Axially Stacked Tool Magazine Wheels for Higher Tool Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tool magazines with magazine wheels require increased space when trying to accommodate more tools, as the radius of the wheel must be enlarged, leading to a larger machine tool footprint.
Innovation Solution
A tool magazine design featuring a magazine carriage with a rotary drive and multiple non-rotatably arranged magazine wheels, allowing for increased tool capacity without expanding the machine tool's footprint by orienting the elongation parallel to the tool spindle axis, and utilizing a transfer device that moves between the tool spindle and magazine wheels along a guide rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the radius of the magazine wheel is increased to accommodate more tools, then the number of tools in the tool magazine is increased, but the housing size and machine tool footprint are enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-plane radial arrangement (one magazine wheel) to a multi-dimensional arrangement by stacking multiple magazine wheels axially on a common shaft. This transforms the tool storage from a two-dimensional radial configuration to a three-dimensional structure, increasing tool capacity without increasing the horizontal footprint of the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple magazine wheels are nested axially on a single magazine shaft, similar to nested dolls. Each magazine wheel is positioned along the axial direction of the shaft, creating a compact stacked arrangement that maximizes tool storage density within the available axial space without requiring additional horizontal space.
2Quantity of substance
If the radius of the magazine wheel is increased to accommodate more tools, then the number of tools in the tool magazine is increased, but the machine tool takes up more space when positioned at its place of use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the spatial dimension for tool arrangement from horizontal radial expansion to vertical axial stacking. By arranging magazine wheels along the axial direction of the magazine shaft rather than increasing the radius of a single wheel, the machine tool maintains a compact horizontal footprint while increasing tool capacity through the third dimension (axial direction).
Data Source
AI summary
A tool magazine receives a plurality of tools which are provided for arrangement on a tool spindle of a machine tool, and a method for changing tools using a tool magazine. The tool magazine exhibits a guide rail arranged in a fixed position on a machine base, a magazine carriage displaceably mounted on the guide rail, a rotary drive arranged on the magazine carriage and having a magazine shaft which can be rotated around a shaft axis of rotation, at least two magazine wheels arranged non-rotatably on the magazine shaft and having a plurality of tool holders, and a transfer device linearly displaceable along a transfer axis transverse to the guide rail and which picks up a tool arranged on one of the tool holders of the magazine wheels and transports the tool to the tool spindle and back.