Abstract: Apparatus is provided for marking a semi-finished opthalmic lens blank for a subsequent blocking operation. The marking serves to indicate the optical center, cylindrical axis, and prism axis. The apparatus has a vertically positionable head assembly having a centered set of three holders for marking pens and an outer holder for a marking pen. An illumination head, located between the pen holders and the blank, facilitates proper orientation of the blank in preparation for marking. By way of a single activation command, such as the pressing of a button, the head assembly begins its downward descent to mark the blank and the illumination head swings aside, and both components are automatically restored to their previous, resting positions.

Abstract: An eyeglass frame is produced from a plastic workpiece panel of elongated outer periphery having two lens-holding apertures, each aperture having a groove about its perimeter for receiving the lens of the eyeglass. The workpiece is placed upon a holder having two slidably adjustable chucks, each chuck having impingement structure which controllably engages the perimeter of the aperture. The impingement structure is driven in radially divergent directions toward the perimeter by pressure applied from balls housed within the chuck.

Abstract: An opthalmic toric lens surface is generated by rotating a generating wheel and swinging past it a lens blank on a radius arm which can be varied in radius to vary lens surface curvature.

Abstract: Apparatus for sharpening the face cutting edges of an end mill is comprised of a rotatable abrasive wheel and three platforms adapted to provide accurate positioning in a vertical and two lateral directions. The third platform, which is uppermost and tilted in the direction of the abrasive wheel, supports a rotatable turret having a chuck which holds the end mill. The apparatus permits stepwise contact of the land and chamfer zones of the trailing surface associated with each face cutting edge with the abrasive wheel rotating in a plane perpendicular to said trailing surface. The land and chamfer zones are caused to contact the abrasive wheel at two different sites in a lower quadrant of its circular periphery, thereby producing different inclinations of said zones. Because of the tilt of the third platform, both the land and chamfer zones have the same dish angle of between about 0.degree. and 3.degree..