Whirling device

Abstract

The whirling device comprises a retaining ring extending around a ring axis and a central opening and having at least one receiving area for a machining element for machining rod-shaped material in the area of the central opening. A coolant supply comprises a supply sleeve which is arranged on the retaining ring via a rotary bearing and comprises a coolant connection and a supply area adjoining a connection area of the retaining ring. Starting from at least one inlet opening in the connection area of the retaining ring, at least one passage leads through the retaining ring to at least one outlet opening which faces the central opening of the retaining ring and is designed for a machining element in a receiving area. No space is required for the coolant supply between the retaining ring and an assigned lathe.

Claims

1. A whirling device including a retaining ring and a coolant supply, wherein the retaining ring extends around a ring axis and around a central opening, wherein the retaining ring comprises a connection area for the coolant supply and comprises at least one receiving area receiving a respective machining element, wherein each machining element includes a respective engagement area for machining rod-shaped material, wherein the machining occurs in an area of the central opening, wherein the coolant supply comprises a supply sleeve, which is arranged on the retaining ring via a rotary bearing and comprises a coolant connection and a supply area, wherein the supply area is adjoining the connection area of the retaining ring, wherein at least one passage through the retaining ring starts from at least one inlet opening in the connection area of the retaining ring and leads to at least one outlet opening in a surface of the retaining ring, wherein the at least one outlet opening is located in the central opening of the retaining ring and in the at least one receiving area, wherein the supply sleeve extends in a direction of the ring axis over a section of the retaining ring, wherein in the section of the retaining ring, the supply sleeve is located radially outwards from the retaining ring, wherein the supply sleeve has two face ends and is positioned in a direction of the ring axis on the retaining ring in that first position surfaces extending radially to the ring axis at both face ends of the supply sleeve adjoin, in the direction of the ring axis, second position surfaces, and wherein the connection area of the retaining ring is formed on an annular radially-outer surface of the retaining ring and comprises an annular groove.

2. The whirling device according to claim 1, wherein the annular surface of the connection area is formed on the outer surface of at least one cylindrical section of the retaining ring.

3. The whirling device according to claim 2, wherein the annular groove is formed in the annular surface of the connection area and the at least one inlet opening is arranged in this groove.

4. The whirling device according to claim 1, wherein the supply area of the supply sleeve comprises a groove which is in fluid communication with the at least one inlet opening of the retaining ring.

5. The whirling device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one passage, starting from the at least one inlet opening, comprises a first section with a first longitudinal axis extending at a distance from the ring axis.

6. The whirling device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one passage comprises a second section at the at least one outlet opening, wherein the second section extends along a second longitudinal axis and the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are aligned differently.

7. The whirling device according to claim 1, wherein the whirling device comprises a spindle sleeve and a support device, wherein the retaining ring is fastenable to the spindle sleeve, the spindle sleeve is mounted on the support device so as to be rotatable about the ring axis, the support device is formed such that the spindle sleeve is drivable about the ring axis and pivotable about an adjustment axis, wherein the ring axis and the adjustment axis are aligned substantially perpendicular to each other.

Description

(1) The drawings explain the invention using an exemplary embodiment, to which it is not restricted, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective exploded view of a whirling device with support device,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation of a supply sleeve and a retaining ring,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a section of a longitudinal section through a supported spindle sleeve and a retaining ring with supply sleeve, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through a retaining ring with supply sleeve.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a whirling device 1 which can be mounted directly on a lathe. It comprises a retaining ring 2 extending around a ring axis A1 and a central opening 3. On the retaining ring 2, there are receiving areas 4 for machining elements 5. The machining elements 5 comprise engagement areas 6 with which rod-shaped material can be machined in the area of the central opening 3. The machining elements 5 are fastened to the retaining ring 2 with the fastening screws 5a, for which purpose thread 5b is formed in the retaining ring 2. A coolant supply 7 comprises a supply sleeve 8 with a coolant connection 9 and a supply area 10. The supply sleeve 8 is arranged via a rotary bearing on the retaining ring 2.

(7) The retaining ring 2 is attached to a spindle sleeve 11 with the supply sleeve 8 attached. For example, one fastening consists of three connecting screws 4a, which are screwed into threads 11a of the spindle sleeve 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining ring 2 comprises an end ring 2a, which closes off the area of the retaining ring 2 with the supply sleeve 8 in such a way that the supply sleeve 8 is held in the desired position on the retaining ring 2. The end ring 2a is clamped by the connecting screws 4a between the retaining ring 2 and the spindle sleeve 11. It would also be possible for the end face of the spindle sleeve to assume the function of the end ring 2a.

(8) The spindle sleeve is mounted on a support device 12 so that it can rotate about the ring axis A1. The support device 12 is designed so that the spindle sleeve 11 can be driven around the ring axis A1 and pivoted around an adjustment axis A2, wherein the ring axis A1 and the adjustment axis A2 are aligned essentially perpendicular to each other. The angle at which a central plane of the retaining ring 2 is aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the supplied rod-shaped material is determined by the pivot orientation about the adjustment axis A2 which can be adjusted on an adjustment device 13.

(9) The support device 12 preferably comprises a rotary transmission which transmits a rotary movement from the drive side 14 to the spindle sleeve 11. The rotary transmission comprises, for example, a first shaft extending parallel to the adjustment axis A2 from the drive side 14 and rotatably mounted in the support device 12. Because the axis of the first shaft and also the retaining ring 2 lies essentially on the adjustment axis A2, the alignment of the ring axis A1 can be changed and the retaining ring 2 remains essentially in the same place in a different alignment. The drive transmission from the first shaft to the spindle sleeve 11 is preferably effected via a second shaft which is rotatably mounted in the support device 12 and which is aligned perpendicular to the first shaft, wherein the two shafts ensure the rotary transmission with two intermeshing bevel gears. A gear wheel arranged on the second shaft can transmit the rotary motion to the spindle sleeve 11 via a gear wheel arranged on the spindle sleeve.

(10) The coolant is supplied to the coolant connection 9 of the coolant supply 7 preferably via a connection on the support device 12. A coolant line 14 with quick-change connections 15 is inserted for this purpose between the coolant connection 9 and a connection on the support device 12 which is not shown.

(11) FIG. 2 clearly shows the details of the retaining ring 2 and the supply sleeve 8. The inner side of the supply sleeve 8 facing the ring axis A1 is adapted to the outer side of the retaining ring 2 facing away from the ring axis A1 in such a way that a rotary bearing is formed between these two parts. A connection area 16 is formed on a radially outwardly directed annular surface of the retaining ring 2, in which inlet openings 17 are arranged for passages 18 (see FIG. 3) through the retaining ring 2. The passages 18 lead to outlet openings 19, which face the central opening 3 of the retaining ring 2 and are arranged for machining elements in the receiving areas 4.

(12) FIG. 3 shows the retaining ring 2 with the supply sleeve 8 after attachment to the spindle sleeve 11. The supply sleeve 8 extends radially outwards in the direction of the ring axis A1 over a section of the retaining ring 2. The supply sleeve 8 is positioned in the direction of the ring axis A1 on the retaining ring 2 in that at both end faces of the supply sleeve 8 first position surfaces 8a extending in the radial direction to the ring axis adjoin radially projecting second position surfaces 2b in the axial direction, which second surfaces are formed on the retaining ring 2. One of the two second position surfaces 2b is formed on the end ring 2a, which closes off the area of the retaining ring 2 with the supply sleeve 8 in such a way that the supply sleeve 8 is held in the desired position on the retaining ring 2. In addition, the position surfaces 8a and 2b reduce the escape of coolant. In the illustrated embodiment, the end ring 2a is clamped between the retaining ring 2 and a pivot bearing 20 or the side of the pivot bearing 20 fastened to the spindle sleeve 11. The pivot bearing 20 is held by a plate 21 on the support device 12. It is understood that the end ring 2a can also be attached directly to the retaining ring 2 as part of it.

(13) The supply area 10 of the supply sleeve 8 radially externally adjoins the outwardly directed connection area 16 of the retaining ring 2. If the coolant now passes under pressure from the supply area 10 to the connection area 16, essentially no forces with components in the direction of the ring axis A1 arise between the supply sleeve 8 and the retaining ring 2. The resulting forces are aligned essentially perpendicular to the ring axis A1. Resulting radial forces, which would press areas of the retaining ring 2 and the coolant supply 7 against each other, are avoided in that the connection area 16 and the supply area 10 extend annularly closed around the ring axis A1. The coolant supplied under pressure forms a floating bearing starting from the connection area 16 and from the supply area 10, which also enables high rotational speeds between the supply sleeve 8 and the retaining ring 2 without disturbing wear.

(14) The connection area 16 is designed as a groove on the outer surface of a cylindrical section of the retaining ring 2. The inlet openings 17 are arranged in this groove. The supply area 10 is also designed as a groove, which directly adjoins the groove of the connection area 16, so that coolant from the coolant connection 9 reaches all inlet openings 17 via these two grooves.

(15) Since during the machining of rod-shaped material in the area of the central opening 3 of the retaining ring 2 only a part of the machining elements 5 are in engagement with the material to be machined with their engagement areas 6, the coolant is required above all for these machining elements. In order to reduce the necessary supply of cooling liquid, the groove of the supply area 10 can be reduced to a circumferential area with machining elements in engagement with the machined material in a special embodiment. In addition, there is no groove in the connection area 16, so that only the inlet openings 17 in the area of the groove in the supply area 10 are supplied with sufficient feed liquid. In order for the resulting fluid bearing to be formed mirror-symmetrically to the ring axis A1, it is advisable to form a further groove section of the supply area 10 opposite the first groove section, preferably offset in the direction of the ring axis A1 in such a way that the further groove section is offset from the inlet openings 17. If necessary, however, an additional annular groove is used for bearing.

(16) In the connection area 16 of the retaining ring 2, the passages 18 leading from the inlet openings 17 to the outlet openings 19 comprise a first section 18a in accordance with FIG. 4, the longitudinal axis of which preferably runs at a distance from the ring axis A1. If the retaining ring 2 rotates in such a way that the inlet opening 17 precedes the first section 18a, the coolant is accelerated by the wall of the first section 18a in such a way that, in addition to the centrifugal force, a small acceleration component must also be observed radially inwards. The radial inward acceleration component reduces the effect of centrifugal force and thus the feed pressure required to convey the coolant from an inlet opening 17 through the rotating retaining ring 2 inwards to the corresponding outlet opening 19. If necessary, a connection opening 22 is formed in the supply sleeve 8 to which, for example, a pressure sensor, a pressure relief valve or a coolant outlet can be connected. If the connection opening 22 is not required, it can be closed with a screw as shown.

(17) The passages 18 are aligned differently in a second section 18b at the outlet openings 19 than in the first section 18a. The orientation in the second section 18b is selected in such a way that the coolant reaches the engagement area of a machining element after leaving the outlet opening 19.