A rotary machining apparatus that includes a rotary that supports and rotates a workpiece having helical teeth; a grinding wheel that grinds the helical teeth of the workpiece to be rotated by the rotary with grinding teeth; and a conveyor for carrying the workpiece in and out of the rotary, wherein the conveyor includes, around a turning center axis, a plurality of grippers for sandwiching the workpiece and a plurality of dressers for forming toothed surfaces of the grinding teeth, and turns around the turning center axis so that the grippers sequentially approach the rotary and the dressers sequentially approach the grinding wheel, and dress teeth of the dressers each have different shapes of toothed surfaces.

A rotary machining apparatus that includes a rotary that supports and rotates a workpiece having helical teeth; a grinding wheel that grinds the helical teeth of the workpiece to be rotated by the rotary with grinding teeth; and a conveyor for carrying the workpiece in and out of the rotary, wherein the conveyor includes, around a turning center axis, a plurality of grippers for sandwiching the workpiece and a plurality of dressers for forming toothed surfaces of the grinding teeth, and turns around the turning center axis so that the grippers sequentially approach the rotary and the dressers sequentially approach the grinding wheel, and dress teeth of the dressers each have different shapes of toothed surfaces.

A part-holding device includes a holding portion configured to hold an object to be held and a main body configured to detachably connected to the holding portion. The main body has a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface oriented in respective differing directions, and the holding portion has a first abutting surface, a second abutting surface and a third abutting surface capable of abutting against the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, respectively. The part-holding device further includes pressing means configured to press the holding portion to cause the first abutting surface to abut against the first surface and to cause the second abutting surface to abut against the second surface, and fixing means configured to cause the third abutting surface to abut against the third surface and to fix the holding portion to the main body.

A part-holding device includes a holding portion configured to hold an object to be held and a main body configured to detachably connected to the holding portion. The main body has a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface oriented in respective differing directions, and the holding portion has a first abutting surface, a second abutting surface and a third abutting surface capable of abutting against the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, respectively. The part-holding device further includes pressing means configured to press the holding portion to cause the first abutting surface to abut against the first surface and to cause the second abutting surface to abut against the second surface, and fixing means configured to cause the third abutting surface to abut against the third surface and to fix the holding portion to the main body.

The invention relates to a moving system (100) for moving workpieces that are provided for gear cutting on a workpiece spindle (200) and have a workpiece axis of rotation, from a first position (A), taken up while they are being fed, into a third position (C) that differs from the first position by at least a smaller distance between the workpiece axis of rotation and the workpiece spindle axis, having a first movement unit (36, 32, 34) which moves a workpiece from the first position into a second position (B), different from the first and the third position, along a first movement path (AB), and a second movement unit (35) which moves the workpiece from the second position into the third position along a second movement path (BC), wherein the moving system is also designed to move machined workpieces back out of the third position and to hold and move more than one workpiece at the same time, wherein, while it is being moved on the first and on the second movement path, the workpiece is held by one and the same holding unit (10, 10′) that directly holds the workpiece, without a movement caused by the second movement unit entailing a movement of the first movement unit.

The invention relates to a moving system (100) for moving workpieces that are provided for gear cutting on a workpiece spindle (200) and have a workpiece axis of rotation, from a first position (A), taken up while they are being fed, into a third position (C) that differs from the first position by at least a smaller distance between the workpiece axis of rotation and the workpiece spindle axis, having a first movement unit (36, 32, 34) which moves a workpiece from the first position into a second position (B), different from the first and the third position, along a first movement path (AB), and a second movement unit (35) which moves the workpiece from the second position into the third position along a second movement path (BC), wherein the moving system is also designed to move machined workpieces back out of the third position and to hold and move more than one workpiece at the same time, wherein, while it is being moved on the first and on the second movement path, the workpiece is held by one and the same holding unit (10, 10′) that directly holds the workpiece, without a movement caused by the second movement unit entailing a movement of the first movement unit.

A workpiece replacing apparatus delivers a pre-machined workpiece into an intra-machine space inside a machine tool from an extra-machine space outside the machine tool, and delivers a workpiece machined by the machine tool to the extra-machine space from the intra-machine space. The workpiece replacing apparatus includes a secured cover, an arm device, and a movable cover. The secured cover is secured to a securing member of the machine tool. The secured cover defines a partition between the intra-machine space and the extra-machine space. The secured cover is provided with an opening. The arm device delivers the workpieces between the intra-machine space and the extra-machine space through the opening. The movable cover is integral with the arm device or in engagement with the arm device such that the movable cover is operable in conjunction with operation of the arm device. The movable cover closes the opening, with the arm device located in the extra-machine space.

A workpiece replacing apparatus delivers a pre-machined workpiece into an intra-machine space inside a machine tool from an extra-machine space outside the machine tool, and delivers a workpiece machined by the machine tool to the extra-machine space from the intra-machine space. The workpiece replacing apparatus includes a secured cover, an arm device, and a movable cover. The secured cover is secured to a securing member of the machine tool. The secured cover defines a partition between the intra-machine space and the extra-machine space. The secured cover is provided with an opening. The arm device delivers the workpieces between the intra-machine space and the extra-machine space through the opening. The movable cover is integral with the arm device or in engagement with the arm device such that the movable cover is operable in conjunction with operation of the arm device. The movable cover closes the opening, with the arm device located in the extra-machine space.

A method wherein a first workpiece (2, 40) is loaded to a spindle (30) of a workpiece processing machine with the first toothed workpiece having a predetermined design and being in a predetermined rotational load position. The first toothed workpiece is stock-divided and a machining position is determined based on the stock-dividing. The first toothed workpiece is rotationally adjusted to the machining position. The teeth (3, 42) of the first toothed workpiece are then machined and the first workpiece is removed from the spindle. A second toothed workpiece is loaded to the spindle of the workpiece processing machine. The second toothed workpiece has the same predetermined design and is in the same predetermined rotational load position as the first toothed workpiece. The second toothed workpiece is rotationally adjusted from the predetermined rotational load position to the machining position by the same adjustment amount as the first toothed workpiece. The second toothed workpiece is machined and then removed from the machine spindle. The process as performed for the second toothed workpiece can be repeated for subsequent workpieces having the same design and being in the same rotational load position as the first and second workpieces. For the second and subsequent toothed workpieces, the step of determining the rotary position of the teeth is not carried out.

A method wherein a first workpiece (2, 40) is loaded to a spindle (30) of a workpiece processing machine with the first toothed workpiece having a predetermined design and being in a predetermined rotational load position. The first toothed workpiece is stock-divided and a machining position is determined based on the stock-dividing. The first toothed workpiece is rotationally adjusted to the machining position. The teeth (3, 42) of the first toothed workpiece are then machined and the first workpiece is removed from the spindle. A second toothed workpiece is loaded to the spindle of the workpiece processing machine. The second toothed workpiece has the same predetermined design and is in the same predetermined rotational load position as the first toothed workpiece. The second toothed workpiece is rotationally adjusted from the predetermined rotational load position to the machining position by the same adjustment amount as the first toothed workpiece. The second toothed workpiece is machined and then removed from the machine spindle. The process as performed for the second toothed workpiece can be repeated for subsequent workpieces having the same design and being in the same rotational load position as the first and second workpieces. For the second and subsequent toothed workpieces, the step of determining the rotary position of the teeth is not carried out.