Bit sharpening apparatus and method of using

A sharpening apparatus for a cutting bit having a flat face comprising;

• a. a chuck for holding the cutting bit;
• b. an grinding wheel having a flat face and a grinding wheel shaft;
• c. a chuck support including means for adjusting the rotational angle of the bit so that the bit cutting face is in a plane that has the same orientation with respect to the vertical as said grinding wheel face;
• d. a plurality of support plates in a stacked relationship comprising;
• i. a pivot plate supporting the chuck support for rotating the chuck support so that the bit cutting face is in a plane parallel to the grinding wheel face;
• ii a carriage plate to position the chuck support and pivot plate so that the bit cutting face is spaced in front of the grinding wheel face;
• iii. a side adjustment plate between the carriage plate and pivot plate to move the bit cutting face into and against the grinding wheel face in a motion parallel to the grinding wheel shaft;
• and
• e. index means to move said side adjustment plate in small increments.

A sharpening apparatus for sharpening a cutting bit wherein the cutting bit has a flat face comprising;

• a. a chuck adapted to hold the cutting bit;
• b. a grinding wheel having a flat face;
• c. a chuck support adapted to bring the cutting bit flat face into engagement with the grinding wheel flat face;
• d. a laser;
• e. a target contiguous to the laser;
• the laser being positioned to deflect a laser beam off the bit flat face onto said target, the target having horizontal and vertical cross hairs;
• f. adjustment means adapted to pivotally adjust the bit flat face on both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis;
• and
• g. said laser and target being positioned so that focusing the deflected beam onto the target horizontal and vertical cross hairs accurately aligns the bit flat face with the grinding wheel flat face.