Patent ID: 8366518

Claim:
An orbital smoothing device for smoothing a surface of a substrate, said orbital smoothing device comprising: a) a rotatable plate, wherein said plate is driveable by a motor in at least one of a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction; and b) a plurality of smoothing pad assemblies coupled to said plate, wherein each of said plurality of smoothing pad assemblies is capable of independent rotation in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, and wherein each of said plurality of smoothing pad assemblies comprises: i) a shaft for coupling the respective smoothing pad assembly to the rotatable plate; ii) means for providing independent rotation in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions mounted on the shaft and securable in a pad holder; and iii) a pad holder for receiving and securing the means for independent rotation, said pad holder having removably mounted thereon a smoothing pad capable of smoothing the surface of the substrate when the rotatable plate is driven by the motor, wherein each of the plurality of smoothing pad assemblies rotates independent of the other of the plurality of smoothing pad assemblies in the clockwise and/or the counterclockwise direction and the resistance of each of the plurality of smoothing pad assemblies against the surface of the substrate is substantially the only force that causes rotational movement of each of the plurality of smoothing pad assemblies.