Abrading – Frame or mount – Rotary tool supporter
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-09
2002-05-21
Ostrager, Allen (Department: 3725)
Abrading
Frame or mount
Rotary tool supporter
C451S363000, C451S294000, C451S062000, C451S251000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390907
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION-FIELD OF APPLICATION
This invention relates to machine tools and grinding processes; and, more particularly, to machine tools, wheel heads, tool drive spindles, workpiece mounting and grinding processes for grinding cam lobes on cam shafts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION-DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Many machine tools such as, for example, grinding machines, of the type shown in
FIG. 1
, mount a workpiece
3
for rotation between a headstock
5
and a footstock
7
which are, in turn, both mounted, in conventional manner, on a workpiece carriage
9
that is itself carried by the machine tool frame or bed
15
for reciprocating movement in the directions of arrows A and B along a workpiece axis of rotation “X”. The machine tool cutting tool, which may be a grinding wheel
31
, is rotatively carried by a tool carriage
33
that reciprocates in the directions of arrows R and S on the machine tool frame or bed
15
in directions perpendicular to the workpiece axis of rotation “X”. Thus grinding wheel
31
is moved towards and into the workpiece
3
to grind the workpiece
3
, or selected parts of the workpiece; and away from the workpiece
3
to permit relocation or indexing of the workpiece
3
to grind another part or portion thereof.
Generally speaking the diameter of the grinding wheel
31
is selected to be large enough so that carriage
33
and the grinding wheel
31
may be moved in the direction of arrow R a sufficient distance to grind the smallest required radial dimension for cam lobe
35
; while leaving an appropriate distance between an outer surface
41
of housing, or spindle casing,
43
of tool spindle
45
and the outer surfaces of cam lobes
35
. The sizing and disposition of the drive motor
47
for tool spindle
45
are also selected so that there is an appropriate spacing between motor
47
and footstock
7
when motor
47
moves with carriage
33
and tool spindle
45
in the direction of arrow R to its closest possible position to footstock
7
and cam lobes
35
.
Problems, however, have been encountered with available machine tools and grinding machines when relatively small grinding wheels must be utilized to grind discrete parts, such as cam lobes
35
on cam shafts
37
; and especially where re-entrant or concave cam surfaces (such as surface
61
—FIG.
2
—of cam lobe
63
of cam
65
) are to be ground. Available constructions for spindle
45
(FIG.
1
), for rotating the tool such as grinding wheel
31
, and for the housing
43
enclosing such spindles
41
, place a practical limit on how close the spindles' axis of rotation “y” can be moved in the direction of arrow R, towards the workpiece axis of rotation “x” and how close the outer surfaces of the housings or casings for such tool spindles and their drive motors can be moved towards the rotating cam lobes
35
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,831 patented on Dec. 16, 1997, to F. Retchel for “Machine Tool With Plural Tool Spindles” provides a grinding machine with dual spindles each mounting a different size grinding wheel. The drive for each such spindle is shown and described as a belt drive to the spindle from a motor that is spaced from the spindle. However, belt drives have been found undesirable for spindle speeds demanded for today's grinding processes. To mount a conventional motor in-line with the spindle and relatively close to the grinding wheel, could create a mechanism where the motor, moving with the spindle, would interfere with and limit the travel of smaller grinding wheel towards the workpiece and thus the ability to properly grind concave surfaces. To provide an in-line motor for the spindle that is spaced from the grinding wheel would provide unacceptably long spindle shafts affecting grinding accuracy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and novel machine tool.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding machine.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and novel machine tool for grinding parts with at least some portion thereof concave in relationship to other portions of the surface of such parts.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding machine for grinding cam lobes.
It is yet still another object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding machine for grinding cam lobes with re-entrant curves.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding process.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding process for parts with concave surface configurations.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel process for grinding cam lobes which include re-entrant or concave cam surface portions.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel tool spindle.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel tool spindle for a grinding machine.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding machine with a pair of tool spindles.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel grinding machine with a first tool spindle for one or more relatively large diameter grinding wheels and a second tool spindle for relatively small diameter grinding wheels.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide a new and novel cam lobe grinding apparatus and process for grinding cam lobes with re-entrant or concave cam surface portions as well as convex cam surface portions.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention in its details of construction and arrangement of parts will be seen from the above and from the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawing and from the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4006944 (1977-02-01), Ando et al.
patent: 4037496 (1977-07-01), Gerth
patent: 4432245 (1984-02-01), Hattori et al.
patent: 4851752 (1989-07-01), Nishimura
patent: 4897851 (1990-01-01), Vecht et al.
patent: 4928561 (1990-05-01), Fouche
patent: 4934040 (1990-06-01), Turchan
patent: 4976177 (1990-12-01), Fouche
patent: 5027280 (1991-06-01), Ando et al.
patent: 5220749 (1993-06-01), Youden et al.
patent: 5274286 (1993-12-01), Yamamura
patent: 5443413 (1995-08-01), Pflager et al.
patent: 5772564 (1998-06-01), Taniguchi et al.
Metzler Joel Kym
Pflager William Wood
Hong William
Ostrager Allen
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