Method and apparatus for controlling cylinder grinding machines

A method of controlling a cylinder grinding machine including a grinder supporting table rotatably supporting a grinder for grinding a cylindrical workpiece, means for feeding the grinder supporting table in a direction perpendicular to an axis of said cylindrical workpiece and said grinder in their axial directions, workpiece diameter measuring means including a touch sensor adapted to detect engagement of said workpiece diameter measuring means against a periphery of said cylindrical workpiece, and workpiece deflection suppression means including rest members adapted to engage the periphery of said cylindrical workpiece, at respective positions along the axis of said workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving said grinder supporting table to a position at which said touch sensor confronts the periphery of said cylindrical workpiece;
• projecting sad touch sensor toward said periphery;
• advancing said grinder supporting table until said touch sensor contacts said workpiece;
• retracting said grinder supporting table until said touch sensor disengages from said workpiece;
• advancing said rest members of said workpiece deflection suppressing means for causing said rest members to support and slightly deflect said workpiece;
• judging as to whether said touch sensor has come into contact or not;
• stopping advancement of said rest members of said deflection suppressing means;
• withdrawing said touch sensors;
• starting a grinding operation;
• stopping the grinding operation after predetermined operation;
• measuring a diameter of said cylindrical workpiece;
• calculating diameters of said workpiece at respective positions along an axis of said workpiece in accordance with position signals at respective positions and a diameter signal sent from said diameter measuring means;
• and
• controlling an amount of feed of said grinder supporting table such that the differences between the diameters of said workpiece which are measured at said respective positions would be lesser than a permissible value.