Abrading – Machine – Endless band tool
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-29
2001-04-24
Rose, Robert A. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Endless band tool
C451S311000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220946
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to precision polishing or superfinishing of surfaces of rotatable metallic articles, such as bearing journals, crankpins and cams of crankshafts and camshafts and other cylindrical and non-cylindrical articles. The material removal operations of the invention may be performed to improve surface finish, attain size or improve geometry of the finished surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Current methods of finishing cylindrical surfaces are disclosed in numerous prior patents. For example:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,993,543 Egger shows polishing of crankshaft surfaces using abrasive tape held stationary by polishing shoes which provide force against the workpiece. Between polishing steps, the tape is advanced to provide a new abrasive surface for polishing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,704 Barton II et al. shows microfinishing of bearing journals using either abrasive tape or hard abrasive inserts of various types.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,834 shows a traveling belt grinder for finishing cam surfaces of camshafts. An abrasive belt is driven by a drive pulley past the workpiece. A backup shoe provides force against the workpiece and guide and tension pulleys position and tension the belt. Coolant is provided to cool the workpiece and carry away removed material (sworf) from the grinding process. Subsequent polishing of the ground surfaces may be required to achieve the desired surface finish or to improve the part geometry or size tolerances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved belt polishing machine having a moving endless abrasive coated polishing belt. The belt wraps around and travels over a substantial portion of a circumferential surface of a rotatable workpiece for finishing the surface.
Typical surfaces may comprise journals and crankpins of engine crankshafts, camshaft journals and cylindrical surfaces of other articles as well as, in some cases, camshaft cam surfaces or other non-circular surfaces. In general, the polishing machine includes drive means for driving the polishing belt in a continuous path, guide means for guiding the polishing belt around and into engagement with a substantial portion of the circumferential surface, tensioning means for applying tensioning force to the polishing belt during finishing operations, and coolant feeding means for applying coolant against the polishing belt for separating and carrying away removed material from the belt and cleaning the abrasive for a subsequent pass.
The guide means preferably include guide pulleys positioned on either side of and beyond the belt engaged surface of the workpiece to cause the belt to wrap around and engage a large portion of the surface for polishing it. The guide pulleys may also act as tensioning means or one or more separate tensioning pulleys may be employed on a polishing head carrying the main drive pulley and guide pulleys, as well as the workpiece. A backup shoe may be used to increase pressure of the belt against the workpiece, particularly where correction of the surface geometry is required.
The guide pulleys may be mounted on stationary or pivotable arms or on a pivoting carrier in order, for example, to allow oscillating motion for polishing the pins of a rotating crankshaft. Alternatively, a main and secondary polishing head may be shuttled horizontally and vertically to accomplish the same purpose.
The workpiece may be gaged in place by opening pivotal arms with the guide pulleys and retracting the main polishing head sufficiently to allow a gage means to move against and measure the workpiece while polishing continues on a lesser included angle of the circumferential surface.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of certain exemplary embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1768339 (1930-06-01), Stevens
patent: 2560102 (1951-07-01), Guinn
patent: 3566549 (1971-03-01), Britton
patent: 4945683 (1990-08-01), Phillips
patent: 5628678 (1997-05-01), Tridico
patent: 5951377 (1999-09-01), Vaughn et al.
patent: 402205471 (1990-08-01), None
patent: 1713783 (1992-02-01), None
Fildes & Outland, P.C.
Rose Robert A.
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