotation angle of the drive motor.

[0061] This allows the turret tool post 100 to position the direction in which the tenon 17a, which engages with the mortise groove 63a, extends along the plane on which the turret 50 rotates (a specific phase position of the tenon 17a around axis C3), after which the turret 50 is rotated.

[0062] By the way, when the turret 50 rotates and the turret surface 52 moves away from the machining position P1, the tenon 17a is out of the mortise groove 63a, so the driven shaft 17 is not constrained by the mortise groove 63a. Therefore, the driven shaft 17 can rotate freely around axis C3. However, if, during the operation of the turret tool post 100, the direction in which the tenon 17a extends shifts from its position in the plane parallel to the plane on which the turret 50 rotates, then when the turret surface 52 is rotated back to the machining position P1, the tenon 17a will not be inserted into the mortise groove 63a, and the turret surface 52 will not be able to reach the machining position P1.

[0063] Therefore, the turret tool post 100 is equipped with an anti-rotation ring 70 as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The anti-rotation ring 70 is installed inside the turret 50 in a state where it does not rotate around the axis C1. The anti-rotation ring 70 is formed in an annular shape centered on the axis C1. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the portion of the anti-rotation ring 70 at the angular position corresponding to the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 when the turret surface 52 is in the machining position P1 has a notch 71d, and when viewed in the direction of axis C1, the entire structure is formed in a roughly C shape. The notch 71d is a space in which a wall portion that partitions the mortise groove 63a of the drive shaft 63, which is provided corresponding to the machining position P1, is arranged.

[0064] As shown in Figure 9, the anti-rotation ring 70 has an end face 71a (guide surface) that is close to the side surface 17a1 of the tenon 17a. The gap d2 between the close side surface 17a1 and the end face 71a is set to a minute gap, for example, 0.5 [mm]. Note that in Figure 9, in order to clearly show the gap d2, the thickness of the anti-rotation ring 70 and the thickness of the tenon 17a are depicted in a much larger size than the actual ratio.

[0065] When the turret surface 52 is outside the machining position P1, the end face 71a is positioned close to the side surface 17a1 of the tenon 17a. As a result, even if the driven shaft 17 attempts to rotate in the circumferential direction R2 (see Figure 9) around axis C3, the side surface 17a1 of the tenon 17a contacts the end face 71a, preventing the rotation of the driven shaft 17. This maintains the phase of the tenon 17a around axis C3 that it had when engaged with the mortise groove 63a. In other words, the anti-rotation ring 70 maintains the phase of the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 around axis C3 at a specific phase position, as the driven shaft 17 rotates around axis C1 in conjunction with the rotation of the turret 50.

[0066] Here, a clearance adjustment block 72 (clearance adjustment member) is provided at a portion of the rotation prevention ring 70 that faces the keyway 17a of the driven shaft 17 when the turret surface 52 is at the replacement position P2. The clearance adjustment block 72 projects the opposing surface 72a that faces the side surface 17a1 of the keyway 17a to the side of the side surface 17a1 of the keyway 17a rather than the end surface 71a of the C-shaped main body portion 71 of the rotation prevention ring 70.

[0067] The clearance adjustment block 72 makes the clearance d1 (for example, 0.1 [mm]) between the opposing surface 72a and the side surface 17a1 shown in FIG. 9 smaller than the clearance d2 (d1 < d2), thereby more restrictively limiting the rotation of the keyway 17a of the driven shaft 17 in the circumferential direction R2 at the replacement position P2. As a result, when the turret tool post 100 replaces the tool body 11 by the ATC 300 at the replacement position P2, the amount of deviation of the shank key 12e from a specific phase position around the axis C2 can be more restrictively regulated.

[0068] In the thickness direction of the rotation prevention ring 70, an exchangeable thickness adjustment shim 73 is arranged between the clearance adjustment block 72 and the C-shaped main body portion 71 of the rotation prevention ring 70. The thickness adjustment shim 73 is detachable between the clearance adjustment block 72 and the main body portion 71, and a plurality of them with different thicknesses are prepared in advance. By selecting a thick thickness adjustment shim 73 from these plurality of thickness adjustment shims 73 and arranging it between the clearance adjustment block 72 and the main body portion 71, the clearance d1 can be increased.

[0069] On the other hand, by selecting a thin thickness adjustment shim 73 from these plurality of thickness adjustment shims 73 and arranging it between the clearance adjustment block 72 and the main body portion 71, the clearance d1 can be decreased.

[0070] Therefore, even if there are individual differences in the turret tool post 100, by exchanging the thickness adjustment shim 73 with others of different thicknesses, the clearance d1 between the opposing surface 72a and the side surface 17a1 can be made uniform to a certain value, and the clearance d1 can be adjusted arbitrarily.

[0071] Furthermore, in order to mitigate the step difference between the opposing surface 72a and the end surface 71a, the gap adjustment block 72 has guide surfaces 72b formed at both ends along the circumferential direction around the axis C1, which are inclined so that the thickness gradually decreases from the opposing surface 72a to the end surface 71a. This prevents the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 from hitting the side surface of the gap adjustment block 72 when the tenon 17a rotates along the end surface 71a toward the replacement position P2, and also allows the side surface 17a1 of the tenon 17a to be smoothly guided to a position facing the opposing surface 72a.

[0072] As explained above, when machining with the rotary tool 10 is completed, the driven shaft 17 needs to be stopped at a specific phase position (first phase position) along the axis C3 of the tenon 17a, which is aligned with a plane perpendicular to the axis C1. On the other hand, when the tool body 11 is being replaced in the ATC 300, the sleeve 12a needs to be stopped at a specific phase position (second phase position) along the axis C2 of the shank key 12e, which is aligned with the axis C2 of the magazine key 211 of the magazine pawl 210 of the ATC 300, which is formed on the magazine key 211.

[0073] Here, since the sleeve 12a, the bevel gear member 16, and the driven shaft 17 are connected as an integrated mechanism, when the rotary tool 10 is assembled, it is necessary that the phase position of the shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a and the phase position of the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 correspond in a specific phase relationship. For this reason, when assembling the rotary tool 10, it is necessary to use a predetermined jig to fix the shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a in a specific phase position, and to fix the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 in a specific phase position.

[0074] However, assembling the rotary tool 10 with its input side (driven shaft 17) and output side (sleeve 12a) fixed in this manner is extremely time-consuming and requires skilled operation.

[0075] In this embodiment, the rotary tool 10 is equipped with a phase adjustment mechanism 18, which is described below. The phase adjustment mechanism 18 facilitates the assembly of the rotary tool 10 while the input side (driven shaft 17) and output side (sleeve 12a) of the rotary tool 10 are fixed.

[0076] <Phase adjustment mechanism> Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the phase adjustment mechanism 18, Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the phase adjustment mechanism 18, and Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the phase adjustment mechanism 18.

[0077] As shown in Figure 10, a bevel gear member 16 is connected to the end of the driven shaft 17 on the pivot portion 15c side via a phase adjustment mechanism 18. The bevel gear member 16 has a bevel gear 16a formed around axis C3. The bevel gear 16a meshes with a bevel gear 12b (see Figure 2) formed on the sleeve 12a, thereby transmitting the rotation of the driven shaft 17, which is connected via the phase adjustment mechanism 18, to the sleeve 12a, and converting the direction of rotation of the driven shaft 17 around axis C3 to the direction of rotation of the sleeve 12a around axis C2.

[0078] The bevel gear member 16 has a cylindrical boss 16b with a bottom formed on the inside of the bevel gear 16a. A hole is formed in the bottom of the boss 16b through which the driven shaft 17 passes. The driven shaft 17 passes through the hole formed in the bottom, and the end of the driven shaft 17 on the pivot portion 15c side is inserted into the space inside the boss 16b. The bottom of the boss 16b is in contact with a spacer 18i placed on the upper surface 17f (hereinafter referred to as the stopper surface 17f) of the flange formed on the driven shaft 17.

[0079] Here, in the assembled rotary tool 10, since the bevel gear 16a meshes with the bevel gear 12b of the sleeve 12a, the phase of the bevel gear 16a around axis C3 is determined by the specific phase position of the shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a around axis C2. On the other hand, the phase of the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 around axis C3 is determined by the specific phase position of the mortise groove 63a of the drive shaft 63 around axis C3.

[0080] Therefore, in a configuration where the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 are integrally formed in the state before assembly of the rotary tool 10, the accumulation of individual differences in the sleeve 12a, the drive shaft 63, and the driven shaft 17 may result in a discrepancy in the correspondence between the phase of the bevel gear 16a around the axis C3 and the phase of the tenon 17a around the axis C3 in the assembled rotary tool 10.

[0081] The rotary tool 10 is equipped with a phase adjustment mechanism 18 between the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17. The phase adjustment mechanism 18 switches between a separated state in which the driven shaft 17 and the bevel gear member 16 can rotate independently of each other around the axis C3, and a connected state in which they are fixed to each other and rotate together around the axis C3. In other words, in the separated state, the phase adjustment mechanism 18 can adjust the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 to any phase around the axis C3, and the key notch 11d of the tool body 11 to any phase around the axis C2.

[0082] The phase adjustment mechanism 18 is assembled as part of the rotary tool 10 in a separated state. After being assembled as part of the rotary tool 10, the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 are switched to a connected state in which they are fixed together, such that when the phase of the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 around axis C3 is in the first phase position, the phase of the key notch 11d of the tool body 11 around axis C2 is in the second phase position. Note that the phase of the bevel gear member 16 around axis C3 corresponds to the phase position of the key notch 11d of the tool body 11 around axis C2.

[0083] The phase adjustment mechanism 18 is located in the space inside the boss 16b. The phase adjustment mechanism 18 comprises a coupling mechanism 18c, a pressing member 18d, a positioning pin 18g, four fastening members 18h (e.g., socket head cap screws), and a spacer 18i. As shown in Figure 12, the spacer 18i is positioned between the bottom plate of the bevel gear member 16 and the stopper surface 17f of the driven shaft 17. Multiple spacers 18i of different thicknesses are provided, and one appropriate spacer 18i is selected from among them according to individual differences in the dimensions of the phase adjustment mechanism 18.

[0084] As shown in Figure 11, the connecting mechanism 18c has an inner ring 18b having a tapered surface on its outer circumference and an outer ring 18a having a tapered surface on its inner circumference. The outer ring 18a is positioned outside the inner ring 18b, and the tapered surfaces are in contact with each other, and the two are fitted together radially inward and outward. As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the lower surface of the inner ring 18b of the connecting mechanism 18c is positioned in contact with the bottom surface 16f in the space inside the boss 16b.

[0085] The outer diameter of the outer ring 18a is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the space inside the boss 16b. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the inner ring 18b is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the driven shaft 17. Therefore, the coupling mechanism 18c is either not in contact with the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 at all, or only in partial contact.

[0086] The pressing member 18d is formed in a disc shape with a ring-shaped projection on its outer edge that protrudes in the axial direction. The ring-shaped projection is sized to contact only the end face of the outer ring 18a in the connecting mechanism 18c. The pressing member 18d is positioned with the ring-shaped projection in contact with the upper end face of the outer ring 18a, and moves in the direction of axis C3 to press the end face of the outer ring 18a downwards on axis C3 of the connecting mechanism 18c.

[0087] The coupling mechanism 18c is configured such that the lower end face of the inner ring 18b is abutted against the bottom surface 16f of the space inside the boss 16b to prevent the inner ring 18b from moving downward on the shaft C3. When the outer ring 18a is pressed downward on the shaft C3 by the pressing member 18d, the wedge action causes the outer ring 18a to be slightly displaced or deformed radially outward, making strong contact with the inner circumferential surface 16e of the boss 16b, and the inner ring 18b to be slightly displaced or deformed radially inward, making strong contact with the outer circumferential surface 17e of the driven shaft 17. As a result, the coupling mechanism 18c connects the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 in a connected state by frictional force.

[0088] The disc portion of the pressing member 18d has a positioning hole 18f in the center, and four through holes 18e are formed radially outside the positioning hole 18f. The end face of the driven shaft 17 has a positioning hole 17d corresponding to the positioning hole 18f, and fastening holes 17c corresponding to each of the four through holes 18e.

[0089] In Figure 11, the positioning pin 18g is inserted from above the pressing member 18d, spanning the positioning hole 18f of the pressing member 18d and the positioning hole 17d of the driven shaft 17, thereby positioning the pressing member 18d relative to the driven shaft 17.

[0090] Furthermore, from above the pressing member 18d, four fastening members 18h are inserted into the fastening holes 17c of the driven shaft 17, each passing through the through-hole 18e of the pressing member 18d. In this state, the fastening members 18h are loosely tightened against the fastening holes 17c, and the phase adjustment mechanism 18 is separated from both the driven shaft 17 and the bevel gear member 16. With the phase adjustment mechanism 18 separated, the driven shaft 17, the phase adjustment mechanism 18, the bevel gear member 16, and the sleeve 12a are assembled as a rotary tool 10. Therefore, the rotary tool 10 assembled with the phase adjustment mechanism 18 separated can rotate the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 independently and freely around the axis C3.

[0091] With the rotary tool 10 assembled as a single unit, the shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a and the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 can be independently aligned to specific phase positions using a predetermined jig. When the phase adjustment mechanism 18 is separated, the bevel gear member 16 and the driven shaft 17 can be rotated independently of each other around the axis C3, making it easy to adjust their respective phases.

[0092] Therefore, with the phase adjustment mechanism 18 separated, the rotary tool 10 can adjust the phase position of the bevel gear member 16 around the axis C3 to a phase position corresponding to the second phase position, which is the phase position of the key notch 11d of the tool body 11, and can also adjust the phase position of the driven shaft 17 to the first phase position, which is the phase position of the tenon 17a.

[0093] With the rotary tool 10 assembled, and with the shank key 12e of the sleeve 12a and the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 held in specific phase positions by a predetermined jig, the fastening member 18h is tightened from the outside of the rotary tool 10.

[0094] As an example, the fastening member 18h from the outside of the rotary tool 10 can be tightened by inserting a tool (for example, a hex wrench) into a through hole 12f formed above the fastening member 18h in the swivel portion 15c, as shown in Figures 2 and 10, and then rotating the tool while it is engaged with the fastening member 18h.

[0095] As the fastening member 18h is tightened, the tightening between the fastening member 18h and the fastening hole 17c increases, as shown in Figure 12, the head of the fastening member 18h moves the disc portion of the pressing member 18d downward on the axis C3 shown in the figure, and the convex portion of the pressing member 18d pushes the outer ring 18a downward.

[0096] The bevel gear member 16 cannot be displaced any further downward once its bottom plate abuts against the stopper surface 17f via the spacer 18i. Therefore, the inner ring 18b, which is in contact with the bottom surface 16f (upper surface of the bottom plate) of the bevel gear member 16, cannot be displaced any further downward.

[0097] Furthermore, since the tapered inner surface of the outer ring 18a is in contact with the tapered outer surface of the inner ring 18b, when the outer ring 18a is pressed downward, the downward pressure acts on the inner ring 18b as a force along the tapered surface.

[0098] The inner ring 18b is slightly deformed or displaced radially inward (towards the central axis C3) by the force component along the tapered surface, and the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 18b comes into strong contact with the outer circumferential surface 17e of the driven shaft 17. On the other hand, the outer ring 18a is subjected to a reaction force from the inner ring 18b, causing it to slightly deform or displace radially outward, and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 18a comes into strong contact with the inner circumferential surface 16e of the boss 16b. As a result, the phase adjustment mechanism 18 switches the driven shaft 17 and the bevel gear member 16 to a fixed, integrated connection state via the outer ring 18a and inner ring 18b by strong frictional force. The connected driven shaft 17 and the bevel gear member 16 rotate together around axis C3 with their respective phase positions defined to specific phase positions.

[0099] Thus, in this embodiment, even if there are individual differences in the sleeve 12a, the drive shaft 63, and the driven shaft 17, when the phase adjustment mechanism 18 is switched to the separated state, the phase of the bevel gear 16a around the axis C3 can be easily adjusted to a specific phase position (a phase position corresponding to a specific phase position (second phase position) of the shank key 12e around the axis C2), and the phase of the tenon 17a around the axis C3 can be easily adjusted to a specific phase position (first phase position) using a jig.

[0100] Then, with the jig holding the bevel gear 16a in a specific phase position and the tenon 17a in a specific phase position, the phase adjustment mechanism 18 switches the driven shaft 17 and the bevel gear member 16 to a state of integrated connection, thereby allowing the driven shaft 17 to rotate integrally with the tool body 11.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the turret tool post 100, with its rotating tool 10 having a phase adjustment mechanism 18, allows for easy adjustment to define the phase of the bevel gear 16a around axis C3 to a specific phase position, and to associate the phase of the tenon 17a around axis C3 to a specific phase position, even if there are individual differences in the sleeve 12a, the drive shaft 63, and the driven shaft 17.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the turret tool post 100 has a gap adjustment block 72 in the gap adjustment block 72, which limits the rotation of the tenon 17a of the driven shaft 17 in the circumferential direction R2 when the turret surface 52 is in the replacement position P2 to a smaller extent than when it is in other non-machining positions. As a result, when the tool body 11 is replaced with the ATC 300 in the replacement position P2, the turret tool post 100 can limit the amount of phase deviation of the shank key 12e around the axis C2 to a smaller extent.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the turret tool post 100 allows the gap d1 to be adjusted by replacing the gap adjustment block 72 with a replaceable thickness adjustment shim 73.

[0104] Furthermore, the gap adjustment block 72 has guide surfaces 72b formed at both ends along the circumferential direction around the axis C1 of the opposing surface 72a, such that the thickness gradually decreases from the opposing surface 72a towards the end surface 71a. This prevents the tenon 17a from hitting the side surface of the gap adjustment block 72 and allows the side surface 17a1 of the tenon 17a to be smoothly guided to a position facing the opposing surface 72a. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 10 Rotary Tools 11 Tool body 12 Tool holding part 12a Sleeve 12e Shank Key 16 Bevel gear component (gear component) 17 Driven shaft 17a Mortise and tenon (key member) 18 Phase adjustment mechanism 52 Turret side 63 Drive shaft 100 Turret Tool Rest C1,C3 axis P1 Machining position< / atc>

Claims

1. A rotary tool positioned on one of the multiple turret surfaces of the turret, The rotary tool comprises a gear member connected to a rotatable tool body having a key cutout on its circumferential surface, and a driven shaft connected to a drive mechanism provided on the turret only when the turret surface on which the rotary tool is positioned is set to a predetermined machining position. The driven shaft has a key member at one end that engages with the drive mechanism, A rotary tool having a phase adjustment mechanism positioned between the gear member and the driven shaft, which switches between a separated state in which the gear member and the driven shaft rotate independently of each other around the axis of the driven shaft, and a connected state in which the gear member and the driven shaft are fixed together as a single unit.

2. The rotary tool according to claim 1, wherein the phase adjustment mechanism integrally fixes the driven shaft and the gear member such that, in the connected state, when the key member is in a first phase position around the axis of the driven shaft, the key notch is in a second phase position around the axis of the tool body.

3. The first phase position is a phase position along the plane on which the turret rotates, with respect to the axis of the driven shaft. The rotary tool according to claim 2, wherein the second phase position is a phase position around the axis of the tool body where a magazine key of a magazine for an automatic tool changer that replaces the tool body is formed.

4. The rotary tool according to claim 3, wherein the second phase position is a phase position corresponding to the horizontal direction in which the magazine moves at the exchange position where the turret surface on which the rotary tool is positioned is located, when the rotary tool is replaced by the automatic tool changer.

5. The phase adjustment mechanism comprises: a coupling mechanism disposed in the space between the driven shaft and the boss of the gear member in the radial direction centered on the axis of the driven shaft, which is displaced or deformed radially outward and inward when pressed in the axial direction of the driven shaft; a pressing member disposed in contact with the axial end face of the coupling mechanism; and a fastening member that moves the pressing member in the axial direction. The rotary tool according to claim 1, wherein a through hole is formed in the tool swivel portion that rotates the tool body, into which a tool for moving the fastening member in the axial direction is inserted from the outside of the tool swivel portion.

6. Between the tool body and the gear member, there is a sleeve having a shank key connected to the gear member. The rotary tool according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is connected to the tool body by the shank key and the key notch being positioned in the same phase position around the axis of the tool body and engaging with each other, and the gear member is connected to the tool body via the sleeve.

7. A turret that rotates around an axis and has multiple turret surfaces, A rotary tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, provided on any of the multiple turret surfaces, A turret tool post comprising: a drive mechanism that is connected to the key member of the driven shaft provided with the rotary tool only when the turret surface on which the rotary tool is provided is positioned at a predetermined machining position among a plurality of turret surfaces.

8. The turret is equipped with an annular anti-rotation ring formed around the axis of rotation, The turret tool post according to claim 7, wherein the anti-rotation ring has a guide surface that guides the key member of the driven shaft, which rotates around the axis of rotation of the turret as the turret rotates, while maintaining the phase of the driven shaft around its axis at a first phase position along the plane on which the turret pivots.

9. The anti-rotation ring is provided with a gap adjustment member in the portion facing the key member when the turret surface on which the rotating tool is provided is positioned at the replacement position for replacing the tool body. The turret tool post according to claim 8, wherein the gap adjustment member is set to have a smaller gap with the key member than the guide surface.

10. A thickness adjustment shim is provided, which is detachably positioned between the gap adjustment member and the body of the anti-rotation ring. The turret tool post according to claim 9, wherein the thickness adjustment shim is disposed between the gap adjustment member and the body of the anti-rotation ring.

Images