Abstract: A first supply unit sprays and supplies abrasive slurry containing abrasive grains into a mixing unit. A second supply unit sprays and supplies additive into the mixing unit. A third supply unit sprays and supplies pure water into the mixing unit. The mixing unit mixes the mist of abrasive slurry, the mist of additive and the mist of pure water to prepare polishing solution, and supplies the polishing solution onto the major surface of a polishing stage.

Abstract: A spiral-flow barrel finishing machine having a cylindrical stationary barrel and a rotary barrel closed at the bottom thereof includes an escape layer or air layer is provided between the inner side of the metallic wall of the stationary barrel and the outer side of a lining layer being formed thereon and for allowing for the outwardly thermal expansion of the lining layer.

Abstract: A dry surface treating apparatus of the present invention comprises, within a treating chamber, a surface-treating material supply section and a tubular barrel having a porous peripheral surface for accommodating a work piece, to treat a surface of the work piece while rotating the tubular barrel horizontally arranged about a horizontal rotational axis, wherein the tubular barrel has a slide stop for stopping a slide of the accommodated work piece along an inner peripheral surface of the tubular barrel due to rotation of the tubular barrel.

Abstract: An ingot support device for slicing silicon is produced by molding a molding material obtained by blending an acrylic resin or an unsaturated polyester resin and one or more inorganic fillers selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide, barium sulphate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate and silica. According to the present invention, there is provided an ingot support device for slicing silicon which can be produced easily at a low cost, which has enough strength to cope with the upsizing of the ingot block, has high adhesive properties with the ingot block, and has other further improved properties which are required of the ingot support device for slicing silicon.

Abstract: A metallic coating layer is removed at least partly from scrap metal pieces having a core and the coating layer on the core. The coating layer has a lower melting temperature than the core. The scrap metal pieces are agitated in a container with abrading elements so as to cause multiple collisions, whereby the coating layer is at least partly removed. During the agitating the container temperature is a temperature T in the range Ts(coat)<T<TL(core) wherein Ts(coat) is the solidus temperature of the coating layer and TL(core) is the liquidus temperature of the core. The agitation may be by rotationally tumbling or shaking the scrap metal pieces and the abrading elements.

Abstract: There are disclosed a polishing method and a polishing device in which cleaning of a glass substrate surface can be achieved to a high level. A glass substrate (MD substrate 1) in the shape of a circular disc having a circular hole in a center portion is immersed in an abrasive liquid 50 containing free abrasive grains, and an inner peripheral end surface of the glass substrate is polished using the abrasive liquid containing the free abrasive grains by rotating a rotary brush 4 or a polishing pad in contact with the inner peripheral end surface.

Abstract: A system for polishing a surface including a polishing material and one or more magnetic means in contact with the polishing material. The one or more magnetic means react upon the polishing material to plasticize it, whereby the plasticized material is then used to polish the surface. Preferably the polishing material intermittently and repeatedly contacts with the surface for polishing. A method for polishing a planar surface including bringing two or more magnetic means into contact with a polishing material, thereby plasticizing the polishing material. Then a planar side of the surface contacts the plasticized polishing material, so that the plasticized polishing material polishes the surface. Upon contact with the surface, the plasticized polishing material liquidizes. After termination of the contact with the surface, the liquidized polishing material solidifies. The surface is moved and the above steps are repeated a multiplicity of times until the surface is polished.

Abstract: A method for making glass and particularly ceramic frits, comprising the steps of: introducing in a wet grinding unit, after a metering step according to chosen proportions, materials which constitute a mixture to be melted, to produce a slurry; screening and collecting said slurry in a storage tank; introducing the collected slurry in a melting furnace to make a liquid component of the slurry evaporate; and forming a melted paste of vitreous material, adapted to be converted into a ceramic frit.

Abstract: In a method for ultrafine grinding of solid particulate material to mean particle sizes far below 1 micrometer and/or for mixing of powder and agglomerate material with mean particle sizes in the range of nanometers, the material to be ground and/or mixed and an grinding/mixing additive are filled into a cooled grinding chamber containing loose grinding media. By motion of the grinding media relative to adjacent media and to the walls of the grinding chamber the material is ground to the desired particle size and/or is finely mixed. Subsequently the additive is removed from said material. For the production of particle sizes in the range of nanometers and/or for mixing particles of this size range, the method comprises that grinding and/or mixing is carried out in a cooled atmosphere in the presence of a fine grained solidified additive which is chemically inert to said material, preferably water ice or solid carbon dioxide, at temperatures below their melting or sublimation temperature.

Abstract: A deburring, burnishing and polishing machine using a grinding or polishing medium rotating on an endless conveyor belt, especially for noble metals, with a service-friendly, at any time integratable collection device for the products to be polished and the polishing medium by means of a basket or a cage with holes, and with the inside of the machine being accessible at any time through a panshaped polishing trough, which on the one side is connected with the pipe frame and on the front sides exhibits a carrier profile for the storage of the conveyor rollers rotating on the backing side of the conveyor belt, whereby polishing dust or polishing solution is collected in a collection pan that can be pulled out below the polishing trough, and in the wet process the solution is transported by means of a rotating pump back into the polishing trough.

Abstract: A method for treating a surface of a first metallic component with an arrangement that includes (i) a receptacle, (ii) a polishing media located within the receptacle, and (iii) a mixing device operative to cause relative movement between the polishing media and the first metallic component is disclosed.

Abstract: A method for forming blunt surgical needles having a radiused tip includes tumbling the surgical needles in a tumbling medium for a period of time sufficient to achieve a desired radius on the tip of the needle. The needles to be radiused may be taper pointed needles, taper pointed needles with a portion of the tip removed, or partially completed tapered needles. Tumbling may be performed in one or more tumbling steps using abrasive and/or burnishing media If an abrasive tumbling operation is used, preferably a second tumbling operation is performed with a hard, smooth medium which burnishes rather than abrades the needle. The tumbling media used to form a radius on the needle tip preferably is wet and can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline. The radiused needles may be polished by subsequent tumbling in a substantially dry tumbling medium.

Abstract: A method of polishing articles comprising soft acrylic materials is disclosed. The method includes a polishing step and a cleaning step. In the polishing step a receptacle is charged with polishing beads of various sizes, alumina, sodium hydroxide, water, a surfactant, and the articles to be polished, and agitated for a period of time and at a speed sufficient to remove surface irregularities. The polishing step is completed below the glass transition (Tg) point of the acrylic article being polished but above 0° C. Following the polishing step, the polished articles are cleaned by rinsing them with water for a period of time to clean the surface of the polished articles.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing blunt tip surgical needles. Taper point needles having conventional piercing tips are placed into a vessel containing a grinding media. The needles are maintained in the vessel for a sufficient amount of time to convert the piercing point into a blunt. Additionally, the needles may be separated from the grinding media using a rotating magnetic drum such that the needles remain engaged with the magnetic drum while the grinding media is directed away to a collection tray. Needles are later removed from the magnetic drum.

Abstract: A method for polishing articles comprising soft acrylic materials is disclosed. The method includes a polishing step and a cleaning step. In the polishing step, a receptacle is charged with polishing beads of various sizes, alumina, a swelling agent and the articles to be polished, and agitated for a period of time and at a speed sufficient to remove surface irregularities. Following the polishing step, the polished articles are cleaned by agitating them with a cleaning slurry comprising cleaning beads of various sizes, alumina, a solvent and a surfactant for a period of time and at a speed sufficient to clean the surface of the polished articles. Agitation is preferably accomplished by a tumbling machine.

Abstract: A method for polishing articles comprising soft acrylic materials is disclosed. The method includes a cryogenic polishing step and a cleaning step. In the polishing step, a receptacle is charged with polishing beads of various sizes, sodium bicarbonate, a swelling agent and the articles to be polished, for a period of time and at a rotation speed sufficient to remove surface irregularities. Following the polishing step, a receptacle is charged with (a) a cleaning slurry comprising cleaning beads of various sizes and (i) sodium hydroxide and water or (ii) alumina, a surfactant and a solvent and (b) the articles to be cleaned, for a period of time and at a rotation speed sufficient to clean the surface of the polished articles. Agitation is preferably accomplished by a tumbling machine.

Abstract: A method of processing a soft or foldable lens includes a step of tumbling (grinding) the lens in a tumbling medium. The tumbling medium includes a mixture of glass beads coated with an abrasive material, alcohol and water. This process applies to single piece and multipiece soft lenses.

Abstract: An emergency control system for selectively activating and deactivating an apparatus. The system includes a fiber optic transmitter for emitting radiation and a fiber optic receiver for receiving and measuring a wavelength and an intensity of the radiation. A manually-operated fiber optic switch is placed in optical communication with the fiber optic transmitter and the fiber optic receiver. In operation, the switch is selectively actuated, thereby selectively opening and closing a fiber optic circuit defined by the transmitter, receiver, and the switch. The system further includes a relay controller in communication with the fiber optic receiver, such that the relay controller is actuated when the fiber optic receiver receives a predetermined wavelength and intensity of radiation from the transmitter. When the relay controller is actuated, it allows a signal to pass through the relay to a point of use.

Abstract: A workpiece has at least one exterior surface with an initial average surface roughness (Ir). The profile of the exterior surface is derived by conventional manufacturing processes, some of which leave the exterior surface with irregularities having directional orientation. The workpiece is subjected to a controlled vibratory finishing process such that the exterior surface has a desired average surface roughness (Ar) after exposure to the finishing process for a predetermine period of time (T.sub.opt). This predetermined period of time is based upon the initial average surface roughness (Ir), the desired average surface roughness (Ar) and a minimum average surface roughness obtainable through the vibratory finishing process (Dr).

Abstract: A method of treating an inner surface of a high-pressure gas vessel is disclosed. In the method, abrasive containing rust preventive is charged into the vessel made preferably of manganese steel or chrome-molybdenum steel and a wet-grinding step is carried out to obtain a maximum inner surface roughness of the vessel of 3 .mu.m or less. Thereafter, the inner surface is rinsed with an acidic rinsing solution.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vibrating abrasive cleaning apparatus and method which is powered by a hydraulic drive motor mounted to a square tubing frame which is housed within an enclosure that is vibrated by an eccentric shaft assembly directly coupled to the hydraulic drive motor and square tubing frame. The container assembly is mounted on the rigid square tubing frame, on one side by compression springs, on the opposite side by tension springs. The compression springs and tension springs have a different spring rate which produces better rolling of the media and therefore, faster parts circulation and cleaning. To further give flexibility to the cleaning process the hydraulic power supply is equipped with the variable volume piston pump to give infinite speed settings. The eccentric shaft assembly with the eccentric weight positions set at different relative positions to one another gives the operator the ability to adjust the machine to produce optimum results with all parts, sizes, and weights.

Abstract: A process of removing flash from a molded intraocular lens includes a step of tumbling the lens body in a tumbling media. The tumbling media includes a mixture of 0.5 mm diameter glass beads and 1.0 mm diameter glass beads, alcohol and water. This process applies to single piece and multipiece IOLs.

Abstract: Method for removing at least one coating from metal scrap parts covered with a coating. The scrap parts are brought into motion in a vessel containing abrasive elements in such a way that multiple collisions occur within the vessel. In further embodiments a liquid, and a metal powder are added to the scrap parts.

Abstract: A centrifugal dry barrel finishing machine is disclosed. The machine include a plurality of barrel pots which are rotated about their axes of rotation and revolved about an axis of revolution. A mass is put in the barrel pots to finish workpieces by dry media that flows in the barrel pots. Each barrel pot has an air-intake part and an air and dust exhaust part that prevent the workpieces and dry media of the mass from passing through the parts, and the air and dust exhaust part is connected to and in communication with a dust collector through a connector device such that each barrel pot is rotatable and revolvable relative to said dust collector.

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

Abstract: A method of manufacturing blunt tip surgical needles. Taper point needles having conventional piercing tips are placed into a vessel containing a grinding media. The needles are maintained in the vessel for a sufficient amount of time to convert the piercing point into a blunt tip.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for artificially weathering large amounts of marble by use of a horizontally disposed drum having a stone lined interior surface. The drum houses a large quantity of marble having similar surface hardness together with a slurry of abrasive material including silica, clay, and gravel which operates to cushion the marble from chipping during tumbling of the marble. The stone lining of the drum absorbs the impact of marble to reduce or prevent chipping of the marble. The marble and slurry are rotated at a particular speed for a predetermined amount of time. Various types of acid can also be inserted into the mixture providing a faster processing time and surface etching not possible with straight abrasion techniques. The processed marble is removed from the drum and sliced in half so to provide two pieces of weathered tile each having a flat mounting surface.

Abstract: A washing liquid and a granular substance in the quantity equivalent to or more than the liquid in the specific gravity are accommodated in a barrel in a manner to position the surface of the liquid above the top surface of a granular substance layer at a stationary state of the barrel, and the barrel is swung with an object to be washed which is accommodated therein to wash away stains firmly stuck.In the same manner, various treatment liquid such as a plating liquid and a granular substance which possess conductivity or without conductivity are accommodated in the barrel with an object to be treated. By swinging the barrel, the treatment liquid and the granular substance are stirred and flow in the barrel so that the fluidity of the treatment liquid and granular substance relative to the object to be treated is improved to raise treatment effect and uniformity in the process. Thus, high quality surface treatment can be accomplished in high productivity.

Abstract: A method of polishing an object is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of creating a polishing zone within a magnetorheological fluid; determining the characteristics of the contact between the object and the polishing zone necessary to polish the object; controlling the consistency of the fluid in the polishing zone; bringing the object into contact with the polishing zone of the fluid; and moving at least one of said object and said fluid with respect to the other. Also disclosed is a polishing device. In one embodiment, the device comprises a magnetorheological fluid, a means for inducing a magnetic field, and a means for displacing the object to be polished or the means for inducing a magnetic field relative to one another.

Abstract: A process of removing flash from a molded silicone intraocular lens includes a step of tumbling the lens body in a tumbling media. The tumbling media includes a mixture of 0.5 mm diameter glass beads and 1.0 mm diameter glass beads, alcohol and water. This process applies to single piece and multipiece silicone IOLs.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vibrating abrasive cleaning apparatus and method which is powered by a hydraulic drive motor mounted to a square tubing frame which is housed within an enclosure that is vibrated by an eccentric shaft assembly directly coupled to the hydraulic drive motor and square tubing frame. The container assembly is mounted on the rigid square tubing frame, on one side by compression springs, on the opposite side by tension springs. The compression springs and tension springs have a different spring rate which produces better rolling of the media and therefore, faster parts circulation and cleaning. To further give flexibility to the cleaning process the hydraulic power supply is equipped with the variable volume piston pump to give infinite speed settings. The eccentric shaft assembly with the eccentric weight positions set at different relative positions to one another gives the operator the ability to adjust the machine to produce optimum results with all parts, sizes, and weights.

Abstract: A method of polishing an object is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of creating a polishing zone within a magnetorheological fluid; determining the characteristics of the contact between the object and the polishing zone necessary to polish the object; controlling the consistency of the fluid in the polishing zone; bringing the object into contact with the polishing zone of the fluid; and moving at least one of said object and said fluid with respect to the other. Also disclosed is a polishing device. In one embodiment, the device comprises a magnetorheological fluid, a means for inducing a magnetic field, and a means for displacing the object to be polished or the means for inducing a magnetic field relative to one another.

Abstract: A magnetic barrel finishing machine includes multiple different flows or motions of an abrasive medium and workpieces by varying magnetic fields, freeing the workpieces from the abrasive medium and subjecting the workpieces to a finishing action with the abrasive medium. The machine includes a rotary disk made of nonferromagnetic material, a plurality of permanent magnets rigidly mounted on the rotary disk, and a container located above the rotary disk with a small gap therebetween for containing the abrasive medium and the workpieces being finished thereby. The permanent magnets are arranged irregularly such that they provide magnetic lines of force acting in a circumferential direction as well as in a radial direction of the rotary disk.