Improvements in Machines for Grinding or Finishing the Cups of Ball-bearings, or other Articles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
Improvements in Machines for Grinding or Finishing the Cups of
Ball-bearings, or other Articles.
We, LEWIS EDWARD HARPER, of No. 41, Vernon Street, Machinist, and CARL
LUDWIG GROHMANN, of No. 5, May Street, Designer, both of the City of Hartford,
County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to machines for dressing metal or other material, and
the object thereof is to provide an improved and efficient machine of this
character for dressing or grinding articles of various shapes with uniform accuracy
and finish, said machine being particularly adapted for finishing work of irregular
form.
Our improved machine includes as one of its features a plurality of superposed
slides supported for movement in different directions, and independent patterns
co-operative with, and acting against, the respective slides, the patterns being
constructed to cause the tool, preferably mounted on the upper slide, to travel
through a path conforming to the outline of the work to be dressed; and this
path may follow straight, curvilinear, or other lines, in accordance with the patterns
employed.
The tool-carriage comprehends a plurality of superposed slides, which may be five
in number, in which case the three lower slides are preferably hand-operable to
secure the necessary adjustment of the tool, which in the present case is a grinding
device for dressing-off the interiors of cups or boxes for containing the bearing-balls
of bicycles.
The grinding-tool is mounted on the topmost slide of the series, which, with the
next adjacent slide, is positively driven to effect the operation of the tool in the
proper direction. In the present case the line taken by the tool is an irregular one,
said tool first following a straight line, then a curvilinear, and finally a straight line
diagonal to the first-mentioned line, in which it returns to its primary position, such
motion of the tool being obtained by a plurality of independent patterns, which are
operated in some convenient manner and which constitute drivers for actuating the
respective slides and by reason of which the grinding-tool is caused to travel in the
desired direction.
The patterns are removably mounted in position and may be detached and others
substituted, whereby the course of the tool may be made to conform to the character
of the work to be dressed.
In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a plan view of a grinding-machine embodying my present improve-

page_text: Fig. 2 is a transverse central section of the tool-carriage, taken in the mo
looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken in the line y-y, Fig. 1, in a plane at right angles
to the line x-x.
Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of the carriage, portions of the slides being broken
away to illustrate the internal mechanism, said figures also showing, in section, the
work and the mode of operation of the tool thereon.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the carriage with the topmost slides removed.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of the support or track upon which the under of the two
power-driven slides is mounted for reciprocation; and Figs. 8 and 9 are similar views
on the two upper power-driven slides.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The various parts of the machine may be supported in any convenient manner.
For this purpose we have represented a longitudinal bed 2, having near one end a
bearing 3, which sustains the chuck or work-holding device.
The tool-carriage C is mounted for movement along the upper face of the bed 2,
and it consists of a plurality of superimposed slides 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
The slide 4 is preferably held in a fixed position on the bed 2 when the parts are
assembled, the necessary adjustment of the tool, which is carried by the topmost
slide 8, being obtained by the manipulation of the transversely-reciprocative slides 5
and 6. The lowermost slide 4 is clamped to the bed of the machine in some
convenient manner. The adjustment of the slide 5 crosswise of the bed 2 is
secured by the ordinary feed-screw 10 on said slide, which screw works in a fixed
nut 12 on the slide 4, the adjustment of the slide 6 transversely of the slide 5
being obtained by a similar feed-screw 13, working in a fixed nut (not shown) in
said slide 5.
Our improved machine, as hereinbefore set forth, embodies as one of its features
a plurality of superposed, transversely-reciprocative slides, and independent patterns
co-operative with, and acting against, the respective slides, said patterns being
preferably movable in unison and actuated by power, by reason of which a tool
supported upon one of said slides is caused to move in a direction corresponding with
the outline of said patterns.
The topmost slide 8 carries the tool, which consists, in the present case, of a
Said
grinding device T, secured in some suitable manner to the spindle or shaft 20.
spindle or shaft is diagonal to the work-spindle; it is preferably mounted in the
posts 21 and 22 on the upper side of the slide 8; and it carries the pulley 23, which
may be driven by a belt, (not shown,) such mechanism serving as a simple ineans for
rotating the tool-spindle. The upper slide 8 has, near its opposite sides, the depending
blocks or tongues 25 and 26, (see Fig. 9,) working in the grooves or channels 27
and 28, respectively, in the upper face of the slide 7, Fig. 8, the latter being equipped
with similar bearing blocks or tongues 29 and 30, adapted to work in corresponding
grooves 31 and 32, respectively, in the support or track 33, rigidly secured to the
upper side of the slide 6.
The stationary support or track 33, upon which the slide 7 is mounted, is
centrally apertured, as at 34, to admit of the operation of the patterns or
templets.
The grooves or ways 31 and 32 on the support or track 33 are at right angles to
the grooves or ways 27 and 28, which several grooves receive the respective slide-
blocks on the slide 7 and 8, by reason of which the slides can be operated in trans-
verse directions.
The patterns for the respective slides are designated by P and P¹, and they are
preferably operable in unison and about the same axis, and for this purpose they are
conveniently made integral. Said patterns consist, preferably of rotary cams, the
under pattern or cam P being adapted to engage the depending projection or pin 40
on the slide-block 29, and the upper pattern or cam P1 being adapted to engage the
offset or extension 41 on the slide-block 25. The two patterns may be in one piece

page_text: and are also rotary, and for operating the same any suitable means may be employed.
For this purpose we have illustrated the worm-gear 45, having upon its center the
vertical stud or spindle 46, adapted to pass through a bore or seat formed at the
proper place in the hub of the two patterns, the latter, when in working position,
resting upon the stop or shoulder 47 on the spindle. The two patterns
are held upon their support by a screw 48 in threaded engagement with the
stud 46, the head of the screw serving to bind said patterns firmly against the stop-
shoulder 47.
The worm-gear 45 is supported on the hub or bearing 49 of the disk 50, which
rests upon the shoulder 51 on the wall of the aperture 511, formed in the slide 6.
When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, the head of the screw 48, in
addition to holding the pattern in place on the stud, maintains the worm-gear 45 in
proper position. The gear 45 is driven by the worm 52 on the shaft 53, said shaft
carrying, at its opposite end, the pulley 54, which may be driven by a belt, (not
shown,) the belt serving to rotate the pulley in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6
and the patterns in the direction indicated by a second arrow in said figure, whereby,
when the two patterns are operated, they will, by reason of their action against the
slides, cause the tool to follow the desired path. In the present case the rotary
patterns P and P¹ respectively cause the tool, by imparting certain feed movements
to the two slides, to travel first along a straight line, at which time one of the patterns
operates; then along a curvilinear line, when they simultaneously operate both slides;
and lastly along a diagonal line, during which period both cams serve to return the
tool to its primary position.
It is apparent that patterns of various shapes could be substituted for those
illustrated, to obtain the movement of the tool in any direction. In fact, the
tool could readily describe a circle, by properly shaping the patterns. To
facilitate the changing of the patterns, they are made removable, as hereinbefore
described.
In Fig. 6 the two cain-patterns are represented in their primary positions, the
points a and b, respectively thereof being in contact with the two slides, which, as
indicated by dotted lines in said figure, are in their retracted positions. When the
two cams rotate, the under cam is constructed to actuate the under slide for a pre-
determined distance, and during this period the upper slide remains stationary
relatively to the under, the upper cam-pattern P1 being of such construction as to
produce this result, or, in other words, that part of the cam which passes in contact
with the upper slide while the lower cam is travelling against the under slide to feed
the latter forward is concentric with its axis. When the lower cam is thus operated,
the tool T is advanced forwardly in a straight line. As it is then desired to have the
tool describe an are following the interior contour of the work the two slides
will be simultaneously and independently transversely operated, that portion of the
cam P between the points c¹ and d' serving to operate the upper slide between
those points, the rise of the cams being such that the tool is caused to follow a curved
path.
When the tool passes out of contact with the work on its forward or working stroke,
the points f and g of the two cams will be opposite the two slides, but not in contact
with the same, means independent of the cams being furnished to return the tool to
its initial position by transversely and simultaneously operating the two cams, the
construction being such that the tool is caused to follow a line at an acute angle
to its first-mentioned line and is thereby returned to the place from which it
started.
The means illustrated for returning the slides to their primary positions consists
of a spring acting preferably against a fixture on the track or support 33 and also
against the upper slide, the pressure by the spring against said slide being in a
direction oblique to the planes of transverse movement of the two slides, so that each
is moved relatively and transversely to the other and is returned to its normal
retracted or outer position. The spring illustrated for operating the slides is
designated by 60, it bearing at its middle against the stop or roll 61, mounted on the

page_text: орет-
upper face of the track or support 55 at a point midway between the planes
tion of the two slides, the opposite ends of the spring fitting against the depending
annular flange 62 on the upper slide 8. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)
When the tool T passes out of contact with the work, the concentric portions of
the two cams P and P¹ will be opposite the pin 40 and the offset 41 on the slides 7
and 8, respectively, but will not be in contact therewith, by reason of which the
elongated spring 60, by acting against the upper slide, will cause it, and consequently
the lower slide, to recede simultaneously in transverse directions, by reason of which
the tool T on the upper slide follows a line angular to that first taken on its working
stroke.
As herein before stated the tool is adapted for dressing various kinds of work, either
interior or exterior.
For the purpose of illustrating the operation of the tool I have shown it operating
upon a cup or box for containing bicycle bearing-balls, the inside of said cup being
of irregular form and partly curvilinear.
The work or cup is designated by W, and it is clamped in the chuck C', secured
to the spindle or shaft 65. The spindle 65 is mounted in the bearing 3 on the bed 2,
and it carries at a convenient point the pulley 66, around which a belt (not shown)
may be passed to drive the spindle, and preferably in a direction reverse to that of
the tool-spindle 20, as is customary.
In operation the work W will be set and clamped in the chuck C¹, after which the
worm-shaft. 53 will be turned by the attendant to bring the tool to its extreme re-
tracted position, after which the under slides 5 and 6 will be manipulated to carry
the tool substantially in contact with the work, with the periphery of said tool in
line with the inside face of the work. When the tool is properly positioned,
the several shafts will be started in operation, by reason of which the tool will be
caused, through the patterns P and I", acting against the slides 7 and 8, to follow a
path conforming to the shape of the interior of the work W.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim, is:-
1. The combination, with a pair of transversely-reciprocatory slides one of which
is mounted upon the other, of a support for the lower slide, and a pair of independent
patterns in position to impart advancing movements to the slides, one of said patterns
being adapted to co-operate with one slide, and the other pattern co-operating with
the other slide.
2. The combination, with a pair of transversely-reciprocatory slides one of which
is mounted upon the other, of a support for the lower slide; a pair of independent
patterns in position to impart advancing movements to the slides, one of said patterns
being adapted to engage one slide, and the other pattern being adapted to engage the
other slide; means independent of the patterns for returning the slides to their
primary positions; and mechanism for rotating said patterns.
3. The combination, with a plurality of superposed slides supported for recipro-
cation in different directions, of independent patterns co-operative with, and acting
against, the respective slides; a stop; and a spring bearing against the stop and also
against one of the slides.
4. The combination, with a support or track having grooves, of a slide provided
with tongues fitting in said grooves and also having grooves; a second slide inounted
on the first-mentioned slide and provided with tongues reciprocative in the last-
mentioned grooves; a tool mounted on the upper slide; a plurality of patterns co-
operative with, and acting against, the respective slides; a stop on the support or
track at a point midway between the planes of movement of the two slides; and a
spring in position to act against said stop and also against the upper slide.
5. The combination, with a plurality of slides supported for movement in trans-
verse directions, of a plurality of independent patterns operable for actuating the
respective slides; a driver having a shouldered stud upon which the patterns are

page_text: mounted; a bearing for supporting the stud; a screw seated in the stud, the
head of the screw serving to hold the patterns in place against the shoulder on
the spindle, and also to hold the driver in position; and means for operating the
driver.
0042
Contban 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.