Ultrasonically driven low-speed rotary motor

A low speed rotary polisher insert for an ultrasonic device having a housing with means for inducing longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations, the insert comprising:

• a sleeve for plugging the insert into the housing;
• a vibrator supported in the sleeve, having a transducer at one end projecting toward the housing and responsive thereto for producing longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations in the vibrator, and having driving tip means at the other end for converting the longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations into elliptical motion:
• a frame;
• means for releasably connecting the frame to the sleeve;
• a pair of rollers including bearing means supporting the rollers on the frame for axial rotation, the rollers being on opposite sides of the driving tip means for tangential engagement thereby during opposite arcs of the elliptical motion thereof to rotate the rollers axially;
• means for urging the rollers against the driving tip and for simultaneous rotational coupling of the rollers;
• a polisher rotatably projecting from the frame;
• and
• speed reduction means on the frame and connecting at least one of the rollers to the polisher for rotating the polisher at a reduced speed and for isolating the radial thrust applied to the rollers by the elliptical motion of the driving tip means from the polisher.

For use in an ultrasonic device having a projecting vibrator portion moving elliptically, a polisher head unit comprising:

• a frame;
• means for releasably connecting the frame to the ultrasonic device with the projecting, elliptically moving vibrator portion extending toward the frame;
• at least one roller having an axis of rotation generally normal to the vibrator portion, loading means for urging the roller against the vibrator portion and bearing means supporting the roller on the frame adjacent the projecting vibrator portion for tangential engagement thereby during an arc of the elliptical motion thereof to rotate the roller unidirectionally;
• a polisher rotatably projecting from the frame;
• and
• speed reduction means on the frame and connecting the roller to the polisher for rotating the polisher at a reduced speed and for isolating thrusts applied to the polisher and bearing means from each other.