| Sonstiges: |
- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants
- Sprachen: English
- Patent Number: 5,456,146
- Publication Date: October 10, 1995
- Appl. No: 08/145,075
- Application Filed: October 29, 1993
- Assignees: MKM Machine Tool Co., Inc. (Clarksville, IN)
- Claim: I claim
- Claim: 1. A bar stock prealignment collar, comprising
- Claim: a tubular member having a longitudinal bore therethrough;
- Claim: adjustable biasing means extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore, said adjustable biasing means comprising at least a first pair and a second pair of spring loaded plungers radially and longitudinally spaced apart; and
- Claim: means for holding said biasing means in cooperative engagement within said tubular member, said biasing means having sufficient resistance when deformed to rotatably urge and support a longitudinal section of bar stock having at least two flat sides in concentric alignment in a desired orientation within said bore.
- Claim: 2. The bar stock prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said means for holding said biasing means comprises threads deposed upon said spring loaded plungers threadably engaging threads formed within aperatures extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore.
- Claim: 3. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said biasing means includes a first pair, a second pair, and a third pair of spring loaded plungers.
- Claim: 4. The prealignment collar of claim 1, including at least three pairs of spring loaded plungers.
- Claim: 5. The prealignment collar of claim 4, wherein each spring loaded plunger is rotated radially with respect to the other.
- Claim: 6. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said biasing means can support and rotably align bar stock of different diameters and different cross-sectional shapes.
- Claim: 7. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said prealignment collar is adapted to be mounted in a tool machine spindle.
- Claim: 8. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said prealignment collar is adapted to be mounted in a bar stock feeder.
- Claim: 9. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said biasing means includes a lock nut threadably enagagable therewith disposed against the surface of said prealignment collar for adjustably holding said biasing means at a selected depth.
- Claim: 10. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said biasing means are positioned apart from one another along the longitudinal axis.
- Claim: 11. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a slot for cooperative engagement with a tool.
- Claim: 12. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a hexagonal shaped recess for cooperative engagement with a tool.
- Claim: 13. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a locking element comprising a polymer.
- Claim: 14. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein each pair of spring plungers includes a spring loaded plunger radially spaced apart opposite the other.
- Claim: 15. The prealignment collar of claim 1, wherein said second pair of spring loaded plungers are rotated radially approximately 120 degrees from said first pair, and said third pair of spring loaded plungers are rotated approximately 120 degrees from said second pair of spring loaded plungers.
- Claim: 16. A bar stock prealignment collar, comprising
- Claim: adjustable biasing means extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore, said adjustable biasing means comprising at least two pair of spring loaded plungers radially and longitudinally spaced apart;
- Claim: means for holding said biasing means in cooperative engagement within said tubular member, said biasing means having sufficient resistance when deformed to rotatably urge and support a longitudinal section of bar stock having at least two flat sides in concentric alignment in a desired orientation within said bore; and
- Claim: a removable prealignment bushing cooperatively engaging said bar stock providing general alignment of said bar stock prior to engaging said spring loaded plungers.
- Claim: 17. The prealignment collar of claim 16, wherein said bushing is recessed within a first axially extending interior cylindrical section of said tubular member bore.
- Claim: 18. The prealignment collar of claim 16, wherein said bushing is mounted anterior to and separate from said tubular body.
- Claim: 19. The prealignment collar of claim 17, including means to hold said prealignment bushing within said recess.
- Claim: 20. A bar stock prealignment collar, comprising
- Claim: adjustable biasing means extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore, said adjustable biasing means comprising at least a first pair, a second pair and a third pair of spring loaded plungers, each of said pairs having one spring loaded plunger radially spaced apart opposite the other;
- Claim: means for holding said biasing means in cooperative engagement within said tubular member; and
- Claim: said biasing means having sufficient resistance when deformed to rotatably urge and support a longitudinal section of bar stock having at least two flat sides in concentric alignment in a desired orientation within said bore.
- Claim: 21. The bar stock prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said means for holding said biasing means comprises threads deposed upon said spring loaded plungers threadably engaging threads formed within apertures extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore.
- Claim: 22. The bar stock prealignment collar of claim 20, including a prealignment bushing.
- Claim: 23. The prealignment collar of claim 22, wherein said bushing is recessed within a first axially extending interior cylindrical section of said tubular member bore.
- Claim: 24. The prealignment collar of claim 22, wherein said bushing is mounted anterior to and separate from said tubular body.
- Claim: 25. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said biasing means can support and rotatably align bar stock of different diameters and different cross-sectional shapes.
- Claim: 26. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said prealignment collar is adapted to be mounted in a tool machine spindle.
- Claim: 27. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said prealignment collar is adapted to be mounted in a bar stock feeder.
- Claim: 28. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said biasing means includes a lock nut threadably engagable therewith disposed against the surface of said prealignment collar for adjustably holding said biasing means at a selected depth.
- Claim: 29. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said biasing means are positioned apart from one another along the longitudinal axis.
- Claim: 30. The prealignment collar of claim 23, including means to hold said prealignment bushing within said recess.
- Claim: 31. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a slot for cooperative engagement with a tool.
- Claim: 32. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a hexagonal shaped recess for cooperative engagement with a tool.
- Claim: 33. The prealignment collar of claim 20, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a locking element comprising a polymer.
- Claim: 34. A bar stock prealignment collar, comprising
- Claim: adjustable biasing means extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore, said adjustable biasing means comprising at least a first pair, a second pair and a third pair of spring loaded plungers, said second pair of spring loaded plungers being rotated radially approximately 120 degrees from said first pair of spring loaded plungers, and said third pair of spring loaded plungers being rotated approximately 120 degrees from said second pair of spring loaded plungers;
- Claim: 35. The bar stock prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said means for holding said biasing means comprises threads deposed upon said spring loaded plungers threadably engaging threads formed within apertures extending through said tubular member radially inwardly toward the center of said bore.
- Claim: 36. The bar stock prealignment collar of claim 34, including a prealignment bushing.
- Claim: 37. The prealignment collar of claim 36, wherein said bushing is recessed within a first axially extending interior cylindrical section of said tubular member bore.
- Claim: 38. The prealignment collar of claim 36, wherein said bushing is mounted anterior to and separate from said tubular body.
- Claim: 39. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein each spring loaded plunger is rotated radially with respect to the other.
- Claim: 40. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said biasing means can support and rotatably align bar stock of different diameters and different cross-sectional shapes.
- Claim: 41. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said prealignment collar is adapted to be mounted in a tool machine spindle.
- Claim: 42. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said prealignment collar is adapted to be mounted in a bar stock feeder.
- Claim: 43. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said biasing means includes a lock nut threadably engagable therewith disposed against the surface of said prealignment collar for adjustably holding said biasing means at a selected depth.
- Claim: 44. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said biasing means are positioned apart from one another along the longitudinal axis.
- Claim: 45. The prealignment collar of claim 37, including means to hold said prealignment bushing within said recess.
- Claim: 46. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a slot for cooperative engagement with a tool.
- Claim: 47. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a hexagonal shaped recess for cooperative engagement with a tool.
- Claim: 48. The prealignment collar of claim 34, wherein said spring loaded plunger includes a locking element comprising a polymer.
- Claim: 49. The method of prealigning a polygonal cross-sectional shaped bar stock for feeding a collet with a bar stock prealignment collar, comprising the steps of
- Claim: feeding polygonal shaped bar stock having points and flats through a prealignment bushing;
- Claim: guiding said bar stock through a prealignment collar having a bore therethrough and at least a first pair and a second pair of spring loaded biasing means radially and longitudinally spaced apart extending radially inward in the path of said bar stock positioned radially therein;
- Claim: slidably contacting said spring loaded biasing means extending downward into the path of travel with at least one point of said bar stock depressing said biasing means; and
- Claim: deflecting said point of said bar stock with said biasing means rotatably urging and supporting said bar stock to a selected orientation, said biasing means cooperatively engaging said bar stock flats so that the points of the bar stock do not strike the collet.
- Current U.S. Class: 82/127; 82/163; 279/133
- Current International Class: B23B 1312
- Patent References Cited: 2759735 August 1956 Cross ; 2779040 January 1957 Scarff ; 3525277 August 1970 Jeanpretre et al. ; 4130035 December 1978 Langley ; 4346945 August 1982 Tsuboi ; 4746131 May 1988 Mathes ; 4788895 December 1988 Spooner ; 5058466 November 1991 Fabbri
- Other References: Jergens Tooling Components Catalogue, pp. 108-109, Jergens, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
- Primary Examiner: Bishop, Steven C.
- Attorney, Agent or Firm: Middleton & Reutlinger
|
