Tool for smoothing a workpiece
OwnerStephen K. Harrelinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool for abrading a workpiece to smooth the surface thereof. The tool has a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion has a smooth and non-abrading surface, with one or more depressions formed therein. Each depression includes an abrading mechanism. The abrading mechanism does not protrude above the smooth surface of the working portion of the tool. During operation, once the workpiece has been smoothed by removal of the raised areas by the abrading mechanism, the smooth surface of the tool engages the workpiece and further abrasion of the workpiece is prevented.
Claims16
A tool for use in removing material from a workpiece to smooth a surface of the workpiece, said tool comprising:
- a shank portion adapted to be held by a power-driven implement of the type providing movable contact between said tool and the workpiece;
- a working portion of said tool connected to said shank portion, said working portion adapted for contacting said workpiece, and said working portion having a smooth surface area adapted for preventing abrasion of the workpiece when moved into contact therewith;
- and
- said working portion of said tool having one or more depressions formed in said smooth surface area, each depression having an abrading mechanism for abrading raised areas of the workpiece, said abrading mechanism does not protrude above said smooth surface area, whereby when the raised areas of the workpiece are abraded and reduced in height by the working portion of said tool, the smooth surface area of said working portion of said tool is then caused to engage the workpiece and further abrasion of the workpiece is prevented.
A method of removing material from a workpiece using a tool to smooth a surface of the workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- using a tool of the type having a smooth surface area adjacent one or more depressions, where each depression has an abrading mechanism therein;
- attaching the tool to an implement of the type for imparting relative movement between the tool and the workpiece;
- engaging the tool with a surface of the workpiece and allowing relative movement therebetween to reduce a height of raised areas on the surface of the workpiece by said abrading mechanism;
- and
- preventing abrading of the surface of the workpiece once the raised areas have been reduced in height by engagement of the smooth surface areas of the tool with the surface of the workpiece.
A method of making a tool adapted for smoothing a surface of a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- forming a tool having a shank portion and a working portion, said shank portion adapted for attachment to an implement of the type for imparting movement to the tool;
- forming said working portion for engagement with the workpiece;
- forming a smooth and nonabrasive surface on said working portion of the tool;
- forming one or more depressions so as to be adjacent the smooth and nonabrasive surface;
- and
- forming an abrading mechanism in each said depression so that the abrading mechanism does not protrude above the smooth and nonabrasive surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.