Abstract: During an assembly process for an aircraft, segments of the fuselage are fabricated separately prior to joining the segments together to form the complete fuselage. In order to ensure that abutting ends of the segments mate together correctly, a machining process is performed along the edges of the segments at their ends. A trim-tool assembly includes an indexing cart mounted to a track secured to a surface of the workpiece, where a setting on the indexing cart varies a distance between a centerline of the track and an edge of a workpiece. The trim-tool assembly further includes a tool cart mounted to the track and translatable along the track. The tool cart includes a process tool that performs a machining process on the workpiece at a fixed distance from the centerline of the track.

Abstract: A skate blade sharpening system retains a skate blade in a sharpening position whose centerline has a first location relative to a first visual reference feature. A motor-driven rotating shaft has a wheel-mounting location for mounting a grinding wheel for sharpening operation. The shaft accepts an alignment wheel at the wheel-mounting location during an alignment, the alignment wheel having a second visual reference feature having a second location relative to a centerline of the grinding wheel when occupying the wheel-mounting location. An adjustment mechanism moves the shaft transversely during alignment to vary relative position between the wheel-mounting location and the sharpening position including an aligned position in which the centerline of the grinding wheel is aligned with the centerline of the sharpening position, the aligned position being indicated by alignment of the first visual reference feature with the second visual reference feature during alignment.

Abstract: A method for making or repairing a laser drilled hole in a component of gas turbine engines, to meet requirements of air flow through the hole, includes deformation of an excess material melted during the laser drilling process and remaining around an opening end of the hole, thereby causing a marginal reduction in an effective diameter of the hole.

Abstract: The present invention provides a blade sharpening device designed for sharpening a blade for a uniform sharpening of the edge thereof. Generally, the blade sharpening device includes a base, a guide, a carriage, and a blade holder. The base has a guide movable relative to the base. In one embodiment, the base includes a material that receives an impression of a blade defining a blade contour. A blade holder is attached to the base for securing the blade while being sharpened. The carriage includes a means for interacting with the material of the guide or the carriage to define a sharpening path substantially aligning with the blade contour. The carriage has an abrasive surface for sharpening the blade. In operation, the guide and carriage direct the movement of the abrasive surface along the contour of the blade for a uniform sharpening of the edge thereof.

Abstract: A key duplication system employs a modular key duplication attachment in combination with a high-speed, rotary powered tool and a profiled abrasive cutter. The attachment comprises a base, a carriage assembly movable relative to the base, a profiled stylus secured to the base, a first clamping vise for retaining a specimen key at a fixed (i.e., stationary) position relative to the carriage assembly and a second clamping vise for retaining a key blank at a fixed position relative to the carriage assembly. When so-retained, a bottom flat surface of the specimen key and a bottom flat surface of the key blank rest in a common working plane and the tip of each key is separated by a first distance. The cutter and stylus are aligned and secured to the base such that movement of the carriage, relative to the base, simultaneously brings them both into contact with appropriate surfaces of the key blank and the specimen key, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a blade sharpening device designed for sharpening a blade for a uniform sharpening of the edge thereof. The blade sharpening device contains a base having a guide slidably movable relative to the base. The guide includes a material that receives an impression of a blade defining a blade contour. A blade holder is attached to the base for securing the blade while being sharpened. A carriage contains an elongated structure for interacting with the material of the guide which has received an impression of the blade defining a blade contour. The guide defines a sharpening path substantially aligning with the blade contour. The carriage also has an abrasive surface for sharpening the blade. In operation, the guide and carriage direct the movement of the abrasive surface along the contour of the blade for a uniform sharpening of the edge thereof.

Abstract: A tool for trimming the ends of stiffeners on aircraft composite skin panels accurately, rapidly and without damaging the underlying skins includes an expandable guide frame adapted to straddle and clamp to the stiffener at a selected longitudinal position thereon. The frame includes a pair of planar guide faces disposed on opposite sides of the stiffener and lying in a common plane transverse thereto. The rotatably supported opposite ends of a rotating abrasive drum are slid along respective ones of the guide faces such that the drum grinds away the stiffener in a plane parallel to the plane of the guide faces and thereby forms a trimmed end on the stiffener. The frame includes mechanisms for adjusting the angular inclination of the plane of the guide faces relative to the plane of the composite skin, and for preventing the grinding mechanism from cutting into the composite skin.

Abstract: The present utility model relates to a stone edge grinding machine, including a bearing frame, a rocker arm system and a grinding wheel system, wherein: the said bearing frame comprises a base plate, a shaft fixed on the center of the base plate, a workbench connected fixedly to the top end of the shaft and a bracket mounted above the workbench in an order from bottom to top; the big end of rocker arm at one end of the said rocker arm system is sleeved rotatably on the shaft by a bearing, and the other end of the rocker arm system is joined with the grinding wheel system; the said grinding wheel system includes a grinding wheel and an electric motor with the grinding wheel mounted thereon. The said grinding wheel system further comprises a center idler wheel which is mounted coaxially above the grinding wheel. Side idler wheels are mounted along the outer flank of the grinding wheel in a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A key duplication system employs a modular key duplication attachment in combination with a high-speed, rotary powered tool and a profiled abrasive cutter. The attachment comprises a base, a carriage assembly movable relative to the base, a profiled stylus secured to the carriage, a first clamping vise for retaining a specimen key at a fixed (i.e., stationary) position relative to the base and a second clamping vise for retaining a key blank at a fixed position relative to the base. When so-retained, a bottom flat surface of the specimen key and a bottom flat surface of the key blank rest in a common plane and the tip of each key is separated by a first distance. The cutter and stylus are aligned such that movement of the carriage, relative to the base, simultaneously brings them both into contact with appropriate surfaces of the key blank and the specimen key, respectively.

Abstract: A method for joining two materials together comprising providing guiding means for guiding a shaping means for shaping said materials; and joining said materials together. Also provided is a tool for which has a rigid cylindrical portion with a low amount of run-out to allow for highly accurate milling of a workpiece.

Abstract: A key duplication system employs a modular key duplication attachment in combination with a high-speed, rotary powered tool and a profiled abrasive cutter. The attachment comprises a base, a carriage assembly movable relative to the base, a profiled stylus secured to the carriage, a first clamping vise for retaining a specimen key at a fixed (i.e., stationary) position relative to the base and a second clamping vise for retaining a key blank at a fixed position relative to the base. When so-retained, a bottom flat surface of the specimen key and a bottom flat surface of the key blank rest in a common plane and the tip of each key is separated by a first distance. The cutter and stylus are aligned such that movement of the carriage, relative to the base, simultaneously brings them both into contact with appropriate surfaces of the key blank and the specimen key, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding edges of rigid materials including a support member, an upper grinding element rotatably mounted relative to the support member, a bearing affixed to the upper grinding element, a lower grinding element rotatably mounted relative to the support member, and an insert element removably affixed around the bearing and interposed between the support member and one of the upper and lower grinding elements. The insert element is of an annular configuration and has an outer diameter less than an outermost diameter of the grinding elements. The insert element is interchangeable with various other insert elements.

Abstract: There is disclosed a self-centering template useful for centering cylindrical bodies on their axes in rotating machines such as a concentric grinder. The centering templates of the invention are generically cup-shaped plates, having an end disc with a dependent, preferably integral, cylindrical wall. The disc has a central aperture which is intersected by a radial slot extending from the periphery of the disc. The inside surface of the annular wall is tapered from a maximum thickness adjacent the disc. In use, templates are placed over the opposite ends of a cropped silicon ingot and the resultant assembly is mounted in the concentric grinding machine, with the central aperture of the template disc guiding the head stock and tail stock chuck into centric engagement with the ends of the ingot. After the ingot is clamped in the machine, the templates are removed by passing the radial slots of the templates past the machine shafts.

Abstract: Provided is an aircraft trimming device including a guide assembly (24) and a cutting tool (26). The guide assembly (24) includes a rigid plate (25) and a T-shaped track (30) mounted to one side of the plate to serve as a support and a guide for the cutting tool (26). The cutting tool (26) includes a base assembly (32); an air supply assembly (34) that is supported on the base assembly (32); and a cutting assembly (36) in pneumatic communication with the air supply assembly (34). During operation, the cutting tool (26) is pneumatically lifted by the air supply assembly (34) a slight distance off the track (30) in order that a mechanic may translate the cutting tool (26) along the track (30), thereby trimming an aircraft sub-assembly edge along a predetermined path (40).

Abstract: A method of processing the rim of a lens is provided which includes the step of grinding the rim of a lens (LE) with a grindstone (6) so as to fit the configuration of an eyeglass frame while rotating and moving the lens (LE) toward and away from the grindstone (6) at intervals of a rotational angle (n.DELTA..theta.) in accordance with lens processing data (.rho.n, n.DELTA..theta.) which have been measured by a configuration measuring portion (46). The method further includes the steps of, in accordance with the data (.rho.n, n.DELTA..theta.) and the radius of curvature of the grindstone (6), obtaining a displacement angle (d.theta.n) between an assumed processing point at a radius vector (.rho.n) of the rotational angle (n.DELTA..theta.)?n=0, 1, 2, 3, . . . i! and a true processing point where the lens (LE) comes into contact with the grindstone (6) at the rotational angle (n.DELTA..theta.), and lowering a rotational angular speed of the lens (LE) at an angular interval (n) between (n-1.DELTA..theta.

Abstract: Clip-on sunglasses and an apparatus for custom cutting the clip-on sunglasses. The system includes a holder which assists in positioning the sunglasses on the system. The sunglasses include a pair of lenses interconnected by a bridge specifically dimensioned to be received by the holder. The bridge and holder are intended to be used in combination to produce custom clip-on sunglasses which can form in shape and size to the frame of the eyeglasses.

Abstract: A vacuum template has a suction chamber on its back surface that adheres the template to the wall or other flat surface when a source of vacuum pressure attached to the template is turned on and the template has been placed by the worker in its desired position. Dust inlets adjacent a guidance hole in the template immediately suction away dust particles as the hole is being cut by a power tool or hand saw manipulated by the user. Interchangeable modules on the template provide for variations in hole size and shape.

Abstract: An eyeglass lens trimming machine includes spring arrangements operative between a carriage and a chassis to urge the carriage towards an associated feeler. The feeler being mobile on the chassis, auxiliary spring arrangements between it and the carriage also urge the carriage towards the feeler.

Abstract: This invention relates to a knife sharpener and more particularly to a knife sharpening device wherein the knife is clamped in a fixed position on a table or platform and the knife sharpening or grinding device is moved along the edge of the knife to be sharpened. The knife sharpening or grinding device is clamped into an adjustable arm which is attached to a roller. The roller slides along a track formed in the table or platform which has the identical configuration as the knife blade. Therefore, the edge of the sharpener or grinding device is maintained in constant contact with the edge of the knife during the sharpening. This prevents the problem of knives being sharpened unevenly and inaccurately, as is often seen in conventional knife sharpening methods.

Abstract: An apparatus for custom cutting clip-on sunglasses includes a stop which assists in positioning the eyeglasses or sunglasses on the holder. A centerer is associated with said apparatus for centering the eyeglasses or sunglasses.

Abstract: An apparatus for custom cutting clip-on sunglasses includes a first holder for securely holding eyeglasses and a second holder for securely holding clip-on sunglasses. A first locator assists in positioning the eyeglasses on the first holder. A second locator is used for positioning the sunglasses on the second holder. A support carries a guide for tracing the perimeter of the eyeglasses and a cutter for cutting the clip-on sunglasses. To custom cut the clip-on sunglasses, the eyeglasses are positioned on the holder and each lens of the eyeglasses is marked at a point aligned with a respective locator on the holder. The clip-on sunglasses are then clipped onto the eyeglasses, and the points on the sunglasses positioned over the marks on the eyeglasses are marked. The clip-on sunglasses are then positioned on a second holder. The guide is then moved around the perimeter of the eyeglasses. The cutter moves with the guide such that the cutter cuts the sunglasses into the shape of the eyeglasses.

Abstract: An automatic surface treating work wheel having controlled speed and pressure for finishing the surfaces of various materials to achieve desired finish results. The pressure is controlled by a counterbalance system using two air pressurized pneumatic cylinders.