Abrégé

A pallet load stand and manipulator allows a pallet to receive a workpiece and the workpiece to be clamped to the pallet while the pallet is in a horizontal position. Once the workpiece has been clamped to the pallet, the pallet may be rotated to a vertical position so that the pallet may be loaded onto a machine tool that operates on a workpiece with the pallet in the vertical position. The pallet may also be rotated to an intermediate position, similar to an artist's easel, in which the pallet is held in an inclined position, between the horizontal and vertical positions by positive locating assemblies and positive stops.

Classes IPC  ?

• B23Q 5/34 - Avance par transmission mécanique des autres organes supportant les outils ou les pièces, p. ex. avance des traînards, des glissières d'outils
• B23Q 5/22 - Avance des éléments supportant les outils ou les pièces à usiner
• B23Q 7/03 - Agencements pour la manipulation des pièces, spécialement combinés aux machines-outils ou disposés dans ces machines ou spécialement conçus pour être utilisés en relation avec ces machines, p. ex. pour le transport, le chargement, le positionnement, le déchargement, le triage au moyen de convoyeurs à chaîne sans fin

Abrégé

The frame of a machine tool forms a closed force loop design that surrounds a workzone containing the spindle head. The X, Y, and Z-axis drive systems are all mounted outside of the machine to shield them from contamination and debris generating during the machining process, and for ease of maintenance without having to enter the machine or remove workzone covers to access them. The X and Y-axis drives are mounted on stationary parts of the machine, eliminating the need for flexible cables to power and control these drives and reducing the mass of the moving elements of the machine.

Classes IPC  ?

• B23Q 5/22 - Avance des éléments supportant les outils ou les pièces à usiner
• B23Q 5/28 - Transmissions électriques
• B23Q 5/40 - Avance par transmission mécanique des autres organes supportant les outils ou les pièces, p. ex. avance des traînards, des glissières d'outils à avance continue par un arbre, p. ex. une vis-mère
• B23Q 1/01 - Bâtis, bancs, colonnes ou éléments similairesAgencement des glissières de guidage

Abrégé

The frame of a machine tool forms a closed force loop design that surrounds a workzone containing the spindle head. The X and Y-axis drive motors are mounted on stationary elements of the machine. The Y-axis column is fixed, and supports a Z-axis ram. The mounting and positioning of the Z-axis ram minimizes the change in droop and the effects of acceleration forces on the Z-axis structure. The X, Y, and Z-axis drive motors are all mounted outside of the workzone to shield them from contamination and debris generating during the machining process, and for ease of maintenance.

Classes IPC  ?

• B23Q 1/28 - Moyens pour fixer les éléments coulissants dans la position désirée
• B23Q 1/26 - Supports mobiles ou réglables d'outils ou de pièces caractérisés par des particularités de structure concernant la coopération des organes animés d'un mouvement relatifMoyens pour empêcher un déplacement relatif de ces organes
• B23Q 1/25 - Supports mobiles ou réglables d'outils ou de pièces
• B23B 1/00 - Méthodes de tournage ou méthodes de travail impliquant l'utilisation de toursUtilisation d'équipements auxiliaires en relation avec ces méthodes

Abrégé

An operator station is positioned on the outside of a machine tool on the same side of the machine as the tool magazine and the automatic tool changer, to improve the ergonomics of the machine by keeping the tool loading access as close as possible to the operator. This location also allows easy visual access to the tools in the magazine and in the ready position in the tool changer. An angled "tunnel" window passing across the front of the tool magazine and the Y-axis column allows direct visual observation of the working zone of the machine tool from the operator station. A door on the side of the machine allows access from the operator station to a utilities panel located just inside of the door permitting ready operator access to switches, valves, fill points, filters and gages that are located on the panel.

Classes IPC  ?

• B23Q 5/00 - Mécanismes d'entraînement ou d'avanceAgencement des commandes à cet effet
• B23Q 3/155 - Agencements pour insérer ou retirer automatiquement les outils
• B23Q 15/00 - Commande automatique ou régulation du mouvement d'avance, de la vitesse de coupe ou de la position tant de l'outil que de la pièce
• B23Q 17/00 - Agencements sur les machines-outils pour indiquer ou mesurer

Abrégé

A machine tool has pass-through pallet loading allowing pallets to be loaded or discharged from either side of the machine. The pallet receiver is mounted on the X- axis of the machine, and the pallet is loaded onto the pallet receiver with the pallet in a vertical orientation. Cross axis rollers on the pallet receiver support the pallet and spacing rollers maintain the pallet spaced from Z-axis locating pads as it moves to a centered position on the pallet receiver. The Z-axis pads present a relatively large surface area to the rear face of the pallet, and are configured to provide vacuum clamping to lock the pallet in all three axes once it is centered on the pallet receiver. A rotating key is provided to center and lock the pallet relative to the pallet receiver before the vacuum clamping is applied.

Classes IPC  ?

• B23Q 7/00 - Agencements pour la manipulation des pièces, spécialement combinés aux machines-outils ou disposés dans ces machines ou spécialement conçus pour être utilisés en relation avec ces machines, p. ex. pour le transport, le chargement, le positionnement, le déchargement, le triage
• B23Q 7/04 - Agencements pour la manipulation des pièces, spécialement combinés aux machines-outils ou disposés dans ces machines ou spécialement conçus pour être utilisés en relation avec ces machines, p. ex. pour le transport, le chargement, le positionnement, le déchargement, le triage au moyen de pinces
• B23Q 7/05 - Agencements pour la manipulation des pièces, spécialement combinés aux machines-outils ou disposés dans ces machines ou spécialement conçus pour être utilisés en relation avec ces machines, p. ex. pour le transport, le chargement, le positionnement, le déchargement, le triage au moyen de convoyeurs à rouleaux
• B23Q 3/06 - Moyens de fixation de la pièce

Abrégé

A rotary clamp mechanism for a fiber placement head comprises a one-way bearing and a freewheeling roller mounted upstream of the restart mechanism. An actuating mechanism brings the freewheeling roller and the one-way bearing into contact with the fiber tow and allows the tow to be fed through the head from the upstream to the downstream end, but prevents the fiber tow from traveling in the reverse direction through the head. The rotary clamp is put into contact with the fiber tow prior to cutting the tow, and remains in contact with the tow until the restart mechanism has advanced the cut tow to the delivery end of the head. The rotary clamp eliminates the need for precise timing between the cutting and clamping mechanisms, and increases the application rate of fiber tow by the head.

Classes IPC  ?

• B65H 81/00 - Procédés, appareils ou dispositifs pour recouvrir ou habiller les noyaux, en enroulant des bandes, des rubans, ou un matériau filiforme, non prévus ailleurs
• B29C 70/38 - Empilage automatisé, p. ex. utilisant des robots, par application de filaments selon des modèles prédéterminés

Abrégé

A motorized head for applying fiber composite material to an application surface includes a drive roll and a backup roll for feeding fiber composite material toward the application surface, a compaction roll for pressing fiber composite material onto the application surface, and a restart pinch roll assembly located between the drive roll and the compaction roll for driving fiber composite material received from the drive roll to the compaction roll. The drive roll nip between the drive roll and the backup roll forms a drive zone that grips and drives the composite material, a clamp zone that prevents movement of the composite material after it has been cut, and a free zone that allows composite material to be freely pulled through the head. Two cutters mounted on the drive roll mesh with a single anvil on the backup roll to cut the composite material to the desired length.

Classes IPC  ?

• B29C 70/38 - Empilage automatisé, p. ex. utilisant des robots, par application de filaments selon des modèles prédéterminés
• B29C 70/30 - Façonnage par empilage, c.-à-d. application de fibres, de bandes ou de feuilles larges sur un moule, un gabarit ou un noyauFaçonnage par pistolage, c.-à-d. pulvérisation de fibres sur un moule, un gabarit ou un noyau