Abstract: A brake lathe includes a set of rotor cutting bits and a drum cutting bit. Each bit has associated therewith an encoder for measuring the displacement of the bit. The displacements as measured by the encoder are used by a controller to digitally determine various parameters such as absolute thickness of a rotor being lathed, the depth of cut into the rotor, absolute internal diameter of a drum being lathed, and the depth of cut into the drum. The lathe includes a display for displaying the values of the parameters. The lathe includes a calibration mode for calibration of either the rotor cutting or the drum cutting function of the lathe as desired.

Abstract: A work holder assembly is disclosed for securing a workpiece on a lathe having a rotary driven shaft. The workpiece has a central hole in an end wall thereof, and said end wall will be maintained in a position substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft. The work holder assembly includes an arbor mount comprising a substantially cylindrical tube portion having an enlarged backing plate at one end. The arbor mount is provided with a central bore, the axis of which is substantially coincident with the axis of the tube portion, which central bore is adapted to receive the shaft in sliding engagement therewith. The tube portion of the arbor mount has an outside diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the central hole in the end wall of the workpiece, while the backing plate is larger than the central hole.

Abstract: An alignment device to be mounted on an on-vehicle brake lathe to provide quick and easy lateral run out compensation. A concentric bottom plate, ring member and top plate are mounted onto the output shaft of the lathe prior to attaching the lathe to an adapter mounted on a vehicle hub/brake assembly. Two spring-loaded screws extend through the bottom plate, ring member and top plate and into complementary recesses in the mounting face of the lathe. The ring member includes an adjustment screw which, when engaged, and in combination with the tension on the center shaft of the lathe output shaft, will alter the planar alignment of the top plate and thus compensate for the lateral run out of the hub/brake assembly and allow for the precision machining of the brake rotor surface with the cutting tips of the lathe.

Abstract: Lathes for working brake rotors and other components as desired. The lathes employ a pivoting carriage which mounts the tool for working, cutting, finishing or otherwise having a desired effect on the workpiece. Control of carriage positioning is accomplished preferably using a feedscrew or other desired linkage which is connected, directly or indirectly, to the carriage and to the frame of the lathe (other mechanisms or linkages may also be used). Such lathes may also employ a slide carriage for working brake drums, which carriage is preferably located on the side of the lathe opposite the pivoting carriage. The slide carriage may be easily removed and sold as a separate unit to allow a number of options for buyers.

Abstract: A runout compensator is provided that angulates a face surface by adjusting two members whose mating surfaces have been machined to slant relative to the central axis of each member. A first member has a shaft over which slides the second member so that the mating surfaces of each member come into and are maintained in contact. Rotating the second member about the shaft of the first member varies the angulation of a face surface. Correctly adjusting the runout compensator, which is attached to a lathe, and a load plate assembly providing biasing to hold the workpiece between itself and the runout compensator, allows the workpiece to be firmly held in the angled position needed to compensate for the runout in the workpiece as the workpiece is turned upon a lathe.

Abstract: A unique hand wheel engagement/disengagement mechanism for a brake lathe employs a single slide drive motor which drives a drive shaft that provides a power supply to multiple lead screws. The mechanism includes a hand wheel tube which has a compression spring contained within the tube. A push button is also located within the hand wheel tube. The push button has a base which captures the compression spring between the base and the end of the drive shaft. The compression spring causes pressure against the face of the base to push it away from the drive shaft when the system is in its normal, at rest position. The push button includes a shank extending between head of the push button protruding from the hand wheel tube and its base. The shank has a shoulder which reduces the diameter of the shank to create a recess within the hand wheel tube.

Abstract: A disc brake lathe for machining a brake disc on a vehicle without removing the brake disc from the vehicle but only the wheel and other parts of the brake mechanism. The disc brake lathe comprises a power drive unit for rotating a brake disc on the vehicle and a lathe head having at least one cutting tool for machining a brake disc while the brake disc on the vehicle is rotated by the power drive unit. The lathe head is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle for machining a brake disc on the vehicle and includes a motor for power feeding of the at least one cutting tool during machining. The vibration of the lathe head during machining, which causes rough surface finish on the machined brake discs, is avoided or reduced by the provision of a vibration dampener which is attached to the lathe head for absorbing energy of vibration.

Abstract: Applicants' invention is an enhanced chip guard assembly particularly adapted to be used in conjunction with a vehicular brake lathe having a tubular slide cross-feed with an integral dove tail mount for longitudinal feed. The enhanced chip guard assembly of the present invention includes a clip that fits within an opening in the cross feed assembly of the machine, a slide that fits over the clip, and a follower that fits about the neck of the drum feed guide arm and rides on the slide.

Abstract: On-car disc brake lathe unit (2) for simultaneous resurfacing of opposite sides of a brake disc (1) for a wheel without removing the disc but only the wheel and other parts of the brake mechanism, and with a device for rotating the disc, comprising a housing (21) with two synchronous sliding holders (14), each with a tool (15) for resurfacing a disc brake surface; a driving mechanism (10, 12) for the sliding holders comprising an electric motor and a gear between the electric motor and the sliding holders and an adjustable device (18) for controlling the current to the electric motor in relation to the position of the resurfacing tools (15).

Abstract: A magnetic disk tester according to the present invention comprises a first head moving mechanism for fixedly mounting a first certification testing head and a burnishing head perpendicularly of a moving direction thereof and a second head moving mechanism for fixedly mounting a second certification testing head and a glide testing head perpendicularly of a moving direction thereof. The burnishing head and the glide testing head are switched by the first certification testing head and the second certification testing head, respectively, by moving a spindle in an orthogonal direction to the head moving direction.

Abstract: A boot guard for shielding the protective extensible bellows or boot of automotive brake lathes from being torn by tools used in the final surfacing operations on brake parts. The guard is formed by a partial enclosure attached to the lathe slip ring with screws, outside of the lathe boot, moving with the lathe spindle as it extends and retracts. It is guided and radially located by a guide pin extending from the body of the lathe through a guide slot in the enclosure.

Abstract: A brake lathe for truing brake rotors includes a tool holder driven by a direct current motor to move a cutting tool radially with respect to the rotor axis in direct proportion to the number of turns of the drive shaft of the direct current motor. A tool feed power control circuit maintains the direct current motor at constant speed regardless of radial forces acting upon the cutting tool and includes a converter/filter circuit, a regulator circuit, a sensing circuit, and a speed control circuit. A speed selection control includes a rheostat for providing a reference voltage corresponding to a select speed. The sensing circuit compares a voltage drop across the direct current motor to the reference voltage and produces an error voltage. The speed control circuit provides a direct current power voltage to the direct current motor in accordance with the error voltage output of the sensing circuit to maintain operation of the motor at constant speed.

Abstract: A method of turning very small grooves into a hardened steel work piece using a precision or ultraprecision lathe. Positioning of the work piece on the lathe spindle and dressing the work piece to minimize runout, aligning the cutting tool with the face of the work piece to be grooved, the lathe cutting speed and the cutting tool feed rate are all precisely controlled in order to maintain the forces acting on the cutting tool to levels below which fracture of the tool will occur. The cutting tool has a specially configured tip of a cubic boron nitride material.

Abstract: A device for dampening the vibration of a rotating disc during the machining of the faces thereof has a spring member having a wide base portion and two arms extending from the ends of the base. At the face end of each arm is a pad mounted to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the arm. A dampening device in accordance with this invention has eye shields without requiring that the eye shield be removed.

Abstract: An external drive assembly is provided which conveys rotational movement to a shaft, and the shaft is adapted to be positioned substantially coaxial with the axis of the wheel hub of a motor vehicle. An adjustable drive member extends from the distal end of the shaft to the center of an adapter hub attachable to the wheel hub. Adjustable lug adapter legs are provided in which one end of each of such legs is adapted to attach to the threaded studs of an automobile wheel hub and the other end of each of the legs is provided with a cylindrical pin adapted to fit within one of a plurality of bores spaced around the peripheral edge of the adapter hub to retain the adapter leg within the adapter hub.

Abstract: A disc cutting apparatus for cutting opposite surfaces of a disc-shaped workpiece such as a disc rotor for an automobile disc brake includes a rotating mechanism for positioning and rotating the workpiece which is pressed, under uniform pressure, radially inwardly by a plurality of holder mechanisms. While the workpiece is being rotated by the rotating mechanism and pressed by the pressing mechanism, the workpiece is cut by a cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism includes cutters for cutting opposite surfaces of the workpiece, and the cutters are positionally adjusted with respect to the workpiece based on positional information detected by a detector which has a probe held against the workpiece.

Abstract: An electrically operated drive assembly for turning a motor vehicle disc brake rotor while the rotor is still on the vehicle includes a portable stand or base having a combination electric motor and adjustable drive shaft assembly pivotally mounted thereon. The end of the drive shaft is selectably releaseably retained on a lug adapter mechanism that is retained on the motor vehicle wheel lugs. The drive shaft assembly includes a right angle bend that allows the entire drive assembly to be positioned to one side of the motor vehicle wheel hub and rotor assembly. This arrangement allows a mechanic to have open access to a separate portable brake lathe which is mountable on the vehicle brake caliper mounting bosses. The drive assembly turns the brake rotors at a predetermined speed which is suitable for combined operation with a portable brake lathe.

Abstract: A portable lathe especially designed to remove overlay welds used as a temporary fix to slow the propagation of IGSCC at the joints between pipes and nozzles in nuclear boiling water reactor systems comprises a clamshell-type portable machining lathe having a tool translating mechanism affixed to the rotatable portion of the clamshell where the tool translating mechanism provides both radial and axial movement of the tool bit relative to the weld material to be removed. To accommodate an arcuate surface of the nozzles, the tool translating mechanism includes a cam track whose profile or contour parallels that of the surface from which the weld material is to be removed. Completing the assembly is a positioning device which allows the clamshell to be precisely positioned on the pipe where the central axis of the clamshell is coincident with the center line of the pipe on which it is mounted and the plane of the clamshell is perpendicular to the pipe.

Abstract: A brake lathe for machining both brake drums and brake rotors wherein the tool carriage assembly is pivotable through an arc of about 90.degree. thereby allowing the tool carriage to engage the friction surfaces of either a brake drum or rotor on a fixed spindle. In the drum machining position, the tool carriage assembly is approximately parallel to the axis of the spindle and when in the disc machining position the tool carriage assembly is approximately perpendicular to the axis of the spindle. The lathe further includes alignment means to assure proper alignment of the tool carriage assembly with the spindle, and release means to remove the tool carriage assembly from the remainder of the lathe for service.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a brake lathe having a device to eliminate or reduce vibration. Various types of dampers may be mounted on the arbor shaft of the lathe.

Abstract: A magnetic sheet polishing device including a scraper having a sliding surface and a downstream side surface that is nearly perpendicular or at an acute angle to the sliding surface to ensure that magnetic material powder spontaneously falls away from and does not adhere again to the magnetic material surface of the magnetic sheet after being scraped off by the scraper. Additionally, the scraper has a diagonal groove or a diagonal step formed in a side surface to check for wear of the sliding surface.

Abstract: A system for final balancing of first machined cast metal brake drums using a conventional static balancer with an electronic ounce/inch imbalance recorder and a conventional lathe with adjustable chuck and cutting tool controlled by computer developed analogs for a recorded ounce/inch imbalance.

Abstract: A magnetic sheet polishing device including a scraper having a sliding surface and a downstream side surface that is nearly perpendicular or at an acute angle to the sliding surface to ensure that magnetic material powder spontaneously falls away from and does not adhere again to the magnetic material surface of the magnetic sheet after being scraped off by the scraper. Additionally, the scraper has a diagonal groove or a diagonal step formed in a side surface to check for wear of the sliding surface.

Abstract: A lathe apparatus for machining flat, circular disk-shaped recording media, for example, audio, video or ROM compact disks, for the purpose of improving their surface quality and their dimensional stability is provided which comprises a driven lathe spindle (7), a vacuum chuck (8) for holding the recording medium or substrate (15, 15') to be machined, a carriage (9) for holding and guiding the tool (5), and magazines (14) for holding the machined and unmachined substrates. A robot (10) provided on the base (2) or bed (4) of the lathe comprises a gripper arm (11) with gripping tongs (12) movable in several planes which transports the substrates from one magazine (14) to the vacuum chuck (8) or from the vacuum chuck to the other magazine. The stacking axes (L) of the two magazines extend at an angle to the horizontal plane (E), and the magazines are maintained within the range of action of the gripper arm (11) with gripping tongs (12).

Abstract: For machining the tread circumferences and brake disks of sets of wheels dismounted from railroad vehicles a lathe is proposed wherein each wheel in the set is driven by four friction rollers that can be forced against the tread and are positioned essentially diametrically opposite one another in pairs.

Abstract: A boring bar assembly having a symmetrical carbide tip holder for turning a brake drum and which can be rotated 180 degrees for facing either or both sides of a rotor of a disc brake. A hexagonal bar provides a housing for receiving a depth of cut mechanism including a dial at one end of the bar. A movable dial rod is connected to the dial mechanism and extends through the housing and engages a tool bit holder at the other end of the bar. A carbide tip is positioned and clamped in one of two undercut pockets on opposite sides of the flat head of the bit holder. The holder includes an angular surface engaging the dial rod so that the holder is moved toward and away from the axis of the housing in response to the dial rod. A spring-loaded tool retractor is provided in a bore of the housing and includes an angular end surface which is yieldably urged against a portion of the angular surface of the holder.

Abstract: An improved portable brake disc resurfacing tool of the type which is mountable on an automobile wheel hub assembly for resurfacing brake discs without removing the disc from the automobile wheel assembly includes a generally rectangular framework having at its right hand side a frame mounting assembly including opposed arms vertically slidable on the frame and means for maintaining those arms in symmetrical positioning with respect to the frame and with respect to the brake caliper mounting assembly on which the resurfacing tool is to be mounted. The arms are also reversible in their mountings to provide added adjustability of the mounting system for varying brake disc caliper mounting members. The portable brake lathe further includes a tool mounting carriage which is slidingly retained on the framework and provides an adjustable mounting for tool holders which in turn each mount a triangular 12 point removable cutting tool thereon.