Orbital tool support system for EDM machines and other machine tools
US4337385A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 1977 |
| Grant date | Jun 29, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 11, 1997 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23Q1/621
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An orbital tool support system for a machine tool such as an EDM machine, and ECM machine, or a conventional milling machine, of the kind including an orbiting head comprising two head elements interconnected by an orbital drive; the head is mounted centrally between a machine mounting plate affixed in centered relation to the tool head of the machine and a tool mounting plate that supports one or more electrodes or other tool elements. A plurality of slide bearing assemblies interconnect the two mounting plates in an X-Y bridge structure, maintaining the plates in parallel fixed vertical alignment but permitting limited onmidirectional relative movement in a horizontal plane. The bridge structure absorbs the vertical reaction forces resulting from machining operations, affording a dynamically stable tool support structure, even for very large electrodes or other tools; the bridge can be integral with or retrofit to virtually any EDM machine and to a wide variety of other machine tools.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.