Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding Balls into True Spheres of the Desired Size.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1898- Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Grinding Balls into True Spheres of
the Desired Size.
A communication by ROLLIN HENRY WHITE, of 56, Hillburn Avenue, Cleveland,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
-
The invention has for its objects to grind balls into true spheres of the desired
size; and to provide means whereby the ground balls may be quickly removed and
a fresh supply to be ground introduced into the machine.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter
described and claimed.
In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section; Figure 2 is a
front view of a part of the machine; Figure 3 is a plan view of the loader:
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the machine through the adjusting screw H
looking toward the front of the machine; Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view
on the plane indicated by line 5 of Figure 4.
The frame of the machine consists, as shown, of a base A, an upper member A¹
which is bolted on the base, and a casting A2, which is bolted to the front side of
the base. This is a convenient and economical construction,--but the frame may
be of any suitable construction.
A vertically movable slide C is mounted in guides on the front face of the
upper frame member. Two horizontal arms ce which project forward from said
slide furnish bearings for a vertical grinder shaft d. The cylindrical grinder D
is secured to the lower end of this shaft in any suitable manner, and a driving
pulley dis secured to the shaft between said arms cc.
On the rear side of the slide are two horizontal arms c¹ c¹, between which lies a
nut h. This nut screws onto a threaded rod H, which rod passes through per-
forations in said arm c¹ c¹. The slide is supported by the rod H, and, when the
slide is in the lowest position, the lower end of this rod is preferably supported
upon the frame.
A horizontal worm shaft B is mounted in a sleeve formed upon the slide C.
A hand
It engages with worm teeth formed upon the periphery of the nut h.
wheel b is secured to the shaft B, whereby it may be turned, with the result of

page_text: raising or lowering the slide without moving the threaded rod. This affords means
for nicely adjusting the position of the slide, and consequently of the grinder
relative to the balls..
K represents a lever arm which is rigidly secured to a rock shaft k, and to this
rock shaft an arm is rigidly secured. This lever arm is connected by means of a
link L with the lower end of the threaded rod H-these two parts being pivoted
together. Obviously, by moving the lever K to the right, as shown in Figure 1,
the slide C is raised. A counterweight W attached to a rope w assists in lifting
the slide, because said rope passes over a sheave and is secured to the upper
bracket arm c.
The lever K may be secured at either of these two extreme posi-
tions by a latch 2 which engages with notches m in a segment bar M secured to the
side of the base of the machine.
If the parts described furnished the sole support for the slide C, the bending of
the lever or lever arm ¹ or of the link L would cause a variation in the height
of the lower face of the grinder D, which obviously is undesirable; therefore, the
pivot between link L and threaded rod H fits loosely the holes which receive it,
and this allows the lower end of the threaded rod to rest, as before explained, upon
the frame, when the slide C is lowered.
The hand wheel b is graduated to co-operate with the pointer I, which is secured
to the sleeve c². A second pointer 2 is clamped to the hand wheel by the same
nut which holds the hand wheel upon the shaft B. This pointer 2 may, at the
beginning of a grinding operation, be set in line with the pointer I; thereafter
it will move with the hand wheel, and therefore show how far said hand wheel
has been moved from the position it originally occupied when the grinding
operating began.
It is obviously necessary that the grinding face of the grinder shall always
remain in a horizontal position, and it is therefore desirable to provide means for
adjusting the mechanism, so that this condition may be brought about and main-
tained at all times. The means provided consist of three wedges placed between the
meeting faces of the base A and upper frame member A', said wedges P' being
placed respectively at the sides and near the front of said meeting faces and at
the rear thereof. These wedges are moved in or out by means of the bolts p
having the flanges which enter corresponding notches in the wedges.
The bed plate and the two horizontal bracket arms a are parts of the
frame member A². In the bed plate a circular opening is formed, around the
upper edge of which a flat ring f of hardened metal is set. A hardened metal
sleeve is fitted in said opening and is vertically movable therein. The upper
edge of this sleeve, which is slightly inclined downward from its outer periphery,
and the inner edge of the ring f form the raceway F in which the balls to be
ground are held. It should be here stated that this circular opening and raceway
are eccentric to the axis of the grinder.
represents an adjusting sleeve which is externally threaded and screws into
said circular opening in the bed plate from the lower end thereof, and the fune-
tion of this sleeve is to adjust the position of the sleeve f¹ to compensate for wear.
Sleeves ggare respectively mounted in the. two arms a, and a shaft G is
mounted in these sleeves, this shaft being concentric with the ball raceway and
consequently eccentric with the grinder. The revolver J is secured to the upper
end of this shaft. Its form is that of an inverted truncated cone, that is ito say,
its periphery is bevelled from the top inward, as shown, and its functions are
to hold the balls in the raceway while they are being ground, and to move them
around therein during the grinding operation. Its diameter and position is such
that it touches the balls in the raceway F just above their centers.
A bevel gear 2 is secured to the sleeve g¹. A bevel gear is secured to the
driven shaft N, whereby the sleeve gl is revolved. This sleeve is provided with
tongues which enter grooves g in the shaft G, whereby the shaft is compelled
to revolve with the sleeve, but is permitted to move vertically therein. Shoulders g
and on the shaft.G lie respectively below and above the ends of the sleeve,

page_text: wherefore the vertical movement of said sleeve whether up or down corre-
spondingly moves the shaft. This sleeve is moved up and down by means of a
fork lever R which is pivoted to the frame member A³, and is pivoted to said
sleeve g.
T represents a cylinder which fits and is adapted to slide in the sleeves f¹
and This cylinder has a recess in its upper end, the bottom of which recess
is inclined toward the opening t¹ therein, which may be closed by a swinging
valve 2. The sleeve and its bottom form a receiver into which the finished
balls are discharged. The upper edge of this cylinder while the balls are being
ground, lies just below the raceway. The cylinder T loosely embraces the
sleeve and rests upon the upper arm a. A collar 3 surrounds and is vertically
movable upon the sleeve g. and this collar is rigidly connected by two arms t
with cylinder T. A lever X which is pivoted to the frame member A² is also
pivotally connected with this collar ³, whereby said sleeve may be raised.
U represents a horizontal arm which is pivoted on a vertical pivot u to the
side of the frame of the machine. Depending feet u support a ring V, the inner
periphery of which is bevelled outward from its lower side. Y represents a
plate which is loosely mounted upon a vertical stud 2 which is secured to the
arm U, said stud having a flange u on its lower end, which limits the downward
movement of said plate Y. The outer periphery of this plate Y is slightly
bevelled inward from its lower edge, and when this plate rests upon the flange u³,
it, together with the ring V forms an annular V-shaped groove. This ring
and plate constitute the loader, that is to say, the device whereby the ball race F
may be quickly filled with balls.
When the balls
The operation of the described mechanism is as follows:
are in the raceway, the shaft C and consequently the revolver J are rotated, thereby
causing the balls to move around in the raceway. At the same time, the eccen-
trically set grinder is rotated in contact with the balls: It is evident that the balls
will be rotated by these instrumentalities in such manner as to, sooner or later,
bring all parts of the balls in contact with the grinder, wherefore each ball will
be ground into a true spherical form..
When this operation has been completed, the slide C and with it the grinder D
are raised by the action of the lever K. Then the revolver J is raised by the
operation of the lever R, and this permits the balls just ground to fall down into
the recess in the cylinder T, from which they may be removed through the
opening t¹.
arm U
The groove formed between the ring V and plate Y is filled with
balls, this operation being performed while the first series of balls
is being ground. When the grinder has been raised, the
is turned upon its pivot, until the loader groove in which the balls have
been placed, is directly over the race way F. Then by the operation of the
lever X, the cylinder T is raised, whereby it becomes temporarily an inner wall
to the raceway F. The further upward movement of this cylinder brings it into
engagement with the revolver J, which is raised. The revolver engages with and
raises the plate Y, thereby allowing the balls in the loader groove to fall into
the raceway F. When the lever X is lowered, all of these parts reverse their
movement and return to the position shown in Figure 1,-the revolver coming
into contact with the balls in said raceway.
The sleeve g may be drawn down by a spring t, which embraces the sleeve g
and thrusts against the arm a6, and a nut 7 on the sleeve connecting the bars t.
The slide C is then lowered until the grinder engages with the balls, and the
operations are repeated.
From the foregoing description it is clear that it is the relative movement
vertically of the race way F and revolver J, which causes the release of the
finished balls, -and that it is not essential to the invention broadly considered,
which of these two parts so moves. So it is the relative movement of the raceway
and cylinder T which is necessary to close the inner periphery of the raceway,

page_text: and it is the relative movement of the ring and plate of the loader which is
necessary to release the balls from the loader groove. It is not therefore intended
to limit the invention to a construction wherein the raceway is vertically
immovable except as clearly indicated in the claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is;-
1. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a non-rotating circular raceway
open at its inner periphery, a rotating revolver in the form of an inverted frustum
of a cone, which is inside of and concentric with the said raceway,-the periphery
of said revolver being adapted to bear upon the balls in the raceway, whereby it
moves the balls around said raceway, and prevents their escape therefrom, an
eccentric rotary grinder, and mechanism for moving said grinder and revolver
upward relative to the raceway, substantially as specified.
2. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a raceway open at its inner
periphery, a revolver inside of and concentric with said raceway, which revolver
is in the form of an inverted frustum of a cone, and is adapted to hear upon the
balls in the raceway to hold and move them therein, a hollow cylinder concentric
with and inside of said raceway, but normally below the same, an eccentric rotary
grinder adapted to bear upon the balls in the raceway, mechanism for moving the
grinder, revolver and hollow cylinder upward relative to the raceway, for the
purpose of first releasing the balls from the raceway and allowing them to fall in
said hollow cylinder, and then to cause said hollow cylinder to temporarily close the
inner periphery of the raceway, whereby said raceway may be loaded with balls,
substantially as specified.
3. In a ball grinding machine, the combination of an endless ball raceway and
a rotating grinder for grinding the balls therein, said raceway and grinder being
capable of relative vertical movement toward and from each other, with a loader
having a groove of the same size and shape as the ball raceway and adapted to
contain balls to be ground, and means for releasing said balls through the bottom
of said groove, substantially as specified.
4. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a circular raceway, a vertically
movable revolver, a vertically movable cylinder inside the raceway and below it
and the revolver, a loader consisting of an outer ring and an inner vertically
movable plate, means for holding the loader over the ball raceway, and mechanism
for raising the said cylinder, revolver and inner loader plate, substantially as
specified.
5. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a circular raceway, a vertically
movable revolver, a vertically movable cylinder inside the raceway and below it
and the revolver, a loader consisting of an outer ring and an inner vertically
movable plate, a pivoted arm carrying the loader, and adapted to be swung to
bring the loader over the raceway, and mechanism for raising said cylinder,
revolver and inner loader plate, substantially as specified.
6. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a circular ball raceway, a rotary
grinder eccentric thereto, a vertically movable slide which supports the grinder
shaft, a vertically movable threaded rod and means for moving and supporting
the same, and an adjusting nut which connects said rod and slide, substantially
as specified.
7. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a circular ball raceway, a
rotary grinder eccentric thereto, a vertically movable slide which supports the
grinder shaft, a vertically movable threaded rod and means for moving the same,
and an adjusting nut which connects said rod and slide, an operating lever,
mechanism connecting the same with said threaded rod, a fixed support for the
lower end of said rod, an adjustable worm nut which connects said threaded
rod and slide, and a worm shaft mounted on the slide for turning said nut, sub-
stantially as specified.

page_text: 8. In a ball grinding machine, in combination, a base which supports the
ball raceway, an upper frame member which supports the grinder and is bolted
to the base, three adjustable wedges interposed between the base and upper
frame member, and means for operating said wedges, substantially as specified.
Dated this 15th day of August 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.