Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title of the Invention:
A Structure for Installing a Multi spindle Attachment on
a Drilling Machine or the Like
Background of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a structure for
installing a multi spindle attachment on the body of a
drilling machine or a tapping machine.
Summary of the Invention:
An object of the invention is to provide a structure
for installing a multi spindle attachment which makes it
possible to easily install a multi spindle attachment on the
body of a drilling machine or the like with a single
operation, and which, even when thrust acts on a drill or
tap to incline the same vertically, makes it possible to
support this thrust positively.
Accordingly, there is provided a structure for
installing a multi spindle attachment in a drilling machine
or the like, characterized in that an upper gear coupling
member is secured at the lower end or a quill housing a
main rotary spindle for a drilling machine, etc., a clamp
member being rotatable provided to the gear coupling
member, a lower gear coupling member for engaging with the
upper gear coupling member being secured on the upper
surface of said multi spindle attachment mounted at the
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lower end of said quill, and both of these gear coupling
members being tightened and secured by means of the clamp
member while both of these gear coupling members are
engaged with each other.
Brief Description of the Drawings:
Fig. l is a cross-sectional view of an installing
structure embodying the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of said
installing structure;
lo Fig. 3 is a bottom view of an upper gear coupling
member and a clamp member;
fig. 4 is a top plan view of a lower gear coupling
member and a multi spindle attachment; and
Fig. 5 is a schematic front elevation Al view showing a
drill being mounted in an offset manner with respect to the
multi spindle attachment.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment:
A preferred embodiment of the present invention applied
to a drilling machine will be described herein under with
reference to the drawings. The reference numeral l denotes
a quill, and the reference numeral 2 a main rotary spindle
penetrating the quill l. A coupling member 3 with a flat
bottom is installed rotatable at the lower end of the main
rotary spindle 2 integrally with the main rotary spindle 2.
The reference numeral 4 denotes a pair of retainer grooves
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recessed at the bottom surface of the coupling member 3,
which intersect each other in a crossed shape.
The reference numeral 5 denotes a cylindrical body
installed around the lower periphery of the quill 1, and
the reference numeral 6 a tightening ring placed around the
upper periphery of the cylindrical body 5, said tightening
ring being capable of fixing the overall cylindrical body 5
to the quill 1. The reference numeral 7 denotes an
installing flange formed integrally with the lower
periphery of the cylindrical body 5, and the reference
numeral 8 a restricting pin buried in an outer side portion
of the flange 7. The lower end of the restricting pin 8
projects slightly downwardly from the flange 7.
The reference numeral 9 denotes an annular upper gear
coupling member provided at the lower surface of the flange
7, said upper gear coupling member 9 being secured to the
flange 7 by means of four bolts 10 inserted from below.
The outer diameter of the upper gear coupling 9 is smaller
than the outer diameter of the installing flange 7. The
reference numeral 11 denotes a crown gear formed along the
entire peripheral edge portion of the lower surface of the
upper gear coupling member 9, each of the respective teeth
12 thereof being of such a shape that the apex of an
involute gear is cut off horizontally. The reference
numeral 13 denotes a positioning pin buried in the crown
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gear 11 in such a manner as to bury one of the valleys
between the teeth 12 and 12.
The reference numeral 14 denotes an external thread
portion provided at the periphery of the upper gear
coupling member 9, and the reference numeral 15 a virtually
cylindrically shaped clamp member for engaging the external
thread portion 14 with an internal thread portion formed
along the internal periphery of the upper end thereof. The
clamp portion 15 is movable vertically with respect to the
upper gear coupling 9, The reference numeral 17 denotes a
restricting groove recessed on the upper surface of the
clamp member 15. The restricting groove 17 extends in an
arc shape, and the lower end of the restricting pin 8 is
movably inserted therein. The restricting groove 17
extends in an arc shape. The reference numeral 18 denotes
an operating handle projecting outwardly from the
peripheral surface of the clamp member 15.
The reference numeral 19 denotes a flange portion
projecting inwardly from the lower end of the clamp member
15 and extending along the entire circumferential direction
of the clamp member 15. The reference numeral 20 denotes
recesses for insertion formed by notching the flange
portion 19 at three portions, said recesses being
equidistant from each other.
The reference numeral 21 denotes a multi spindle
attachment supported by the clamp member 15, and the
reference numeral 22 a case thereof. On the upper wall aye
thereof is mounted an annular lower gear coupling member 23
similar to the upper gear coupling member 9. The lower
gear coupling member 23 is secured on the multi spindle
attachment 21 by means of four bolts 24 inserted from
above. The reference numeral 25 denotes a crown gear
formed along the entire peripheral edge portion of the
upper surface of the lower gear coupling member 23, each of
the respective teeth 26 thereof being of such a shape that
the apex of an involute gear is cut off. The reference
numeral 27 denotes a notched portion which is formed by
removing one of the multiplicity of teeth 26, said notched
portion 27 corresponding to the positioning pin 13
projecting downwardly from the upper gear coupling member
9.
The reference numeral 28 denotes three retainer
projections projecting outwardly from the peripheral
surface of the lower gear coupling member 23. Said
retainer projections 28 are equidistant from each other
such that they are capable of being inserted with play into
the three insertion recesses 20 provided on the lower
surface of the clamp member 15. These retainer projections
28 are retained at the upper surface of the flange portion
19 of the clamp member 15 and are adapted to prevent the
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multi spindle attachment 21 from falling downwardly.
The reference numeral 29 denotes an installation hole
which penetrates the central portion of the upper wall aye
of the case 22 of the multi spindle attachment 21, and a
vertical pair of bearings 30 are mounted therein. The
reference numeral 31 denotes a gear shaft rotatable
supported by the bearings 30, and a driving gear 33 is
integrally formed at the lower end thereof via a step
portion 32. The reference numeral 34 denotes a stop ring
fitted around the periphery of the upper end of the gear
shaft 31, and the reference numeral 35 denotes a coil
spring interposed between the stop ring 34 and the upper
bearing 30. Said coil spring 35 constantly urges the gear
shaft 31 and the driving gear 33 by pushing the same
upwardly. The reference numeral 36 denotes an engaging
projection projecting from the upper surface of the gear
shaft 31, and said engaging projection 36 is adapted to be
capable of engaging with either of the pair of retainer
grooves 4 of the coupling member 3.
The reference numeral 37 denotes a vertical pair of
intermediate gears provided rotatable between the upper
wall aye and the bottom wall 22b of the case 22 on the side
of the driving gear 33, said upper intermediate gear 37
being engaged with the driving gear 33. The reference numeral
38 denotes a spindle shaft installed rotatable on the
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bottom wall 22b Or the case 22, facing the side of the
lower intermediate gear 37, wile the reference numeral
39 denotes a spindle gear installed at the upper end of
the spindle shaft 38. The spindle gear 39 is engaged
with the lower intermediate gear 37. The reference
numeral 110 denotes a spindle, and the reference numeral
40 denotes a drill installed at the lower end thereof.
The axial center of the spindle 40 is offset sideways
from the center of the driving gear 33.
Incidentally, although only one set consisting of
the spindle 40, the drill 41, the spindle gear 39, the
intermediate gear 37, and so forth was shown in Figs. 1
and 2, a plurality of sets are normally installed.
When installing the multi spindle attachment 21
having the aforementioned arrangement to the cylindrical
body 5 on the quill 1, as shown in Fig. 2, the three
retainer projections 28 of the lower gear coupling
member 23 on the multi spindle attachment 21 are inserted
into the three insertion recesses 20 at the lower end of
the clamp member 15 from below, and the crown gear 25 on
the upper surface of the lower gear coupling member 23
is engaged with the crown gear 11 on the lower surface
of the upper gear coupling member 9. When engaging tire
teeth, in a case where the tips of the teeth 12 and 26
of both the crown gears 11 and 25 are brought into
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contact with each other, it is possible to engage both
of the crown Sears 11 and 25 properly if the overall
multi spindle attachment 21 is moved slightly in the
peripheral direction since t he teeth 12 and 26 will
correspond to the valleys.
When thus engaging the crown gears if and 25 of
both of toe upper and lower gear coupling members 9 and
23, the positioning pin 13 of the upper gear coupling
member 9 is made to correspond to the notched portion 27
lo ox the lower gear coupling member 23.
If both of the crown gears 11 and 25 are en aged
with each other, the retainer projections 28 of the
lower gear coupling member 23 are situated above the
flay ye portion 19 at the lower end of the clamp member
15. Accordingly, in t his state, the clamp member 15
is rotated in the horizontal direction (clockwise as
viewed in Fig. 3) while holding the operating handle 18.
Then, as shown in Fig. 1, the flange portion 19 at the
lower end of the clamp member 15 is retained at the
lower surface of the retainer projections 28 of the
lower gear coupling member 23, and, at the same time,
the clamp member 15 is moved upwardly along the upper
gear coupling member 9. Consequently, the lower gear
coupling member 23 is lifted by means of the clamp member
15, and the crown gears 11 and 25 of both of the upper
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and lower coupling members 9 and 23 are strongly pressed
against each other. Then, the multi spindle attachment
21 is secured in such a manner that it is incapable of
inclining vertically with respect to the cylindrical
body 5.
As described above, when rotating the clamp member
15, the lower end of the restricting pin 8 projecting
downwardly from the cylindrical body 5 moves inside the
restricting groove 17 on the clamp member 15.
Accordingly, this installation can be effected
simply by a single operation if the multi spindle
attachment 21 is installed on the drilling machine body,
as described above.
In addition, in a case where, when the retainer
projections 28 of the lower gear coupling member 23 are
inserted from below into the clamp member 15 so as to
install the multi spindle attachment 21, as described
above, the engaging projection 36 at the upper end of
the gear shaft 31 situated at the center of the multi-
spindle attachment 21 cannot be engaged with either of
the retainer grooves 4 on the lower surface of the
coupling member 3 located upwardly thereof, the engaging
projection 36 is pushed downwardly by opposing the
resilience of the coil spring 35 by means of the coupling
member 3. Furthermore, even when the engaging projection
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36 is thus pressed downwardly, the driving gear 33 at
the lower end of the gear shaft 31 is not disengaged
from the upper intermediate gear 37 which is engaged
therewith.
When the engaging projection 36 of the gear shaft
31 fails to be engaged with the retainer groove 4, the
gear shaft 31 is rotated via the spindle gear 39, the
intermediate gear 37, and the driving gear 33 by manually
rotating the spindle 40 after installing and fixing the
lo multi spindle attachment 21. Then, when the engaging
projection 36 corresponds to either of the retainer
grooves 4, the engaging projection 36 enters the retainer
groove 4 as it is pushed upwardly by the resilience of
the coil spring 35. As a result, the gear shaft 31 is
rotatable coupled with the main rotary spindle 2 into-
rally therewith.
Now, when performing drilling work by installing
this multi spindle attachment 21, if a plurality of
drills 41 are installed at positions offset from the
central position of the multi spindle attachment 21, the
thrust acting upwardly upon these drills 41 operates in
such a manner as to vertically incline the multi spindle
attachment 21. In the aforementioned preferred embody-
mint, however, since crown gears 11 and 25 are respect
lively formed along the entire periphery of both of the
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upper and lower coupling members 9 and 23 so as to
receive the upward thrust of the drills 41, this thrust
can be positively received even if the thrust is biased
and acts upon the multi spindle attachment 21.
Even if the positions of the plurality of drills 41
are not particularly offset, there are cases in which an
inclining force may act upon this attachment 21. Such
cases occur when the diameters of each drill 41 differ
with different thrusts acting on them, with the result
lo that a force in the inclined direction is applied on the
multi spindle attachment 21, or when the multi spindle
attachment 21 is used by installing the same in a
horizontal direction. Even in such cases, however, the
inclination of the multi spindle attachment 21 can be
prevented by the engagement between both the upper and
lower gear coupling members 9 and 23. `
When replacing the multi spindle attachment 21 with
another attachment, the operating handle 18 of the clamp
member 15 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in Fig.
3, i.e., in the opposite direction of that for installing
the attachment 21, and the multi spindle attachment 21 is
pulled out downwardly from the clamp member 15 and
removed therefrom when the insertion recesses 20 at the
lower end of the clamp member 15 corresponds to the
retainer projections 28 of the lower gear coupling
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member 23. Then, another multi spindle attachment can be
installed by an operation similar to the one mentioned
above.
At the time of such installation, since both of the
zipper and lower gear coupling members 9 and 23 are
provided with a positioning pin 13 and a notched portion
27 which correspond to each other, the position Or
securing the lower gear coupling member 23 to the upper
gear coupling member 23 is constantly kept fixed without
lo being offset in the circumferential direction.
Furthermore the teeth of the crown gears 11 and
25 of the respective upper and lower gear coupling
members 9 and 23 may be formed with a configuration such
that the inclined sides of each tooth form the two non-
parallel sides of a trapezoid and such that the inclined
surfaces thereof may come into contact with each other.
Also, it is possible to change to two or four or more
the number of the retainer projections 28 around the
periphery of the lower gear coupling member 23 as well
as the insertion recesses 20 corresponding thereto.
ye structure for installing a multi spindle attach-
mint of this invention is applicable to a tapping
machine, etc. in addition to a drilling machine.
Because of said arrangement, the multi spindle
attachment can be easily installed on the body of a
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drilling machine or the like with a single operation.
Furthermore, even it thrust is created by drills or
taps, acting upon the multi spindle attachment to incline
the same, this thrust can be positively supported.
