Powered abrading tool

A portable abrading or polishing tool comprising:

• a body adapted to be held by a user and carrying a motor;
• a carrier driven rotatably about a first axis by said motor;
• a head connected to said carrier for rotary movement relative thereto about a second axis offset laterally from said first axis and adapted to carry a pad at an axially outer side of the head for abrading or polishing a work surface;
• bearing means connecting said head to the carrier for said relative rotary movement about said second axis and having an axially inner end extending toward the motor and an axially outer end extending away from the motor and toward the location at which the pad is carried;
• a counterweight structure connected to said carrier for rotation therewith about said first axis and having a portion whose mass is unbalanced with respect to said first axis in a relation at least partially counterbalancing the mass of said head and pad;
• said unbalanced portion of the counterweight structure being located closer to said axially outer end of said bearing means than to said axially inner end thereof for close coupling with the pad to minimize vibration in use;
• and
• threaded fastener means attaching said counterweight structure to said carrier and including means engageable with said head for pulling the head axially outwardly relative to the carrier.

A portable abrading or polishing tool comprising:

• a body adapted to be held by a user and carrying a motor;
• a carrier driven rotatably about a first axis by said motor;
• a head connected to said carrier for rotary movement relative thereto about a second axis offset laterally from said first axis and adapted to carry a pad at an axially outer side of the head for abrading or polishing a work surface;
• bearing means connecting said head to the carrier for said relative rotary movement about said second axis and having an axially inner end extending toward the motor and an axially outer end extending away from the motor and toward the location at which the pad is carried;
• a counterweight structure connected to said carrier for rotation therewith about said first axis and having a portion whose mass is unbalanced with respect to said first axis in a relation at least partially counterbalancing the mass of said head and pad;
• said unbalanced portion of the counterweight structure being located closer to said axially outer end of said bearing means than to said axially inner end thereof for close coupling with the pad to minimize vibration in use;
• said head being connected to said bearing means in a relation to pull the bearing means axially outwardly relative to said carrier;
• and
• threaded fastener means attaching said counterweight structure to said carrier and including means engageable with said head to exert force thereagainst for pulling the head and bearing means axially outwardly relative to the carrier.

A portable abrading or polishing tool comprising:

• a body adapted to be held by a user and carrying a motor;
• a carrier driven rotatably about a first axis by said motor and containing a recess;
• a head connected to said carrier for rotary movement relative thereto about a second axis offset laterally from said first axis and having a flange and adapted to carry a pad at an axially outer side of the head for abrading or polishing a work surface;
• bearing means connecting said head to the carrier for said relative rotary movement about said second axis;
• a counterweight structure detachably connectable to said carrier for rotation therewith about said first axis and which is unbalanced with respect to said first axis to at least partially counterbalance the mass of said head and pad, and which is positioned to block detachment of said bearing means from said carrier;
• said bearing means including a first relatively small diameter bearing having an outer race engaging a small diameter portion of said recess in the carrier and an inner race engaging a small diameter portion of said shank, and a second bearing of larger diameter located axially outwardly of said first bearing and having an outer race engaging a larger diameter portion of said recess and an inner race engaging a larger diameter portion of said shank;
• and
• threaded fasteners attaching said counterweight structure to said carrier and having heads confined axially between said counterweight structure and said flange of said head in a relation acting upon unscrewing rotation of said fasteners to exert a pulling force against said flange pulling said head and bearings away from the carrier;
• said flange of the head containing openings for passing a tool through the openings into engagement with said fasteners to turn them in opposite directions.

A portable abrading or polishing tool comprising:

• a body adapted to be held by a user and carrying a motor;
• a part which is power actuable relative to the body by said motor to abrade or polish a work surface;
• means forming a handle at the top of said body which is of generally square horizontal section, and
• a shroud extending downwardly from said handle toward said power actuated part;
• said shroud having a side wall with a lower portion of circular horizontal cross-section near said part and an upper portion deformed to define downwardly flaring side walls interrupting the circular configuration of the side wall and giving said upper portion of the shroud a flaring approximately square horizontal cross section similar to that of said handle.

A portable tool comprising:

• a body adapted to be held by a user and carrying a motor;
• a head power actuated by said motor relative to said body;
• a pad threadedly connected to said head at an axially outer side thereof for abrading or polishing a work surface;
• a shroud extending essentially about the location of said head and enclosing a space at the back of the pad;
• said head having an irregularity engageable with a tool in a relation retaining the head against rotation while the pad is unscrewed therefrom;
• said shroud containing an opening for passing said tool therethrough from the exterior of the shroud to its interior and into engagement with said irregularity to hold said head against rotation;
• said motor being air operated, and said body having an air inlet to which an air supply line is detachably connectable;
• and
• said opening in the shroud being so located that a tool inserted therethrough into engagement with said irregularity of the head is received approximately directly beneath an air supply line connected to said inlet and essentially directly between said inlet and said pad in a relation inducing a user to detach the air line before removing a pad from said head.

A portable abrading or polishing tool comprising:

• a body adapted to be held by a user and carrying a motor;
• a pad which is power actuated relative to said body by said motor;
• a drive connection between said motor and said pad;
• a shroud extending about said drive connection between the motor and pad and defining a compartment at the back of the pad for receiving particles abraded from a workpiece;
• said shroud having an annular forward edge portion adapted to be received closely adjacent said pad and which flares progressively to an increased diameter as it approaches the pad;
• and
• an essentially annular resiliently deformable seal element carried by said flaring forward edge portion of said shroud and projecting therefrom into sealing engagement with a back side of said pad;
• said seal element having a first essentially annular portion adjacent and secured to said flaring forward edge portion of the shroud and flaring in correspondence therewith, and having a second essentially annular portion projecting beyond said edge portion of the shroud and flaring at essentially the same angle as said edge portion of the shroud;
• said seal element having a third annular portion beyond said second portion forming an edge which contacts said pad and is deformed thereby to flare at a greater angle than said edge portion of the shroud or either said first or second portions of the seal element and bears tightly against the pad by virtue of the resilience of said seal element to prevent leakage of abraded particles therepast.

A device comprising:

• a rotor;
• a housing containing a chamber within which the rotor turns and through which fluid flows as the rotor turns;
• a shaft extending through a passage in the rotor and turning therewith;
• said rotor having an inner surface containing an axially extending groove, and said shaft having an outer surface containing an axially extending groove opposite said groove of the rotor;
• a key received partially within said groove of the rotor and partially within said groove of the shaft and keying the rotor and shaft rotatively together;
• and
• a spring received within one of said grooves at a location radially between a wall of said groove and said key and urging said groove wall and key in opposite radial directions to resist relative lateral movement of the rotor and shaft.

A fluid driven rotary motor comprising:

• a housing;
• a rotor within said housing driven rotatively relative thereto by pressure fluid;
• a shaft extending through a passage in the rotor and turning therewith;
• said rotor having an inner surface containing an axially extending groove, and said shaft having an outer surface containing an axially extending groove opposite said groove of the rotor;
• a key received partially within said groove of the rotor and partially within said groove of the shaft and keying the rotor and shaft together rotatively;
• and
• a spring received within one of said grooves at a location radially between a wall of said groove and said key and urging said groove wall and key in opposite radial directions to resist relative lateral movement of the rotor and shaft.