Patent ID: 7901268

Claim:
A method of grinding one of journal sections axially spaced on the axis of a workpiece with a rotating grinding wheel, with the workpiece being rotatably supported by a work spindle of a cylindrical grinding machine, each of the journal sections having a cylindrical surface and a pair of shoulder surfaces extending radially outward at opposite end portions of the cylindrical surface, the method comprising the steps of: feeding the grinding wheel in a radial direction first to grind the shoulder surfaces of one journal section and then to grind the cylindrical surface of the one journal section; advancing a rest shoe, provided on a side opposite to the grinding wheel with the workpiece therebetween, to an advanced position where the rest shoe contacts with another journal section axially spaced from the one journal section to decrease the flection of the workpiece caused by grinding resistance; retracting the grinding wheel by a fixed distance at a slow feed rate upon completion of the cylindrical surface grinding; retracting the rest shoe away from said another journal section upon completion of the fixed-distance retraction of the grinding wheel; and commencing retracting the grinding wheel at a rapid feed rate after the rest shoe goes away from said another journal section.