Improvements in Machinery for Grinding Spherical Balls.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1887
Complete Left, 15th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1888
OTPOITIVATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Grinding Spherical Balls.
I, PERCY HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 67, Strand,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Henry Richardson of
Massachusetts, United States, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The improvements consist of a standard for supporting the principal operative parts
of the machine with an extension down through the lower part holding a tube which
also projects above the said part the tube being fastened by set screws screwed into
the said part and against the tube.
A spindle or shaft going upward through the bore of the tube, has fixed on the part
of it extending below the tube, a driving pulley. On the portion of the spindle pro-
jecting above the tube, there is fastened concentrically, a conic frustum which is
arranged within and concentrically with an aperture or race in a horizontal annulus,
the said aperture being in the form of an inverted conic frustum.
The annulus is surrounded by another annulus or ring to which it is pivoted
diametrically and the latter annulus is arranged within the prongs of a furcated lever
fulcrumed to the standard. The outer annulus is pivoted to the prongs of the lever
which is connected to the inner ring by what are termed "gim balls.'
A tubular grinder extends upward from and is supported by a disc or head having
a driving pulley projecting down from it. The said pulley and disc or head encompass
and revolve on an eccentric cylindrical sleeve adapted to surround and slide vertically
on the tube but not to revolve thereon, a stud from the tube being extended into a
groove made in the sleeve. The circumference of the sleeve is eccentric relatively to
the bore of such sleeve. At its upper part the sleeve has a flange or head that rests
on the disc.
The sleeve is screw threaded in the part of it which projects below the pulley there
being screwed on the screw threaded part, two rings. The lower of these rings
projects into a notch in a stationary standard projecting upward.
Above a race is the ball revolver which is a disc fixed on the lower part of a vertical
shaft, arranged within the bore of a sleeve fixed in the upper part of the standard and

page_text: held therein by set screws. A pulley is fixed on the shaft above the sleeve, such pulley
being held to the shaft by a set screw. Furthermore, there is a clamping collar fixed
on the sleeve and made to rest on the top of the standard.
The rear arm of the furcated lever has a weight or spring applied to it to force it
downward, in order to press the ring upward against the balls to keep them in contact
with the revolver.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Grinding Spherical Balls.
1, PERCY HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 18 Buckingham
Street, Strand, W.C., London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Henry
Richardson, of 76 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, Manufacturer,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 a vertical, longitudinal and median section and Figure 3 is a top view of
a machine embodying my invention, the nature of which is defined in the claim or
claims hereinafter presented.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken through the grinding wheel pulley and the
eccentric sleeve on which such pulley revolves, when the machine is in operation.
The said machine is to reduce to a true spherical form each of a series of balls.
In the drawings A denotes a standard for supporting the principal operative parts
of the machine. There extends down through the lower arm or part a of the said
standard, a tube B which also projects above the said part a the tube being fastened
in the part a by set screws screwed into the part a and against the tube.
A spindle or shaft C going upward through the bore of the tube, has fixed on the
part of it extending below the tube, a driving pulley d. On the portion of the spindle
projecting above the tube, there is fastened concentrically a conic frustum D which is
arranged within and concentrically with an aperture or race d¹ in a horizontal
annulus E the said aperture being in the form of an inverted conic frustum.

page_text: The annulus E is surrounded by another annulus or ring F to which it is pivoted
diametrically thereof, as shown at e, e and the latter annulus is arranged within the
prongs of a furcated lover G fulcrumed to the standard A. The annulus F is pivoted
to the prongs of the lever as shown at f f a line through such pivots being at right
angles to one through the pivots ee. Thus it will be seen that the lever is connected
to the ring E by what are termed "gim balls."
Under the aperturo d¹ is the tubular grinder H that extends upward from and is
supported by a dise or head h having a driving pulley i projecting down from it as
represented. The said pulley and disc or head encompass and revolve on an eccentric
cylindrical sleeve I adapted to surround and slide vertically on the tube B but not to
revolve thereon, a stud k from the tube being extended into a groove made in the
sleeve. The circumference of the sleeve I is eccentric relatively to the bore of such
sleeve. At its upper part the sleeve has a flange or head m that rests on the disc h.
The
The sleeve is screw threaded as shown at a in the part of it which projects below
the pulley i there being screwed on the screw threaded part two rings n and o.
lower of these rings projects into a notch p in a stationary standard L projecting
upward from the part a.
By revolving the ring o one way, the grinder may be forced upward, it being
correspondingly moved downward by turning the ring the opposite way. By such
means the upper edge of the grinder can be properly adjusted for the series of balls
placed in the aperture or race d¹ to rest in contact with the said upper edge.
As the grinder pulley revolves on the eccentric I the upper or grinding top of the
grinder H will be caused to revolve eccentrically relatively to the race, whereby the
whole surface of the upper edge of the grinder will be caused to act against the balls
and will thereby be prevented from becoming grooved.
Above the race is the ball revolver M which is a disc fixed on the lower part of a
vertical shaft N that is arranged within the bore of a sleeve O fixed in the upper part
of the standard A and held therein by set screws arranged as represented. A
pulleys is fixed on the shaft N above the sleeve O, such pulley being held to the shaft
by a set screw t. Furthermore, there is a clamping collar u fixed on the sleeve O and
made to rest on the top of the standard A.
The balls to be ground are placed in the race d' after which the revolver M is to be
lowered to rest on the balls. This revolver is to be revolved by an endless band
going about the pulleys fixed on the upper part of the shaft N.
The rear arm of the furcated lever G is to have a weight or spring applied to it to
force it downward in order to press the ring E upward against the balls to keep them
in contact with the revolver M. The said ring, by its gim-ball attachment with the
lever, can automatically adjust itself to the series of balls which bear not only against
the ring E but against the periphery of the conic frustum D, such frustum being at
the time revolved so as to aid in turning the balls. While by the disc M, each ball of
the series is revolved around within the race so as to bring more or less of such ball
in contact with the grinder while the latter is in rapid revolution, such ball by the
frustum D will be further turned or revolved, whether such frustum be at rest or in
revolution.
Thus by means of the automatically adjustable ring E the revolver M the frustum D
and the eccentrically revoluble grinder H all the balls will be simultaneously ground
and each will be reduced to, or substantially to, a perfect sphere in shape.
The axis of the shaft N is not in line with that of the shaft C though parallel to
such as extended. By having the axis of such shaft N eccentric with that of the
shaft C the disc M while in revolution, will not be worn or grooved unevenly by the
balls.
Although I have represented the disc D as a conic frustum, its periphery may be
grooved or caused to fit or bear on the balls rather than bo strictly frusto-conical.
The same may be said relatively to the internal periphery of the annulus E. If
desirable the axis of the shaft N may be in a straight line with that of the spindle C
but is preferable to have it a little out of line therewith, as and for the purpose
hereinbefore mentioned.

page_text: R is a lever fulcrumed to a standard S. The inner arm of this lever extends upward
into the race and against the series of balls. The longer arm of the lever works
against a scale T to indicate when the balls are sufficiently reduced. The said arm
may operate in connection with a metallic plate arranged in the circuit of an electro
magnet, the whole being so that when the balls are sufficiently ground, the arm may
-by contact with the plate-close the circuit, and cause the magnet to move its
armature in a manner to put in operation mechanism for stopping the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the revolver M and frustum D provided with means of
revolving them as described, with the ring E automatically adjustable, as set forth,
and with the tubular rotary grinder H arranged with such frustum D and ring E and
having means of revolving it-the said grinder-as explained.
2. The combination of the revoluble tubular grinder H, its pulley i and the verti-
cally adjustable eccentric I having means of adjusting it as described with the conic
frustum D the automatically adjustable annulus E and the revolver M having
mechanism for revolving it as explained the whole being to operate substantially in
manner and for the purpose as represented.
3. The combination of the lever R and scale T with the ball grinding machine sub-
stantially as described consisting of the revolver M, frustum D, automatically adjustable
ring E and grinder H the said grinder and revolver being provided with means of
revolving them as specified.