Scarfing apparatus

A method for scarfing the surface of a workpiece, wherein the workpiece has a radius associated therewith and wherein the radius of the workpiece varies over the surface thereof, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a taper angle and positioning a cutting instrument at the selected taper angle so that the cutting edge of the cutting instrument is angled with respect to the tangent to the workpiece, proximate the cutting instrument;
• moving the cutting instrument in a first direction over the surface of the workpiece to cut the surface;
• sensing the change in the radius of the surface of the workpiece as the cutting instrument is moved in the first direction over the surface of the workpiece;
• and
• altering the position of the cutting instrument to maintain the angular relationship between the cutting instrument and the surface of the workpiece as the cutting instrument is moved in the first direction.

An apparatus for producing a controlled tapered cut on a workpiece for preparing a damaged area for repair, comprising:

• a cutting tool;
• position maintaining means for maintaining said cutting tool in a position where said cutting tool machines the workpiece along a taper plane angularly disposed with respect to a tangent to the surface of the workpiece by a taper angle, said position maintaining means including means for varying said taper angle;
• means for revolving said cutting tool and said position maintaining means around said damaged area wherein, as said cutting and said position maintaining means revolve around said damaged area, said position maintaining means maintains the cutting tool in said position;
• and
• means for adjusting a cutting radius at which said cutting tool revolves around said damaged area such that said cutting tool initially revolves around said damaged area at a predetermined maximum radius, said adjusting means incrementally reducing said cutting radius after each revolution until the entire damaged area of said workpiece has been machined by said cutting tool.

An apparatus for producing a controlled tapered cut on a workpiece for preparing a damaged area for repair, comprising:

• position maintaining means for maintaining said cutting tool in a position where said cutting tool machines said workpiece along a taper plane angularly disposed with respect to a tangent to the surface of said workpiece by a taper angle, said position maintaining means including:
• means for varying said taper angle;
• a cutting tool;
• a tangent beam;
• tangent beam positioning means for maintaining said tangent beam disposed at a position parallel to the tangent of said workpiece at the position where said tool is located;
• a taper beam pivotally secured to said tangent beam such that the angle between said tangent beam and said taper beam can be varied to vary said taper angle, said cutting tool being slidably secured to said taper beam wherein when said taper beam is set to said taper angle said cutting tool machines said workpiece along a taper plane;
• and
• means for revolving said cutting tool and said position maintaining means around said damaged area wherein, as said cutting tool and said position maintaining means revolve around said damaged area, said position maintaining means maintains the cutting tool in said position.

A method for producing a controlled taper cut on a workpiece for preparing a damaged area for repair, comprising the following steps:

• providing a cutting tool;
• selecting a taper angle and positioning said cutting tool at the selected taper angle with respect to a tangent to the surface of said workpiece;
• maintaining said cutting tool in a position where said cutting tool machines said workpiece along a taper plane;
• revolving said cutting tool around said damaged area at a predetermined maximum radius;
• and
• incrementally reducing said radius after each revolution such that said cutting tool machines said surface along said taper plane until the entire damaged area of said workpiece has been machined by said cutting tool.