Abrading – Abrading process – Glass or stone abrading
Patent
1997-07-14
1999-10-12
Rose, Robert A.
Abrading
Abrading process
Glass or stone abrading
451354, 451359, 451456, 451388, 451450, B24B 100
Patent
active
059646454
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
Aircraft windows become scratched over a period of time, as they undergo something similar to a sand-blasting process when the aircraft flies at high speeds through dust-laden air. Rather than discarding the scratched windows, the windows are usually removed from the aircraft, are polished, and then are put back on the aircraft with a new seal. This is a very labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive process. In some cases, the labor costs are so high that the windows are shipped to a country with low labor costs and are then returned to be re-installed on the aircraft. However, this leaves the aircraft disabled during the period of time that the windows are being removed, polished, and replaced.
An attempt has been made to automate the polishing process prior to the present invention, so that the windows could automatically be polished while they remained on the aircraft, but this attempt failed. The machines simply did not work, for a number of reasons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a machine which permits the polishing process to be automated, speeding up the process from approximately two hours per window to approximately ten or fifteen minutes per window. The process requires very little labor and permits the aircraft to be put back into use very quickly, thereby greatly reducing the out-of-pocket cost of the polishing process and the cost due to lost use of the aircraft.
The present invention provides a machine which makes few demands in terms of equipment that must be made available at the airport. It requires only electricity, a source of pressurized air, water to refill a water tank on the machine, and a supply of polish pad kits.
The present invention provides a polish head which automatically picks up and disposes of disposable polish pads by using a vacuum to pick up the pad and pressurized air to blow the pad away from the polish head.
The present invention provides a polish head which is rotated and moved over the surface of the window to polish the window but which is connected to its drive shaft by a flexible drive joint so that the polish head can pivot as necessary to match the contours of the aircraft window, which is curved, not planar. This is important to the proper functioning of the polisher.
The present invention provides special polish pads which are made up of a plurality of segments adhered to a backing, with the polish pads being impregnated with polishing compound which is released when water is squirted on the window and the polish head is passed over the window. This eliminates the need for pumping various types of polishing compounds to the machine. The segments are also spaced from each other so that water and air can pass completely around each segment as it is operating, thus helping to cool the window as it is being polished and to ensure good coverage of the polishing compound over the window.
The present invention provides suction feet which hold the machine onto the side of the aircraft. By pushing a button, the operator can change from having pressurized air flow out of the suction feet to having a suction at the suction feet. The pressurized air helps the operator slide the unit along the side of the aircraft to help locate it properly over the window, and the suction holds the unit on the side of the aircraft.
There are many other advantages of a machine made in accordance with the present invention, as will become obvious from reading the description which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view of an aircraft with a window polisher made in accordance with the present invention mounted on the aircraft for polishing the aircraft window;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the portion of the polisher mounted on the window in FIG. 1, looking toward the aircraft;
FIG. 3 is bottom view of the portion of the polisher of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of one of the suction feet of the polisher of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the polish head of the machine FIG. 2;
FIG. 5A is a side view of the polish hea
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Camoriano Theresa
Douglas Industries, Inc.
Nguyen George
Rose Robert A.
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