MACHINE TOOLS, IN PARTICULAR GRINDING MACHINES WITH APPARATUS FOR CHANGING GRINDING WHEEL TOOLS AND WORKPIECES

摘要

A grinding machine utilizes a gantry type loader for exchanging workpieces with the work support spindle of the machine. The loading head of the gantry loader has a rotatable workpiece gripper assembly to switch the parts end-for-end during the loading and unloading process. The loading head is also fitted with nonrotating workpiece grippers which are spring biased to mechanically grip and extract a grinding wheel tool from a grinding wheelhead and exchange the tool with a different tool located in a tool support pocket of a tool storage matrix at a position remote from the grinding wheel head.