Patent GB-1134643-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for processing of ophthalmic lens
IPC: B24B13/005
Filed: 1966-02-04
Abstract: 1,134,643. Grinding. UNIVIS Inc. 4 Feb., 1966 [4 Feb., 1965], No. 5047/66. Heading B3D. [Also in Division G2] A method of producing an ophthalmic lens according to prescribed dimensional relations comprises supporting a semi-finished lens blank having one finished surface in a predetermined position, determining the location of the ultimate mechanical centre of the lens and the ultimate optical centre of the finished lens on the blank, and attaching to the finished surface of the semi-finished blank a single cast plug having a surface aligned with the ultimate mechanical centre, an optical reference surface aligned with the ultimate optical centre, and a horizontal alignment surface referenced according to the ultimate horizontal alignment of the finished lens, and forming the prescribed surface on the unfinished side of the blank with reference to the surfaces on the plug. As described, the lens blank (10, Fig. 1) is of the bifocal type having a convex outer surface which is finished. Dies (24, 26, Fig. 4) are positioned on the finished surface in alignment with the ultimate optical and ultimate mechanical axes respectively to form a mould into which a low-melting point alloy is cast to form the plug (30, Fig. 5) which has an external surface (32) forming the optical axis reference, an internal conical surface (34) forming the mechanical axis reference, and slots (36, 38) forming the horizontal alignment reference. After removal of the dies, the plug is used to align the blank for rough grinding of its periphery, grinding the prescription surface on the unfinished side of the blank, finishing the prescription surface, and finish grinding a bevel on the periphery of the lens. The means for positioning the dies (24, 26) on the lens consists of a base (74, Fig. 11) having a turntable (82) carrying a pair of mounting stations and rotatable in 180-degree steps to position the lens blanks at a viewing station (64) wherein the blank is aligned with its ultimate optical axis in a predetermined position, and at a moulding station wherein the die (26) is positioned and the plug (20) is cast. Alternatively, the lens blank may have flat reference surfaces (16, 18, Fig. 9) on its periphery in related position to the reading portion (12) of the lens and can be moved by rotation of screws (48, 48<SP>1</SP>) having dials (54, 54<SP>1</SP>) to laterally move the lens blank to a predetermined position. The optical viewing system (64) has a ring (110, Figs. 11 and 18) against the under surface of which the lens blank (10) is clamped by a pin (184) in a transparent member (182) resiliently mounted on a support (140) which can be urged upwardly by lever means (198) and is retained in clamping position by a latching mechanism (122, 128) releasable by a lever 134. The ring (110, Fig. 3) has die portions (24) for forming the optical reference surface on the plug and is provided with graduations for angularly positioning the ring so that projections on the die portion are aligned with the cylinder axis of a toric surface to be formed on the unfinished surface. The turntable is then indexed through 180 degrees to position the lens blank at the moulding station wherein, after rotation of the die (26) to a position according to the cylinder axis, the die is laterally adjusted by movement of a slide (354, Fig. 23) mounted for movement in two directions at right angles to one another in parallel ball slides (358, 360, 398, 400) by screw-and-nut-devices (376, 376<SP>1</SP>) provided with anti-backlash means to position the die (26) in alignment with the ultimate mechanical centre of the lens blank. The die is mounted for universal movement on an arbor (310, Fig. 20) which is lowered by a pneumatic device (410) to engage the die with the finished surface of the blank (Fig. 4). Thereafter a predetermined quantity of low melting point metal, such as an antimony-lead compound, is discharged from a reservoir (434, Fig. 11) into the space between the dies (24, 26) to form the plug. After cooling, the table (82) can be moved to a position wherein a device (440) ejects the blank and plug from the support (62). The edge of the blank is then ground by having the conical surface (34) of the plug representing the ultimate mechanical centre engaged by an arbor (502, Figs. 29 and 30) and is aligned with respect to its horizontal axis by a key (504) engaging the recess (36). The arbor is mounted on a shaft having a cam (512) engaging a plate (514) so that as the shaft rotates the blank is moved towards and away from a grinding wheel (518). The blank is then mounted in a toric or spherical generating machine by having the cylindrical surface (32) of the plug representing the optical reference surface engaged by a chuck on a supporting member (524, Fig. 31). The toric surface is ground by a grinding wheel (526) mounted on a plate (534) adjustable about a pivot (536) to determine one radius of curvature to be formed on the blank. The pivot is carried by a plate (538) radially adjustable along a slide (540) relative to a pivot (540) to determine the other radius of curvature. The outer diameter of the plug may then be reduced by a tool (Fig. 33) which has a heated member for melting and cutting away the material of the plug. The toric surface of the blank is finished by a tool (578, Fig. 36) which is complementary to the finished surface and over which the blank is moved by irregular movement of an arm (572) having a cross-bar formed with pins (568, Fig. 37) engaging a member (566) having a portion extending into the conical recess in the plug (30). A bevel is formed on the edge of the blank by mounting the plug (30) on an arbor (590, Fig. 38) having a cam (602) which, when the arbor rotates, co-operates with a plate (604) to move the blank relative to a formed grinding wheel (606).