Abstract: A flycutting apparatus and a method of manufacturing printed circuit boards are disclosed. The flycutting apparatus may include a sensor for detecting changes in the relative positioning of an associated rotatable flywheel and the surface of an object, such as a web of flexible printed circuit board, to be machined. The sensor is adapted to send signals to an adjustment device of the flycutting apparatus during machining operations whereby the adjustment device responds to the signals by adjusting the relative position of the rotatable flywheel with respect to the surface of the object. The flycutting apparatus may include a horizontally arranged slide assembly in conjunction with a vertically arranged slide assembly and a translation device for translating movement of the horizontally arranged slide assembly to vertical movement of an associated rotatable flywheel along the vertical slide assembly.

Abstract: A tool setter is used to locate the cutting edges of a cutting machine tool with respect to the rotational axis of a lathe's workpiece holder. One or more machine tool detecting probes are mounted on the tool setter having their styluses in predetermined registration with the rotational axis of the workpiece holder. The machine tool is moved into contact with the styluses so that the location of the cutting edges of the machine tool relative to the rotational axis may be calculated. Once the precise location of the machine tool is known, the path the machine tool is required to traverse may be accurately calculated for machining the workpiece. The tool setter is removed from the workpiece holder prior to securing a workpiece to prevent contamination from spewn cutting chips and cutting oil during the machining process.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for grinding glass to form optical elements, especially prisms. The apparatus has an improved mounting for grinding wheels which are used for different grinding purposes, specifically roughing, finishing and polishing. The finishing wheel is usually an expensive, diamond-abrasive wheel which is trued to provide finishing grinding operations with high accuracy. The finishing wheel, which can be used for the critical final grinding of the workpiece, is semi-permanently mounted on the grinding machine spindle in a manner which allows the less critical roughing (semi-finishing) and polishing wheels to be temporarily mounted in front of the finishing wheel in interlocked, stacked relationship therewith without disturbing the truth of rotation of the finishing wheel. When the finishing wheel is used alone, a plug is inserted in a socket, which receives a shank extending from the other wheels, so as to prevent dirt from entering the socket.

Abstract: A device which substantially compensates for the expansion or contraction of a machining apparatus to varying temperatures in and among the components of the machining apparatus links two axes of movement of the machining apparatus by providing a measurement axis defined by the intersection of a first vertical plane passing through the cutting tip of a cutting tool and a second vertical plane passing through the workface of a workpiece to be machined, and associating one end of a temperature-insensitive member with this measurement axis, the other end of the temperature-insensitive member being in the same vertical plane as a reference point which remains stationary with respect to the measurement axis regardless of the thermal growth of the components of the machining apparatus.

Abstract: A drive system for a multiple spindle machine tool which includes a separate servo motor for powering the drum shaft which serves as the basic control element for the timing and movement of tools which are operable upon the workpieces carried in the spindles. The speed of the servo motor is regulated by a tachometer in a feedback loop to hold the speed of the motor at any chosen value. The drum shaft rotates at either high speed during tool traverse or low or feed speed during machining operations. A second tachometer driven by the spindle drive system generates a signal proportional to the spindle speed and that signal coordinates the low feed speed of the drum shaft with the spindle speed. Conventional clutches for high-speed and reverse operation of the drum shaft are replaced by switches and potentiometers.

Abstract: A machine tool including a hard brittle tool having a cutting edge and a means for heating the tool adjacent the cutting edge.