Patent ID: 6699113
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: B23Q,B24B

Abstract:
A true centering steady rest for supporting a rotatable, cylindrical workpiece, comprising:a housing; an arm-supporting body slidably disposed within said housing along an axis of motion toward a workpiece; a first support arm slidably mounted on the arm-supporting body in a first plane forming an acute angle with said axis of motion; a first workpiece contact member mounted on the first support arm for motion therewith toward a first work contact position; a second support arm slidably mounted on the arm-supporting body in a second plane forming an acute angle with said axis of motion; a second workpiece contact member mounted on the second support arm for motion therewith toward a second work contact position; and a third workpiece contact member mounted on the arm-supporting body for engaging a workpiece in a third work contact position; cam means mounted in the housing for adjusting the contact position of the first workpiece contact member, comprising: a vertical-adjusting guide member movably mounted in the housing, and camming structure moveable with the vertical-adjusting guide member, the camming structure having a camming surface with a camming contour; a cam follower carried on the first support arm, and engageable with said camming surface, the cam follower being movable along said camming surface as the arm-supporting body is moved along said axis of motion, to move the first workpiece contact member toward said first work contact position, along a path of motion defined by the contour of the camming surface; first vertical-adjusting structure mounted in the housing and engaged with the vertical-adjusting guide member for moving said camming surface and said first work contact position in a direction transverse to said axis of motion; and power means for slidably moving said arm-supporting body along said axis of motion to move said first workpiece contact member, said second workpiece contact member and said third workpiece contact member in a multi-point engagement on the workpiece.