Shuttle operated tape controlled machine tool

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE TOOL; A POWER DRIVEN TOOL SUPPORT AND A WORK SUPPORT RESPECTIVELY CARRIED FOR MOVEMENT IN COORDINATED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER; POWER DRIVEN MOTION TRANSLATORS RESPECTIVELY OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID SUPPORTS; INDICATORS CONNECTED TO BE ACTIVATED BY SAID SUPPORTS AND BEING OPERATIVE TO SUPPLY INFORMATION AS TO THE VELOCITY AND POSITION OF SAID SUPPORTS; A NUMERICAL CONTROL SYSTEM RESPONSIVE TO CODED INPUT INFORMATION AND BEING OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE THERETO TO ACTIVATE SAID TRANSLATORS FOR EFFECTING A PREDETERMINED PROGRAM OF MACHINING MOVEMENTS OF SAID SUPPORTS; FEEDBACK CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVE TO CORRECT SAID INDICATORS TO SAID MOTION TRANSLATORS FOR MODIFYING THE OPERATION OF SAID NUMERICAL CONTROL SYSTEM; A PLURALITY OF CONTROLLERS RESPECTIVELY ADAPTED TO PROVIDE CODED INPUT INFORMATION ACTIVATING SAID NUMERICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EFFECTING A SEQUENTIAL PROGRAM OF MACHINE MOVEMENTS; A SWITCHING MECHANISM ACTUATABLE TO CONNECT A SELECTED ONE OF SAID CONTROLLERS FOR ACTUATING SAID NUMERICAL CONTROL SYSTEM TO OPERATE SAID MACHINE THROUGH A PREDETERMINED PROGRAM OF MACHINE MOVEMENTS; A PLURALITY OF WORK CARRYING PALLETS RESPECTIVELY POSITIONABLE UPON SAID WORK SUPPORT; A TRANSFER MECHANISM INCLUDING MOVING MEANS AND GUIDE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID WORK SUPPORT; POWER OPERABLE MEANS CONNECTED TO ACTUATE SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR MOVING ONE OF SAID PALLETS INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION UPON SAID WORK SUPPORT AND TO MOVE ANOTHER OF SAID PALLETS FROM SAID WORK SUPPORT TO AN UNLOADING STATION; AND, SELECTIVELY OPERABLE CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO ACTIVATE SAID POWER OPERABLE MEANS AND SAID SWITCHING MECHANISM FOR MOVING A SELECTED PALLET INTO POSITION UPON SAID WORK SUPPORT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THEREWITH CONNECTING AN APPROPRIATE ONE OF SAID CONTROLLERS TO ACTIVATE SAID NUMERICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EFFECTING A PREDETERMINED MACHINING PROGRAM OF MACHINE MOVEMENTS.