U.S. patent number 3,871,139 [Application Number 05/468,940] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-18 for multiple-compliant-bristle, self-centering self-sizing rotary abrasive hone.
Invention is credited to Steve A. Rands.
United States Patent |
3,871,139 |
Rands |
March 18, 1975 |
Multiple-compliant-bristle, self-centering self-sizing rotary
abrasive hone
Abstract
A multiple-compliant-bristle, self-centering, self-sizing rotary
abrasive hone made of multiple outwardly extending, flexible,
extremely compliant plastic bristles (in a preferred form, made of
Nylon plastic) having enlarged abrasive globules completely firmly
attached to outer ends of the bristles in a non-flaking and
non-chipping manner and with the surface configuration defined by
the multiple abrasive globules being a cylindrical, conical,
frusto-conical, or any of various other desired configurations,
usually suitable for insertion into a recess or hole in a workpiece
which is to be honed by relative movement of the abrasive hone with
respect thereto.
Inventors: |
Rands; Steve A. (Los Angeles,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23861837 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/468,940 |
Filed: |
May 10, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/466;
15/207.2; 451/536; 15/92; 15/104.066 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24D
13/10 (20130101); B24D 13/00 (20130101); B24B
39/006 (20130101); B24D 99/00 (20130101); B24D
13/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B24D
13/02 (20060101); B24B 39/00 (20060101); B24D
17/00 (20060101); B24D 13/00 (20060101); B24D
13/10 (20060101); B24d 013/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;51/330,331,332,334,400,401,404,295 ;15/179,181,182,183,159A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; Al Lawrence
Assistant Examiner: Godici; Nicholas P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A multiple-compliant-bristle, self-centering rotary abrasive
brush means having enlarged, abrasively coated, outer bristle tip
ends of multi-phase material, comprising: a plurality of outwardly
directed, flexible, plastic inwardly effectively compressible,
elastically bendable bristles mounted in a substantially radially
and cylindrically arranged array thereof and provided with and
carried by a bristle-mounting base means, each of said bristles
being formed of flexible, resiliently elastically bendable,
compliant non-metallic plastic material having corresponding
exteriorly completely uncoated, flexible, compliant shaft portions
made of said plastic material and having a free outer end of said
plastic material positioned with respect to the corresponding outer
ends of the other bristles in a substantially cylindrically
oriented array thereof and there being provided with and being
coated with outer coating means effectively defining an enlarged
abrasive globule carried thereby and effectively forming an outer
terminus of composite multi-phase material comprising the bristle
tip end and said enlarged abrasive globule, said enlarged abrasive
globule comprising a particulate abrasive material and a
wear-attritionable, hardenable and curable plastic resin bonding
material for effectively bonding the particulate abrasive material
into a globule-like assembled formation of a non-flaking,
wear-attritionable nature, the outer tip end of each of said
bristles carrying a corresponding one of said enlarged abrasive
globules being effectively provided on its plastic outer surface
and inwardly of said wear-attritionable plastic resin bonding
material in an effectively intervening position therebetween with a
junction-facilitating, effective bonding surface means having a
great junction affinity for the exterior surface of said outer tip
end of each such bristle and having a great junction affinity for
the inner surface of said wear-attritionable bonding material and
thereby functioning as an effective intervening joining bridge
means between the surface of the outer tip end of each such bristle
and the inner surface of the corresponding wear-attritionable
bonding material and of greater junction strength than either of
the plastic materials effectively joined together in a bridging
manner by said junction-facilitating, effective bonding surface
means whereby to positively prevent flaking away of pieces of
substantial size of the abrasive globule during hard honing,
abrading usage thereof against a workpiece surface, comprising an
inner surface of substantially cylindrical configuration, which is
harder than said wear-attritionable bonding material and softer
than said particulate abrasive material; said effective bonding
surface means comprising a junction-adhesive material having
strongly adhesive junction characteristics insofar as the outer
bristle tip ends formed of said flexible resilient plastic material
are concerned and having strongly adhesive junction characteristics
insofar as said wear-attritionable plastic resin bonding material
is concerned; each of said enlarged abrasive globules being carried
by the radially, substantially cylindrically arranged array of
bristles so as to position the plurality of abrasive globules in an
annularly cylindrically arranged array thereof with each inner
portion of each bristle inwardly of the outer abrasive globule
means comprising a major portion of the length of said bristle
being substantially entirely free of said outer coating means
comprising said abrasive material and said bonding material and
also being substantially entirely free of said
junction-facilitating, effective bonding surface means whereby to
have substantially unaltered, free flexibility and compliance
characteristics forming an inwardly deflectable and, thus,
effectively self-sizing and self-centering,
multiple-compliant-bristle rotary abrasive flexible hone for
effectively honing a substantially cylindrical workpiece
surface.
2. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 1, wherein
said junction adhesive material comprises a resorcinol-formaldehyde
resin adhesive werein at least one component thereof is of an
initially liquid form adapted to be cured and hardened-in-place in
the presence of another component thereof to provide a solid
junction adhesive material very strongly and effectively adhering
to the plastic material of each bristle tip end and also strongly
adhering to said wear-attritionable plastic resin bonding material
of each enlarged abrasive globule.
3. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 1, wherein
each of said bristles is formed of extremely flexible, compliant,
bendable, Nylon plastic material, and wherein said junction
adhesive material comprises a two-component resorcinol-formaldehyde
resin adhesive wherein at least one component thereof is of an
initially liquid form adapted to be cured and hardened-in-place in
the presence of the other component thereof to provide a solid
junction adhesive material very strongly and effectively adhering
to the Nylon plastic material of each bristle tip end and also
strongly adhering to said wear-attritionable plastic resin bonding
material of each enlarged abrasive globule.
4. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 1, wherein
said wear-attritionable bonding material comprises an epoxy resin,
and wherein said junction adhesive material comprises a
two-component resorcinol-formaldehyde resin adhesive wherein at
least one component thereof is of an initially liquid form adapted
to be cured and hardened-in-place in the presence of the other
component thereof to provide a solid junction adhesive material
very strongly and effectively adhering to the Nylon plastic
material of each bristle tip end and also strongly adhering to said
wear-attritionable epoxy resin bonding material of each enlarged
abrasive globule.
5. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 1, wherein
each coated bristle tip end is effectively enlarged by the
junction, mounting and fastening thereof of said outer coating
means acting to effectively enlarge said bristle tip end so as to
provide the enlarged composite abrasive globule configuration.
6. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 4, wherein
said effective bonding surface means and said outer coating means
are bonded with respect to the corresponding outer Nylon plastic
bristle tip end by being applied sequentially as initially soft and
subsequently hardenable and curable material.
7. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 4, wherein
said particulate abrasive material and said plastic resin bonding
material are intermixed prior to coating same on the intervening
junction-facilitating effective bonding surface means which has
been previously applied to and strongly joined to the corresponding
tip end of each corresponding bristle.
8. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 4, wherein
said coating means comprises an outer layer of particulate abrasive
material and an inner layer of epoxy resin bonding material.
9. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 3, wherein
the first one of said two components of said
resorcinol-formaldehyde resin adhesive comprises a partially
condensed resorcinol-formaldehyde resin in an alcohol-water
solution, the second component of said resorcinol-formaldehyde
resin adhesive comprising a hardener in the form of a powder of
paraformaldehyde and a cellulosic filler.
10. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 4, wherein
said outer coating means is of effectively laminated construction
comprising at least two coating layers, with each such coating
layer comprising a thin sheet of said adhesive bonding material
provided with and effectively carrying a plurality of particles of
said particulate abrasive material.
11. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 10, wherein
the innermost coating layer is adhesively bonded to the outer
surface of said junction-facilitating, effective bonding surfaces
means joined to the outer surface of the corresponding Nylon
plastic bristle tip end, and with each succeeding outwardly
adjacent coating layer having the innermost surface of the adhesive
bonding material thereof adhesively joined to the exterior of the
next inwardly adjacent coating layer whereby to form said laminated
complete outer coating means.
12. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 11, wherein
said adhesive bonding means of each of said coating layers
comprises epoxy resin cured in place with said particulate abrasive
material being carried and mounted in cured-in-place relationship
by said epoxy resin of said coating layer.
13. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 1, wherein
each of said bristles, made of said extremely flexible, compliant,
bendable plastic material, has a modulus of elasticity of a
sufficiently low value as to cause the intermediate uncoated shaft
portion of said bristle from an inner end thereof carried by said
bristle-mounting brush base to the free outer bristle tip end
thereof carrying the enlarged abrasive globule and effectively
comprising said multi-phase material, to have a bending flexibility
and compliance at least twice as great as that which would be
provided by said multi-phase material if said coating means
extended along substantially the complete length of said shaft
portion.
14. A flexible self-centering hone as defined in claim 4, wherein
each of said bristles, made of said extremely flexible, compliant,
bendable Nylon plastic material, has a modulus of elasticity of a
sufficiently low value as to cause the intermediate uncoated shaft
portion of said bristle from an inner end thereof carried by said
bristle-mounting brush bbase to the free outer bristle tip end
thereof carrying the enlarged abrasive globule and effectively
comprising said multi-phase material, to have a bending flexibility
and compliance at least twice as great as that which would be
provided by said multi-phase material if said coating means
extended along substantially the complete length of said shaft
portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is generally that of abrasive hones and
abrasive brushes for abrading, grinding, polishing, and honing
usage, usually in a power-driven manner. This general field has
included both outside-surface abrading, grinding, and/or polishing
tools and inside-surface abrading, grinding, and honing tools and,
in the latter case, one of the commonest forms thereof has been for
grinding and/or honing substantially cylindrical interior workpiece
surfaces, such as engine cylinders or inside surfaces of pipes or
tubes, and the like, which are merely representative of a great
variety of such prior art applications of such
inside-surface-abrading tools. In general, such
inside-cylindrical-surface abrading tools or hones have comprised a
power-driven carrier or mounting portion adapted to carry one or
more members formed of an extremely hard grinding material which
usually is of a relatively brittle or frangible type and of a
relatively non-elastic, non-compressible type. This has provided a
major prior art difficulty, problem, or disadvantage when honing
interior cylindrical surfaces, such as engine cylinders, for
example, since it is absolutely essential that such a prior art
rigid, cylindrical surface hone be absolutely centrally positioned
during honing relative movement thereof with respect to the
interior cylindrical workpiece surface which is to be honed or it
will be found that uneven pressure is exerted on both the workpiece
surface and on the relatively non-elastic, brittle, hard abrasive
material of the hone itself. This has produced prior art problems
with respect to the honed workpiece surface and also with respect
to the hone itself. It is precisely for the purpose of completely
overcoming the above-mentioned prior art problems that the present
invention was developed, since it provides an abrasive hone which,
when used for honing interior surfaces (cylindrical, conical,
frusto-conical, or other surfaces of revolution), has none of the
above-mentioned prior art problems by reason of the great
flexibility of the extremely compliant plastic bristles carrying
the enlarged abrasive globules at the outer ends thereof, which
allows sufficient flexure to provide a self-centering and
self-sizing action with respect to such an interior workpiece
surface and yet which does not allow the flaking-away or
chipping-away of any of the abrasive material forming the abrasive
globules carried by the outer ends of the flexible compliant
plastic bristles. These advantages flow from and occur by reason of
the specific features of the invention pointed out in greater
detail hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is defined in a general way as follows.
The invention relates to a flexible, self-centering and self-sizing
hone having multiple outwardly extending, flexible, extremely
compliant plastic bristles (in a preferred form, made of Nylon
plastic) having enlarged abrasive globules of a completely firmly
attached and consequently non-flaking and non-chipping type carried
by the free outer ends of the elastic, flexible, compliant plastic
bristles, with the abrasive globules comprising an outer coating of
only the plastic bristle tip ends by a combination of a particulate
abrasive material and a plastic bonding material (usually an epoxy
resin), with said outer coating and each corresponding plastic
bristle tip end effectively bridged and joined to each other by an
intervening junction-facilitating surface means comprising a
plastic junction means characterized by the fact that it can
function as such as intervening bridge between the Nylon bristle
tip end material and the plastic bonding material (usually an epoxy
resin) of each abrasive globule by reason of its great junction
affinity for each of the joined materials. Thus, the arrangement
just described provides an enlarged abrasive globule carried by a
plastic bristle tip end in a manner such that the mounting of the
enlarged abrasive globule is of a completely non-chipping and
non-flaking type by reason of the intervening adhesive material
having a great junction affinity for each of the joined materials
whereby to provide a very strongly adhesive junction effectively
bridging and strongly mechanically interconnecting the tip ends of
the otherwise completely flexible and unaltered bristles and the
abrasive globules carried by said bristle tip ends, even though the
joined materials are of dissimilar types of plastic (such as Nylon
in the case of the bristle tip ends and epoxy resin in the case of
the bonding material of the abrasive globules) normally not adapted
to strongly adhere to one another. The remaining shaft portions of
each of the Nylon bristles, in a preferred form, remain uncoated by
the junction adhesive material, the bonding material, and the
abrasive material so as to retain unaltered flexibility and
compliancy characteristics throughout the length thereof.
As pointed out above, in a preferred form the bristles may be made
of flexible or resilient plastic material such as Nylon or the
like, the particulate abrasive material may be made of tungsten
carbide or an equivalent material, the plastic bonding material may
be made of one or more plastic layers such as epoxy resin or the
like, and the intervening junction adhesive material may comprise
resorcinol-formaldehyde resin adhesive material, usually of a
two-component type capable of having one component thereof applied
in liquid form, usually at substantially room temperature, to the
exterior of the Nylon bristle tip ends and to then have the second
component comprising an additive applied thereto for curing and
hardening same in place followed by the application of the plastic
bonding material of the coating means (usually comprising an epoxy
resin) carrying the abrasive material (such as particulate tungsten
carbide or the like) in a desired dissemination pattern which may
then be cured in place whereby to provide a preferred form of the
invention having each of the extremely strongly bonded-in-place
adhesive globules carried by the corresponding outer Nylon bristle
tip ends, with the bridging attachment thereof, by means of the
bridging, intervening, junction-facilitating adhesive bonding
surface means, being such that none of the adhesive globules, or
any portion of any of same, will ever become flaked or chipped away
or otherwise detached even during the hardest type of grinding,
abrading, or honing usage of the novel self-centering, self-sizing
hone of the present invention.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a novel, flexible, compliant, self-centering,
self-sizing hone embodying any or all of the features referred to
herein, either individually or in combination, wherein a plurality
of flexible plastic bristles of substantially unaltered compliance
carry at their outer tip ends, in a substantially annularly
cylindrically arranged array thereof, a plurality of completely
non-flaking and non-chipping abrasive globules mounted on the
bristle tip ends in said substantially cylindrically arranged array
by novel intervening junction-facilitating plastic adhesive
junction means of such great strength and bridging junction
affinity for both the plastic material of each bristle tip end and
the plastic bonding material comprising the inner surface of each
abrasive globule as to render said junction substantially
completely inseparable as a result of hard grinding and honing
usage of the flexible hone.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel,
flexible, self-centering, self-sizing hone of the type referred to
in the preceding object wherein the compliancy and elasticity of
the substantially unaltered bristle shafts (apart from the tip ends
carrying the abrasive globules in an undetachable manner) are of
such flexibility and compliance as to make it possible to insert
the brush axially into a substantially cylindrical hole in a
variety of different workpieces of varying diameters ranging from a
diameter substantially equivalent to the non-inserted diameter of
the flexible hone down to a substantially smaller diameter than the
uninserted diameter of the flexible hone and wherein the dispersal
and arrangement of the compliant, flexible, plastic bristles are
such that the hone is effectively of a self-sizing type (that is,
capable of being inserted into a smaller workpiece bore hole than
the exterior diameter of the brush before such insertion) and also
is of an effectively self-centering type (produced by reason of the
even and opposed distribution of the small, centrally directed
forces on the center of the hone produced by the compliantly,
radially, inwardly deflected, flexible plastic bristles when the
flexible hone is inserted into a hole in a cylindrical workpiece of
smaller diameter than the initial exterior diameter of the flexible
hone.
A further object of the invention is to provide a flexible,
self-centering, and self-sizing hone of the type referred to herein
having a plurality of outwardly directed bristles of thermoplastic
material (such as Nylon or the like) so that the outer tip ends of
the bristles may be initially enlarged by the application of heat
and pressure to define an inner globule matrix, or bristle tip end
enlargement, which may be subsequently coated with the previously
mentioned intervening adhesive junction-facilitating plastic
material and subsequently coated with the previously mentioned
outer coating means comprising one or more layers of abrasive
material and plastic resin bonding material (usually an epoxy
resin) for producing a greatly enlarged abrasive globule.
Further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art after
a careful examination and study of the representative exemplary
embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawing and
described in detail hereinafter, and all such are intended to be
included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically
described and illustrated in detail.
Several exemplary but non-specifically-limiting embodiments of the
invention are disclosed in the figures of the drawing as
follows:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation and a partial section, along the
plane indicated by the arrows 1-1 of FIG. 2, of one exemplary form
of multiple-compliant-bristle self-centering and self-sizing,
flexible rotary abrasive hone of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a left end elevation of the flexible, self-centering and
self-sizing hone of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partially broken-away perspective view of
the flexible, self-centering and self-sizing hone of FIGS. 1 and
2.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the outer tip end
of a representative one of the multiple compliant flexible bristles
of the flexible hone of FIGS. 1-3 before the effective formation of
the enlarged abrasive globules on the multiple flexible compliant
bristle tip ends thereof.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view showing a
representative outer tip end in side elevation of a representative
bristle of the multiple flexible bristles, such as the one shown in
FIG. 4, in an intermediate attachment condition such as is produced
by an intermediate attachment step comprising the firm affixing to
the bristle tip end of a junction-facilitating, effective bonding
surface means which has a great junction affinity for the plastic
material (usually Nylon plastic material) of the bristle tip end
and which will have a similar great junction affinity for the
wear-attritionable bonding material (usually an epoxy resin) of the
outer coating means comprising the enlarged abrasive globule
subsequently attached and firmly affixed to the intervening
junction-facilitating, effective bonding surface means of FIG. 5 in
the manner clearly shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 5A is a view very similar to FIG. 5, but illustrates one first
representative exemplary step in producing the arrangement shown in
FIG. 5.
FIG. 5B is a view similar to FIG. 5A, but illustrates one second
representative exemplary step in producing the arrangement shown in
FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, partially cross-sectional view generally
similar to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, but showing the representative,
fragmentary, bristle tip end in a final attached condition such as
is produced by a final abrasive-globule-attaching step, and clearly
illustrates the construction and mode of attachment of the
representative enlarged abrasive globule with respect to the
bristle tip end, by way of the intervening bridging
junction-facilitating bonding surface means, in a firmly attached
manner capable of hard abrasive honing usage without flaking,
breaking away, or partial detachment of portions of the abrasive
globule occurring despite even the hardest type of such honing and
abrading usage. In this view the representative form of intervening
junction-facilitating, effective bonding surface means is clearly
shown in junction-facilitating bridging relationship between the
plastic material (usually Nylon) of the bristle tip end and the
plastic material (usually epoxy resin) of the bonding material
carrying the particulate abrasive particles and comprising together
the coating means forming the enlarged abrasive globule.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, partially elevational and partially
cross-sectional view generally similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating
another form of the invention of a laminated, multi-layer
construction.
FIG. 8 is a view of aspect similar to FIG. 6, but illustrates
another slight variation of the invention wherein the abrasive
globule has the abrasive particles substantially evenly
disseminated throughout the bonding material of the outer coating
means and together comprising the abrasive globule.
FIG. 9 is a view similar in aspect to FIG. 6, but illustrates a
further slight modification wherein the inner plastic bristle tip
end (usually made of Nylon plastic) is initially formed in a
pre-attachment step into a pre-attachment inner base enlargement
tip prior to attachment of the intervening, junction-facilitating
bonding surface means such as illustrated in FIG. 6 and the
subsequent attachment thereto of the plastic bonding material
(usually epoxy resin) of the outer coating means comprising the
enlarged abrasive globule.
FIG. 10 is a reduced size, somewhat diagrammatic side view, partly
in elevation and partly in section, illustrating one exemplary form
of the flexible self-sizing, self-centering hone of the present
invention prior to the insertion thereof into the interior of a
bore hole, such as an engine block cylinder, or the like, which is
shown somewhat diagrammatically fragmentarily and in cross-section
and which is of somewhat smaller size than the initial exterior
diameter of the flexible self-centering and self-sizing hone.
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but illustrates the flexible
self-sizing and self-centering hone of FIG. 10 after forcible
insertion thereof into the interior of the somewhat smaller
diameter bore hole or cylinder, the inner surface of which
comprises a workpiece to be honed by the flexible self-sizing and
self-centering hone of the present invention. A representative, but
non-specifically-limiting, form of rotary power-driving tool
adapted to grip the effective chuck end of the bristle mounting
base of the flexible hone is shown nd indicates the flexible hone
as being power-rotated while in the self-centered bristle-deflected
condition clearly shown in this view for producing a superior
honing action on the interior cylindrical surface of the
workpiece.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The self-centering and self-sizing hone 20 includes multiple tufts
of bristles 22 and a bristle-mounting base 24 in the form of a
twisted wire 26 having the inner end portions 28 of each bristle
(or middle portions of double-ended bristles) helically twisted
therein in a manner well-known in the brush-making art. The manner
of the mounting of the bristles is exemplary only and other
bristle-mounting modes may be employed within the scope of the
invention. Each bristle 22 is of flexible, compliant construction
and includes a shaft portion 22S and a free outer tip end 22T
constructed of a flexible thermoplastic material such as Nylon,
which is extremely effective because of the outstanding flexibility
characteristics thereof, which greatly enhance the self-centering
and self-sizing function of the hone.
An enlarged abrasive globule 30 is adapted to be formed on and
non-detachably mounted on the free outer tip end 22T of at least
certain of the bristles 22 (usually of substantially all of the
bristles 22, in a preferred form of the invention) so as to provide
a multiple-compliant-bristle, extremely flexible, self-centering
and self-sizing abrasive hone for honing and grinding purposes
(usually for honing the interior curved and usually substantially
cylindrical surface of a workpiece). Since the brush is intended
primarily for power-rotation, whereby to hone an interior,
substantially cylindrical workpiece surface of a bore hole, or
cylindrical recess, it will be noted that the plurality of abrasive
globules is mounted by the radially outwardly arranged array of
compliant Nylon bristles so as to define an outer cylindrical,
abrasive surface, provided by the arrangement of abrasive globules
30, which is capable of being easily resiliently inwardly deflected
when inserted into a somewhat-smaller-diameter cylindrical
workpiece surface in the manner clearly shown in FIG. 11 in what
might be termed a self-centering and self-sizing manner by reason
of the substantially equal, oppositely outwardly directed, radial
distribution of the Nylon bristle shaft portions 22S in a
symmetrically radially directed manner relative to the base 24.
Each abrasive globule 30 is limited to being mounted on the bristle
tip end 22T in a manner such that the major portion of the Nylon
bristle shaft 22S is free of any outer coating such as that forming
the enlarged abrasive globule 30 carried only by the outer bristle
tip end 22T and which includes bonding material 34 and particulate
abrasive material 36. In forming the abrasive globule 30, each
bristle tip end 22T, such as is shown in FIG. 4 in an initial
condition, is first provided with an effective
junction-facilitating bonding surface means which, in the case of
Nylon bristle tips 22T, comprises the application of junction
adhesive material 35 thereto, as is clearly shown in FIG. 5 (one
mode of application of which will be described in greater detail
hereinafter), followed by the curing of same and, subsequently, by
the dipping of the now-cured-in-place junction adhesive material 35
firmly attached to the Nylon bristle tip end 22T into
temporarily-or-initially-liquid adhesive bonding material 34, which
may be carried in a shallow tray or otherwise positioned for
convenient application to the bristle tip end 22T carrying the
cured-in-place junction adhesive material 35, whereby to produce
bristle tip ends coated with the bonding material 34, with an
intervening junction-facilitating bonding surface means or bridge
made up of the junction adhesive material 35 positioned
therebetween. Thereafter, and before the hardening or curing of the
bonding material 34 occurs, the coated bristle tip ends 22T may be
immersed in finely divided, particulate abrasive material 36, which
may also be positioned in a tray or otherwise applied to the coated
bristle tip ends 22T, thus producing multiple composite abrasive
globules 30, such as shown in FIG. 6, which can then be cured in
place so as to firmly affix and mount each such abrasive globule 30
on the corresponding bristle tip end 22T and with the intervening
junction-facilitating, effective bonding surface means comprising
the above junction adhesive material 35 acting as an extremely
strong, intervening mechanical bridge between the Nylon material of
the bristle tip end 22T and the bonding material 34 of the
composite abrasive globule 30 which, in a preferred form, comprises
an epoxy resin adhesive material, one exemplary form of which may
be that form of epoxy resin adhesive material manufactured by the
Epoxylite Corporation of the United States of America and
identified by said company as "Epoxylite No. 8751", which comprises
a dual liquid material wherein the liquids are mixed prior to use
and wherein the adhesive bonding material is adapted to be
air-cured at room temperature for a period of approximately 24
hours (room temperature being a minimum of approximately 77.degree.
F. for best results).
For even greater strength, the adhesive bonding material 34 can be
cured at an elevated temperature of between 200.degree. and
250.degree. F. for a period of approximately 4 hours.
The particulate abrasive material may, in one preferred form,
comprise particles of tungsten carbide, carborundum, or other
equivalent, extremely hard material suitable for honing usage.
In the exemplary arrangement, one preferred form of the intervening
junction-facilitating bonding means comprising the junction
adhesive material 35 may comprise a two-component
resorcinol-formaldehyde resin adhesive including a first component
capable of being applied in liquid form at room temperature to the
exterior of the Nylon bristle tip ends, and also including a second
hardener component comprising an additive to be applied thereto for
curing and hardening same in place, and this exemplary form and
method are best illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In FIG. 5A, it will
be noted that a first component of such a resorcinol-formaldehyde
resin adhesive comprising a partially condensed
resorcinol-formaldehyde resin in an alcohol-water solution has been
applied to the bristle tip end 22T, as is in FIG. 5A only, and is
indicated by the reference numeral 37', after which a second
component of the resorcinol-formaldehyde resin adhesive, comprising
a hardener in the form of a powder of paraformaldehyde and a
cellulosic filler, is added to the first component 37' already
carried by the bristle tip end 22T of FIG. 5A. This second step is
clearly shown in FIG. 5B, where the hardener is somewhat distorted
and is somewhat diagrammatically shown, and is indicated by the
reference numeral 37", while the original liquid component applied
in the step shown in FIG. 5A is still indicated by the reference
numeral 37'. It will be noted that after the application of the
second component 37", as shown in FIG. 5B, hardening and curing of
the composite resorcinol-formaldehyde resin adhesive material
occurs and forms the previously mentioned junction adhesive
material designed by the reference numeral 35, which strongly
adheres to the Nylon material of the Nylon bristle tip end 22T and
also strongly adheres to the subsequently applied and subsequently
cured epoxy resin bonding material 34 of the outer coating means 32
forming and comprising the abrasive globule 30, and that the
junction affinity of the junction adhesive material 35 for both the
Nylon material of the bristle tip end 22T and the epoxy resin
bonding material 34 of the abrasive globule is so great as to
completely prevent breaking away or flaking away of all, or any
substantial portion, of the abrasive globule 30 from its bridged
junction and attachment to the Nylon bristle tip end 22T despite
the hardest kind of honing usage of the entire flexible hone such
as is illustrated in FIG. 11, for example. The bonding material 34
is wear-attritionable by reason of being softer than the material
of the workpiece so that the abrasive particles 36 will project
sufficiently to be very effective for honing usage throughout the
entire working life of the flexible hone 20 and yet the previously
mentioned mounting, by means of the intervening
junction-facilitating adhesive material 35, of each abrasive
globule 30 is such as to retain, completely unaltered, the flexible
character and nature of the Nylon bristle shafts 22S while
positively preventing chips or flakes of the abrasive globule 30
from becoming detached during usage of the flexible self-centering,
self-sizing hone.
It should be noted that experimentation has shown that, in general,
the bending flexibility and compliance of each completely uncoated
Nylon bristle shaft 22S is at least twice as great as that which
would be provided if the multi-phase material applied to the Nylon
bristle tip end 22T in the process of mounting each abrasive
globule 30 thereon, extended along the length of the shaft portion.
Usually the ratio of the unaltered, uncoated bending flexibility
and compliance to that of the coated shaft forms thereof is
substantially greater than that just described.
FIG. 7 illustrates a modification wherein the intervening
junction-facilitating bonding surface means is essentially the same
as in the first form of the invention and is indicated at 35a.
However, the coating making up the enlarged abrasive globule 30a
comprises multiple layers or laminations, each indicated at 32a,
and each of which includes a bonding material 34a and a particulate
abrasive material 36a bonded to one or more interfaces, such as
indicated at 38. This arrangement produces a laminated, greatly
enlarged abrasive globule 30a usually made of the same bonding
materials and particulate abrasive materials as the first form of
the invention and with each layer interface making possible the
production of a larger composite abrasive globule than might
otherwise be the case.
FIG. 8 illustrates a slight variation wherein the coating 32b of
the abrasive globule 30b is prepared in a manner somewhat
differently from that previously described in connection with the
coating forming the enlarged abrasive globule 30 of FIG. 6 in that
the liquid epoxy resin bonding material 34b and the tungsten
carbide abrasive particles 36b are initially combined together in
an intermixed form prior to the application thereof to the
composite junction adhesive material layer, comprising the
intervening junction-facilitating bonding surface means 35b, which
is of the same type as that shown in FIG. 6 of the first form of
the invention. The intermixed relationship of the outer coating
means 32b of the abrasive globule 30b may be provided by mixing the
liquid epoxy resin bonding material 34b and the abrasive particles
36b in any suitable container immediately prior to application to
the bristle tip end 22Tb, carrying the intervening junction
adhesive means 35b thereon in a manner similar to the corresponding
showing of the junction adhesive means 35 in FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 illustrates a slight variation of the first form of the
invention, with similar parts being designated by similar reference
numerals, followed by the letter "c", however. The major difference
of the FIG. 9 form is the fact that a major part of the enlarged
abrasive globule 30c is provided by a preliminary enlargement of
the bristle tip end 22T of FIG. 4 to an enlarged Nylon bristle tip
end, such as is shown at 22E in FIG. 9. Thus a greater exterior
surface area is provided for the effective bonding surface means,
comprising the junction adhesive material 35c, and a smaller
quantity of the outer coating means 32c is required to produce an
over-all composite, enlarged abrasive globule 30c of a size
comparable to that of the first form of the invention, as best
shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 merely illustrate the effective self-centering
and self-sizing features of the novel flexible hone 20 of the
present invention wherein the workpiece, indicated generally at 40,
is shown in somewhat fragmentary diagrammatic form in cross-section
as comprising a bore hole or recess having a substantially curved
and usually cylindrical inner workpiece surface 42 which is to be
honed. It will be noted that the exterior diameter of the flexible
hone 20 is greater than the interior cylindrical diameter of the
workpiece 42 and that when the flexible hone 20 is forcibly
inserted into the smaller-diameter, substantially cylindrical,
interior workpiece surface 42 in the manner shown in FIG. 11, this
is accomplished by reason of the great flexibility of the Nylon
bristle shaft portions 22S, which remain completely uncoated and
unaltered from their original form and thus retain their full
flexibility. Since the Nylon bristles are radially and
substantially equally oppositely arranged relative to the base 24,
this means that the bending or flexing of each Nylon bristle shaft
22S functions to produce a symmetrically arranged array of equal
and oppositely inwardly directed, small biasing forces on the
centrally-positioned bristle mounting base 24, which effectively
provides a complete self-centering and also self-sizing action to
the entirely flexible hone 20 which allows it to apply
substantially equal honing force to all interior workpiece surfaces
42 to be honed as a result of power-rotation of the flexible hone
20 in a manner which cannot be achieved when using a rigid honing
material in the conventional prior art manner.
It should be understood that the figures and the specific
description thereof set forth in this application are for the
purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be
construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and
detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically
described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to
include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic
teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.
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