Abrading Eccentric Shape Patents (Class 451/251)
  • Patent number: 11139160
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method which can perform different processes, such as polishing and cleaning, on a surface of a substrate, such as a wafer, with a single processing head, and can process the surface of the substrate efficiently are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate and rotate the substrate; and a processing head configured to bring scrubbing tapes into contact with a first surface of the substrate to process the first surface. The processing head includes: pressing members arranged to press the scrubbing tapes against the first surface of the substrate; position switching devices configured to be able to switch positions of the pressing members between processing positions and retreat positions; tape feeding reels configured to feed the scrubbing tapes, respectively; and tape take-up reels configured to take up the scrubbing tapes, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Ishii, Keisuke Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 10788779
    Abstract: A belt deviation detection device detects lateral displacement of a rotary belt in a width direction of the belt. The belt deviation detection device includes a contact member in contact with the belt at a contact portion of the contact member, a biasing member configured to bias the contact member toward the belt to press the contact member against the belt, and a displacement detector configured to detect the displacement of the belt in the width direction of the belt. The contact member is configured to track the displacement of the belt in the width direction of the belt. The contact member is made of a metal material, and a hardening treatment is applied to at least the contact portion of the contact member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Suga, Takahiro Konishi
  • Publication number: 20150050865
    Abstract: A sharpening apparatus for a rotating blade is configured such that a rod-shaped grinding tool or a conical cutting-edge surface is movable in the transverse direction. This carried out by a parallelogram linkage. The grinding tool is pressed by a weight under constant contact pressure against the front cutting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventor: Jens Schindler
  • Patent number: 8790157
    Abstract: A method for grinding the surface of non-round workpieces. The method includes the steps of clamping a workpiece within a machining unit; machining the workpiece; without unclamping the workpiece, contactlessly measuring the workpiece using an optical measuring device having a conoscopic holography sensor with a characteristic measuring range; and machining and measuring the workpiece in an alternating manner to iteratively approach the desired measurements of a specified form by adjusting the distance between the optical measuring device and the surface of the workpiece depending on there being a deviation of the surface from the specified form so that a respectively measured area of the surface of the workpiece remains within the measuring range of the optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: L. Kellenberger & Co.
    Inventors: Daniel Honegger, Hugo Thurnherr, Claus P. Keferstein, Bernard Gschwend, Markus Ritter
  • Patent number: 8662959
    Abstract: A method of cutting a workpiece made of a highly-hard material is provided. The workpiece is cut by a machining device including a workpiece holder that holds the workpiece, a spindle device that rotates the workpiece holder, a tool holder that holds a tool, and a relative moving mechanism that relatively moves the workpiece holder and the tool holder at least in two axial directions orthogonal to each other. In the machining device, positioning errors in the axial directions are within 5 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunitaka Kuriyama, Masahiko Fukuta, Katsuhiko Sekiya, Yasuo Yamane
  • Patent number: 8602840
    Abstract: The invention relates to a grinding machine for grinding workpieces, in particular for the simultaneous grinding of two workpieces which are arranged in a tightly adjacent manner. The grinding machine comprises at least two first grinding spindles and at least two second grinding spindles which in each case have a grinding disk receptacle and are mounted pivotably via a support on the spindle block of one of the first grinding spindles, with the result that they can be pivoted about the rotational axis of the respective first grinding spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Schaudt Mikrosa GmbH
    Inventor: Berthold Stroppel
  • Patent number: 8460066
    Abstract: A grinding machine includes a pair of workpiece support devices (12, 13), which clamp and rotate a workpiece (W), on a bed (11). A pair of saddles (14) is provided on the bed (11) in such a way as to be movable along the rotational axis of the workpiece (W). Grindstone heads (16) provided with rotating grindstones (16c) and drive mechanisms (16d) are supported on the saddles (14) in such a way as to be movable in a direction that perpendicularly intersects the movement direction of the saddles (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Komatsu NTC Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Araki, Takashi Imai
  • Patent number: 8403725
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for machining workpieces is provided, in particular, for grinding the surface of non-round workpieces. The workpiece is clamped within a machining unit and the surface of this workpiece is contactlessly measured by means of a measuring device while the workpiece is clamped within the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: L. Kellenberger & Co. AG
    Inventors: Daniel Honegger, Hugo Thurnherr, Claus P. Keferstein, Bernard Gschwend, Markus Ritter
  • Publication number: 20100120337
    Abstract: A method of cutting a workpiece made of a highly-hard material is provided. The workpiece is cut by a machining device including a workpiece holder that holds the workpiece, a spindle device that rotates the workpiece holder, a tool holder that holds a tool, and a relative moving mechanism that relatively moves the workpiece holder and the tool holder at least in two axial directions orthogonal to each other. In the machining device, positioning errors in the axial directions are within 5 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Kunitaka KURIYAMA, Masahiko FUKUTA, Katsuhiko SEKIYA, Yasuo YAMANE
  • Patent number: 7458880
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for grinding of cam profiles on a camshaft (1), having an inner shaft (5) and an outer shaft (4) arranged coaxially one inside the other and mounted to rotate with respect to one another. The camshaft (1) additionally has first and second cams (2, 3) that can rotate with respect to one another over a limited circumferential angle about the camshaft axis (6), the first cams (2) of which are fixedly connected to the inner shaft (5) and the second cams (3) of which are fixedly connected to the outer shaft (4). It is essential to this invention that during and/or after the grinding operation a fluid is forced under pressure into the outer shaft (4), thereby preventing penetration of grinding dust into the interspace (8) between the first cams (2) and the outer shaft (4) or flushing out any grinding dust that has already penetrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Fritz, Rolf Kirschner, Roland Schacherer, Falk Schneider
  • Patent number: 7376482
    Abstract: In a grinding method and apparatus, a machining portion of a workpiece is ground with a grinding wheel on a trial, and shape errors in respective rotational phases of the machining portion are measured after the trial grinding. Based on the shape errors, control data defining workpiece rotational speeds for respective rotational phases of the workpiece is prepared so that the workpiece rotational speed is made to be slow for a rotational phase in which the machining portion is undercut, but to be fast for another rotational phase in which the machining portion is overcut, and the machining portion of the workpiece is ground as the rotational speed of the workpiece is controlled in accordance with the control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Jtekt Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Ido
  • Patent number: 7172494
    Abstract: An apparatus for grinding a surface of a nonstraight elongated workpiece has a frame, drives on the frame for rotating the workpiece about a longitudinal workpiece axis, and a guide defining a pivot axis offset from the workpiece axis on the frame. A hanging arm has an inner end juxtaposable with the workpiece and an outer end pivoted at the pivot axis on the guide. A rotary grinding tool is provided on the arm inner end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: EMAG Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Heino Claussen-Markefka
  • Patent number: 6926591
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus in which crankshafts and similar components can be machined at the relevant machining locations (big-end bearing locations, main bearing locations, side cheek side surfaces, end journal/end flange) on one machine and thus with a low level of expenditure in terms of investment items and nonetheless overall in highly time-efficient manner, by mechanical material removal in one and the same machine, wherein in all machining steps the workpiece is gripped on the central axis and is drivable in rotation and the concentric rotationally symmetrical surfaces are machined by workpiece-based methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Boehringer Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Anton Horsky, Paul Dieter Scharpf, Wolf-Dietrich Voss
  • Patent number: 6902465
    Abstract: A grinding machine uses a conical grinding wheel (10) to create a non-circularly symmetric surface (defining, for example, a re-entrant cam) on a workpiece. The machine is operable to rotate such a workpiece about a first axis (5) and the machine has drive means for rotating the conical wheel about a second axis (14). A feeding mechanism brings the wheel into contact with the workpiece to define a line of grinding where the wheel contacts the workpiece (i.e. a cutting line). In use, a rocking movement is imparted to the wheel and spindle relative to the workpiece as the latter rotates so as to maintain the orientation of the cutting line relative to the first axis and of the second axis relative to the cutting line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Inventor: Richard Hagan
  • Patent number: 6881125
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a lens comprising: a means for supporting a lens that freely displaces towards a tool and comprises a holding shaft supporting the lens so that the lens freely rotates, and a means for detecting an angle that detects a rotation angle of the holding shaft; a means for positioning that moves to contact with and separated from the means for supporting a lens, wherein the means for positioning restricts displacement of the means for supporting the lens towards the tool at a position corresponding to a prescribed lens processing amount determined based on the rotation angle and the data describing a shape of a lens frame; a means for amplifying a relative displacement that amplifies a relative displacement between the means for supporting a lens and a means for positioning; and a means for detection that detects when processing conducted at the rotation angle is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Toyoji Wada
  • Patent number: 6878043
    Abstract: Method of grinding a concentrically clamped crankshaft, a crankshaft grinding machine for carrying out the method, and a crankshaft of high-alloy steel or cast material. The method provides for pin journals and main journals of the crankshaft to be ground in one set-up such that first, at least the main journals are rough-ground and then the pin journals are finish-ground and after that the main journals are finish-ground. The crankshaft grinding machine forms a machining center by means of which corresponding rough-grinding and finish-grinding is possible in a single set-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Erwin Junker
  • Publication number: 20040023600
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus in which crankshafts and similar components can be machined at the relevant machining locations (big-end bearing locations, main bearing locations, side cheek side surfaces, end journal/end flange) on one machine and thus with a low level of expenditure in terms of investment items and nonetheless overall in highly time-efficient manner, by mechanical material removal in one and the same machine, wherein in all machining steps the workpiece is gripped on the central axis and is drivable in rotation and the concentric rotationally symmetrical surfaces are machined by workpiece-based methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Anton Horsky, Paul Dieter Scharpf, Wolf-Dietrich Voss
  • Patent number: 6511364
    Abstract: On a grinding machine, a workpiece having eccentric cylindrical portions is rotated around the work spindle axis so that the eccentric cylindrical portions effects a planetary motion. A grinding wheel is reciprocated toward and away from the work spindle axis in synchronism with the planetary motion and is also fed toward the work spindle axis to grind the eccentric cylindrical portion into a target cylindrical profile. Upon completion of a part of the grinding operation, the eccentric cylindrical portion under machining is indexed to a predetermined angular position. A diameter measuring device is moved from its rest position to a measuring position to measure the diameter of the eccentric cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Ido, Kikutoshi Okada
  • Patent number: 6431966
    Abstract: The present invention provides a drive for a grinding wheel of a cam grinding machine, in which case an electric motor is provided with a drive wheel, the drive wheel is provided with equispaced, annular recesses, the annular recesses are fitted on the radial surfaces with permanent magnets, a grinding spindle rotor is provided with equispaced, annular recesses, the radial surfaces of the annular recesses are fitted with permanent magnets, and the annular recesses, fitted with permanent magnets, of the drive wheel and the rotor intermesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Junker, Juergen Lindner
  • Patent number: 6409573
    Abstract: A combination grinding machine grinds a plurality of axially arranged portions of a workpiece by use of a grinding wheel supported rotatably on a first wheel head and a superfinishing wheel supported rotatably on a second wheel head. A numerical control unit controls feed units for the first and second wheel heads in order to move the first and second wheel heads independently of each other in the axial direction of the workpiece and in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, such that each of the axially arranged portions is ground by the grinding wheel, and simultaneously with this, another ground portion is superfinished by the superfinishing wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryohei Mukai, Mamoru Katsuta, Goro Terahara, Tomohiko Yamaguchi, Shoichi Sano, Kazuo Machida
  • Patent number: 6390907
    Abstract: A motorized spindle assembly for a grinding wheel is fabricated with an opening extending through the spindle casing, and stator and so as to extend in the direction of the spindle axis of rotation at least the length of the stator. The opening is of a size, depth, configuration and disposition so that when the spindle assembly is utilized to grind a workpiece and to do so is moved towards the workpiece, that portions of the workpiece are received within the opening thus permitting the spindle assembly and its grinding wheel to be moved as close as possible to the workpiece axis of rotation. The motorized spindle assembly is carried by a wheelhead for coaction with an additional spindle assembly carrying a grinding wheel with a larger radius. The larger radius grinding wheel is utilized to rough grind cam lobes and the smaller grinding wheel is utilized to finish grind the cam lobes and to grind concave cam contours for the cam lobes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventors: Joel Kym Metzler, William Wood Pflager
  • Patent number: 6309286
    Abstract: An apparatus for, and method of, grinding crankpins of a crankshaft wherein the machine is under computer control and the grinding wheel is advanced and retracted under computer control so as to follow the planetary motion of the crankpin as the crankshaft rotates. This maintains grinding contact between the wheel and the crankpin to allow the grinding of the latter. The crankshaft is mounted between centers and is rotated by a drive unit, drive being transmitted to the end of the crankshaft via a connecting device which is torsionally rigid in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft but which is readily deformable in other planes to accommodate misalingnment and so as to decouple the crankshaft from the drive other than to transmit pure rotation to the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Unova U K Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Laycock
  • Patent number: 6234885
    Abstract: In a roll grinding machine (2) for profile grinding of rolls with a constructionally simple device for a very precise adjustment of a grinding wheels (4) supported on a grinding spindle (7) tangentially with respect to a roll profile, the grinding spindle (7) is arranged in a rotatable sleeve (8) the longitudinal axis (9) of which is inclined at an angle (10) relative to the longitudinal axis (11) of the grinding spindle (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Waldrich Siegen Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Haferkorn
  • Patent number: 6149503
    Abstract: A method of supporting a workpiece having journal and eccentric regions, in a grinding machine for grinding the eccentric regions thereof, is described which involves mounting the workpiece in a headstock of the grinding machine, providing a coupling between the workpiece and a rotary drive mechanism for rotating the workpiece about its main axis and fitting around at least one remote journal region of the workpiece a pair of members which form a journal bearing complementary to the said region, and fixing the lower of the two members to the machine, thereby providing support for the workpiece at the said remote position. The method is particularly relevant to the grinding of crankpins of a crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Unova UK Limited
    Inventor: Michael Laycock
  • Patent number: 6135861
    Abstract: A shaft polishing method includes a roughing step in which the length of fresh abrasive tape is pressed against an area, such as a hydraulic seal area, for selected time intervals while the shaft is rotated at a relatively low speed. A roughing step is followed by the finishing step, during which the shaft is rotated at a relatively high speed and the abrasive tape is pressed thereagainst for different time intervals. The resulting shaft area which has been thus polished is free of spiraling tool marks and spiraling marks left by grinding tools, which marks can provide paths through which hydraulic fluid may leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Donald J. Schaack
  • Patent number: 6113471
    Abstract: A system for correcting and truing worn journals in engines and motors without removing the crankshaft from the apparatus, or removing the engine from the chassis of a vehicle and disassembling the same. An engine may be left in the chassis, the crankcase removed, access gained to the connecting rod sections about the crankshaft journals, and abrading and polishing members positioned about the journals to true the same as the crankshaft is rotated. The connecting rod sections include means to make the same yieldable to accommodate scoring and irregularities of worn journals as the crankshaft rotates and the journals are corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Inventor: David A. Kuebler
  • Patent number: 6077146
    Abstract: A taper correcting apparatus for a grinding machine comprises: workpiece supporting means for supporting a workpiece in parallel with a grinding wheel spindle; a cutting and feeding device which moves back and forth a cylindrical grinding wheel with respect to said workpiece; a wheel slide which is attached to a bed so as to be movable back and forth with respect to said workpiece; a pair of grinding wheel bearing pedestals which rotatably support ends of said grinding wheel spindle via bearings with respect to said wheel slide, respectively; a first grinding wheel bearing pedestal support which is fixed to said wheel slide, and which clampingly supports one of said grinding wheel bearing pedestals; a second grinding wheel bearing pedestal support which is attached so as to be rotatable about a round shaft, and which clampingly supports another one of said grinding wheel bearing pedestals, said round shaft being attached below said grinding wheel spindle to said wheel slide in parallel with the center line of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Nippei Toyama Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Sato, Hisao Sasaki, Yoshiharu Oyabe
  • Patent number: 6015336
    Abstract: A grinding apparatus according to the present invention grinds a work having a plurality of non-circular work faces to be worked with a grindstone driven by a motor. The work faces are disposed at intervals. Distances between a grindstone unit, bearings and a gear train which are adjacent to each other, are substantially equal to a distance between adjacent work faces of the work. The gear train and the bearings can be respectively positioned between the adjacent work faces of the work in grinding. Therefore, it is possible to prevent interference of the gear train and the bearings with the work faces other than the work face which is being ground by the grinding wheel by a simple structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Kubota, Katsunori Arai, Yuji Sato, Takayuki Yui, Toshihisa Kanakubo
  • Patent number: 5975995
    Abstract: A pair of grinding wheel carriages, each carrying its own grinding wheel, are both carried by a grinding machine to one side of a work carriage and workpiece when carried thereby. The workpiece is, in this instance, a camshaft with multiple pairs of similar cams disposed along the axis of the workpiece. The operation control and disposition of the grinding wheels provides for use of either grinding wheel to grind cam pairs or both grinding wheels to simultaneously grind a pair of cam pairs. The method involves first grinding a first cam pair of spaced but in phase cams with one of the grinding wheels; thereafter utilizing both grinding wheels simultaneously to grind two pairs of spaced cam pairs and repeating this step depending upon the number of cam pairs, lastly the final pair of cam pairs is ground utilizing the other grinding wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Unova Ip Corp.
    Inventors: Timothy William Hykes, Andrew Thomas Klouser
  • Patent number: 5928061
    Abstract: A wheel-head feed mechanism for a grinder comprising a base and a wheel head which is guided by a linear guide section provided on the base and rotatably supports a grinding wheel via a wheel spindle driven by a motor. The wheel-head feed mechanism includes feed screw mechanism composed of a screw shaft and a nut unit engaged with the screw shaft, the feed screw mechanism advancing and retracting the wheel head with respect to a workpiece, and servomotor for rotating one of the screw shaft and the nut unit. The screw shaft is offset from the linear guide section toward the wheel spindle. The nut unit includes a radial hydrostatic bearing section for supporting the root of a male thread of the screw shaft in the radial direction of the screw shaft by hydrostatic pressure, as well as a thrust hydrostatic bearing section for supporting the flanks of the male thread of the screw shaft in the axial direction of the screw shaft by hydrostatic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Niino, Masahiro Ido, Toshihiko Shima, Eiji Fukuta, Hideki Nagano
  • Patent number: 5899797
    Abstract: A grinding machine includes a bed, structure for supporting a camshaft on the bed, a carriage displaceably mounted on the bed to permit movement relative to the camshaft in a radial direction of the camshaft, first and second grinding spindles respectively having a rough-grinding disc and a finish-grinding disc, a headstock having the first and second grinding spindles mounted therein and the first and second grinding spindles respectively having first and second spindle axes aligned to intersect each other at an angle. The second grinding spindle also has a third grinding which has a third diameter smaller than a first diameter of the rough-grinding disc, greater than a second diameter of the finish-grinding disc and equal to substantially twice a concavity radius and of a cam to be ground and a width narrower than a cam width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Inventor: Erwin Junker
  • Patent number: 5730647
    Abstract: A crankshaft having a substantially cylindrical crank surface centered on a crank axis and a pair of axially confronting and axially spaced cheek surfaces flanking the crank surface and meeting the crank surface at respective fillets is ground by an apparatus having a shoe between the cheek surfaces and having an end directed at the crank surface and sides directed at and spaced inward from the cheek surfaces. A pair of side parts on the sides of the shoe each can move axially of the shoe relative to the crank axis and a flexible grinding band is stretched over the side parts and shoe. The crankshaft is rotated about the crank axis or an axis parallel thereto and the shoe is urged radially toward the crank axis to press the band against the crank surface. The crankshaft and the shoe between the cheek surfaces are relatively axially reciprocated and each of the side parts is urged axially outward away from the shoe to press the band axially against the cheek surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Ernst Thielenhaus Kg
    Inventors: Manfred Becker, Peter Dinardi
  • Patent number: 5700186
    Abstract: A spindle, comprised of a spindle body and an indexing fixture, is configured to retain, and rotatingly drive, a crankshaft relative to a grinding tool, so that each pin on the crankshaft is ground with a high degree of precision. A locking mechanism, such as a pair of jaws with complementarily shaped teeth, is interposed between the spindle body and the indexing fixture. Pressure is applied to one side of the locking mechanism so that the jaws are normally engaged and the spindle body and the indexing fixture rotate as a unit. Motive power for such fixture is supplied by a single servomotor secured to a primary drive shaft, which is joined to a secondary drive shaft, through an offset coupling, to define a motorized spindle.The indexing fixture is bolted, or otherwise secured, to the free end of the secondary drive shaft. A bearing block in the indexing fixture receives and retains, the main shaft of the crankshaft; clamping arms with clamp shoes press the shaft downwardly into the bearing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Western Atlas Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy W. Hykes, Joel Metzler
  • Patent number: 5697831
    Abstract: A circular grinding machine wherein a reciprocable carriage supports a first rotary tool spindle for a relatively large grinding wheel and the housing including the bearing for the first spindle mounts a carrier which is pivotable about the axis of the first spindle by a fluid-operated motor and supports a second tool spindle for a relatively small grinding wheel. The carriage can be advanced to a first position to move the relatively large grinding wheel into coarse material removing contact with a rotary workpiece (such as a camshaft), and the carriage is thereupon retracted to a second position in which the carrier can be pivoted about the axis of the first spindle to move the relatively small grinding wheel into precision-finishing engagement with the pretreated workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Schaudt Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Reichel
  • Patent number: 5655953
    Abstract: A wave cam is rotatably and integrally mounted on a drive shaft of a compressor. Pistons are connected to cam surfaces of the wave cam via shoes. The shoes move relatively to the cam surface along a predetermined orbital path. The predetermined orbital path defined on the cam surfaces is ground by bringing a grinding surface of a grinding stone, attached to a rotary shaft, into contact with the cam surfaces. During grinding, the grinding surface is perpendicular in respect with the cam surface. The axis of the grinding stone coincides with the axis of the rotary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuo Murakami, Kazuo Awamura, Shinya Saito, Toshiro Fujii
  • Patent number: 5616070
    Abstract: A work drive orienting system for a machine tool, such as a multiple belt grinder, comprises a head stock and a tail stock for supporting the workpiece to be machined, a locator retained by a spider in the head stock chuck, and a proximity sensor located in the loader operatively associated with the machine tool. The workpiece has journals at opposite ends, and spaced eccentric portions, such as cam lobes; also, a locating pin projects axially from one end of the workpiece. The locating pin has a predetermined angular relationship to the spaced eccentric portions of the workpiece.The locating pin must pass alongside the locator, which has a cylindrical body with a projecting tab, before power is supplied to the head stock and/or tail stock to drive same. A proximity sensor, located in the loader, scans an approximately 70.degree. arc on the workpiece, for the presence of eccentric surfaces, such as cam lobes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Western Atlas Incorporated
    Inventors: Dennis F. Rice, Ricky L. Mowen, Marshall W. Faith
  • Patent number: 5549503
    Abstract: A machine for grinding ophthalmic lenses includes a motor driven grinding wheel, a swinging head frame for holding ophthalmic lens and rotating the lenses into and out of contact with the grinding wheel, and a veneer positively connected to the swinging head frame by a positive linkage to prevent separation of the swinging head frame from the controlling veneer and thereby avoid the introduction of errors into the position of the lens relative to the control position of the veneer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Michel Nauche, Laurent Guillermin
  • Patent number: 5453037
    Abstract: A process for successive grinding of crankpins of crankshaft by a grinder includes clamping the crankshaft at two spaced center journals thereof and rotating the crankshaft around the axis of a crankpin to be ground. To enable the maintenance of highly acurate production tolerances even for small quantities and large crankshafts in an economical manner, only crankpins directly adjacent to the center journals that are clamped are ground. Different clamping positions of the crankshaft are offset axially from one another by the center-to-center distance between two adjacent crankpins of the center journals or a multiple thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Naxos-Union Schleifmittel- und Schleifmaschinenfabrik AG
    Inventor: Dieter Lehmann
  • Patent number: 5392566
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for numerically controlled grinding of cams of a camshaft. The cams have a convex circular base section and a convex circular tip section with concave transitional sections interconnecting same. The concave transitional sections have a minimum radius of curvature. The cam is first ground with a first grinding wheel of a radius much bigger than the minimum radius of curvature, however, the cam material is not entirely removed during this first grinding step at the location of the concave sections, thus leaving there a zone of unground cam material. In a second grinding step, the cam is ground with a second grinding wheel of a radius being smaller than the minimum radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Fortuna-Werke Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Horst J. Wedeniwski