Method and apparatus for polishing optical lenses

#1. Field of Invention

#This invention relates to polishing optical lens. Specifically, this invention concerns a new and improved apparatus for and method of polishing the surfaces of optical lens, using free-flowing polishing fluid pumped across and pressurizing a permeable membrane to conforms to the shape of the lens being polished.

#2. Background Information

#FIG. 1 is a front/right side elevation view of the polishing apparatus.

#FIG. 2 is right side view of the polishing apparatus, showing free-flowing polishing liquid flow, and the flexible permeable membrane conforming to the shape of a lens.

#FIG. 3 is a close-up right side cut-away view of the polishing cup, bearings, permeable membrane, and connecting tube.

#The polishing apparatus of this invention comprises several parts: a. a flexible permeable membrane (1) (permeable membrane may be comprised of cloths, such as silk, cotton, velveteen, etc. . . ) (see FIGS. 2 and 3) conforming to the shape and curves of a lens (2) being polished and allowing the flow of polishing fluid (3) to said lens, b. a polishing cup (4), connected to said permeable membrane by an elastic belt (5) or otherwise similar material, seated on a set of bearings (6) (see FIG. 3) and rotated by an elastic belt (7) (see FIGS. 1 and 2) or otherwise similar material, turned by small variable speed motor (8), c. a connecting tube (9) connected to said bearings (6) of the polishing cup on one end and to the polish hose (10) on the other end, d. a motor driven radial oscillation arm (11) with an adjoining arm (12), pivotally attached to said radial oscillation arm by a pivot nut (13) and also attached to (8) and (9), positions the polishing cup and membrane over the lens (2), and with said adjoining arm and said adjoining arm's attached parts, is rocked (radially oscillated) by attached variable speed radial oscillation arm motor (14), e. a metering pump (15) (see FIG. 1) which controls the flow of polish, and draws the polish from a sump (16) (holding-tank) in which the polish also returns to through a drain pipe (17), f. a lens supporting device (18), spun by a lens supporting device variable speed motor (19), holding said lens in place, with the aid of dental impression wax (20), g. a splash shield (21) mounted on a polishing bowl (22), fitting into and supported by a support table (28), surrounding the lens supporting device and funneling into the drain pipe (17), and h. the speed of all variable speed motors: a. the radial oscillation arm variable speed motor (14), b. the polishing cup variable speed motor (8), c. the lens supporting device variable speed motor (19), and d. the metering pump (15) are controlled respectively by reostats (29), (30), (31), and (32).

#Thus, the preferred embodiment for a polishing apparatus using free-flowing polishing fluid pumped across a flexible permeable membrane (1) (see FIG. 2 , pressurizing said permeable membrane (1) to adopt the shape of a lens (2), applying uniform pressure on said lens (2), and polishing and cooling said lens (2), comprises the parts of: a. a polishing sump (16) (see FIG. 1), b. a polishing tube (10), c. a polishing cup variable speed motor (8), d. an elastic belt for said polishing cup variable speed motor (7), e. a polishing cup (4), f. a flexible permeable membrane, g. a supporting table (28), h. an elastic belt for said permeable membrane (5), i. a metering pump (15), j. a motor driven radial oscillation arm (11) with an adjoining arm (12), k. a pivot nut (13), 1. a radial oscillation arm variable speed motor (14), m. bearings (6) (see FIG. 3), n. a connecting tube (9) (see FIG. 1), o. a polishing hose (10), p. a lens supporting device (18), q. a lens supporting device variable speed motor (19), r. a splash shield (21), s. a polishing bowl (22), t. a drain pipe (17), and u. reostats (29, 30, 31, and 32), wherein, the permeable membrane (1) is connected to said polishing cup (4) by said elastic belt for said permeable membrane (5) or otherwise similar device, said polishing cup (4) is seated on said set of bearings (6) (see FIG. 3), and is rotated by said elastic belt for said polishing cup variable speed motor (7) (see FIG. 1) or otherwise similar device, turned by said polishing cup variable speed motor (8); one end of said connecting tube (9) connects to said bearings (6), attached to said polishing cup (4), and the other end of said connecting tube (9) connects to said polishing hose (10); said motor driven radial oscillation arm (11) with said adjoining arm (12), attached to said radial oscillation arm (11) by said pivot nut (13) on one end of said adjoining arm (12), and attached to said connecting tube (9) and said polishing cup variable speed motor (8) on the other end of said adjoining arm (12), directs said polishing cup (4) and said flexible permeable membrane (1) over the surface of said lens (1), said lens (1) held steady by said supporting device (18) with the aid of said dental impression wax (20); said lens supporting device (18) is spun (in the counter direction to or in the same direction as the spinning polishing cup) by said lens supporting device variable speed motor (19); said metering pump (15) controls the flow of polish (3), drawing said free-flowing fluid (23) from said polishing sump (16); said polishing bowl (22), fitting into and supported by said supporting table (28), surrounds said lens supporting device (18), collects the polishing fluid, funneling said fluid to said drain pipe (17), connected to said polishing sump (16); a splash shield (21) mounted on said polishing bowl (22), and returning said polishing fluid into said polishing bowl (22); said reostats (29, 30, 31, and 32) controls said radial oscillation arm variable speed motor (14), said polishing cup variable speed motor (8), said lens supporting device variable speed motor (19), and said metering pump (15), respectively.

#The above described apparatus is the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, the preferred embodiment does not serve as a restriction requirement applied specifically to the invention which may be realized in other forms or devices. For example, a rotating hand held polishing device utilizing the free-flowing polishing fluid, passing across a conformable permeable membrane, easily held at any angle, and applied on a variety of surfaces, of widely varying sizes and compositions, is not beyond the scope of this invention.