Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for honing a workpiece

US10207879B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

8References

20Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Gehring L.P. · US

Inventors

Dennis Monnier · Shelby Charter Township, US
Wayne Starosciak · Clinton Township, US
Frank Hummel · Trochtelfingen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jun 24, 2017
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 24, 2037

Classification

Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
CPC primaryB65G65/005
WIPO fieldMachine tools
WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A honing machine using a robot to load gears into a loadbox at a loadbox station. The loadbox moves downstream to a position over an empty pallet in a pallet load station where the gears are released into the empty pallet. A series of downstream machining stations performing a series of honing operations on the bores of the gears in a series of pallets. A removal mechanism removing the honed gears simultaneously from the pallet at a pallet unload station. An overhead gripper on a movable gantry grips the empty pallet at the unload station and returns the pallet to the pallet load station where the pallet is reloaded with additional gears from the loadbox. The honing machine can continuously hone gears using only one pallet at each machining station and one pallet at the pallet loading station.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.