Programmable Coolant Nozzle System for Grinding
AssigneesDimensional Control, Inc., Cool-Grind Technologies, LLC
InventorsJohn A. Webster, Stephen R. Gardner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A programmable coolant nozzle system and method for grinding wheel machines. The system comprises a fluid manifold block that automatically or manually follows the wear of the grinding wheel, to position coolant jets tangential to the wheel surface throughout the life of the grinding wheel. The positioning is by an arcuate motion, through a parallelogram mechanism, to ensure that the coolant jets remain at the same angle to the grinding wheel surface throughout the entire range of motion.
Claims20
A coolant nozzle system for a machine tool that uses a grinding wheel having a circumferential grinding surface when rotated around the axis of a spindle that passes through a spindle housing, comprising:
- a rigid mechanical mount;
- a drive carried by the mount;
- a fluid pressure manifold block;
- an inlet port fluidly connectable to a source of cooling fluid for providing a flow of cooling fluid to the manifold block;
- at least one nozzle carried on and in fluid communication with the manifold block for directing a jet of coolant toward the grinding surface;
- a parallelogram mechanism connected to the manifold block for supporting and articulating the manifold block in an arcuate path;
- and
- a drive system including actuator operatively connecting the manifold block with the parallelogram mechanism and thereby articulating the manifold block on said arcuate path relative to the grinding surface.
In a coolant nozzle system on a machine tool that uses a grinding wheel having a circumferential grinding surface when rotated around the axis of a spindle, the improvement comprising:
- a fluid pressure manifold block having a fluid inlet and supporting at least one fluidly connected coolant nozzle aimed to deliver cooling fluid onto the grinding surface;
- a parallelogram mechanism connected to the manifold block;
- and
- a drive system operatively associated with the manifold block to displace the manifold block in an arcuate path defined by the parallelogram mechanism,
- whereby the at least one nozzle is displaced along a corresponding arcuate path.
In machine tool that uses a grinding wheel having a circumferential grinding surface which rotates about a spindle axis with a diameter that varies over time, a method for delivering coolant to the grinding surface commensurate with the variable diameter, comprising:
- positioning a cooling fluid manifold block relative to the spindle axis, with at least one fluidly connected nozzle directing a jet of coolant toward the grinding surface along a discharge centerline at an angle relative to vertical;
- and
- as the diameter of the grinding wheel varies over time, continually articulating the manifold block along an arcuate path whereby each of the least one nozzles follows a corresponding arcuate path without changing each centerline angle relative to vertical.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.