U.S. patent application number 12/485681 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-07 for device for processing the surface of spherical shells.
Invention is credited to Alfons Haas, Thomas Harter, Oliver Hildebrandt, Herbert Jehle, Daniel Welle, Simon Wolber.
Application Number | 20100003903 12/485681 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41464749 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100003903 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wolber; Simon ; et
al. |
January 7, 2010 |
DEVICE FOR PROCESSING THE SURFACE OF SPHERICAL SHELLS
Abstract
This disclosure concerns a device for machining surfaces, e.g.,
superfinishing, polishing, grinding or lapping spherical shells or
flattened domes of a workpiece, or, for example, a ball joint,
using a tool having a machining stone with a workpiece receiver, a
first drive for an oscillating motion about a first axis of the
workpiece, a tool holder and a second drive for an oscillating
motion about a second axis of the tool holder, whereby the axes are
an angle to one another.
Inventors: |
Wolber; Simon; (Wolfach,
DE) ; Hildebrandt; Oliver; (Hornberg, DE) ;
Jehle; Herbert; (Bad Rippoldsau, DE) ; Harter;
Thomas; (Hausach, DE) ; Welle; Daniel;
(Biberach, DE) ; Haas; Alfons; (Wolfach,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione/Ann Arbor
524 South Main Street, Suite 200
Ann Arbor
MI
48104
US
|
Family ID: |
41464749 |
Appl. No.: |
12/485681 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61077298 |
Jul 1, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/123 ;
451/132; 451/133; 451/134 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24B 47/10 20130101;
B24B 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/123 ;
451/132; 451/133; 451/134 |
International
Class: |
B24B 11/00 20060101
B24B011/00; B24B 47/10 20060101 B24B047/10 |
Claims
1. A device for machining surfaces, comprising a tool having a
machining stone with a workpiece receiver, a first drive for an
oscillating motion at an angle about a first axis of the workpiece,
a tool holder, and a second drive for an oscillating motion at an
angle about a second axis of the tool holder, whereby the first
axis and the second axis are at an angle to one another.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second
axis intersect at the center of the spherical shell or the
flattened dome.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the axes are orthogonal to one
another.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the oscillation angle of at least
one drive is adjustable.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the oscillation angle of at least
one drive may be modified during a machining process.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the angle of oscillation of at
least one drive is about .+-.5.degree. to about .+-.20.degree..
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the machining stone is cylindrical
and has at least one partial spherical working surface.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the machining stone or the
workpiece or the first drive may be moved in the direction of the
first axis.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the machining stone or the first
drive may be moved in the direction of the second axis.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein the machining stone or the first
drive may be acted upon by a contact pressure in the direction of
the first axis.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein the machining stone has two
working surfaces opposed to one another.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein the machining stone has two
machining stone sections and each machining stone section has a
working surface.
13. The device of claim 6 wherein the angle of oscillation of at
least one drive is about .+-.8.degree. to about .+-.15.degree..
14. The device of claim 6 wherein the angle of oscillation of at
least one drive is about .+-.10.degree..
15. The device of claim 12, wherein a device for spreading the
machining stone sections and moving them together is provided
between the machining stone sections.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device for spreading the
machining stone sections and moving them together presses the
machining stone sections against a surface of the workpiece to be
machined at a definable contact pressure.
17. The device of claim 15 wherein a finishing band may be
interposed between the machining stone and the surface of the
workpiece to be machined.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/077,298, filed on Jul. 1, 2008, the contents of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a device for processing
surfaces.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In various cutting forms of processing, such as for example,
superfinishing, honing, slotting and planing, the tool executes an
oscillating motion.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present disclosure concerns a device for processing
surfaces, especially for superfinishing, polishing, grinding or
lapping spherical shells for a workpiece having a flattened dome or
flattened dome sections using a tool having a machining stone with
a workpiece receiver and a tool holder, each with a respective
drive.
[0005] It is generally known that, as with other machining methods,
a tool is brought into contact with a workpiece in the
superfinishing method as well. By superposing the workpiece
rotation and workpiece oscillation, for example, a single grain
moves along a sinusoid curve typical of this method. By superposing
the individual sinusoidal lines, all meshing polishing grains
generate the processing traces intersecting at a defined angle.
Since the tool is applied onto the workpiece at a specified
pressure, care must be taken that the contact of the tool with the
workpiece is not interrupted, namely that the tool does not leave
the surface to be processed, as the tool has to be lifted prior to
leaving the surface and would have to be subsequently put on it
again, which considerably delays processing. Therefore, the
aforementioned devices are suited for continuous processing of
non-interrupted surfaces, for example of the surface of a camshaft
or the surface of a friction bearing. Should, however, surfaces be
processed having interruptions over their circumference, other
methods may have to be used.
[0006] Therefore, provided herein is a device by means of which
surfaces may be processed, for example, with a superfinishing
method, which are not continuous, but may have interruptions over
their circumference.
[0007] Further provided is a device for superfinishing spherical
shells or parts of spherical shells or flattened domes, which are
provided on workpieces, and which, for example, are part of a ball
joint. The device is a tool having a machining stone, with a
workpiece receiver, a first drive for an oscillating motion about a
first axis of the workpiece, a tool holder, and a second drive for
an oscillating motion about a second axis of the tool holder,
whereby the first axis and the second axis are arranged at an angle
to one another.
[0008] The device has two drives, namely a drive for the workpiece
or the workpiece holder and a drive for the tool, whereby both
drives set the workpiece and tool into an oscillatory motion. In
this way, it is assured that even in the event that interrupted
surfaces are to be processed on the workpiece, the tool does not
leave the processing surface since neither the workpiece nor the
tool rotates. The oscillatory motions are adjusted such that the
machining stone does not leave the likewise oscillating surface of
the workpiece to be processed. The processing can therefore take
place continuously, namely, without interruptions.
[0009] Further provided is the device wherein the axes of
oscillation of the first drive and the second drive intersect at
the center of the center of the sphere of the spherical shells or
the flattened dome. The axes may be orthogonal to one another. In
this way, the desired sinusoid curves are generated, the processing
traces having been at a defined angle to one another.
[0010] The angle of oscillation of at least one of the drives may
be adjusted. It is provided that the angle of oscillation of at
least one of the drives may also be adjusted during processing. In
this way, processing traces can be generated in the form of a
figure eight, or a lying figure eight, or in the form of Lissajous
curves.
[0011] In this case, for example, oscillation angles of about
.+-.5.degree. to about .+-.20.degree., about .+-.8.degree. to about
.+-.15.degree., or about .+-.10.degree. may be generated. The
oscillation angles for the tool drive may also be different from
the oscillation angle of the workpiece drive. The drives may be
coupled so that phase-shifted motions may be generated, during
which the resulting processing speed never becomes zero.
[0012] In one form, the machining stone is cylindrical and has a
partial spherical working surface corresponding to the shape of the
flattened dome. In this case, the partial spherical working surface
is advantageously situated on the frontal area of the cylinder. The
cylinder may have a round, especially circular, or polygonal, e.g.,
rectangular or square cross section.
[0013] The machining stone may be moved in the direction of or
parallel to the axis of the first drive and/or to the axis of the
second drive so that it is introduced into the spherical shell or
flattened dome and may be advanced to the surface to be
processed.
[0014] In order to obtain the desired abrasion, the machining stone
may be acted upon with a contact pressure in the direction of the
axis of the first drive or orthogonally to the surface to be
processed. This contact pressure is adjustable and/or may in turn
be adjusted during processing.
[0015] In order to be able to process two surfaces of a spherical
shell or flattened dome that are in opposite positions to one
another with a single stone, the second drive is configured for the
tool holder such that the machining stone may be rotated about its
oscillation axis by 180.degree. and/or such that the machining
stone has two opposed working surfaces. After finishing one of the
surfaces to be processed, the stone need only be displaced in the
direction of the other surface to be processed.
[0016] Another version provides that the machining stone is made of
several stone sections, whereby the stone sections consist of
various materials. In this way, pre-machining and machining may be
performed with the machining stone. Both stone sections have a
working surface which, for example, have different grain sizes.
[0017] Further advantages, features and details of this disclosure
will be apparent from the description and claims which follow.
DRAWINGS
[0018] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there
will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of
example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a device according to the
disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the workpiece to be
processed;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the workpiece with an embodiment
of the workpiece;
[0022] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the workpiece with an embodiment
of the tool; and
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the workpiece with a further
embodiment of the tool.
[0024] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and
is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or
uses.
[0026] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device 10, according to the
disclosure, for processing surfaces, for example for superfinishing
a workpiece 12, whereby the workpiece 12 is inserted into a
workpiece receiver 14 of a first drive 16. The workpiece 12 is
shown enlarged in FIG. 2 and has a piston 18 and a flattened dome
20 which are components of a ball joint, for example for the drive
of the piston 18, and has surfaces 22 and 24 to be processed lying
opposite one another and accommodate a ball of the ball joint
between them. A machining stone 28 fastened on a tool holder 26
(FIGS. 3 and 4) meshes with the flattened dome 20, whereby the tool
holder 26 is fastened to a second drive 30.
[0027] By means of the first drive 16, the workpiece receiver 14
and, consequently, the workpiece 12, may be driven oscillating
about its longitudinal axis 32 lying perpendicular in the drawing,
and indicated with the arrow 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
[0028] With the second drive 30, the tool holder 26 is driven
oscillating about its vertical longitudinal axis 36 in the
drawings, which is orthogonal to the axis 32 and intersects the
axis 32 at the center of the flattened dome 20, which is indicated
with the arrow 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
[0029] As is apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4, the machining stone 28 is
fastened on the tool holder 26 by means of a quick-release clamping
device, whereby the machining stone 28 has a cylindrical, or
circular cylindrical shape, and is outfitted with a partial
spherical working surface 40 on one frontal face.
[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment in which the
machining stone has two partial spherical working surfaces 40 and
42 which oppose one another and with which surfaces 22 and 24 of
the flattened dome 20 may be processed. But it is also possible to
manufacture the machining stone 28 in two stone halves whereby the
one stone half serves for coarse machining with the superfinishing
method and the other stone half serves for fine machining with the
superfinishing process.
[0031] After introducing the machining stone 28 into the flattened
dome 20, which takes place by displacing the tool holder 26 in the
direction of arrow 44, the tool holder 26 may in the first instance
be displaced in the direction of surface 22 (arrow 46) until the
working surface 40 lies on the surface to be processed 22 with a
specifiable contact pressure. Subsequently, the workpiece 12 is
driven oscillating in the direction of arrow 34 and the machining
stone 28 is driven oscillating in the direction of arrow 38, as a
result of which surface 22 is machined and machining furrows are
generated in the form of a FIG. 8. The oscillation angles of the
workpiece 12 and the machining stone 28 are respectively selected
such that the working surface 40 does not leave the surface 22.
Alternatively, however, after introducing the machining stone 28
into the flattened dome 20, the workpiece 12 may also be displaced
in the direction of the machining stone 28 until it is set on the
working surface 40.
[0032] After ending the machining process, in the embodiment of
FIG. 3, the tool holder 26 is slightly displaced in the opposite
direction of arrow 46, until the machining stone 28 lifts off from
surface 22 and [is] then rotated 180.degree. in the direction of
arrow 38 so that the opposite surface 24 may be processed. After
finishing surface 24, the machining stone 28 is once again
displaced in the direction of arrow 46 up to the center of the
flattened dome 20 and lifted off the flattened dome 20 opposite the
direction of arrow 44.
[0033] There also exists the possibility of additionally moving the
machining stone 28 oscillating about the axis 32 toward the
workpiece 12, which is represented with arrow 48.
[0034] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the tool holder 26 is displaced
after finishing surface 22 opposite the direction of arrow 46 until
the working surface 42 lies on surface 24 so that it may be
processed. Alternatively, and in particular in case of two
different stone halves, the tool holder 26 is rotated 180.degree.
in the direction of arrow 38 after finishing surface 22 and after
lifting the machining stone 28 from surface 22 such that the
surface 22 can be machined with the working surface 42 of the
second stone half. Subsequently, the tool holder 26 is displaced in
the opposite direction of arrow 46 until the working surface 40
lies on surface 24 so that it may be machined. Subsequently, the
tool holder 26 is in turn rotated 180.degree. in the direction of
arrow 38 so that surface 24 may be machined with the working
surface 42. The machining sequence may be selected in any desired
manner.
[0035] A further version of the invention is represented in FIG. 5.
The machining stone 28 is likewise divided in two in this
embodiment, whereby a device 50 for spreading the machining stone
sections is provided between the two machining stone sections. The
machining stone sections may also be pressed with a definable
contact pressure against the surfaces of workpiece (12) to be
machined.
[0036] It is moreover apparent from FIG. 5 that a finishing band 52
may be interposed between working surface 40 and/or 42 of the
machining stone 28 and the surface of the workpiece 20 to be
processed. This is also possible in the other versions described
above. The machining stone sections of device 50 are moved together
to remove the tool 28 from the workpiece 20. By means of device 50,
the machining stone sections may also be pressed against working
surfaces 40 and 42 with a defined contact pressure. The finishing
band 52 oscillates together with the machining stone 28 which also
may merely be an element for transferring the desired shape and is
made of Vulcolan.RTM., for example.
[0037] In any case, a curved surface 22, 24 which does not extend
over 360.degree. may be machined with the device 10 according to
the invention without the machining stone 28 having to be lifted
from the surfaces 22, 24 to be machined during the machining
process. The surface 22 or 24 to be machined as well as the working
surfaces 40 and 42 of the machining stone 28 execute oscillating
motions at an angle to one another. In this case, the oscillatory
motions have different frequencies which, advantageously, are not
whole number multiples of one another.
[0038] It should be noted that the disclosure is not limited to the
embodiment described and illustrated as examples. A large variety
of modifications have been described and more are part of the
knowledge of the person skilled in the art. These and further
modifications as well as any replacement by technical equivalents
may be added to the description and figures, without leaving the
scope of the present disclosure.
* * * * *