Importance

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Abstract

A method and multiple station flexible boring machine for transferring and locating a pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined. The machine has at least two machining stations and a part loading and unloading station adjacent a transfer table carried by a base for carrying, generally locating and transferring a pallet and a workpiece to each station. The pallet has a curvic coupling locator ring with a plurality of circumferentially spaced and generally radially extending teeth for complementary mating engagement with a locator ring on an independent base of each station to accurately radially, axially and circumferentially locate the pallet on the station base. At the load station, the locator ring on the pallet is received in complementary mating engagement with the locator ring on the load base accurately locating the pallet with respect to the base and a workpiece is loaded, accurately located with respect to the load base and clamped to the pallet. The transfer table generally locates and transfers the pallet from the load station onto the base of a first machining station accurately locating the workpiece for machining. After at least one machining operation is performed at that station, the table transfers the pallet and workpiece onto the base of the next machining station. Upon completing all machining operations, the pallet and workpiece are returned to the part load station where the finished workpiece is released and removed and thereafter another workpiece to be machined is loaded, accurately located and clamped to the pallet.

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First Claim