Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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POL I SH I ~G APPARATU S 6919 - 1
This invention relates to an apparatus for polishing
surfaces, particularly for polishing the interior Qurface of
molds for the production of articles of manufacture.
Prior art examples of polishing machines include U.S.
Patent 3,427,751 to Lanman disclosing a poli~hing machine for
die finishing and V.S. Patent 1,758,953 to Krause disclosing
an apparatus for polishing dies used in wire drawing that
uses a reciprocating polishing rod. In addition, devices for
cleaning molds are shown in U.S. Patents 3,248,752 to Wagner
and 3,059,305 to Brozdowicz.
The prior art polishing devices comprise apparatus of
considerable bulk and complexity.
The present inventiOn is a polishing apparatus
comprising:
a support base;
a power source to drive reciprocating means mounted to
said support base;
means mounted to said support base to vary the amplitude
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of reciprocation of said reciprocating means;
an extension member connecting the power source and the
reciprocating means to a remote polishing member comprising a
gripping portion and a receiving member adapted to accept a
polishing stone, said extension member comprising a hollow
. . , _
outer tube having a movable inner core to transmit the
reciprocating motion of said reciprocating means to the
receiving member of said remote polishing member.
The present invention is a polishing apparatus that is
compact and relatively simple in structure and can be easily
controlled by an operator. The polishing apparatus is light
weight and portable and affords the user a great deal of
control when polishing a surface.
Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated,
merely by way of example, in the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation view of a first embodiment of
the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the first embodiment of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation view of a second embodiment of
the present invention.
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The drawings show various embodiments of the polishing
device of the present invention for use in polishing mold 35
mounted on work support 36.
Referring to Figure 1, the is shown a first embodiment
of the present invention comprising a support base 1 with
attached power source 4 and reciprocating means 10, extension
member 20 and polishing member 30.
In the embodiment of Figure 1, power source 4 consists
of a variable speed electric motor firmly mounted to support
base 1. Electric motor 4 is supported between post 6 and
bearing housing 8 through which the drive shaft 9 of the
motor extends. Bearings 12 rotatably support drive shaft 9.
Reciprocating means 10 comprises a conventional swash
plate 11 that is attached to the end of drive shaft 9 so as
to rotate with the shaft in combination with a longitudinal
member 13 which is slidably supported within a pivotable
housing 14. Longitudinal member 13 extends between swash
plate 11 and the movable inner core of extension member 20.
In the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, extension member
20 comprises a rigid hollow tube 21 having a rigid movable
inner core 22. Extension member 20 is attached to support
base 1 by means of a conventional universal joint connector
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23 which allows for free vertical and horizontal movement of
the extension member as shown by the dotted lines in Figures
1 and 2. The end of the extension member connected to
supported base 1 has an enlarged diameter portion which
houses a piston head 24 that is rigidly attached to movable
inner core 22 and bushing 25 to slidably support inner core
22. Disposed between piston head 24 and bushing 25 is spring
26 to bias movable inner core 22 and piston head 24 against
longitudinal member 13. As longitudinal member 13 slides
freely within housing 14, longitudinal member 13 is forced
into contact with the surface of swash plate 11 by spring 26.
At the point that extension member 20 meets the enlarged
diameter portion, there is provided a rotatable joint 2~ to
allow the extension member to rotate axially as indicated by
arrow 28.
Extension member 20 terminates at polishing member 30.
At this end, movable inner core 22 extends past the end of
hollow tube 21 supported by bushing 27. Polishing member 30
has a gripping portion comprised of two spaced parallel
handle plates 33 connected by a housing 34 which fits over
the end of hollow tube 21. Located between parallel plates
33 and attached to the protruding end of movable inner core
22 is housing 37 having spaced parallel arms 38. Housing 37
is located on inner core 22 by set screw 39. ~etween arms 38
is pivotally supported receiving member 40 comprising a
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tubular member for holding a conventional elongated polishing
stone 41 therein using set screw 42 to clamp the polishing
stone in place. Polishing stone receiving member 40 can be
pivoted to various angles as shown by the dashed lines in
Figure 1.
Along its length, movable inner core 22 is interrupted
by a shock absorbing member 45. This member comprises an
outer housing 46 to join the interrupted ends 47 of movable
inner core 22. Outer housing 46 is freely movable with the
inner core within hollow tube 21. Inside housing 46 the
interrupted ends of the inner core are joined by a resilient
member comprising spring 48. Each interrupted end 47 of the
inner core is free to move within housing 46 so that any
shock load exerted on the movable inner core during normal
polishing operations will tend to be absorbed by the spring
48 of the shock absorbing member 45. The main function of
the shock absorbing member is to eliminate breaking of the
polishing stone 41 by insulating it from shocks as for
example may occur if the polishing stone were to suddenly hit
a hard surface or slip on an edge of the article being
polished.
Figure 3 illustrates a flexible extension member
embodiment of the present invention in which analogous parts
to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 are identically
numbered. Extension member 20 comprises a flexible sheath 21
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within which a flexible core 22 is linearly reciprocated.
Flexible core 22 may comprise a steel wire. Extension member
20 is connected to polishing member 30 by a rigid section of
tubing about which housing 34 supporting handle plates 33 is
mounted. Within this rigid section is a resilient member
~not shown) to tension the flexible steel wire and eliminate
play in the flexible sheath 21.
In the embodiment of Figure 3, reciprocating means 10 is
simplified in that extension member 20 can be attached
directly to pivotable housing 14 and longitudinal member 13
is directly connected to flexible inner core 22. Spring 50
serves to bias the rounded and enlarged end of longitudinal
member 13 against swash plate 11. It will be appreciated
that the flexible extension member 20 can also be attached to
the universal joint connector 23 of the previous embodiment.
In operation, the electric motor 4 is used to rotate
swash plate 11 with a resulting reciprocating motion of the
inner core 22 of the extension member causing high speed
reciprocation of the polishing stone. The operator grasps
handle plates 33 in order to control the path of the
polishing stone.
Varying the speed of electric motor 4 allows for
different polishing speeds of polishing stone 41. The
present invention also provides means for varying the
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amplitude of the polishing stone's polishing motion. This
amplitude variation is accomplished by virtue of the
pivotable nature of housing 14 with respect to support base
1. Housing 14 is attached to base 1 by means of a screw 52
extending upwardly through the base 1 and into the housing to
allow pivoting about the screw. As seen in Figure 2, the
angle of pivotable housing 14 with respect to the rotation
axis of swash plate 11 is controlled by threaded screw 53 and
spring 54 which act against opposite sides of the housing.
Spring 54 applies a force causing housing 14 to pivot about
screw 52 and against screw 54. By rotating the knurled head
55 of screw 53, the angle of housing 14 can be adjusted so
that longitudinal member 13 contacts a different annular path
on the surface of swash plate 11 thereby changing the stroke
of member 13 and the resulting amplitude of motion of
polishing stone 41. Such an adjustment can be made even
while motor 4 is running.
The present invention provides a compact and light
weight apparatus that is excellent for high speed, high
precision polishing particularly of the interior surfaces of
molds for articles of manufacture. The flexible extension
member embodiment of the present invention allow~ the user
great flexibility in positioning the polishing member. The
rigid extension member embodiment of the present invention
gives the user good control over the polishing area as the
extension member is movable in all directions according to
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polishing needs. Operator fatigue is reduced as the weight
of the polishing member does not have to he completely
supported by the user.
