Abstract:
An assembly for connecting a sanding pad or the like to a driver having an axis of rotation, wherein the sanding pad is adapted to undergo free rotational movement about a second axis disposed parallel to the axis of rotation, as such sanding pad is caused to orbit about such axis of rotation. The assembly features a bearing assembly for supporting the sanding pad for rotation about the second axis, wherein an improved seal is provided to prevent ingress of abrasive materials into the bearing assembly during operation of the sanding pad, so as to prolong the useful life of the bearing assembly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Random orbital sanders are well known and generally comprise a motor for driving a balanced shaft for rotational movement about a first or driven axis, and a bearing device for coupling a sanding pad or disc to the balanced shaft for rotational movement relative thereto about a second axis disposed in an offset or parallel relation to the first axis. During operation of this type of sander, the sanding pad is forced to move along a circular path disposed concentrically of or to orbit relative to the first axis, while being free to rotate relative to the second axis. 
     Prior random orbital sanders suffer from a common practical drawback, namely, the relatively short useful life span of the bearing devices employed to rotationally couple their balanced shafts and sanding pads as a result of ingestion of abrasive materials to which they are exposed during use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a random orbital sander, and more particularly to an improved sealing arrangement for minimizing the ingress of abrasive materials into the bearing thereof such as would otherwise tend to shorten its useful life. 
     A preferred form of the assembly of the present invention includes a balanced shaft adapted to be driven for rotation about a first axis and having a mounting recess defining a second axis disposed parallel to the first axis, and a bearing assembly fitted within the mounting recess for purposes of supporting a sanding pad or the like for free rotational movement relative to the balanced shaft about the second axis, as the sanding pad moves along a circular path of travel about the first axis. The bearing assembly includes a ball bearing device having an outer race fixed to the balanced shaft within the mounting recess and an inner race; a balancer shaft for attaching the sanding pad for rotation with the inner race; a bearing shield in the form of a Belleville washer carried by the balanced shaft within the mounting recess and cooperating with the balancer shaft to define an entrance portion of a seal passage leading to the bearing device, which converges in a direction extending radially inwardly towards the second axis; and a bearing seal in the form of a washer having a radially inner edge arranged in an interference sliding fet with the balancer shaft and a radially outer edge clamped between the Belleville washer and the outer race. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a random orbital sander incorporating the assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the area designated as FIG. 3 in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing an alternative form of the present invention adapted for removable attachment to a separate power source. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is first made to FIG. 1, wherein an assembly formed in accordance with the present invention is generally designated as 10 and shown as being formed as an integral component of manually operated, otherwise conventional random orbital sander 12 having a housing 14 containing an air or other suitably powered motor, shown generally as 16. Assembly 10 serves to interconnect an externally mounted sanding pad 18 to motor 16 such that the sanding pad is caused to orbit about a first or drive axis 20 of the motor, while being free to rotate about a second axis 22, which is defined by assembly 10 and disposed parallel to the first axis. A suitable shroud 24 may be mounted on housing 14 for cooperation with the upper or rear surface of sanding pad 18 or the work being sanded, not shown, as may be desired. 
     Assembly 10 includes a balanced shaft 26, which is of conventional construction from the standpoint that it includes a driven shaft portion 28 adapted to be supported within the confines of housing 14 and coupled to motor 16 by a key 30 for rotational movement about first axis 20 and an enlarged head portion 32, which defines a counterbalancing weight 34 and a stepped diameter mounting recess 36 whose axis is disposed coincident with second axis 22. Mounting recess 36 is shown in FIG. 2 as including a relatively small diameter, inner end or clearance portion 38; an intermediate diameter, mounting portion 40, which cooperates with the inner end portion to define an annular stop surface or abutment 42; and a relatively large diameter outer end portion 44, which is divided into relatively inner and outer parts 44a and 44b, respectively, by an annular mounting groove 46. 
     Assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as additionally including a bearing assembly 47 defined by a ball bearing device 48, a balancer shaft 50, a bearing washer 52, an assembly screw 54, a bearing seal 56, a bearing shield 58 and a C-shaped snap ring retainer 60. As best shown in FIG. 3, bearing device 48 includes an outer race 62 having an outer surface 62a sized for slidable receipt within mounting portion 40 in end engagement with stop surface 42 and an inner race 64 having an inner surface 64a disposed concentrically of outer surface 62a. Preferably, each end of the space between outer and inner races 62 and 64 is closed off or sealed by plastic end or closure ring 66 shown as being removably resiliently snap fitted within undercut recess 62b provided adjacent each end of the outer race and arranged to slidably bear on a seal surface defined by annular groove 64b provided adjacent each end of the inner race. With this construction, each end ring 66 tends to remain stationary relative to and positively seal against outer race 62, while such end ring tends to provide a sliding seal with inner race 64. 
     Balancer shaft 50 serves as a means for connecting sanding pad 18 to inner race 64 for rotation therewith includes an enlarged head or outer end portion 68 and a shank or inner end portion 70 whose outer surface is stepped to define a reduced diameter free end portion 70a sized to be slidably received by inner surface 64a of bearing device inner race 64 and an enlarged diameter outer end portion 70b, which cooperates with end portion 70a to define an annular stop surface or abutment 70c. Balancer shaft 50 is also formed with an axially extending stepped, threaded mounting opening 72 having a reduced diameter inner end 72a sized to threadably receive assembly screw 54 and an enlarged diameter outer end 72b sized to threadably receive a mounting screw 18a forming a part of sanding pad 18. 
     Bearing washer 52 is formed with a centrally located through opening 52a sized to freely receive assembly screw 54 and a stepped diameter outer surface including a reduced diameter end portion 52b sized to be slidably received by inner surface 64a of bearing device inner race 64 and a radially extending stop surface or abutment 52c. 
     Bearing seal 56 is in the form of a washer, which is preferably formed of felt or other suitable, somewhat flexible and soft non-abrasive material. Bearing seal 56 is internally sized and positioned such that it forms a close or interference fit with shaft outer end portion 70b adjacent annular stop surface 70c, as best shown in FIG. 3. Bearing seal 56 is also shown as being externally sized to extend essentially coextensive with its adjacently disposed end ring 66. 
     Bearing shield 58 is shown as being in the form of a Belleville washer or spring sized to permit the bearing shield to be slidably fitted within mounting recess outer end portion 44 such that its inner edge is disposed closely adjacent, but free of contact with, the balancer shaft 50 adjacent the juncture of inwardly facing surface 68a of head portion 68 and end portion 70b. Bearing shield 58 is removably retained in mounted position by snap ring retainer 60. 
     The Belleville washer employed in forming bearing shield 58 does not perform a spring function and could be formed of any suitable disc shaped, relatively rigid material, such as a common metal or plastic washer. However, it is preferable to employ a Belleville washer in forming bearing shield 58, due to its natural frusto-conical configuration, which allows the overall length of the bearing assembly and thus mounting opening 36 to be reduced in size as compared to that which would be required if a flat washer were to be employed. Further, a Belleville washer is preferred in that its convex or outer surface cooperates with inwardly facing surface 68a of head portion 68 to define an entrance 69a for a seal passageway, which converges in a direction towards axis 22, and its concave or inner surface cooperates with bearing seal 56 to define an adjacent or inner portion 69b of such passageway, which converges in a direction away from axis 22. The convergent entrance, 69a coupled with the rotational movement of inwardly facing surface 68a relative to bearing shield 58, is quite effective in retarding radially inwardly directed movement of abrasive particles of all sizes towards the constricted seal passage 69c defined by the inner edge of the bearing shield and the juncture of surfaces 68a and 70b, which determines the maximum size of particle which can gain entrance to the adjacent portion 69b of the seal passageway defined by the bearing shield and bearing seal 56. 
     The bearing assembly may be assembled by placing in succession snap ring retainer 60, bearing shield 58 and bearing seal 56 about balancer shaft end portion 70b. Balancer shaft end portion 70a and bearing washer reduced diameter end portion 52b are then slid into opposite ends of inner race 64, and assembly screw 54 inserted and tightened for purposes of clamping stop surfaces 70c and 52c against such opposite ends of the inner race. A small amount of a suitable anaerobic adhesive is then applied to surface 62a of outer race 62 and bearing device 48 inserted into intermediate portion 40 of mounting recess 36 until the inner or inserted end of the outer race is placed in abutting engagement with stop surface 42 to define the assembled position of the bearing device relative to balanced shaft 26. After curing of the adhesive, retainer 60 is snapped into mounting groove 46; the retainer thereupon serving to lift bearing shield 58 from engagement with surface 64a of balancer shaft head portion 68 and force the concave surface of the bearing shield into engagement with bearing seal 56 for purposes of clamping the latter intermediate the bearing shield and end ring 66 and/or the end of outer race 62, depending on the chosen external diameter of the bearing seal. Clamping of bearing seal 56 in this manner serves both to rotatably fix the bearing seal relative to outer race 62, and thus balanced shaft 26, and to axially fix the bearing shield 58 relative to the juncture of balancer shaft surfaces 68a and 70, so as to define the maximum size particle capable of entering the seal passageway beyond the inner peripheral edge surface of the bearing shield. The degree to which bearing seal 56 is deformed by bearing shield 58 is a matter of choice and will depend upon the material from which the bearing seal is formed; the primary consideration being that the bearing shield is accurately located relative to balancer shaft 50 when the bearing assembly is in a fully assembled condition. 
     During operation of assembly 10, driven rotations of balanced shaft 26 effects orbital movement of the bearing assembly and thus sanding pad 18 about first axis 20, and frictional engagement of the orbiting sanding pad with a workpiece effects rotation of the sanding pad and thus balancer shaft 50 to which same is affixed relative to the balanced shaft about axis 22. As balancer shaft 50 rotates relative to balanced shaft 26 about axis 22, bearing seal 56 and bearing shield 58 are maintained in a rotationally fixed relationship relative to the balanced shaft; the bearing seal forming a rotary dust seal and the bearing shield forming a constricted seal passageway opening relative to the balancer shaft. While it is possible for particles and dust to enter recess outer end portion 44a past retainer 60, due to its split ring construction, any such particles and dust are simply captured therewithin and effectively prevented from moving towards the interior of bearing device 48, due to the seal provided by clamping the outer peripheral portion of bearing seal 56 between bearing shield 58 and end ring 66 and/or outer race 62. The interference fit between the inner peripheral portion of bearing seal 56 and shaft portion 70b creates a very effective dust seal in that deformation of the bearing seal creates a bias tending to maintain the bearing seal in snug sealing contact with the shaft. 
     As previously mentioned, the convergent nature of the passageway defined by the relatively rotating inner surface 68a of head portion 68 and bearing shield 58 is quite effective in preventing radially inwardly directed movement of particles and dust towards the passageway constriction defined by the close proximity of the inner peripheral portion or edge of the bearing seal and the juncture of surfaces 68a and 70b. Any dust particles passing beyond this constriction are captured or collected within the relatively large void defined by the inner surface of bearing shield 58 and the outer surface of bearing seal 56 and thereafter prevented from migrating towards bearing device 48 by the seals established by the bearing seal adjacent its inner and outer peripheral edge portions. 
     FIG. 2 shows a modified form of the assembly of the present invention, which is designated as 10&#39; and adapted for attachment via a balanced shaft 26&#39; to a separate source of power, such as a pneumatically or electrically powered, hand operated drill, not shown. Aside from the external appearance of balanced shaft 26&#39;, assembly 10&#39; is identical to previously described assembly 10, and accordingly primed numerals are employed in FIG. 2 to designate like parts of these assemblies.