U.S. patent number 3,813,826 [Application Number 05/301,211] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-04 for spindle support assembly in a glass plate edge grinding machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Bando Kiko Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Sigeru Bando.
United States Patent |
3,813,826 |
Bando |
June 4, 1974 |
SPINDLE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY IN A GLASS PLATE EDGE GRINDING MACHINE
Abstract
A spindle support assembly in a glass plate edge grinding
machine comprises a support member provided on a spindle for a
grinding wheel through a bearing, a resilient member fixed to the
outer portion of said support member, a holding member adapted to
hold said resilient member from the outside thereof, a clamp member
disposed between said support member and said holding member, and a
friction member inserted between the lower face of said clamp
member and the upper face of said resilient member axially opposite
to each other.
Inventors: |
Bando; Sigeru (Tokushima,
JA) |
Assignee: |
Bando Kiko Co., Ltd. (Tokushima
City, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
23162424 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/301,211 |
Filed: |
October 26, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/342; 384/582;
464/178 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24B
41/04 (20130101); F16C 27/066 (20130101); B24B
9/105 (20130101); F16C 2322/39 (20130101); F16C
19/543 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B24B
9/06 (20060101); B24B 9/10 (20060101); B24B
41/04 (20060101); B24B 41/00 (20060101); B24b
041/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;64/1V,27F,27NM ;74/574
;192/3V ;51/168,134.5 ;308/184 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; Al Lawrence
Assistant Examiner: Davidson; Marc R.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A spindle support assembly in glass plate edge grinding machine
comprising a cylindrical support member provided on a spindle for a
grinding wheel through a bearing, an annular-shaped resilient
member formed of elastic material of suitable elasticity, said
resilient member being disposed in such a manner as the inner
portion thereof is fitted to an annular groove formed on the outer
portion of said cylindrical support member, a holder which holds
said resilient member from the outside thereof, a clamp plug
disposed between said cylindrical support member and said holder,
the outer portion of said clamp plug being in threaded engagement
with the inner portion of said holder, the inner face of said clamp
plug being suitably spaced from the outer face of said cylindrical
support member, a pressure ring having a tapered inside which is
gradually enlarging towards the resilient member, said pressure
ring being disposed in such a manner as said tapered inner face is
in contact with the corresponding inclined face of said resilient
member, and a friction ring inserted between the lower face of said
clamp plug and the upper face of said resilient member axially
opposite to each other, the inner face of said friction ring being
in contact with the outer face of said cylindrical support member,
the outer face thereof being spaced from the inner face of said
holder to provide a floating space for said friction ring
therebetween.
2. A spindle support assembly in a glass plate edge grinding
machine comprising a spindle, a support member rotatably supporting
the spindle, a resilient member mounted on the outer portion of
said support member, a holding member engaging said resilient
member from the outside thereof, a clamp member mounted between
said support member and said holding member for axial movement
relative thereto, a pressure ring mounted between the clamp member
and the resilient member and having a tapered inner surface
engaging the resilient member, the pressure ring being movable
axially by the clamp member whereby the resilient member is forced
against the support member as the clamp member is moved toward the
resilient member, and a friction ring mounted between the support
member and the holding member, the friction ring having an inner
periphery engaging the support member and an outer periphery spaced
from the holding member.
3. The structure of claim 2 in which a portion of the resilient
member has an inclined surface engaging the tapered surface of the
pressure ring.
4. The structure of claim 2 in which said support member is
cylindrical and is provided with an annular groove on the outer
portion thereof, the resilient member being received in the annular
groove.
5. The structure of claim 2 in which said support member is
cylindrical and the inner periphery of the friction ring is
circular.
Description
The present invention relates to a support assembly, especially to
a support assembly for a holding shaft or a spindle for a grinding
wheel in a glass plate edge grinding machine.
The spindle in a glass plate edge grinding machine heretofore in
use is provided with a grinding wheel fixed to the end thereof and
rotatably mounted within a housing through a bearing, said housing
being fixed to a movable mount for the grinding wheel, and
consequently the axis of the spindle cannot substantially move in
the radial direction.
The profiles of the glasses to be ground are various in shapes
thereof such as a rectangle, a polygon or an ellipse. So, if the
reaction force against the grinding resistance increases abruptly
due to the movement of the grinding point of the grinding wheel, an
abrupt shock will be given to the grinding wheel, whereby not only
the grinding wheel itself is damaged but the surface of the glass
plate to be ground is marred and poor in its finish.
The object of the present invention is to provide a spindle support
assembly wherein if the reaction force against the grinding
resistance increases abruptly due to the movement of the grinding
point of the grinding wheel in grinding, the grinding wheel can
escape in the direction of said reaction force, and consequently
the grinding resistance is always maintained uniform and a very
fine surface finish is obtained. The present invention will be more
fully understood and the objects and the advantages thereof will be
much appreciated from a consideration of the following detailed
explanation with reference to the appended drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spindle support
assembly in a glass plate edge grinding machine according to the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the spindle
support assembly as shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the portion of the present machine as
shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line III--III;
FIG. 4 is a partial front view of an automatic glass plate edge
grinding machine provided with a spindle support assembly as shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an automatic glass plate edge
grinding machine as shown in FIG. 4 taken along the line V--V.
In FIG. 1, there is shown a view of a spindle support assembly in a
glass plate edge grinding machine according to the present
invention. Referring to the drawing, the reference number 10
indicates a spindle on the lower end of which is mounted a grinding
wheel. On the said spindle 10, a support member 12 is rotatably
mounted through a bearing 13, said support member being formed in a
cylindrical shape.
The numeral 14 indicates a holder mounted on the cylindrical
support member 12 through a ring-shaped resilient member 15, said
holder holding the cylindrical support member and being fixed to
the frame 20 of the mount B for the grinding wheel.
The resilient member 15 may be formed of elastic macromolecule
material, for example, synthetic rubber, but it is preferably
formed of silicon rubber excellent in elasticity in a wide range of
temperature, heat-proof, oxidization-proof and water-proof.
The ring-shaped resilient member 15 is, as seen in FIG. 2, fitted
to the annular groove 16 formed on the outer portion of the
cylindrical support member, while being arranged so that the outer
portion of said resilient member is supported by the inner face of
the holder 14 and the upper face of the shoulder 14b extending in
the radial direction. Between the holder 14 and the cylindrical
support member 12 is provided a clamp plug 17 with an external
thread for threaded engagement with an internal thread formed on
the inner portion of said holder. The numeral 18 indicates a
pressure ring, said pressure ring being provided with a tapered
inner face 18a, at least the lower half of said tapered inner face
18a being in contact with the inclined face 15a formed on the upper
portion of said resilient member 15 and shaped in correspondence
with said tapered inner face. It is possible, of course, that the
whole of the tapered inner face 18a is in contact with the inclined
face 15a. When said clamp plug 19 is screwed into the holder 14,
pressure in the axial direction is put upon the upper face of said
pressure ring 18 through the friction ring 17 which is to be
described below. The said pressure is divided into the axial
component of force and the radial inward component of force through
the function of the tapered inner face 18a, and therefore the
resilient member 15 is pressed against the upper face of the
shoulder 14b and the base of the annular groove 16. In other words,
the said pressure ring 18 function to ensure the holding of the
cylindrical support member by pressing the resilient member
effectively.
As shown in detail in FIG. 2, between the lower face 17b of the
clamp plug 17 and the upper face 18b of the pressure ring 18 is
inserted a friction ring 19 formed of suitable wear-resisting metal
material. The said friction ring 19 is disposed in such a manner as
the inner face thereof is in contact with the outer face of said
cylindrical support member 12, and the outer face thereof is
suitably spaced from the inner face of said holder 14 to provide a
floating space 19a for said friction ring 19 therebetween.
By screwing said clamp plug 17 into the holder 14, said friction
ring 19 is pressed against the pressure ring 18 and then fitted
between said two faces 17b and 18b. In operation of the glass plate
edge grinding machine with said support assembly, if an abrupt
increase of the reaction force against the grinding resistance
acting on the grinding wheel is caused by the movement of the
grinding point of the work to be ground, the spindle 10 and the
cylindrical support member 12 will move radially in the direction
of said reaction force subject to the escape of the grinding wheel.
The pressure caused by said movement of the spindle 10 and the
cylindrical support member 12 is tramsmitted to the resilient
member 15 and presses the resilient member 15 and is absorbed in
it. Then the pressed resilient member 15 restores to the original
state.
The said compression and restoration of the resilient member causes
in practice some vibration of the spindle and the grinding wheel.
As the speed of the movement of the resilient member in the said
compression and restoration increases, the said vibration becomes
all the more severe, so that the balance of the rotation of the
grinding wheel is disturbed and the grinding wheel is partially
deformed and worn and the surface finish of the work is roughened
and at the same time the life of the grinding wheel is shortened.
The said friction ring 19, by making use of the friction against
the lower face 17b of the clamp plug and upper face 18b of the
pressure ring 18, slows down and minimizes such speed of the
movements of said resilient member 15 in the said compression and
restoration, and obviates the above-mentioned disadvantages.
With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, an embodiment of an automatic
glass plate edge grinding machine with a spindle support assembly
according to the present invention will be explained in the
following.
Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates a spindle support
assembly of the same construction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
said spindle support assembly being fixed to the frame 20 of the
mount for the grinding wheel.
The numeral 21 indicates the glass plate to be ground which is
absorbedly held by means of a plurality of vacuum chuck suction
members 21a provided on the upper face of the profile plate 22
formed in a shape similar to the profile of the glass plate. The
profile plate 22 is fixed to the fixing plate 24 mounted on the
upper portion of the rotating shaft.
The numeral 25 indicates a cam follower which rotates following the
peripheral edge of the profile plate 22, said cam follower being
fixed to the shaft rotatably mounted on one end of the lever 26
fixed to the lower end of the mount for the grinding wheel. On the
other end of the lever 26 is provided a differential transducer 34
which detects the quantity of the displacement of the grinding
wheel through the medium of the cam follower 25.
The mount B for the grinding wheel is mounted on the guide rail 28
provided on the upper face of the bed 27.
On the lower side of the mount for the grinding wheel is mounted a
nut means 29 which is in threaded engagement with a feed screw
stock 31 whose both ends are rotatably supported by bearings 30.
Said feed screw stock 31 is rotated by a belt transmission means 32
and a pulse motor 33, and by said rotation the grinding wheel 20 is
horizontally driven (as shown by the letter H or H' in FIG. 5). The
numeral 35 indicates a controlling assembly which controls the
horizontal movement of the mount for the grinding wheel, while said
controlling assembly being connected with the pulse motor 33 and
the differential transducer 34 respectively.
On the other hand, a shaft 23 supporting the fixing plate 24 is
rotatably supported by a bearing 36 provided on the bed 27, on the
lower end of said shaft there being provided a bevel gear 37. The
shaft 23 is rotated by a driving gear 44 through the medium of an
intermediate drive shaft 40. The drive shaft 43 is operatively
connected with the intermediate shaft 40 through a pulley 42, a
pulley 39 and a belt 45 provided therebetween. The said
intermediate drive shaft 40 is operatively connected with the shaft
23 through the bevel gear 38 and another bevel gear 37 engaging
therewith.
Further, the spindle 10 is rotatably driven by an electric motor 46
provided on the upper portion of the mount for the grinding wheel.
The output shaft 47 of said electric motor 46 is operatively
connected with the spindle 10 through a pulley 48, a pulley 49 and
a belt 50 provided therebetween.
In operation of the glass plate edge grinding machine with the
above-mentioned unique structural arrangement, the grinding wheel
11 grinds the glass plate edge in following the peripheral edge of
the glass plate under the control of the controlling assembly
35.
As the cylindrical support member 12 rotatably supporting the
spindle 10 is surrounded by the resilient member 15 uniformly
throughout the periphery thereof, if subject to the movement of the
grinding point of the grinding wheel 11 caused by the turn of the
glass plate 21 the reaction force against the grinding resistance
acting on the grinding wheel 11 increases abruptly, or the
direction of said reaction force suddenly changes, the grinding
wheel 11 can escape quickly in the direction of said reaction force
against the grinding resistance.
And further, as the speed of the displacement of the resilient
member in compression and restoration is reduced to the minimum by
the friction ring 19, it is avoidable that the balance of the
rotation of the grinding wheel is disturbed by the abrupt severe
vibration of the grinding wheel.
Therefore, the glass plate with a profile formed in any shape is
always ground with an even grinding pressure, and the depth of
grinding is always uniform, whereby the fine surface finish can be
obtained.
Further in the glass plate edge grinding machine of the
above-mentioned embodiment the spindle 10 and the cylindrical
support member 12 being held by the resilient member 15, if an
abrupt reaction force against the grinding resistance acts on, the
grinding wheel 11 can quickly follow the radial movement of the
glass plate and consequently can escape in the direction of the
grinding reaction force. Therefore, when the cam follower 25
follows the peripheral edge of the profile plate 22 which moves
with uneven acceleration, the pulsating of the mount 20 for the
grinding wheel occurring in the horizontal movement of the mount
driven by the pulse motor of usually uniform acceleration starting
is not transmitted to the grinding wheel.
The spindle support assembly according to the present invention can
be applied to the grinding of a work of a triangular, rectangular
or polygonal profile. For example, in grinding the edge of a
rectangular glass plate, the reaction force does not increase
abruptly in grinding the rectilineal portion, but increases
abruptly at the beginning of the grinding, at the intersecting
point of the rectilineal portions or the corners and at the point
of the work coming off the grinding wheel.
Further, if the feed of the grinding wheel is not accurate the
direction of the reaction force against the grinding resistance
changes irregularly and abruptly, so that not only the finish of
the work becomes poor but the grinding wheel itself is damaged. In
the meantime, in the spindle support assembly according to the
present invention, as clearly shown in the above-mentioned
explanation of the embodiment thereof, the cylindrical support
member 12 which supports the spindle 10 provided with the grinding
wheel through the bearing is held by the holder 14 through the
ring-shaped elastic member 15 fitted into said cylindrical support
member, and further, said resilient member 15 is surrounding the
periphery of the cylindrical support member with uniform
resiliency, so that if the reaction force against the grinding
resistance acting on the grinding wheel increase abruptly and the
direction of said reaction force changes suddenly the spindle 10
and the cylindrical support member 12 move in any direction, such
as axial or radial, against the resiliency of the resilient member
15 and therefore the abrupt reaction force against the grinding
resistance is absorbed.
Further, between the upper face of the pressure ring 18 in contact
with the inclined face 15a of the ring-shaped resilient member 15
and the lower face of the clamp plug 17 engaged with the holder 14
there being inserted the friction ring 19, the speed of the
restoration of the resilient member 15 after being pressed is
controlled at its minimum, so that the vibration of the resilient
member 15 can be prevented, and consequently the balance of the
rotation of the grinding wheel is not disturbed, and a fine surface
finish of the work is obtained, and damage of the grinding wheel is
avoided, and the life of the grinding machine is not
lengthened.
Further, the resilient member 15 is disposed in such a manner as
the inner portion thereof is fitted into the annular groove formed
on the outer portion of the cylindrical support member 12, the
outer portion thereof is abutting against the shoulder formed on
the inner portion of the holder 14, and said resilient member is
clamped to a required extent by the clamp plug 17 through the
friction ring 10, so that the resilient member 15 is surely
supported and if axial force acts on the spindle 12, the grinding
wheel is scarcely influenced thereby. And further, by adjusting the
clamp plug 17, the resiliency of the resilient member is
controlled.
In the grinding with strong grinding pressure, therefore, by
clamping the clamp plug 17, the resiliency of said resilient member
15 is strengthened, and at the same time, the force thereof for
holding the cylindrical support cylinder is strengthened, whereby
the grinding wheel can escape quickly.
* * * * *