Tool storage and changing system
US4922591A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 20, 1984 |
| Grant date | May 8, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T483/1769
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for storing and selectively transferring cutting tools to a tool holder of a machine tool comprising a bar coder for providing coded labels containing information such as the type of tool and their offsets and affixing the label to the cutting tools. The indexed cutting tools are placed in a tool storage magazine that presents the tools for transfer where a bar code reader scans the labels and selects the needed cutting tool. A tool changing mechanism grips the selected tool, removes it from the storage magazine and transfers it to the tool holder while concurrently transferring a cutting tool from the tool holder to the storage magizine.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.