Inclined Slide Member Lathe for Chip Evacuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional horizontal bed type lathes with tool feeding shafts face issues with chip accumulation on the cross slide, affecting processing accuracy and safety, and require additional space for chip dropping, increasing the machine's forward-backward dimension.

Innovation Solution

A lathe design featuring a spindle with a slide member having an inclined surface for tool holders, allowing chips to fall downward and reducing accumulation, eliminating the need for a chip dropping space in front of the slide member, and enabling a more compact machine configuration by fixing the processing means' position and using a machine body cover to reduce the forward-backward dimension.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the cross slide is horizontally installed to support tool holders, then the tool holders can be mounted on the cross slide, but chips accumulate on the cross slide affecting processing accuracy and safety

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool holder mountingVSAvoidchip accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cross slide surface is inverted from a horizontal mounting surface to an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the rear of the lathe. This inversion allows chips to naturally slide off the inclined surface under gravity, preventing accumulation while maintaining tool holder mounting capability. The inclined surface serves dual functions: supporting tool holders and enabling chip evacuation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful effect of chip accumulation is converted into a beneficial chip evacuation mechanism. By inclining the cross slide surface, the gravity that causes chips to settle is transformed into a force that moves chips toward the rear of the lathe where they can be collected and removed, turning a problem into a solution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a chip dropping space is provided in front of the cross slide to remove accumulated chips, then chips can be removed from the cross slide, but the forward-backward dimension of the machine increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechip removalVSAvoidforward-backward dimension

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing a chip dropping space in front of the cross slide (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by making the cross slide itself inclined and directing chips toward the rear of the machine. This eliminates the need for additional front space while achieving effective chip removal through the inclined surface design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If the cross slide is made longer in the forward-backward direction to accommodate tool holders, then tool holders can be mounted, but the forward-backward dimension of the lathe increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool holder mounting capabilityVSAvoidforward-backward dimension

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cross slide surface is transformed from a two-dimensional horizontal plane to a three-dimensional inclined surface. This dimensional change allows the cross slide to maintain sufficient surface area for tool holder mounting while reducing its forward-backward length, as the inclination provides additional mounting space without increasing the linear dimension in the forward-backward direction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design effectively reduces chip accumulation on the slide member, eliminates the need for a chip dropping space, and compactly mounts tools and holders, thereby minimizing the lathe's forward-backward dimension while maintaining processing accuracy and safety.

Implementation Method 1

the slide member having an inclined surface that is positioned lower as the inclined surface approaches the spindle and on which the tool holder is mounted and supported. In this configuration, the tool holder is mounted and supported on the inclined surface that is positioned lower as the inclined surface approaches the spindle of the slide member. Consequently, chips generated when the workpiece supported by the spindle is machined using the tool fall downward along the inclined surface of the slide member.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS7717019B2Lathe

Publication Date: 2010.05.18 MURATA MASCH LTD

AI summary

The present invention provides a lathe which accumulates a reduced amount of chips on a slide member serving as a tool holder mounting base and which enables a reduction in the forward-backward dimension of the entire lathe. A lathe includes a spindle 2 that rotatably supports a workpiece and processing means 4 located in front of the spindle 2. The lathe moves one or both of the spindle 2 and the processing means 4 forward and backward to execute machining on the workpiece. The processing means 4 includes a tool 40, a tool holder 41 that supports the tool 40, and a slide member 42 which is slidable in a lateral direction and which supports the tool holder 41. The slide member 42 has an inclined surface 42c that is positioned lower as the inclined surface 42c approaches the spindle 2 and on which the tool holder 41 is mounted and supported.