Improvements in Machines for Grinding Metal Balls.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Grinding Metal Balls.
I, WILLIAM HAMILTON WRIGHT, of Kensington Station, in the City of
Buffalo, in the County of Erie, and State of New York, United States of
America, Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention consists in certain improvements whereby the machine is rendered
more perfect in its operation, a greater quantity of balls are ground to a practi-
cally true sphere in a given time and the quality of the work much improved,
all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section in or about line a Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detached top plan view of the grinding disc.
In some of my former machines of this kind the upper disc has been made to
rotate while the lower disc remained stationary. This construction is objection-
able because the emery or other grinding material as it is fed in between the
discs is liable to be thrown against the sides of the central opening in the rotary
disc through which it is passed where it is held by the centrifugal force and
thus effectually prevent the grinding material from being fed between them.
One of the objects of my invention is to obviate this objection. In said drawings,
1 represents the upper portion of the frame of the machine consisting of the
cross bar which is rigidly secured in any well known way, or preferably forming
a part of the rear overhanging arm, 2, which arm extends backward and then
vertically downward where it is rigidly fixed to or forms a part of the lower
portion of the frame piece, 3, and disc 4. The disc 4, is provided with two
oppositely projecting portions, 5, and through the opposite portions 5, and near
the opposite ends of the arm or cross bar, 1, are holes located directly in a line
with each other so that the two vertical bars, 6, pass through and are either
secured by nuts, 7, or by the set screws, 8, substantially as shown in Figures 1
and 2. The vertical driving shaft 9, is mounted and supported so as to turn in
the vertical bearings, which bearings consist of the usual tapering sleeve 10,
fitted in a babbet metal seat 11, and provided with a nut 12, by which it is
drawn up and tightened closely and centrally to this shaft 9, when required.
Above the nut 12, the shaft 9 is reduced in size so as to provide a tapering
portion, 13 (see Figure 1) over which is fitted a circular disc, 14, and rigidly
secured in place by a nut 15. On this disc 14, the lower grinding disc 16, is
rigidly secured by the set screws, 17, so as to rotate with the shaft 9.
At the bottom of the shaft, 9, is a vertical adjusting screw 18, for adjusting
the shaft, 9, and grinding disc, 16, vertically as the disc is worn away by use
or as it may be otherwise required. The upper disc, 19, is secured to a flat
disc, 20 by screw bolts, 21, having two oppositely projecting portions, 22, to
which the holding pieces, 23, are secured by screw bolts, 24.
These holding pieces 23, are made in the form of clamping pieces so they can
be clamped closely to the bars, 6, when required. The disc 20, is provided
with an upwardly projecting tubular hub, 25, having an interior screw-thread 26,
and on the shaft, 9, is mounted a vertical sleeve, 27 having a screw thread, 28,
corresponding with the screw thread 26, so as to fit and operate therein.
upper portion of the sleeve, 27, is provided with a circular hand wheel, 29, for
turning it in either direction. At the top are two surrounding ribs or collars 30 31,
and between the collars are fitted at opposite sides the holding or suspending
Di
The

page_text: pieces, 32, which project into the groove between the collars and thus hold the
sleeve from moving vertically or lengthwise in either direction but permit it to
rotate easily when required, or be moved by the hand wheel,, 29, to adjust the
disc vertically up or down when it is necessary to get at them for any purpose.
The holding or suspending pieces, 32, are securely held in place by the screw
bolts 33, see Figure 1. In the faces 34, of each of the discs, 16 and 19, are
one or more circular grooves 35, the grooves in each corresponding with the
other in which the balls, 36, to be ground are placed.
At the bottom of each of the circular grooves, 35 is a narrow supplementary
groove, 35. This supplementary groove is important in this construction as it
relieves the bottom of the disc so that the ball can wear the groove downward
without increasing its width consequently the balls are ground more evenly and
true and more quickly. These supplementary grooves are shown in Figures 1
and 4. Each grinding disc is provided with a central circular opening, 37,
(shown in Figure 1) and the top or suspending disc 20, is provided with two
holes located substantially opposite each other in which is placed the nozzles of
two funnel shaped receptacles, 38, in one of which is placed or fed the grinding
material and in the other is fed the water or other lubricating material.
The operation is as follows:-
The upper disc is raised sufficiently high by means of the hand wheel 29, to
allow the balls to be ground to be conveniently put in place in the circular
grooves 35.
The disc is now lowered so. that the balls are enclosed or nearly
so between the two discs, the emery or grinding material and water is now let
into the central opening 37 and when it fills up to the top of the opening in the
lower disc (the lower dise being closed and rendered tight by the disc, 14) the
centrifugal force caused by the rapid rotation of the disc, 16 throws the grinding
material and water in between the discs upon the balls the upper disc being
stationary is not effected by the centrifugal force consequently the material is
free to be fed to the balls as required without any obstruction.
The proper
rotary motion may be given to the shaft, 9, and disc 16, in any well known way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
First. In a machine for grinding balls, the combination therewith of an upper
stationary grinding disc mounted on the frame of the machine and having circular
grinding grooves to receive the upper portion of the balls and provided with a
central opening and receptacles for holding the grinding and lubricating material
and a lower rotating disc mounted on the driving shaft having corresponding
circular grinding grooves and a central opening closed at the bottom to receive
hold and distribute the grinding and lubricating material substantially as
described.
Second. The combination of an upper stationary disc having grooves in which
the upper portions of the balls are moved while being ground and a lower
rotating disc mounted on the driving shaft, having corresponding grooves to
receive and hold the balls to be ground each disc being provided with a central
opening, receptacles for holding and feeding the grinding and lubricating material
and a means substantially as above described for raising or adjusting the
stationary disc for the purposes specified.
Third. In a machine for grinding balls a grinding disc having one or more
concentric annular grooves provided with a supplementary groove located in the
rolling or grinding groove, substantially as and for the purposes, herein described
and shown.
Dated this 4th day of November 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.