US 4,570,278 A · Portable polisher and buffs therefor

Abstract

Portable polishers and buffs are provided for surface preparation or for surface repair of substrates such as sheet aluminum. The polisher and buffs are particularly well suited for restoring the polished finish of aluminum aircraft skin that has been dulled by normal use and to repair blemishes on polished aluminum that occur during handling and fabrication. Elongated polishing rolls or buffs counter-rotate such that one polishing buff rotates in a clockwise direction about its elongated axis and another polishing buff rotates in a counterclockwise direction about its elongated axis. The buffs, which include a plurality of fabric disks that are axially compacted and secured onto a disposable sleeve, provide a buff having substantially enhanced polishing attributes. A universal mount assembly is also provided to facilitate use of the portable polisher in combination with a power-assisted lift assembly.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A polishing roll buff assembly for a polishing apparatus including an elongated drive arbor depending from and rotatably mounted with respect to a frame assembly, said elongated drive arbor having a peripheral surface and an elongated longitudinal axis, said elongated longitudinal axis being generally parallel to the surface of the substrate being prepared by the apparatus, the improvement comprising said polishing roll buff assembly including:

an elongated, disposable cylinder having an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said elongated, cylindrically shaped driven arbor of the polishing apparatus;
a plurality of fabric disks assembled onto and generally along the length of said elongated, disposable cylinder;
said plurality of fabric disks are positioned adjacent to each other and are axially compressed together, said disks having been affixed to said elongated, disposable cylinder while said disks had been so axially compressed to form an axially compacted buff assembly;
and
said axially compacted buff assembly has an axial compression of at least about 5 percent and up to about 15 percent of the total length of the fabric disks when uncompacted.

2 more elements

A portable polishing apparatus for surface preparation of substrates comprising:

a frame assembly having handle means mounted thereonto for grasping and controlling the apparatus;
two elongated drive arbors depending from and rotatably mounted with respect to said frame assembly, each said elongated drive arbor having a peripheral surface and an elongated longitudinal axis, each said elongated longitudinal axis being generally parallel to the surface of the substrate being prepared by the apparatus;
an elongated disposable polishing roll buff assembly securely mounted over the peripheral surface of each of said elongated drive arbors;
motor means for imparting rotational movement to each said buff assembly, said motor means being in operative interengagement with each of said elongated drive arbors;
drive means operatively engaging said motor means and said elongated drive arbors for transmitting rotational movement from said motor means to one of the elongated drive arbors and its polishing roll in a clockwise direction and to the other of said elongated drive arbors and its polishing roll in a counterclockwise direction, whereby said polishing rolls counter-rotate with respect to each other;
and
said elongated polishing roll includes an elongated, disposable cylinder having an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the drive arbors, and a plurality of fabric disks assembled onto said elongated, disposable cylinder, said plurality of fabric disks being positioned adjacent to each other and axially compressed together to form an axially compacted buff assembly.

4 more elements

A portable polishing apparatus for surface preparation of substrates comprising:

a frame assembly having a universal mount assembly mounted thereonto for grasping and controlling the apparatus, said universal mount assembly including means for permitting angular movement from a vertical orientation through a full circle, said vertical orientation being generally perpendicular to the major dimension of the apparatus;
two elongated drive arbors depending from and rotatably mounted with respect to said frame assembly, each said elongated drive arbor having a peripheral surface and an elongated longitudinal axis, each said elongated longitudinal axis being generally parallel to the surface of the substrate being prepared by the apparatus;
an elongated disposable polishing roll buff assembly securely mounted over the peripheral surface of each of said elongated drive arbors;
motor means for imparting rotational movement to each said buff assembly, said motor means being in operative interengagement with each of said elongated drive arbors;
and
drive means operatively engaging said motor means and said elongated drive arbors for transmitting rotational movement from said motor means to one of the elongated drive arbors and its polishing roll in a clockwise direction and to the other of said elongated drive arbors and its polishing roll in a counterclockwise direction, whereby said polishing rolls counter-rotate with respect to each other.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable polisher and buffs therefor

Life of this patent

Portable polisher and buffs therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30