Abstract: A polishing apparatus comprises a pressure container having a first opening at its bottom and being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a plane of the first opening; a wafer support coupled elastically to the first opening, sealing the first opening hermetically and having a wafer supporting surface; and a lower surface plate disposed underneath the wafer supporting surface and having a polishing surface approximately parallel to the wafer supporting surface. The wafer support may be provided with flatness adjusting means for selectively applying a larger pressure on a region of the wafer held on the wafer supporting surface than a pressure on other region. The flatness adjusting means may comprise a plurality of pressing pins, or may comprise a hollow within the wafer support, a surface plate having elasticity and sealing the hollow, and means for applying pressure to the hollow. Wafer can be polished under uniform pressure applied on the back surface. Flatness of the wafer can be improved.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for accurately positioning a wide tolerance work piece, wherein the work piece has a first portion with a known reference surface and a second portion whose position relative to the first portion is not exactly known. The apparatus includes a locating fixture for positioning the first portion of the work piece in a known relationship to the locating fixture. A work piece holding fixture having at least one non-synchronous gripping device conforms to the unknown position of the second portion of the work piece and holds the first portion of the work piece in the known position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for sharpening machine tool cutter blades in situ is disclosed. A connector adjustably connects a powered sharpening device to the apparatus. Further adjustment of the apparatus relative to the blades is provided by a body member mounting adjustable arms. One of the arms engages the back of the blade being sharpened, thereby providing a reliable and true reference. A second embodiment sharpens rotary saw blades while a third embodiment sharpens router and shaper bits.

Abstract: A cleaning and restoration system 10 for floors 11 and other hard surfaces is disclosed. The system 10 has an cleaning head 12 which can be moved across a floor 11 or other hard surface. The cleaning head 12 impinges particulate media upon the floor 11 to remove soils and provide a slip-resistant surface. The media is entrained into the air by a pressure tank 18. The media is reclaimed in a classifier 17; and the dust, soils, and other undesirable materials are filtered in a dust collector 57. A compressor 20 and a vacuum blower 22, and other components of the system are mounted on a truck 19. A method for utilizing the restoration system 10 is also disclosed.

Abstract: A vacuum shield for an abrading device adapted for use upon non-uniform surfaces. The shield includes a general planar top housing mountable between a motor of the abrading device, such as a power stripper or sander, and its abrading element there. The housing includes at least an upper, a middle, and a lower surface, the middle surface including a first opening, through which a power shaft between the motor and the abrading element can pass. Each of the upper and lower surfaces are secured upon a separate downwardly-biased pivot axis to respectively opposite sides of the middle surface, for angular movement relative to an axis defined by the power shaft. The middle surface also includes a second opening for connection to a vacuum hose coupling. The shield further includes continuous flexible skirts depending from the entire length of opposite non-hinged edges of the middle segment.

Abstract: A method of removing excess MCrAlY overlay coating from within a cooling hole of an aluminide coated gas turbine engine component is disclosed. The method includes providing a gas turbine engine component having an internal surface (4), an outer surface (6) and a root end (8). The component also includes at least one cooling hole (10) extending from the internal surface (4) to the outer surface (6), wherein the internal surface(4) of the component is coated with a corrosion resistant aluminide coating. An MCrAlY overlay coating (12) is also located on the outer surface (6) and inside a portion of the cooling hole (10).

Abstract: This invention relates to a vibration dampening grinding cup for handheld grinding machines for the grinding of hard metal buttons on button bits, comprising a grinding head and a shaft made with a common axial channel for cooling medium, which distinguishes in that the shaft is formed with a driver part at its free end and an annular groove between this part and the grinding head, and that a bushing of rubber is arranged on the shaft adjacent to the grinding head, and a holder for such a grinding cup, which distinguishes in that it comprises a substantially cylindrical socket with an axial through channel, whose one end is connected with the rotor of the handheld grinding machine and through the other end of which shaft of the grinding cup is intended to be entered for installing the driver part of the shaft in a correspondingly formed driving part of the channel of the socket and to be fastened through introduction of balls situated in holes in the wall of the socket at the other end of the socket into the

Abstract: A machine designed to grind the rotor blades of aeronautical engines includes a bench with a sliding table which holds the rotor supports. The rotor supports include a side stand point and a side stand counterpoint, both of which are combined with a bridge frame over which the rotor is suspended. The stands have elastic joints which have associated optional blocking mechanisms that are controlled by the machine's CNC control. The table has sliding supports which also include mechanisms for optional blocking. When the blocking mechanisms of both the elastic joints and the table supports are utilized, a high precision balancing and rectifying operation is achieved.

Abstract: A grinding machine for sharpening the blades of a mower. The grinding machine includes a lifting system for raising the mowing machine onto an operating platform where the blades are sharpened. A rotationally driven grinding wheel traverses its drive shaft in a controlled manner for sharpening each blade. A remotely mounted motor is coupled, by means of a flexible link and a motor coupling, to the mower's blade cylinder for rotating the blade cylinder during sharpening. The motor coupling is mounted to an adjustable mounting assembly for adjustment of the grinding machine to a variety of mower sizes and configurations. The lifting system includes a hydraulic cylinder which, upon extension, engages a drive chain to raise a lifting platform.

Abstract: A hand-held sharpener tool for a knife or similar implement comprises a unitary body having first and second sections; sharpening elements mounted in the first section; the second section being located rearwardly of the sharpening elements and comprising an elongated handle on an upper side of the body, and an elongated hand guard extending rearwardly of the sharpening elements, the hand and the hand guard forming an elongated ring rearward of the sharpening elements with sufficient space for a user's fingers to extend between the handle and the hand guard. The sharpening elements can be provided to sharpen/deburr either a two-sided blade such as a knife blade or a one-sided blade such as a scissors blade.

Abstract: A cryogen shot blast system is provided which includes a sealed cryogenic chamber and a barrel which is supported within the cryogenic chamber and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The barrel is pivotally mounted so that the longitudinal axis of the barrel has a variable angle of inclination. The cryogenic chamber includes a drum portion and a generally hemispherically-shaped dome portion which seals an open end of the drum portion. The cryogenic chamber is jointed such that the barrel and a portion of the cryogenic chamber can rotate between a loading position wherein work pieces can be loaded into the barrel and an operating position wherein the barrel is sealed within the cryogenic chamber. A throwing wheel propels particulate media into the barrel to impact work pieces. A nozzle injects the particulate media at different orientations within the throwing wheel to vary the direction of flow of particulate media from the throwing wheel.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a table on which an abrasive cloth is removably applied and an abrasive cloth replacing unit for automatically replacing the abrasive cloth locating on the table with a new abrasive cloth. The replacing unit includes a cloth storage device for storing a plurality of unused abrasive cloths, an abrasive cloth carrier and an abrasive cloth applier. The cloth carrier picks up an abrasive cloth located on the table and carries it to a disposal site and then picks up a new abrasive cloth from the cloth storage device and carries it to the table. The cloth applier presses an abrasive cloth against the table.

Abstract: The machine comprises at least one workpiece-bearing device is provided, upon which a tile or a stack thereof can be placed and blocked. The workpiece-bearing device is revolvable and can be positioned at any angle about a fixed axis. At least one drive head is fitted with at least one rotating grinding wheel, which operates on one side of the tile or on same sides of tiles forming the stack. The workpiece-bearing device and the drive head are constrained to a fixed frame in such a way that a plane of work motion of the at least one grinding wheel is disposed parallel to an axis of rotation of the workpiece-bearing device.

Abstract: A shielding device for shot blasting or shot peening chambers comprising a shot retention chamber, preferably with multiple interior compartments formed by divider walls, which retains a protective layer of shot to absorb the high energy impact of high velocity shot particles, the shot layer being retained by magnetic or electrically enhanced magnetic means such that the shot retention chamber can be mounted at any angle up to 90 degrees above or below horizontal.

Abstract: A sharpener for blades comprises a movable blade-sharpening surface, a stationary blade guide supported closely adjacent the surface, and a movable support for a blade. The support comprises pivotally interconnected first and second links and a blade holder. The first link is pivotably supported at a location fixed with respect to the blade guide, the second link supports the blade holder adjacent a distal end of the second link. The links support the blade holder for movement in first directions toward and away from the blade-sharpening surface, in second directions transverse to the first directions, and in third directions transverse to the first and second directions. The blade holder is pivotably supported on the second link, with the links and pivots being located and ganged to support the blade holder adjacent the blade guide for movement in three substantially mutually perpendicular directions relative to the blade guide and blade-sharpening surface.

Abstract: A polishing pad conditioner has a grid with an abrasive surface for conditioning a polishing pad. Opposite the abrasive side of the grid, there is a back surface, having at least one key way, which extends at least partially into the back surface. A grid holder has a number of keys equal to the number of key ways in the back surface of the grid. The grid holder keys engage the grid key ways, thereby eliminating slippage between the grid and the grid holder. A mechanized arm is attached to the grid holder, and imparts a rotational and translational motion to the grid holder. A magnet may be used as an attachment means between the grid and the grid holder. The key ways of the grid and the keys of the grid holder may be arranged such that the grid holder can only receive the grid with the back surface of the grid facing the grid holder.

Abstract: A wafer polishing apparatus includes: a) a rotatable polishing platen; b) a polishing pad received outwardly of the polishing platen; c) a wafer carrier head, the wafer carrier head being mounted for selective rotation relative to the polishing platen; the wafer carrier head including a wafer carrier apparatus for use in polishing a semiconductor wafer having a particular orientation edge discontinuity shape, the wafer carrier apparatus including, i) a base support mounted to rotate with the carrier head; and ii) a wafer carrier ring separately rotatably received relative to the base support, the wafer carrier ring having an internal periphery which is sized and shaped to receive the particular semiconductor wafer for which the apparatus is adapted, the wafer carrier ring internal periphery including a portion which is sized and shaped to mate with the particular orientation edge discontinuity shape. A polishing process is also disclosed using this and other apparatus.

Abstract: A contour sander for sanding a curved surface includes a hard backing plate having a support face for supporting a sheet of sandpaper. The backing plate is uniformly flexible along substantially its entire length for conforming generally to the curvature of the surface. A pliable handle extends along the length of the plate and follows flexure of the plate when a sanding pressure is applied against the handle.

Abstract: A metal working machine which has a tool support on which a rotatable working spindle is mounted which can be acted upon by oil-free compressed driving air. A separate duct provides oil-free compressed braking air which serves to stop the tool support after compressed air to the spindle has been switched off. Additionally, an oil-free mist is provided to the machine via a duct for lubricating the bearings of the tool support.

Abstract: A magnetic barrel tumbler for polishing precious metal articles, including a motor case adapted to firmly support a motor therein, an outer housing mounted to an upper portion of the motor case, a magnetic disc placed in a space defined by both the outer housing and the motor case, the magnetic disc including a disc plate coupled to a shaft of the motor, and a plurality of magnets attached to an upper surface of the disc plate, the magnets being arranged in a fashion that those having opposite polarities face each other diametrically so that variations in magnetic field are induced during a rotation of the disc plate, a fixed plate spaced from an upper surface of the magnetic disc and fixedly mounted at an outer edge thereof to an inner surface of the outer housing, the fixed plate being made of a nonmetallic material, a polishing barrel laid on the fixed plate, the polishing barrel being provided with a protrusion at the central portion of an inner bottom surface thereof and with a chamber for containing art