Hand engraving sharpening device
A sharpening device that utilizes templates for sharpening specific shaped points. The templates are easily replaceable for grinding additional facets or for additional styles of points.
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a sharpening fixture, more particularly to a hand engraving sharpening apparatus for use to rapidly and accurately index a graver to specific angles for grinding specialized points.
2. Description of Prior Art
Since the 19th century, hand engravers and jewelers have used an abrasive surface such as an Arkansas stone or hone to sharpen hand engraving points. More recently, adjustable fixtures along with a motorized hone to spin a stone or diamond grinding lap have been utilized. These fixtures give positioning to the graver in two rotational axes. One axis is the rotational angle that is aligned with the linear axis of the graver shank and the second is the loft angle, which is at a right angle to the linear axis of the graver shank. These dual angle fixtures have five degree division marks and allow the user to rotate them to the desired position and manually tighten them into place.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,586 to Lindsay discloses a unique engraving cutter point that requires a more accurate fixture than presently available to attain the geometric relationships to reproduce the point. Applicant has found that even a half a degree error in the geometric relationship can affect the clearance of the cutting edge and how well the point works to prevent heel drag as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,586 to Lindsay. With available prior art dual angle graver grinding fixtures, it is tedious to sharpen the applicant's type of point. It is easy to become confused and frustrated trying to set the dual angle fixtures properly. If there are errors in accuracy in this type of indexing fixtures it contributes to the point not being ground correctly as well as making it difficult to setup and retouch up a point when it becomes dull.
Before the advent of the dual angle fixtures in the market, tilt fixtures were utilized. U.S. Pat. Nos. 975,329 and 4,078,338 disclosed tilt fixtures that are universal and adjustable for setting angles. However, these sharpening fixtures also depended on the user having the knowledge and skill to set exactly which angles are needed in order to get good results with specialized graver's points. A sharpening fixture is needed that is fool proof, allowing anyone to easily sharpen specialized points such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,586. A device such as this is possible by the use of replaceable templates that have the exact settings for a particular point already prefigured. It would allow a user to sharpen specialized points easily and be able to repeat the accuracy exactly.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is the object of this invention to provide an improved hand engraving sharpening device that utilizes pre-determined templates for specific graver points. The templates are easily replaceable for grinding additional facets or for a variety of style of graver points with a great deal of accuracy and re-sharpening repeatability. The use of prefigured templates is less confusing and more accurate for beginners as well as professionals to sharpen specialized graver points accurately such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,032.586 to Lindsay.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to attached drawing figures, wherein:
The preferred embodiment of a hand engraving sharpening device in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in
Referring to
face facet 24;
taper facets 18, 20, and 22;
heel-relief facets 26 and 28; and
heel facets 30 and 32.
OperationWhen a jeweler, engraver, artist or craftsperson desires to shape and sharpen his or her engraving point, a graver 2 (
Accordingly, the reader will see that the invention provides an improved sharpener for specialized or even non-specialized types of engraving points. The use of templates makes it much easier for the engraver, jeweler, carver or crafts person to concentrate on his or her work rather than spending time figuring out angles and math in order to sharpen their engraving points. Points such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,032.586 to Lindsay are much easier for the user to reproduce with the present invention. These pre-figured templates can be manufactured for all types of graver and carving points. Because the templates are made to be replaced easily for grinding various facets and for various styles of points, the invention will both increase the quality of work as well as speed of the user.
Although the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated embodiment, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. For example:
Graver holder 10 illustrated in
Grinding lap 4 could also be a power lap, wherein the lap spins or reciprocates by the presences of a power movement source such as a motor.
Magnetism or magnetic strip could be utilized to aid in holding the templates in place on flat surface 6 (
The templates disclosed are prefigured and fixed without an adjustment method for adjusting the profile shape and angles of the templates. An equivalent could be made wherein the templates are user adjustable and still allow the replacement uniqueness of the invention be utilized by having the templates easily replaced. Users could then set the templates to their liking for a particular type of point and plan on leaving them set there and switch to another template for other shaped point or for more required facets for a particular specialized point.
The sharpening device disclosed was originally designed for sharpening graver points for engraving artists and jewelers, however the device can be utilized in other fields needing to shape or place facets on an object.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Claims
1-38. (canceled)
39. A device to aid in placing facets at the end of an object, comprising of:
- a linear body having an object holder on at least one end;
- at least one template plate made to fit said linear body in such a way that the profile of said at least one template plate surrounds said linear body at a location on said linear body;
- said at least one template plate having a peripheral profile shape for the purpose of indexing on a flat horizontal plane by a method of setting a portion of said peripheral profile on the flat horizontal plane, the profile surface to be without constraint to allow the device to be freely moveable during the creation of facets;
- at least one other template plate having a different profile from said at least one template plate, the different profile surface to be without constraint to allow the device to be freely moveable during the creation of facets; and
- said at least one template plate is removable from said linear body for the purpose of being replaceable with said at least one other template plate.
40. A device to aid in placing facets at the end of an object as recited in claim 39, further comprising: a grinding surface.
41. A device to aid in placing facets at the end of an object as recited in claim 40, wherein said grinding surface is embedded with diamond abrasive.
42. A device to aid in placing facets at the end of an object as recited in claim 40, further comprising: a motor for spinning said grinding surface.
43. A device to aid in placing facets at the end of an object as recited in claim 39, further comprising: a thumb screw.
44. A device to aid in placing facets at the end of an object as recited in claim 39, further comprising: an index pin for indexing said at least one template plate with said linear body.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 10, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 10, 2008
Inventors: Steven James Lindsay (Kearney, NE), Charles Paul Hamler (Blairsville, GA)
Application Number: 11/545,873