provements in Buffing Wheels.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Buffing Wheels.
I, HAROLD ARTHUR WEBSTER, of the City of Haverhill, in the County of
Essex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates particularly to rotary tools or appliances for burnishing or
polishing in accordance with a process which involves the following steps, viz.: first,
the application of a composition containing wax or resinous matter and coloring
matter to the surface to be burnished; and, secondly, the presentation of said
surface to a rapidly-moving polishing-tool having a yielding acting surface.
My invention has for its object to provide a rotary burnishing polishing-tool,
having a yielding acting surface which is supported by a constantly-maintained
air-cushion; and to this end it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed
to describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification:
Figures 1 and 2 represent sectional views of my improved burnishing or polishing
device, Figure 1 showing it before inflation and Figure 2 after inflation.
Figure 3 represents a side view of an organized machine including two of said
devices.
Figure 4 represents a top view of the construction shown in Figure 3.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings:
a represents a shaft, journalled in suitable bearings, and provided with a longi-
tudinal air-passage a', which is connected in any suitable way, as by a pipe a
(Figures 3 and 4), or by a pipe a³ and chambered bearing a (Figures 1 and 2), with
an air-pump or forcing apparatus of any suitable kind, which is continuously operated
by the power that rotates the shaft, so that a constant air-pressure is maintained.
To said shaft is affixed a burnishing-wheel, which comprises in its construction a
flexible periphery or acting portion b, composed preferably of a sheet or piece of
canvas or other textile fabric, and rigid holders b¹ b', affixed to the shaft and to
the edges of the said sheet or piece. Each of said holders is here shown as
composed of a collar 7 externally screw-threaded and provided with a flange 8, and
an internally-threaded collar 9 having a flange 10. The collars 7 are affixed to
the shaft a by set-screws c c. The flanges 8 and 10 constitute jaws between which
the edges of the sheet 6 are clamped. The holders & b¹ and flexible sheet b enclose
an annular air-chamber, surrounding the shaft and communicating with the air-
passage in the latter through one or more orifices a³ therein, so that air may be
forced into said chamber by the air-pump above mentioned, to constitute a yielding
cushion for the flexible periphery b.
In practice, I make the said flexible periphery sufficiently loose to enable the
air-pressure to distend it and give it a convex outer surface, as shown in Figure 2,

page_text: thus adapting it to act on the surfaces of a boot heel and sole, without liability of
contact of the holders 61 61 with said surfaces.
The flexible periphery may be caused to project more or less, by adjusting the
holders toward or from each other, one or both of the holders being preferably
made capable of adjustment for this purpose.
In assembling the parts of the tool or wheel, I prefer to separate the holders
sufficiently to hold the cloth periphery taut, as shown in Figure 1; and then, by
adjusting one or both of the holders, give the said periphery the desired fulness.
It will be seen that, by constructing a burnishing-wheel with rigid sides and a
flexible periphery, the whole enclosing an air-chamber, and maintaining a constant
pressure of air in said chamber through air-passages in the shaft which carries said
wheel, I provide a durable and efficient rotary burnishing or polishing device,
which is sufficiently flexible to meet all requirements.
I do not limit myself to the described construction of the wheel, and may
variously modify the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.
The shaft may be provided with more than one of the improved wheels, as
shown in Figures 3 and 4, in which I show the shaft provided with two wheels and
journalled in bearings in a supporting-frame s on a standard s'.
In Figures 1 and 2, I show the flexible periphery b composed of two sheets or
thicknesses 5 6, the inner one of which is or may be permanently attached to the
flanges 8 of the holders b¹¹, the outer sheet being clamped between the two parts
or jaws of each holder. The outer sheet may therefore be removed and replaced
by a new one whenever desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. A burnishing or polishing device, comprising a shaft having an air-passage,
a wheel affixed to said shaft, said wheel being composed of rigid sides and a flexible
periphery, the whole enclosing an air-chamber which communicates with the air-
passage of the shaft, so that the flexible periphery may be pressed outwardly and
yieldingly supported by air-pressure in said chamber, and means for continuously
maintaining pressure in said chamber, as set forth.
2nd. A burnishing or polishing device, comprising a shaft having an air-passage,
rigid holders affixed to said shaft, and a flexible periphery secured to said holders,
one or both of said holders being adjustable on the shaft to vary the shape of said
periphery, as set forth.
3rd. A burnishing or polishing device, composed of a shaft having an air-passage,
two-part holders attached to said shaft, and a flexible periphery clamped at its
marginal portions between the parts of said holders, as set forth.
4th. A burnishing or polishing device, composed of a shaft having an air-passage,
holders attached to said shaft and each composed of an inner and an outer jaw, and
a flexible periphery composed of an inner sheet permanently attached to the inner
jaws and an outer sheet clamped between said jaws, as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of April 1893.
HAROLD ARTHUR WEBSTER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.