Mobile portal for machine tool with pit arrangement of longitudinal axes

Abstract

A mobile portal for a machine tool is described with a pit arrangement of its longitudinal axes, comprising a respective carriage (3), (3') which moves on a pair of longitudinal guides (4) completely buried in a longitudinal pit (5), (5') with respect to the ground level (0), a respective rack (6), (6') lying in the pit, a support in the pit (7), (7'), an actuator (8), (8') comprising a pinion (9) meshing with the respective rack (6), (6'), and at least one measuring device (10), (10'), a set of fixed covers (11), (12) being provided at the ground level (0) in order to cover the volume of the longitudinal pit, leaving a slot (13), (13') provided to allow the passage of the respective wagon (3), (3'), this mobile portal comprising a set of covers relatively sliding (14), (15) (16), (17), with respect to the carriage (3), (3') which extend laterally along the longitudinal axes.

Description

[0001] MOBILE PORTAL FOR MACHINE TOOL WITH PIT ARRANGEMENT

[0002] OF LONGITUDINAL AXES

[0003] The present invention refers to a mobile gantry for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes .

[0004] In general , the present invention relates to protective coatings for machine tool parts .

[0005] In particular, the present invention relates to : elements that form part of the general structure of a machine shape , in particular relatively large fixed elements , frames , beds , pillars or similar elements ; arrangement of ways , portals , protective coatings for machine tool parts ; relatively smooth covers , e . g . telescopic .

[0006] The state of the art is represented by US patent 2002 / 0106981 Al concerning a grinding machine for grinding bulky pieces comprising at least a processing table on which a piece to be grinded is positioned, at least two columns connected to a single trolley movable longitudinally on a base parallel to the processing table , and at least one grinding head fixed on each of said columns . The movement of the trolley on the base occurs via a system of hydrostatic guides which include longitudinal guides on which the trolley slides ; these guides have chambers with oil under pressure for lubrication . The longitudinal movement of the carriage is managed by a rack and pinion system . A pinion is mounted on the axle of a gearbox which is attached to the carriage .

[0007] The longitudinal guides are partially buried in a longitudinal trench which opens at ground level through a longitudinal slot closed by a protective strip . This strip is fixed at the ends of the pit and deflected at the point of passage of the upright via rollers .

[0008] Each guide has a sliding surface substantially at ground level and a rack on its bottom surface .

[0009] The gantry is equipped with an advancement device which includes a pinion which engages with the rack and which is driven by a device connected to the gantry .

[0010] The driving device includes in each post a drive shaft which drives the pinion through a gearbox, with the shaft itsel f driven by a main synchroni zing shaft common to the two posts and supported by the cross beam .

[0011] The upright includes , near the guide , a carriage which extends laterally and under the guide , housing a pinion which meshes with the rack under the guide 4 . This pinion is fixed on a shaft moved in rotation by a transmission shaft via two reduction gears .

[0012] The volume of the pit is partially closed by two fixed plates , which extend exactly to ground level and provide between them a gap approximately 100 mm wide , enough for the passage of the advanced kinematics and the electrical power cables .

[0013] The slot is blocked along the entire length of the pit by a fixed strip, except at the level of the kinematic pas sage , where the strip is deflected by a diversion mechanism consisting essentially of a tall diversion roller, mounted freely in rotation above the advanced kinematics , and two deviation rollers , positioned respectively in front and behind said kinematics , and maintaining the strip in the plane of the covering plates .

[0014] Referring to patent FR 2703284 Al , the longitudinal guides are partially buried in a longitudinal trench which opens at ground level through a closed longitudinal slot , thereby allowing access to the working surface located at ground level .

[0015] Each guide has a sliding surface substantially at ground level , facilitating the movement of the uprights and allowing easy access to the work surface .

[0016] In addition, each guide is equipped with a rack on its lower surface , involved in the feed device with a pinion that meshes with the rack .

[0017] The longitudinal pit that houses the guides is closed by a protective strip and features a closed longitudinal slot , helping to maintain cleanliness within the pit and preventing unwanted debris from entering .

[0018] A protective strip is fixed to the ends of the longitudinal trench and designed to be deflected as the upright passes through the use of rollers . This deflection capability allows for safe passage of struts during their movement .

[0019] The technical problem associated with this feature in ER 2703284 Al involves several disadvantages , including :

[0020] - the installation of a roller mechanism at the base of the upright can generate signi ficant dimensions , limiting the space available for other components or complicating access to certain areas of the machine ;

[0021] - the protection strip must be f lexible enough to allow easy sliding between the rollers of the deflection mechanism as the upright passes . Managing this flexibility represents a challenge , as the strip must dynamically adapt to the movements of the post without compromising the effectiveness of the protection . address the problems arising from the characteristic of the fixed protection strip with deflection, the proposed solution involves modi fying the arrangement of the guides , considering each guide as totally buried in a longitudinal pit , which opens at ground level through a closed longitudinal slot . This modi fication is designed so that the guide is completely submerged, extending below ground level , and the longitudinal slot is closed outside the area occupied by the post .

[0022] - The complete immersion of the guide in the pit provides a more ef ficient and elegant solution, eliminating bulk and simpli fying the protection system .

[0023] - In this regard, it is important to underline that the express ion used in patent FR 2703284 Al , in particular in the independent claim which defines the guide as " at least partially buried" in a longitudinal trench, adapts both to the situation in which the guide is partially immersed and to that in which it is completely immersed, as evidenced by the use of the adverb "at least" . This concept can be interpreted in its more restrictive form of "partially buried" and in its broader form of " totally buried" , of fering a flexibility of interpretation that adapts to the di f ferent possible implementations and configurations .

[0024] The solution to the problem concerning patent FR 2703284 Al is described in the following points :

[0025] * the longitudinal guides are totally buried in a longitudinal pit which opens at ground level through a longitudinal slot . This design allows access to the work surface located at ground level ;

[0026] * each guide is equipped with a rack on its lower surface . This feature is involved in the advance device , which includes a pinion that meshes with the rack;

[0027] * the pit volume is partially closed by two fixed plates that extend exactly to ground level , providing a gap between them .

[0028] The innovative solution proposed by US patent application 2002 / 0106981 Al involves the integration of a pair of parallel guides for each upright in order to manage the longitudinal movement of the trolley within the portal structure This configuration would allow the replacement of the partially buried longitudinal single guide , as originally envisaged for each upright according to patent FR 2703284 Al .

[0029] The parallel guides proposed by US 20020106981 Al represent an advanced alternative , of fering a support system o f two guides for each post . The implementation of this solution would allow continuous access to the work surface located at ground level , while maintaining the ability to handle heavy loads via trolleys .

[0030] The obj ect of the present invention is therefore providing a mobile portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes which includes an advanced protection solution for the sliding guides along the longitudinal axes .

[0031] A further obj ect of the present invention is providing a mobile portal for machine tools with a pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes which includes a walking surface designed to allow a continuous access to the work surface at ground level .

[0032] A further obj ect of the present invention is providing a mobile gantry for machine tool with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes which includes a set of vertical covers provided to wrap the base of the machine tool protecting the critical components of the machine to preserve from damage and accumulation of chips and coolant , due to a morphology that facilitates chip drainage and simpli fies assembly, reducing possible critical issues .

[0033] Another obj ect of the present invention is providing a mobi le gantry for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes which includes a carriage designed to house the gearmotors necessary for the movement of the axis .

[0034] Another obj ect of the present invention is providing a mobi le portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes which allows reducing the risk of damage to delicate components such as optical scales , and to preserve functionality, improving overall reliability, and the li fe of the machine . A further obj ect of the present invention is providing a mobi le portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes which allows simpli fying the assembly of the components in the pit , making maintenance easier and reducing possible problems related to assembly .

[0035] The above and other obj ects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are achieved with a mobile portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes , such as the one described in claim 1 . Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention form the subj ect matter of the dependent claims .

[0036] It is understood that all attached claims form an integral part of this description .

[0037] It will be immediately obvious that countless variations and modi fications can be made to what i s described ( for example relating to shape , dimensions , arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the attached claims .

[0038] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments , provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, with reference to the attached drawings , in which :

[0039] - FIG . 1 shows a sectional front view at the base of an embodiment of the mobile portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes according to the present invention;

[0040] FIG . 2 , shows a sectional view of an enlarged portion I I of the previous figure ;

[0041] FIG . 3 shows a perspective view of the relevant components of an embodiment of the mobile portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes according to the present invention;

[0042] - FIG . 4 shows a perspective view of a first partial view of an embodiment of the mobile portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes according to the present invention; and

[0043] - FIG . 5 shows a perspective view of a second partial view of an embodiment of the mobile portal for machine tools with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes according to the present invention .

[0044] Referring to the Figures , it is possible to note that a mobile portal for a machine tool according to the present invention with pit arrangement of the longitudinal axes comprises a transversal beam 1, two uprights 2, 2', each equipped with a respective carriage 3, 3' which moves on a pair of longitudinal guides 4 completely buried in a longitudinal pit 5, 5' with respect to the ground level 0, a respective rack 6, 6' lying in the pit, the longitudinal guides 4 and the respective rack 6, 6' being integral with a support in the pit 7, 7', an actuator 8, 8' comprising a pinion 9 meshing with the respective rack 6, 6', means in the pit for the automatic evacuation of chips and slag 25, and at least one device for measuring 10, 10', the actuator 8, 8' being operated via a controller, a set of fixed covers 11, 12, being provided at ground level 0 to be able to cover the volume of the longitudinal pit leaving a gap 13, 13' designed to allow the passage of the respective carriage 3, 3' .

[0045] Advantageously, the mobile portal for machine tools according to the present invention includes a set of relatively sliding covers 14, 15, 16, 17 with respect to the carriage 3, 3' which extend laterally along the longitudinal axes. In particular, the support in the pit 7, 7 ' can be delimited by a horizontal surface 20 substantially at ground level 0.

[0046] Furthermore, the pit support 7, 7 ' can be shaped so as to include at least one lowered surface 21, 22 intended to house the longitudinal guides 4.

[0047] Furthermore, the support in the pit 7, 7 ' can be shaped so as to include at least one shelf 23, 24, designed to house the respective rack 6, 6' and at least one measuring device 10, 10' .

[0048] Preferably, the set of relatively sliding covers 14, 15, 16, 17, is made up of bellows elements .

Claims

CLAIMS1. Mobile portal for machine tool with pit arrangement of its longitudinal axes, comprising a transversal beam (1) , two uprights (2) , (2' ) each equipped with a respective carriage (3) , (3' ) which moves on a pair of longitudinal guides (4) positioned below the floor level in a longitudinal pit (5) , (5' ) with respect to the ground level (0) , a respective rack (6) , (6' ) , lying in the pit, the longitudinal guides (4) and the respective rack (6) , (6' ) being integral with a support in the pit (7) , (7' ) , an actuator (8) , (8' ) comprising a pinion (9) meshing with the respective rack (6) , (6' ) , means in the pit for the automatic evacuation of chips and slag (25) , and at least one measuring device (10) , (10' ) , the actuator (8) , (8' ) operated via a controller, a set of fixed covers (11) , (12) , provided at ground level (0) to be able to cover the volume of the longitudinal pit leaving a gap (13) , (13' ) designed to allow the passage of the respective carriage (3) , (3' ) , characterized in that it comprises a set of relatively sliding covers (14) , (15) (16) , (17) , with respect to the carriage (3) , (3' ) which extend laterally along thelongitudinal axes.

2. Mobile portal according to the previous claim, characterized in that the support in the pit (7) , (7' ) is delimited by a horizontal surface (20) substantially at ground level (0) provided as a walking surface to allow a continuous access to the work surface.

3. Mobile portal according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the support in the pit (7) , (7' ) is shaped so as to include at least one lowered surface (21, 22) intended to house the longitudinal guides (4) .

4. Mobile portal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support in the pit (7) , (7' ) is shaped so as to include at least one shelf (23, 24) intended to house the respective rack (6) , (6' ) and at least one measuring device (10) , (10 ’ ) .

5. Mobile portal according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the set of relatively sliding covers (14) , (15) , (16) , (17) is made up of bellows elements which protect the longitudinal guides (4) from storage of chips and cutting fluids

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