VERFAHREN UND VORRICHTUNG ZUM SELBSTAENDIGEN WERKZEUGWECHSEL BEI WAELZFRAESMASCHINEN

摘要

A method and apparatus for effecting an automated exchange of a tool in hobbing machines. At least a pair of gripping devices are mounted on a shaft for relative sliding movement therealong and for selective locking engagement with the shaft so that a rotation of the shaft will effect a rotary movement of a selected one of the gripping devices. The rotary movement of the selected gripping device is between a storage position and a working position. The gripping device is capable of holding a tool which is to be exchanged for a worn out tool. The other gripping device is generally empty and is first moved into the working position to extract the worn out tool from the milling spindle. Thereafter, the gripping devices are shifted to bring the appropriate device having a new tool therein into a position so that it can be rotated with the shaft to bring the new tool into the working position and inserted onto the milling spindle.