Abstract: A centering stand (2) for positioning a work piece for rotary skiving and roller burnishing operations resulting in a hollow cylinder (4). The centering stand includes a vice (8) having a pair of grips (26, 26') for retaining the cylinder in proper position for rotary operations. A base plate (10) is movable together with the vice between a raised position supporting the cylinder and a lower position removed therefrom. The centering stand includes a plurality of guide members (14) having a track (20) formed on in inner surface (15) of each of the guide members for movement of the base plate in the track. The track includes a recess (21) formed on the inner surface of each guide member and a track plate (19) mounted to an outer surface of the guide members. Thus, the base vertically slides within the recesses and is retained in the track by the track plate.

Abstract: A method of forming a beaded transfixion wire for orthopedic uses. The beaded transfixion wire includes an elongated wire formed of an implant grade material. A bead is provided on the elongated wire intermediate the opposite ends thereof. The bead extends outwardly beyond the outer surface of the elongated wire and is integral therewith.In forming the beaded transfixion wire the solid bar stock is rotatably fed past a cutting tool to turn down a portion of the bar stock to a selected daiameter to provide a first portion of an elongated wire. The first portion of the elongated wire is fed into a tube for stabilizing the first portion against any whipping motion. The solid bar stock is continued to be rotated past the cutting tool while at the same time a bead is profiled from the solid bar stock with the cutting tool.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus (3) for fixing a workpiece (2) to be machined comprises at least two jaws (6,7), which are individually adjustable and are preferably adapted to be fixed in position. In order to permit a workpiece (2) to be fixed exactly in a desired position, to avoid errors, to permit both centering and flat-and sag-compensating clamping sequences to be performed, and to permit various clamping sequences to be performed, at least one of the jaws (6, 7) has a position pickup (11, 12) associated with it, which detects the instantaneous position of the associated jaw (6, 7) and delivers corresponding signals to a controller (13), which in accordance with programs stored in the controller generates displacement signals which depend on the position signals and represent the distances over which the jaws (6, 7) are to be displaced and delivers said signals to actuators (8, 9) for displacing said jaws (6, 7) over said distances.

Abstract: The workhead includes a spindle disposed on a base member and rotatable about a rotational axis. The spindle includes a chuck for fixedly clamping one end of an elongated workpart, such as a valve lifter body, having a bore between opposite ends with the longitudinal axis of the bore substantially coaxial with the rotational axis. A fluid bearing such as a hydrostatic bearing is disposed on the base member adjacent the other end of the workpart for providing pressurized fluid at sufficient locations around the other end to resist machining forces tending to deflect the other end off axis relative to the fixedly clamped end during machining of the bore to improve bore roundness and straightness.

Abstract: A self-centering steady rest with extensive diameter clamping range for centering cylindrical workpieces on machine tools using a constant linear displacement clamping force. The steady rest includes two pivoting levers arranged symmetrically about a linearly displaceable slide with the levers being swingable from their starting position, i.e. the maximum open position of the steady rest, in which the levers have a V-shaped configuration, to a final position in which the levers are substantially parallel to each other. The steady rest is of compact construction reducing the amount of space required for the steady rest in a machine tool.