Apparatus for precision grinding of end mounted objects

Apparatus for supporting an object while it is being dressed and for moving the object relative to dressing means positioned to be contacted by a side portion of the object during axial travel of the object, comprising:

• a vertically oriented piston having a lower postion and a pressure surface;
• mounting means for securing the object in a vertical position to one end of the piston;
• a cylinder having an open end into which the piston is received with said one end of the piston projecting outwardly from said open end of the cylinder;
• said cylinder and said piston defining a variable volume chamber therebetween, with at least a portion of said chamber being below the pressure surface;
• supply means for continuously supplying pressurized fluid into said chamber and to the pressure surface, said supply means having first and second modes;
• with said pressurized fluid, when the supply means is in its first mode, exerting an upward force on the pressure surface that is sufficient to overcome the combined weight of the piston and the object and to move the piston and the object axially upwardly and the piston away from its lower position;
• and
• with said pressurized fluid, when the supply means is in its second mode, exerting an upward force on the pressure surface that is less than said combined weight by a predetermined amount, to counterbalance a portion of said combined weight, and to allow the downward force of said combined weight alone, without the application of any other downward force, to move the piston and the object axially downwardly at a controlled rate when the piston is above its lower position;
• and
• leak means for allowing the pressurized fluid to leak out of said chamber and away from the pressure surface as the piston and the object move downwardly.

Apparatus for supporting a tool element while it is being ground, and for moving such tool element relative to a grinding element positioned to be contacted by a side portion of the tool element during axial travel of the tool element, comprising:

• a vertically oriented support assembly that includes a piston member, and a cylinder member having an open end into which the piston member is received;
• one of said members being movable and having a pressure surface, and the other of said members being fixed;
• and said members defining a variable volume chamber therebetween, with at least a portion of said chamber being below said pressure surface;
• means on an outer end portion of said movable member for receiving a tool element to be ground with the axis of said tool element disposed vertically;
• supply means for continuously supplying pressurized fluid into said chamber and to said pressure surface to exert an upward force on said movable member that is less than the combined weight of said movable member and said tool element by a predetermined amount to thereby counterbalance a portion of said combined weight;
• moving means for exerting an additional upward force on said movable member to move said movable member and said tool element axially upwardly;
• and
• leak means for allowing the pressurized fluid supplied to said pressure surface to leak away from said pressure surface to in turn allow the downward force of said combined weight alone to move said movable member and said tool element axially downwardly at a controlled rate upon removal of the additional upward force of the moving means, without the application of any other downward force.

Apparatus for supporting a tool element while it is being ground, and for moving such tool element relative to a grinding element positioned to be contacted by a side portion of the tool element during axial travel of the tool element, comprising:

• a vertically oriented support assembly that includes a piston member, and a cylinder member having an open end into which the piston member is received;
• one of said members being movable and having a pressure surface, and the other of said members being fixed;
• and said members defining a variable volume chamber therebetween, with at least a portion of the chamber being below said pressure surface;
• means on an outer end portion of said movable member for receiving a tool element to be ground with the axis of said tool element disposed vertically;
• supply means for continuously supplying pressurized fluid into said chamber and to the pressure surface, said supply means having first and second modes;
• with said pressurized fluid, when the supply means is in its first mode, exerting an upward force on the pressure surface that is sufficient to overcome the combined weight of said movable member and said tool element and to move said movable member and said tool element axially upwardly;
• and with said pressurized fluid, when the supply means is in its second mode, exerting an upward force on the pressure surface that is less than said combined weight by a predetermined amount, to counterbalance a portion of said combined weight;
• pressurized fluid bearing means between said piston member and said cylinder member;
• and
• leak means for allowing the pressurized fluid supplied to the pressure surface to leak away from the pressure surface to in turn allow the downward force of said combined weight alone, without the application of any other downward force, to move said movable member and said tool element axially downwardly at a controlled rate when the supply means is in its second mode;
• said leak means including a leak passageway defined by radially closely adjacent portions of the piston member and the cylinder member;
• and said leak means being always open to allow said pressurized fluid to leak away from the pressure surface regardless of the mode which the supply means is in, to in turn allow an operator to cause said movable member and said tool element to be moved axially downwardly by said combined weight simply by changing the supply means from its first to its second mode.