Patent ID: 7226340

Claim:
A grinding machine, in particular for machining workpieces of small diameters compared to their respective lengths, the grinding machine comprising: a machine bed; a workpiece spindle arranged on the machine bed receiving the workpiece to be machined and allowing rotation of the workpiece during machining; a grinding station arranged next to the workpiece having a grinding spindle for the reception of a grinding tool, which is engageable with the workpiece at a grinding location for machining the workpiece; and a workpiece carrier arranged at the machine bed for the support of the workpiece at the grinding location, wherein the workpiece carrier is formed as a workpiece guide system (WGS) which comprises: a workpiece reception which comprises; a carrier body; a support prism at the carrier body comprising bearing surfaces for engaging the workpiece; a pressure element at the carrier body, the pressure element being movable into a pressure condition and into a release condition, wherein in the pressure condition the pressure element presses the workpiece against the bearing surfaces of the support prism, and wherein in the release condition the pressure element is lifted from the workpiece; and an adjustment device with which the workpiece reception can be adjusted in two axes transversely to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece spindle; wherein the support prism and the pressure element are arranged at said carrier body such that the distribution of forces between the support prism and the pressure element acting on the workpiece located in the support prism is closed only via the carrier body and not via the adjustment device.