Abstract: A unitary lap blank has a front polishing portion and a rear disk portion contoured for coupling the disk to a chuck of the lathe and also to a chuck of the polishing machine. Preferably, the disk has a circular channel in its face opposed to its base and a pair of seats in the opposed face symmetrically diametrically aligned in a land defined by the channel. The channel is of diameter, width and depth and the seats are spaced for mating with complementary components on the lathe chuck. The disk also has a circular seat centered in the land and a pair of parallel side walls disposed along symmetrically opposed cords of the disk transverse to a line connecting the pair of seats, the side walls being spaced apart by a distance and the seat being of diameter and depth for mating with complementary components on the polishing machine chuck.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in the generation of ophthalmic products from blanks comprises a mechanism for rotating the blank about an axis of rotation. A cutter tool imparts a desired surface configuration onto the rotating blank. A first moving mechanism moves the cutter tool in a first direction oriented parallel to the axis of rotation of the blank. A second moving mechanism moves the cutter tool in a second direction oriented transverse to the first axis. A digital electronic system controls the angular displacement of the blank with respect to a reference plane containing the blank, and controls the movements of the cutter tool in the first and second directions. The movements of the cutter tool in the first and second directions, and the angular displacement of the blank about the axis of rotation are all controlled independently of one another by the digital electronic system.

Abstract: An initial curvature is cut into a lens blank in a lens making machine, such as a lathe, and the curvature is subsequently finished by a finishing tool. The finishing tool has curve characteristics which correspond to those of a prescription within a prescribed tolerance. The curvature of the finishing tool is measured on a digital gauge, and those measurements are fed to a digital controller which actuates the lathe. As a result, an initial curvature is cut into the lens blank having characteristics which correspond to those of the finishing tool. The finishing operation can thus be performed more quickly, since less material needs to be removed from the initial curvature during the finishing operation.