A tool change unit includes a base and two tool arms rotatably mounted on the base and respectively located on two sides of the base. Each arm body includes a position-returning element, a gripping element, and an actuation element. The position-returning element enables the tool arm to rotate for upward and downward moving between a first position and a second position. The gripping element functions to grip a main-axle tool or a magazine tool. The tool change unit is combinable with a power unit to form a tool change device. The power unit drives the tool change unit to do rotation or rotation and upward and downward movement.

A moving mechanism brings the rotational axis of each driven rotator into alignment with the rotational axis of a drive rotator, which has an engaging face extending along its rotational axis. Each driven rotator has an engageable face extending along the rotational axis of the drive rotator. Rotating the drive rotator while moving the driven rotator, of which the rotational axis is aligned with the rotational axis, toward the drive rotator will bring the engaging face into engagement with the engageable face.

A rotatable buffer turret apparatus on which plural pairs of punches and dies to be set on a turret of a turret punch press are set, includes an upper buffer turret on which punch attachment holes in which the punches can be set are arranged circularly, and a lower buffer turret on which die attachment holes that is associated with the punch attachment holes and in which the dies can be set are arranged circularly. The upper and lower buffer turrets are rotatably attached to a single rotary shaft. A diameter of the lower buffer turret is made larger than a diameter of the upper buffer turret. The die attachment holes are formed in a circular die attachment area having a diameter larger than the diameter of the upper buffer turret. According to the apparatus, a tool exchange manually operated by an operator can be done easily and efficiently.

The present invention relates to a machining center, and more specifically to a horizontal multi-spindle machining center, in which 2-axis (Y- and Z-axis) or 3-axis (X-, Y- and Z-axis) transfer drive units are disposed in the machining center installed to machine workpieces, in which a ram equipped with spindles is moved in the up-down, front-back, and/or left-right directions of the workpieces, in which the spindles are configured to include a plurality of spindles, i.e., 2 to 8 spindles, so that a plurality of workpieces may be machined simultaneously, and in which tool change is simultaneously performed for tools fastened to the plurality of spindles and configured to machine workpieces by using an auto tool changer (ATC), so that tool change speed may be improved and thus manufacturing efficiency may be improved.

A machine tool includes a tool magazine configured to hold a plurality of tools, the tool magazine having a rotary unit rotatable around a predetermined rotary axis and a measured portion provided in the rotary unit, a sensor disposed outside of the rotary unit in a radial direction that is perpendicular to the rotary axis, and configured to detect the measured portion, and a controller configured to detect a position of an origin point of the rotary unit based on a result of the detection by the sensor.

This machine tool is provided with an arm for exchanging a tool between a main shaft in a machining chamber and a secondary tool standby position in a tool holding chamber, a shutter which is provided in an opening defined in a wall which partitions between the machining chamber and the tool holding chamber, a first motor for opening and closing the shutter, a shutter position detector which can detect the position of the shutter in the entire range between the fully open position and the fully closed position, a storage device which stores a prescribed position of the shutter associated with a prescribed operation of the arm and a control device which is configured to perform a prescribed operation of the arm on the basis of the position of the shutter detected by the shutter position detector and the prescribed position of the shutter stored in the storage device.

This tool conveying device is provided with an indexing device comprising an input shaft, a first output shaft, and a second output shaft which is positioned adjacent and parallel to the first output shaft, wherein the input shaft is linked to a servo motor, the first output shaft rotates during rotation of the input shaft and the second output shaft stops at a prescribed angular position in a certain period during rotation of the input shaft and rotates in the remaining period during said rotation of the input shaft; a gripper; a turning part which is driven by the second output shaft of the indexing device and which supports the gripper; and a gripper opening/closing member which is driven by the first output shaft of the indexing device.

A tool machine magazine includes a base, a tool disc disposed on the base, tool sleeves disposed on a periphery of the tool disc through a bearing, a motor, a brake structure, a cam, a driver shaft, an angle sensor, and a control terminal. The motor drives the cam to operate. Each bearing orderly operates along the outline of the cam, driving the tool disc to continuously rotate without intermittence. The angle sensor is disposed on one end of the driver shaft or a rotation center of the tool disc. When the rotation angle of the tool disc matches the tool change command, the control terminal controls the brake structure to stop the motor, so as to stop the tool disc for facilitating the tool change operation.

A lockable tool clamp includes two jaw members and a pin together installed on a mount to clamp a tool holder securely. The jaw members each have a connecting portion and a jaw tip. The two connecting portions are overlapped and connected to the mount through a shaft. The pin when installed on the mount is parallel to the shaft, and passes through the two jaw members at a location different from where the shaft passes through the two jaw members. When the pin is in its unlocking position, the jaw members are allowed to pivot with respect to each other, so that the tool holder can be withdrawn or replaced by pushing the jaw tips apart. When the pin is in its locking position, the jaw members are restricted from pivoting with respect to each other. At this time, the tool holder is clamped between the jaw tips securely.

A drum-type tool magazine adaptive to a multi-axis machining center allows the machining center to use spindles to directly take and replace tool holders that hold machining tools. The drum-type tool magazine includes a driving member, a drum, and plural tool clamps. The drum is centrally provided with a rotating shaft and peripherally provided with plural separated mounts that are arranged circularly. The driving member drives the drum to rotate. Plural tool clamps are arranged abreast on each of the mount. Every tool clamp of the same mount has a tool-clamping jaw parallel to a tangential direction at a periphery of the drum and communicated with the tool clamp so that the machining tool when clamped is laid horizontal and located close to the periphery of the drum. This allows the volume of the tool magazine to be minimized.