MACHINE TOOL WITH VERTICAL SPINDLE AND TOOL CHANGER

摘要

An apparatus that machines a workpiece with any of a plurality of tools of different lengths and comprises a generally stationary frame adapted to support the workpiece at a working station, a vertically displaceable drive unit on the frame, a spindle fixed to the drive unit and centered on and rotatable by the drive unit about an upright spindle axis passing through the working station, and a chuck fixed on the spindle and adapted to hold a one of the tools for machining the workpiece held on the frame. A tool-changing apparatus comprises a holder for a plurality of the tools fixed to and vertically displaceable jointly with the drive unit and displaceable to move the tools through a transfer station spaced above the chuck by a predetermined distance and a pair of vertically independently displaceable like grippers fixed together for joint pivoting about a gripper axis between the transfer station and the chuck. The grippers are diametrally opposite relative to the gripper axis and are each positionable in the transfer station and under the chuck. An actuator is provided for vertically displacing the grippers independently of each other between a lower position level with the tool in the chuck and an upper position level with the tool in the transfer station and for pivoting the grippers jointly through substantially 180 DEG between a position in the transfer station and a position aligned with the chuck.