Abrading – Machine – Rotary tool
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-02
2001-08-28
Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Rotary tool
C451S070000, C451S271000, C451S296000, C451S306000, C451S336000, C451S450000, C408S236000, C408S237000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280305
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices for smoothing the surface of a workpiece, and in particular to abrading a workpiece with a vibrating and rotating surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many furnishings, such as those used in the home and office, are desired with surfaces that are very smooth. Table tops and counters are often desired to have a very smooth surface, such as a highly polished surface, particularly for sanitary and aesthetic purposes. Many devices and methods are known for producing a very smooth finish on a table or counter top. A workpiece for a table or counter top, can either be made with a smooth finish, or the surface can be treated to produce the smooth surface.
A common method for smoothing a rough workpiece, is to move an abrasive over the surface of the workpiece in order to wear down the surface of the workpiece. This wearing down, first removes raised portions of the surface which cause the roughness. These removed portions, need to be removed from the abrasive, so that they do not clog the abrasive and reduce the effectiveness of the abrasive. The removed portions of the workpiece form a dust. This dust often becomes airborne and can cause health problems, as well as interfere with the finishing operation, and interfere with the surrounding environment.
Because a smooth surface requires very little variation between the high and low points on the surface, the abrasive material must be course to fine in order to achieve the desired smoothness. For very smooth surfaces, the abrasive particles must be very fine and can only remove a very small amount of workpiece surface with each movement. A very smooth surface thus requires much relative movement between the abrasive and the workpiece. Also the relative movement must be applied evenly across the entire surface to have a uniform finish and to have the surface be substantially flat. The large number of repetitive motions, as well as the need to have a uniform and flat surface, causes surface finishing to be very labor intensive, especially for large surfaces.
New materials for table and counter tops, such as CORIAN® are very desirable, and are known as solid surface materials. This solid surface material is manufactured most economically in large surface areas, and with a rough surface. Because of the large amount of labor needed to smooth the surface, and the high level of skill required to perform a uniform flat surface, surface finishing is usually only performed once the workpiece has been cut to its final size. Even then surface finishing is a significant task. Surface finishing needs to be done at those facilities where the individual pieces of furniture are manufactured. This requires a sizable investment by a furniture manufacture and contributes to the final cost of a piece of furniture.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can economically provide a very smooth surface to a very large workpiece, where the surface is smooth and uniform, and the effects of dust caused by removal of portions of the workpiece is eliminated.
The present invention accomplishes this main object by providing an apparatus with a housing and an orbiting head rotatably mounted in the housing. The orbiting head has an axial end with a grinding surface for contact with the workpiece having its surface finished. The grinding surface is formed of abrasives. The orbiting head defines a fluid passage with one end having an opening at the grinding surface. A spindle arbor is connected to the orbiting head and rotates with the orbiting head. The spindle arbor also defines a passage having one end connected to the passage of the orbiting head, and having another end connected to a fluid source. A drive means is connected to the spindle arbor for driving the spindle arbor and the orbiting head in rotation. The orbiting head is rotated, and the grinding surface is placed into contact with the surface of the workpiece in relative rotation to the surface of the workpiece. Fluid is then moved through the passages from the fluid source to the opening in the grinding surface, and from the opening to an area between the grinding surface and the workpiece. This moving fluid carries away the removed portions of the workpiece and prevents clogging of the grinding surface. Since the grinding surface is not clogged, the grinding surface operates very efficiently and uniformly. Also the fluid, preferably water, allows for more uniform movement of the grinding surface with respect to the workpiece. The fluid flow therefore provides for a finishing of the workpiece that is more uniform, and/or less labor intensive. The fluid also entrains the removed dust, and provides for a healthier, safer and more pleasant work environment. The present invention also has a vibration means for vibrating the head during the rotation. This removes swirl marks which are caused when the relative motion between the grinding surface and the workpiece is always circular.
A housing holds the orbiting head and spindle arbor, and the housing itself is connected to an arm which is preferably formed of first and second linkages. It is possible for the arm to just be a single linkage. One end of the arm is fixed to the housing, and the other end is pivotable on a pivot point which is preferably located on a fixed stand. In the case of two linkages, one linkage is fixed to the housing on one end and the other end is fixed to a first end of a second linkage. The other end of the second linkage is then pivoted on a stand. The drive motor can be at the pivot point, or at the link point between the two linkages. A transmission then connects the motor to the spindle arbor. The pivoting axis of the pivot point and linkage point are substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the orbiting head. The two linkage arrangement is preferred, since it allows substantially unrestricted movement of the orbiting head in the plane of the workpiece surface.
The housing, the arm and the stand can be locked with respect to axial movement. The orbiting head is preferably axially movable in the housing, and a force means biases the orbiting head axially away from the housing with a force that is selectable by the operator. In this way, the operator can desire the amount of force that the grinding surface applies to the workpiece, and this force is maintained wherever the operator moves the orbiting head. It is also preferable that the force means vary the set force based on a distance of the orbiting head from the housing. In this way, if there is a portion of the workpiece which is higher than the surrounding areas, the force means will apply more force on this higher area which will tend to lower the higher area and even out the surface. This force means preferably includes an air cylinder and a control means for controlling an amount of air in the air cylinder.
An operator is then able to easily move the grinding surface over large areas, while always maintaining the same amount of pressure, to quickly remove material from the solid surface and quickly form a very smooth, uniform and flat surface. The present invention makes it economical to form a very smooth surface finish on the large areas of the solid surface immediately after the solid surface has been formed. Individually processing smaller workpieces in distributive facilities is therefore no longer necessary.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4125057 (1978-11-01), Cox
patent: 5667428 (1997-09-01), Lunn
patent: 5733175 (1998-03-01), Leach
patent: 5971677 (1999-10-01), Lan
Donatelli Joseph M.
Donatelli Rosalie
Donatelli Thomas P. A.
Donatelli, Sr. Joeseph M.
Banks Derris H.
McDonald Shantese
McGlew and Tuttle , P.C.
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