Abstract: A valve seat for a ball valve, especially a fuel-injection valve for an internal-combustion engine is finely ground to form a trough in the conically-ground seat with a circular arc cross section in planes of the axis and of a depth to eliminate shape variations in the conically-ground valve seat. The circular arc radius of the trough is greater than the radius of the ball.

Abstract: A valve seat for a ball valve, especially a fuel-injection valve for an internal-combustion engine is finely ground to form a trough in the conically-ground seat with a circular arc cross section in planes of the axis and of a depth to eliminate shape variations in the conically-ground valve seat. The circular arc radius of the trough is greater than the radius of the ball.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of thin-walled workpieces is held for machining in a machine in a respective rigid holder. Ends of unmachined workpieces are each first imbedded in a molten body of a metal alloy having a melting point between 45.degree. C. and 140.degree. C. contained in a respective one of the rigid holders in a cooling station and having a negative expansion coefficient. The holder and the alloy body are cooled in the cooling station to solidify the body around the imbedded end of the unmachined workpiece and the cooled holder is displaced with the unmachined workpiece from the cooling station into the machine. After machining of the workpiece in the holder, the holder is displaced from the machine into a heating station where it is heated to melt the alloy body. Then the machined workpiece is lifted out of the molten body in the heating station and the holder with the molten alloy body is recirculated from the heating station to the cooling station.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of thin-walled workpieces is held for machining in a machine in a respective rigid holder. Ends of unmachined workpieces are each first imbedded in a molten body of a metal alloy having a melting point between 45.degree. C. and 140.degree. C. contained in a respective one of the rigid holders in a cooling station and having a negative expansion coefficient. The holder and the alloy body are cooled in the cooling station to solidify the body around the imbedded end of the unmachined workpiece and the cooled holder is displaced with the unmachined workpiece from the cooling station into the machine. After machining of the workpiece in the holder, the holder is displaced from the machine into a heating station where it is heated to melt the alloy body. Then the machined workpiece is lifted out of the molten body in the heating station and the holder with the molten alloy body is recirculated from the heating station to the cooling station.

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.

Abstract: An annular workpiece having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface at least one of which is centered on a workpiece axis is ground by supporting the workpiece hydraulically on a liquid layer in a support for rotation about the axis, rotating the workpiece about the axis, and engaging a grinding tool radially against the one surface and thereby removing material from the one surface. A plurality of measuring shoes are supported at angularly equispaced locations about the axis and are urged radially toward the one surface. A jet of liquid is projected from each of the shoes against the one surface such that the liquid forms a layer supporting the shoes on the one surface and merges with the liquid supporting the workpiece. The radial positions of the shoes are monitored relative to the axis and the removal of material from the one surface by the grinding tool is controlled, either by varying grinding force or stopping grinding altogether, in accordance with the monitored radial positions.

Abstract: An outer surface of a cam on a camshaft extending along a camshaft axis is honed by continuously rotating the camshaft about its axis while holding a grinding stone adjacent the cam with a surface of the stone directed radially inward at the cam surface. Movement of the grinding stone is restricted to displacement in two directions, one direction extending substantially radially of the camshaft axis and the other direction extending generally perpendicular to the one direction. The grinding stone is urged in the one direction extending radially of the axis against the stone to press the cam surface radially inward against the cam surface for contact of the stone surface along a line with the cam surface so that the stone moves in a radial direction as the camshaft rotates. The stone surface is continuously reciprocated in the other direction generally parallel to a plane perpendicular to the radial direction so as to continuously move the contact line between the cam and stone surfaces.

Abstract: An apparatus for the precision grinding of conical valve seats of nozzles, for example, injection nozzles for internal combustion engines. The body is entered hydraulically on a mandrel and a driver has a rubber O-ring braced against the nozzle body to frictionally engage it is rotation while passing through the mandrel for the shaft of a grinding tool which is located at the end of the mandrel. The system avoids radial clamping stresses on the workpiece and hence allows, precision low tolerance finish grinding to be achieved.

Abstract: An outer surface of a cam on a camshaft extending along a camshaft axis is honed by continuously rotating the camshaft about its axis, holding a grinding stone adjacent the cam with a surface of the stone directed radially inward at the cam surface, urging the grinding stone radially of the axis against the stone and thereby pressing the cam surface radially inward against the cam surface for contact of the stone surface along a line with the cam surface, and continuously displacing the stone surface in a direction generally tangential of the camshaft axis and thereby continuously moving the contact line between the cam and stone surfaces. Thus the contact line between the stone and the cam will move continuously, so that wear will not be concentrated in one location and the stone will not wear to fit in surface contact on the cam. The cam surface includes a part-cylindrical base region coaxial with the camshaft and a lobe region projecting radially outward from and joined to the base region.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding a metallic workpiece rotating about and centered on an axis and having an annular surface also centered on the workpiece axis has a tool support radially offset from the workpiece axis, continuously rotating about a support axis radially offset from and substantially parallel to the workpiece axis, and having an forwardly axially directed front support face, and an annular grinding tool engaging the workpiece surface, centered on a respective tool axis, and having an axially backwardly directed rear tool face. The tool face is resiliently supported on the support face annularly all around the support and tool axes so that the tool axis can rock relative to the support axis.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus has a tool support radially offset from a workpiece axis, rotatable about a support axis radially offset from and substantially parallel to the workpiece axis, and having a forwardly axially directed front support face formed at the support axis with an axially forwardly projecting centering formation formed a forwardly convex and part-spherical end surface. An annular grinding tool centered on a tool axis has an annular axially forwardly directed grinding surface engaging the workpiece surface and an axially backwardly directed rear tool face axially confronting the front support face and formed centered on the tool axis with an axially backwardly open recess engaging the end surface of the projection and of part-spherical shape complementary to the projection end surface. This tool is spaced from and out of direct contact with the support except at the recess and projection end surface.

Abstract: A part-spherical surface having a center of curvature at a workpiece axis is surface finished by rotating the workpiece about the workpiece axis and rotating about a tool axis a tool having a body of substantially greater diameter than the workpiece. The tool has an end formed by a part-spherical seat of the same radius of curvature as the workpiece surface, having a center of curvature on the tool axis, and having an outer periphery of predetermined diameter substantially less than the tool-body diameter, and by a generally frustoconical surface centered on the tool axis and having a small-diameter end adjacent and of generally the same diameter as the seat outer periphery and a large-diameter end spaced axially rearwardly therefrom and joined to the tool body. The tool and workpiece axes are tilted relative to each other so they intersect at an obtuse attack angle smaller than 180.degree. and the tool and workpiece are pressed axially together to engage the surfaces together.

Abstract: A method of grinding an annular workpiece having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface at least one of which is centered on a workpiece axis comprises the steps of holding the workpiece in a chuck rotatable about the axis and rotating the chuck and workpiece about the axis. A grinding tool is pressed radially against the one surface to remove material from the one surface and a cutting liquid is fed to the one surface to form thereon a liquid layer. A plurality of measuring shoes supported at angularly equispaced locations about the axis are urged radially toward the one surface. A jet of liquid is projected from each of the shoes against the one surface that forms a layer supporting the shoes on the one surface and merges with the layer of cutting liquid.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding annular workpieces has a predetermined number of grinding stations including an upstream station and a downstream station, the stations are spaced a predetermined distance from one another along a straight path, a holder at each of the stations for gripping and rotating the workpieces, a tool at each of the stations for grinding the respective workpiece held by the respective holder, and an input device adjacent the upstream station for feeding workpieces sequentially to the apparatus and an output device adjacent the downstream station for receiving workpieces from the downstream station. An elongated transport bar has the predetermined number of laterally and generally upwardly open seats including an upstream seat and a downstream seat with the seats spaced longitudinally apart on the bar by the predetermined distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding a disk having a center cup and a flat rim having a pair of opposite faces has a frame and an inner holder part rotatable relative to the frame about and displaceable on the frame along a holder axis and having a head formed with an outer holding face and with a central seat. An outer holder shaft rotatable relative to the frame and displaceable on the frame along the holder axis has an inner end turned toward the inner holder part and carrying a coupling in turn having an inner face and itself permitting biaxial movement between its inner face and the shaft. An outer holder part carried on the inner coupling face has a head formed with an inner holding face confronting the outer holding face and with a central projection engageable axially into the seat of the inner holder part. The inner and outer holder parts can be moved axially toward each other to clamp the center of the cup between the holding faces and to insert the outer-part projection into the inner-part seat.

Abstract: A machining operation where a workpiece is moved stepwise in a transport direction through a succession of stations has a transport apparatus comprising a stationary housing adjacent the stations, a rail extending in the direction adjacent the stations and movable both parallel and perpendicular to the direction, and a plurality of clamps spaced apart in the direction on the rail and each displaceable between an open and a closed position, whereby a workpiece can be gripped by each of the clamps in the closed position thereof. A set of control rods carried and displaceable on the rail is oppositely displaceable to move the clamps between their open and closed positions. A pair of like lever systems each having an inner end pivoted on the housing and an outer end pivoted on the rail can be synchronously pivoted to displace the rail through a predetermined stroke perpendicular to the direction between inner and outer positions.

Abstract: An apparatus for the fine grinding of rotating brake disks in the context of a flexible machining line. The grinding machine has a portal which forms a slide shiftable on a machine frame relative to a brake-disk holder having a fixed axis to allow adjustment for different diameters of hubs of lots of the brake disks which are ground on the machine. The brake disks are fed with vertical axes in succession to a fixed pickup location, are gripped by a manipulator and transferred to the holder where they are rotated about the horizontal axis of the latter to be ground by grinding wheels carried by the portal.

Abstract: A workpiece having a generally cylindrical outer surface centered on an axis is machined by first closing a pair of journal halves having generally semicylindrical inner surfaces of slightly greater diameter than the outer workpiece surface around the workpiece. Then a fluid is pumped under superatmospheric pressure into the space between the journal inner surface and the workpiece outer surface so as to support the workpiece in the journal halves on the liquid generally out of contact with the inner surfaces thereof. The thus supported workpiece is rotated about its axis and a finishing tool is engaged radially against it. The average radial distance between the journal inner surface and workpiece outer surface when the journal halves are closed on the workpiece is equal to more than the sum of the radial deviations of these surfaces from a perfect cylinder. The workpiece is rotated by axially engaging it between a pair of rotatable elements and rotating at least one of the elements.

Abstract: A rough-ground camshaft has a shaft extending along and defining an axis and carrying a plurality of axially spaced cams each having a cam surface. This camshaft is finish-ground in system wherein for each cam there is a respective coarse prefinish tool and a respective fine finish tool. Every other cam surface is engaged in one diametrial direction by the respective coarse prefinish tool and in the opposite diametrical direction by the respective fine finish tool, and vice versa for the remaining cams, so that the prefinish tools, like the finish tools, alternate to opposite side of the camshaft axis. The camshaft is rotated about its axis and to start with all of the tools are urged against the respective cams, so that each cam is engaged in one diametrical direction by the respective prefinish tool and in the opposite direction by the respective fine finish tool. This shapes the tools, whereupon the fine finish tools are retracted for prefinishing of the cam surfaces.