Finishing of annular articles
OwnerRalph F. J. Flowerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of finishing an annular component such as a brush seal to a substantially uniform wall thickness, and apparatus therefor. Two rollers are mounted with their axes parallel, one roller being spatially fixed and the other biassed by a spring towards said one roller, whereby the annular article may be held therebetween. A machining operation, such as centerless grinding or centerless electro-discharge errosion is performed on the article as the article is turned by power-driving at least one of the two rollers, the machining operation using the spatially fixed roller as a reference surface for the machining.
Claims15
A method of finishing an annular article having a peripheral wall to provide an annular article having a substantially constant radial thickness, which method comprises holding said article between at least one pair of radially adjacent rotatable members mounted on a frame with the axes of said rotatable members substantially parallel, one said rotatable member being spatially fixed and engaging the inner or outer circumference of said article peripheral wall and the other said rotatable member being biased in a direction normal to its axis of rotation so as to be urged towards said spatially fixed and radially adjacent rotatable member so as also to engage said article peripheral wall circumference radially aligned with and immediately juxtaposed that circumference engaged by said one rotatable member, driving at least one of said rotatable members to cause the article to be rotated, and removing unwanted material from the article during the rotation thereof by operation of machining means juxtaposed the rotating article, the spatially fixed rotatable member providing a reference surface against which the machining operation is carried out to insure formation of a constant radial wall thickness regardless of the planar configuration of the annular article, said machining means including a head having a substantially circular tool element rotatable about its own axis and mounted with its axis at an angle to the vertical, the head being mounted on a frame for movement both substantially vertically and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the tool element, the machining operation being performed by actuating the head as the article is rotated.
Apparatus for removing material from one of the inner and outer circumferences of the peripheral wall of an annular article to provide a substantially uniform wall thickness, which apparatus comprises a frame, at least one pair of adjacent rotatable members each having an axis of rotation and supported on the frame with the axes of the rotatable members substantially parallel, one said rotatable member being spatially fixed, means biasing the other said rotatable member in a direction normal to its axis of rotation towards said spatially fixed rotatable member, said article peripheral wall insertable between said rotatable members with radially adjacent inner and outer circumferences thereof engaged by said two rotatable members, power drive means operable to effect rotation of at least one of said rotatable members to rotate said engaged article, and machining means adapted to remove material projecting from one of the inner and outer circumferences of the article with said spatially fixed rotatable member serving as a reference surface for said machining means, the machining means having a head including a substantially circular tool element mounted for rotation about its own axis on the head, the head being mounted on a frame for movement both generally vertically and parallel to the axis of rotation of the electrode which axis is at an angle to the vertical.
A method of finishing an annular article having a peripheral wall to provide an annular article having a substantially constant radial thickness, which method comprises holding said article between at least one pair of radially adjacent rotatable members mounted on a frame with the axes of said rotatable members substantially parallel, one said rotatable member being spatially fixed and engaging the inner or outer circumference of said article peripheral wall and the other said rotatable member being biased in a direction normal to its axis of rotation so as to be urged towards said spatially fixed and radially adjacent rotatable member so as also to engage said article peripheral wall circumference radially aligned with and immediately juxtaposed that circumference engaged by said one rotatable member, driving at least one of said rotatable members to cause the article to be rotated and removing unwanted material from the article during the rotation thereof by a centerless electro-discharge device juxtaposed to the rotating article, the spatially fixed rotatable member providing a reference surface against which the machining operation is carried out to insure formation of a constant radial wall thickness regardless of the planar configuration of the annular article, said electro-discharge device having a beam including a substantially circular electrode rotatable about its own axis and mounted with its axis at an angle to the vertical, the head being mounted on a frame for movement both substantially vertically and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the electrode, the electro-discharge operation being performed by actuating the head as the article is rotated.
Apparatus for removing material from one of the inner and outer circumferences of the peripheral wall of an annular article to provide a substantially uniform wall thickness, which apparatus comprises a frame, at least one pair of adjacent rotatable members each having an axis of rotation and supported on the frame with the axes of the rotatable members substantially parallel, one said rotatable member being spatially fixed, means biasing the other said rotatable member in a direction normal to its axis of rotation towards said spatially fixed rotatable member, said article peripheral wall insertable between said rotatable members with radially adjacent inner and outer circumferences thereof engaged by said two rotatable members, power drive means operable to effect rotation of at least one of said rotatable members to rotate said engaged article, and a centerless electro-discharge machine adapted to remove material projecting from one of the inner and outer circumferences of the article with said spatially fixed rotatable member serving as a reference surface for said electro-discharge machine, the electro-discharge machine having an electro-discharge head including a substantially circular electrode mounted for rotation about its own axis on the head, the head being mounted on a frame for movement both generally vertically and parallel to the axis of rotation of the electrode which axis is at an angle to the vertical.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.