Description INDEXER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an indexer that is used to chuck a workpiece at the time of machining the workpiece by using a variety of machine tools, and more particularly, to an indexer in which a body on which a plurality of chucks are mounted is rotatable up to 90°, each chuck being adjustable within a range of a given set angle (to a given angle between 30° and 45° according to a customer's requirements) so that the workpiece can be machined on the five faces thereof, and which is actuated by means of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure, thereby conducting heavy cutting and enhancing the machining accuracy of the workpiece. Background Art

[2] Typically, when it is desired to machine a workpiece by using a machine tool like a milling machine, a drilling machine and so on, the workpiece is fixed to a table by means of a jig and machined by the rotation or movement of the tool.

[3] Also, in order to perform the machining operation like hole forming and counter boring along the same circumference of the workpiece at predetermined intervals thereof, an indexer table is needed to rotate the workpiece to given angle intervals.

[4] Along with the development of the automobile industry, a high-precise machining operation is needed in which a workpiece is formed in a more complicated shape on the industrial site. Moreover, more rapid machining time and low production costs are needed to save the production costs.

[5] In case of a conventional vertical milling machine, generally, the workpiece and the tool are located vertically relative to each other so as to prevent the tool from being broken and to prevent the life term of the tool from being reduced. However, if the portion of the workpiece to be machined is slant to a given angle relative to a horizontal plane, the tool should be slant to a given angle for performing the machining. Alternatively, a jig only for the workpiece is manufactured to allow the portion of the workpiece to be machined to be located vertically relative to the tool.

[6] Moreover, if there is a need for the rotation of the workpiece to a specific angle (for example, when the workpiece is rotated by an angle of 5.5°), a dividing plate on which division is made by 5° or 1° cannot be employed at this time. Thus, the workpiece cannot be rotated to the specific angle so that a jig only for the workpiece may be manufactured separately, and alternatively, more finely dividing plate (where division is made to 0.5° or less) is adopted.

[7] Especially, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 76231 proposes a fixing

structure of a dividing plate and an indexer table controllable to a fine angle.

[8] In the prior art indexer table, however, a multi-axis control tool for machining the workpiece having a shape slant to a given angle relative to the horizontal plane is expensive, and the rotation of the tool often causes the interference with the workpiece. In this case, if the workpiece is moved to the jig and is clamped again, the production cost becomes high and the machining time becomes extended.

[9] Further, if the division of angle is made more finely, the protrusions of the dividing plate are abraded or damaged and evenly broken by means of connection members, and if there is a need for the rotation of the workpiece to other angles excepting the equally divided angles, new machining should be needed.

[10] On the other hand, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 422146 proposes a new indexer table wherein the workpiece is rotatable to a specific angle, and if the portion of the workpiece to be machined is slant to a given angle relative to a horizontal plane, the machining for the workpiece is carried out by using the conventional vertical tool. The prior art indexer table is composed of a table body connected to a ball screw of a machine tool, rotary indexers secured to the top of the table body, and a pallet secured to the top of one of the rotary indexers so as to fix the workpiece thereto, whereby the two rotary indexers are crossed vertically to each other and the dividing plates of the rotary indexers are provided in an equally or unequally dividing manner, thereby rotating the workpiece by two shafts, rotating the workpiece in the equal division to a given angle, and rotating the workpiece to the specific angle in addition to the equally divided angle.

[11] In more detail, the indexer includes an indexer table connected to a ball screw of a machine tool, a first rotary indexer secured to the top of a table body, a second rotary indexer secured to the first rotary indexer in a vertical relation to the rotary direction of the first rotary indexer, and s pallet secured to the top of the second rotary indexer so as to fix the workpiece thereto, wherein each of the first and second rotary indexers includes: a dividing plate having unequally and equally divided sections and a plurality of connection protrusions formed along the circumference thereof; a driving part rotating the dividing plate; a dividing plate-connecting member having a dividing plate-fixing portion extended outwardly therefrom and adapted to be connected with the connection protrusions of the dividing plate or released from the connecting state thereof as the dividing plate-fixing portion is rotated relative to a rotary shaft; a release spring adapted to elastically pressurize a spring-pressurizing part protruded from the dividing plate-connecting member toward a direction of releasing the dividing plate- fixing portion of the dividing plate-connecting member from the dividing plate; and a fixing slide adapted to be moved upwardly and downwardly so as to apply or release the pressurizing force for connecting the dividing plate-fixing portion of the dividing

plate-connecting member with the connection protrusions of the dividing plate.

[12] The prior art indexer table is provided to allow the equal division to be made to a given angle and at the same time to allow the division to be made to a desired angle, while being rotatable by two shafts, such that as the workpiece can be rotated or fixed to the desired angle and is further rotated by the two shafts, it can be machined by using conventional a milling or drilling machine, thereby reducing the production time and cost.

[13] However, since the prior arts as mentioned above can perform only the four-face machining for the workpiece, many difficulties are caused in the machining. Moreover, since the driving source is a motor using electricity, the device may be complicated in construction and the production costs become high. In this case, if the driving source is constructed using either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure, it is impossible to conduct heavy cutting for the workpiece as well as multiple problems are involved. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[14] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems occurring in the prior art indexer, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a new type indexer that is actuated by means of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure and is mounted on a variety of machine tools like a milling machine, a drilling machine and so on to conduct five-face machining and heavy cutting for the workpiece, thereby enhancing the machining accuracy of the workpiece and thus enabling a high-quality workpiece machining. Technical Solution

[15] To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided an indexer which is adapted to be mounted on a variety of machine tools and adapted to chuck a workpiece thereto, the indexer including: a body disposed between a pair of cylinder casings mounted at the left and right sides of the top surface of a base panel by means of shafts mounted inside the left and right cylinder casings and having a plurality of chucks mounted on the top surface thereof, wherein each cylinder casing has a plurality of cylinders, a piston rod mounted inside the each cylinder in such a manner as to be slidingly moved vertically therein, and a cylinder lever fixed to the end portion of each shaft and pin-connected to the end portion of the piston rod; a chuck shaft mounted inside the body and having the chuck mounted on the top end thereof; a connection shaft adapted to connect the adjacent chuck shafts to each other; a spur gear and a connection spur gear fixed along the lower end periphery of the chuck shaft and the lower end of the connection shaft, respectively, in such a manner as to engage with each other; a pair of angle-adjusting levers axially fixed to the plurality of chuck

shafts, respectively, each angle-adjusting lever being adapted to be connected by means of a pin to the end portion of a piston rod of a cylinder fixed by means of a pin to one of a plurality of adjusting holes formed on a body cover; a dividing plate axially fixed to each chuck shaft and having a plurality of clamping indented portions formed radially along the outer periphery thereof at given intervals; a clamping means having a piston having a clamp formed integrally therewith and adapted to be advanced and retracted with respect to the clamping indented portions of the dividing plate so as to clamp the dividing plate, the piston being slidably mounted inside a cylinder 22 formed on the inside of the body 5; a limit switch mounted inside the body so as to sense the clamping state of the clamping means; a sensing piece fixed integrally to the piston in such a manner as to be connected to the limit switch; and angle- sensing means adapted to sense the angle adjustment of the chucks so as to apply the sensed signal to a control unit.

Advantageous Effects

[16] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an indexer that makes use of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure as a driving source, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs and further conducting heavy cutting, wherein the chucks are adjustable to a customer's desired predetermined angle (to an angle between 30° and 45° according to the customer's requirements), and the body on which the chucks are mounted is also rotatable to 90°, thereby conducting five-face machining for the workpiece. Brief Description of the Drawings

[17] FIG.1 is a perspective view showing the whole configuration of an indexer according to the present invention.

[18] FIG.2 is a perspective view showing the rotated state of the body of the indexer according to the present invention.

[19] FIG.3 is a sectional view showing the whole configuration of the indexer according to the present invention.

[20] FIG.4 is a partly exploded perspective view showing the indexer according to the present invention.

[21] FIG.5 is an exploded perspective view showing the body of the indexer according to the present invention.

[22] FIGS.6 and 7 are exploded perspective views showing the parts of a cylinder casing adapted to mount the body thereon and rotate it to 90°.

[23] FIG.8 is a perspective view showing the chucks and the chuck shaft mounted on the body and the driving part adapted to rotate the body.

[24] FIG.9 is an exploded perspective view showing the chuck and the chuck shaft of the

indexer according to the present invention.

[25] FIG.10 is an exploded perspective view showing the left connection shaft of the indexer according to the present invention.

[26] FIG.11 is an exploded perspective view showing the right connection shaft of the indexer according to the present invention.

[27] FIG.12 is a horizontal sectional view showing the internal configuration of the body of the indexer according to the present invention.

[28] FIG.13 is a bottom view showing the chuck shaft-driving means mounted on the bottom surface portion of the body of the indexer according to the present invention.

[29] FIG.14 is a front view showing the cylinders and the angle-adjusting means in the chuck shaft-driving means mounted on the body of the indexer according to the present invention.

[30] FIG.15 is a front view showing the operating state where the chuck shaft is adjusted to 90° as the cylinder is operated.

[31] FIG.16 is a front view showing the operating state where the chuck shaft is adjusted to 60° as the cylinder is operated.

[32] FIG.17 is a front view showing the operating state where the chuck shaft is adjusted to 30° as the cylinder is operated.

[33] FIG.18 is a side view showing the operating state of the cylinder casing for rotating the body.

[34]

Mode for the Invention

[35] FIG.1 is a perspective view showing the whole configuration of an indexer 1 according to the present invention, FIG.2 is a perspective view showing the rotated state of the body 5 by 90° in the indexer 1 according to the present invention. FIG.3 is a sectional view showing the whole configuration of the indexer according to the present invention, FIG.4 is a partly exploded perspective view showing the indexer 1 according to the present invention, FIG.5 is an exploded perspective view showing the body 5 of the indexer according to the present invention, FIGS.6 and 7 are exploded perspective views showing the parts of a cylinder casing 3 adapted to mount the body 5 thereon and rotate it to 90°, FIG.8 is a perspective view showing the chucks 4 and the chuck shaft 9 mounted on the body 5 and the driving part adapted to rotate the body 5, FIG.9 is an exploded perspective view showing the chuck 4 and the chuck shaft 9 of the indexer 1 according to the present invention, FIGS.10 and 11 are exploded perspective views showing the left and right connection shaft 11 of the indexer 1 according to the present invention, FIG.12 is a horizontal sectional view showing the internal configuration of the body 5 of the indexer 1 according to the present invention,

FIG.13 is a bottom view showing the driving means of the chuck shaft 9 mounted on the bottom surface portion of the body 5 of the indexer 1 according to the present invention, FIG.14 is a front view showing the cylinders 15 and the angle-adjusting means 13 in the driving means of the chuck shaft 9 mounted on the body 5 of the indexer 1 according to the present invention, FIGS.15 to 17 are front views showing the operating state where the chuck shaft 9 is adjusted to a variety of angles as the cylinder is operated, and FIG.18 is a side view showing the operating state of the cylinder casing 3 for rotating the body 5.

[36] Hereinafter, an explanation on an indexer according to the present invention will be given with reference to the attached drawings.

[37] According to the present invention, there is provided an indexer that is used to chuck and machine a workpiece at the time of machining the workpiece by using a variety of machine tools, wherein a plurality of chucks by which the workpiece is chucked are adjusted to a given angle, and at the same time, the index body on which the chucks are mounted is rotated to 90°, thereby conducting the selective machining for the five faces of the workpiece. Further, the indexer makes use of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure as a driving source, while performing heavy cutting.

[38] That is, the indexer 1 according to the present invention includes a cylinder casing 3 mounted on the left and right sides of a base channel 2 and a body 5 disposed between the left and right cylinder casings 3 and having a plurality of chucks 4 mounted on the top surface thereof, the body 5 being adjustable to 90° in forward and backward directions.

[39] In order to adjust the angle of the body 5, thus, each of the left and right cylinder casings 3 has a plurality of cylinders 6, a piston rod 7 mounted inside the each cylinder in such a manner as to be slidingly moved vertically therein, and a cylinder lever 7a fixed to each end portion of shafts 8 mounted on the both ends of the body 5 and pin- connected to the end portion of the piston rod 7, such that the piston rods 7 are expanded and contracted in an alternate order by means of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure introducing alternately to the plurality of cylinders 6, thereby conducting the angle adjustment of the body 5 in the forward and backward directions.

[40] The body 5 is disposed on the respective shafts 8 mounted inside the left and right cylinder casings 3 and has a plurality of chucks 4 (three chucks 4 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention) adapted to be mounted on a variety of machine tools (which are not shown) like a milling machine, a drilling machine and so on, so as to clamp the workpiece, thereby conducting the five-face machining for the workpiece.

[41] Thus, each chuck 4 of the body 5 is fixed on the end portion of a chuck shaft 9 in such a manner as to be divided by given angles to conduct the angle adjustment thereof.

[42] The chuck shaft 9 has a spur gear 10 fixed along the lower end periphery thereof in such a manner as to engage with a connection spur gear 12 mounted on a connection shaft 11 disposed between the adjacent two chuck shafts 9.

[43] In order to conduct the angle adjustment of the chucks 4 to a previously set angle, an angle-adjusting lever 13 is fixed along the lower end periphery of each chuck shaft 9. The angle-adjusting lever 13 is not mounted on the middle chuck shaft 9 of the three chuck shafts 9, but on the left and right chuck shafts 9.

[44] Each angle-adjusting lever 13 is adapted to be connected by means of a pin 16a to the end portion of a piston rod 16 of a cylinder 15 fixed by means of a pin 14 to a body cover 17 mounted on the underside of the body 5, such that when the cylinder 15 is contracted, the angle-adjusting lever 13 conducts the angle adjustment by the number of strokes of the piston rod 16, thereby rotating the chuck shaft 9.

[45] The rotation angle setting of the chuck shaft 9 is achieved by connecting the cylinder 15 to one of a plurality of adjusting holes 17a to 17c formed on the body cover 17 by means of the pin 14.

[46] A clamping means 18 is mounted on each chuck shaft 9 and the body 5, respectively, so as to rigidly clamp each chuck 4 after the angle adjustment of the chuck 4 has been made.

[47] That is, each clamping means 18 has a piston 21 having a clamp 21a formed integrally therewith and adapted to be advanced and retracted with respect to a plurality of clamping indented portions 19 formed radially at given intervals along the outer periphery of a dividing plate 20 fixed to the chuck shaft 9, such that clamping and unclamping operations are carried out under the supply control of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. The piston is slidably mounted inside a cylinder 22 formed on the inside of the body 5;

[48] On the other hand, the indexer 1 according to the present invention a limit switch 23 mounted inside the body 5 so as to sense the clamping state of the clamping means 18.

[49] A sensing piece 24 is fixed integrally to the piston 21 mounted on one side of the body 5, such that when the piston 21 advances to the dividing plate 20 and conducts the clamping, the sensing piece 24 advances to the dividing plate 20 to contact the limit switch 23, thereby sensing the clamping state of the clamping means 18.

[50] A limit switch 25 is mounted on the front and back portion of one side of the body

5, which serves as a safety means adapted to stop the actuation of a machine tool when the machine tool is broken during the indexer 1 chucks and machines the workpiece on a variety of machine tools like a milling machine, a drilling machine and so on. Each of the limit switches 25 has a sensing piece 27 slidingly moving in a slide hole 26 formed on the body 5, such that if the machine tool operates normally, the sensing piece 27 contacts the limit switch 25 to apply a signal through which a normal

operation is carried out, and if the machine tool is broken, the sensing piece 27 is separated from the limit switch 25 to apply a signal through which the machine tool stops to a control unit (which is not shown).

[51] Angle-sensing means 28 is mounted on one side connection shaft 11 so as to sense the angle adjustment of the chucks 4 to a given angle by means of the expansion and contraction of the cylinders 15 and to apply an electrical signal to the control unit.

[52] The angle-sensing means 18 is formed of a variety of means, but in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it has a plurality of sensing protrusions 29 formed according to given angles on the connection spur gear 12 and a limit switch 30 having a plurality of contact points abutting against the sensing protrusions 29 when the chucks 4 are adjusted to the given angle.

[53] The rotation angle of each chuck 4 is equally divided by 30° or 45° in accordance with the customer's requirements, and of course, the design of the formation intervals of the clamping indented portions 19 of the dividing plate 20 may also be varied.

[54] A reference numeral 31 in the drawings denotes a shaft- supporting means like a bearing for supporting the shaft 8, a reference numeral 32 denotes a shaft-supporting means like a bearing for supporting the chuck shaft 9, and a reference numeral 33 denotes a fixing bolt for mounting the connection shaft 11.

[55] Under the above-mentioned construction, the indexer 1 according to the present invention is used when a workpiece is mounted and machined on a variety of machine tools.

[56] According to the present invention, the body 5 is rotated to 90° relative to the shafts

8 after the workpiece is chucked on the chucks 4, and alternatively, the chucks 4 are adjusted to a given angle (for example, to the equal division of 30° or 45° according to the customer's requirements) relative to the chuck shafts 9, such that the workpiece can be rapidly and smoothly machined by using the machine tool.

[57] If the body 5 having the workpiece chucked by means of the chucks 4 is to be rotated to 90°, either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 6 mounted inside the cylinder casings 3, and each of the cylinders 6 serves to support the both ends of each shaft 8 of the body 5 and has a driving means mounted to adjust the angle of the chucks 4 therein.

[58] In other words, as shown in FIG.18, in the plurality of cylinders 6 mounted inside the left and right cylinder casings 3 having the body 5 mounted therebetween, if either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure in one side cylinder 6 is supplied to the upper portion of the piston rod 7, and if either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure in the other side cylinder 6 is supplied to the lower portion of the piston rod 7, the both side piston rods 7 are ascended and descended to a reverse direction to each other (one side is ascended and the other side is descended). In this case, the cylinder lever 7a is connected by

means of pins to the both side piston rods 7 and is fixed around the shaft 8, such that the body 5 is rotated by 90°. If either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 6 in the reverse direction to the above-mentioned direction, the piston rod 7 is ascended and descended in the reverse direction to the above-mentioned direction and the shaft 8 is thus rotated in the reverse direction to the above-mentioned direction by means of the cylinder lever 7a, such that the body 5 is rotated by 90°.

[59] If the workpiece chucked on the chucks 4 is to be rotated to a variety of angles on the body 5, the plurality of cylinders 15 that are mounted on the body cover 17 formed on the underside of the body 5 become contracted, so that the angle-adjusting lever 13 fixed to the piston rod 16 of each cylinder 15 and to the chuck shaft 9 conducts the angle movement to allow the chuck shaft 9 to be rotated to the previously set given angle.

[60] In other words, since each cylinder 15 is connected by means of the pin 14 to one of the plurality of adjusting holes 17a to 17c formed on the body cover 17, the strokes of the piston rod 16 are determined in accordance with the distance between the adjusting holes 17a to 17c and the angle-adjusting lever 13, and the chuck shaft 9 on which the chuck 4 is mounted is rotated by a given angle in accordance with the angle adjustment of the angle-adjusting lever 13.

[61] The plurality of chuck shafts 9 mounted inside the body 5 are operated and rotated to the given angle all together as the connection shaft 11, the spur gear 10 and the connection spur gear 12 engage with each other. If the chuck shafts 9 are rotated by the given angle, the limit switch 30 constituting the angle-sensing means 28 mounted on the connection shaft 11 abuts against the corresponding one of the plurality of sensing protrusions 29 formed on the connection spur gear 12 to convert the mechanical angle- adjusting state into an electrical signal, thereby applying the electrical signal to the control unit.

[62] If the chuck shaft 9 is adjusted to the desired given angle, the clamping means 18 clamps the chuck shaft 9 so as to perform precision machining and to prevent the defects generation, at the time of machining the workpiece chucked on the chuck 4 by means of various tools.

[63] That is, the clamp 21a formed integrally on the piston 21 advances to the clamping indented portions 19 radially formed at the given intervals along the outer periphery of the dividing plate 20 fixed around the chuck shaft 9 by means of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure supplied to the cylinder 22, thereby rigidly clamping the chuck shaft 9, without any movement, such that the heavy cutting that is impossible by the mere supply of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure can be carried out.

[64] According to the present invention, the clamping means 18 is mounted on the front and back portions of each dividing plate 20, respectively, so as to clamp the dividing

plate which ensures more rigid clamping of the chuck shafts 9, at the time of machining the workpiece.

[65] As the sensing piece 21 fixed on the piston 21 contacts the limit switch 23 at the time of clamping, the clamping state of the clamp 21 of the clamping means 18 is applied as a clamping signal to the control unit.

[66] If the machine tool is broken, the sensing piece 27 slidably moving to the body 5 is kept separated from the limit switch 25, and the control unit recognizes this state and automatically stops the working of the machine tool. If the tool works normally, the sensing piece 27 pushes by means of the tool and advances to the interior of the body 5 along the slide hole 26. Next, the sensing piece 27 contacts the limit switch 25, thereby allowing the machine to work normally. Industrial Applicability

[67] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an indexer

1 that is mounted on a variety of machines and chucks a workpiece so as to machine the workpiece by the operation of a machine tool and that makes use of either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure as a driving source, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and further conducting heavy cutting, wherein the chucks 4 are adjustable to a customer's desired predetermined angle (to an angle between 30° and 45° in accordance with the customer's requirements), and the body 5 on which the chucks 4 are mounted is also rotatable to 90°, thereby conducting five-face machining for the workpiece.

[68]

[69]