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US 5,295,330 AGranted
Fluid thrust bearing centrifugal disk finisher
OwnerSteve E. Hoffmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifugal disk finisher includes a porous layer at the bottom of the vertical wall of the containment vessel. A pressurized fluid, preferably air, is forced through the porous layer so as to form a fluid bearing between the bottom of the porous layer and the spinning disk enclosed within the containment vessel. The containment vessel is levitated above the spinning disk by a small amount due to the presence of the fluid bearing, so that the disk spins without any contact with the containment vessel, thus reducing wear. The fluid bearing also acts as a seal, which repels particles from the interface between the disk and the porous layer due to the small height of the fluid bearing and its imperviousness to all but the most energetic particles.
Claims33
In a centrifugal finisher for finishing at least one object comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said at least one object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces,
- a disk at the base of said containment vessel for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said at least one object, and
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel, the improvement comprising:
- a plenum at a lower portion of said at least one vertical wall of said containment vessel for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material between said plenum and said disk for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said disk,
- and wherein said containment vessel is operative for movement in a predetermined direction, and said fluid passed from said plenum moves said containment vessel in said predetermined direction so as to produce a boundary region between said porous layer and said disk as a bearing for said containment vessel.
3 more elements
In a centrifugal finisher for finishing at least one object comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said at least one object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces,
- a disk having a top surface at the base of said containment vessel for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said at least one object, and
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel, the improvement comprising:
- a plenum at a lower portion of said at least one vertical wall of said containment vessel for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material between said plenum and said disk and having a bottom surface which is parallel to said top surface of said disk for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said disk so as to produce a boundary region between said bottom surface of said porous layer and said top surface of said disk as a bearing for said containment vessel, said boundary region having a predetermined height.
2 more elements
A centrifugal finisher for finishing at least one object, comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said at least one object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces, said containment vessel being operative for movement in a predetermined direction,
- a disk at the base of said containment vessel for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said at least one object,
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel,
- a plenum at a lower portion of said at least one vertical wall of said containment vessel for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material between said plenum and said disk for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said disk so as to move said containment vessel in said predetermined direction, thereby producing a boundary region between said porous layer and said disk as a bearing for said containment vessel.
2 more elements
A centrifugal finisher for finishing at least one object, comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said at least one object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces,
- a disk having a top surface at the base of said containment vessel for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said at least one object,
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel,
- a plenum at a lower portion of said at least one vertical wall of said containment vessel for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material between said plenum and said disk and having a bottom surface which is parallel to said top surface of said disk for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said disk so as to produce a boundary region between said bottom surface of said porous layer and said top surface of said disk as a bearing for said containment vessel, said boundary region having a predetermined height.
2 more elements
A centrifugal finisher for finishing at least one object, comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said at least one object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces,
- a disk having a top surface and an outer edge, said disk located at the base of said containment vessel for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said at least one object, said top surface having an inset extending circumferentially around said disk near said outer edge and a raised barrier extending circumferentially around said disk radially inside said inset,
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel,
- a plenum at a lower portion of said at least one vertical wall of said containment vessel for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material between said plenum and said disk and having a bottom surface for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said disk so as to produce a boundary region between said porous layer and said disk spanning substantially all of said inset, said boundary region including an interface gap between said raised barrier and said bottom surface of said porous layer as a bearing for said containment vessel.
2 more elements
A centrifugal finisher for finishing at least one object, comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said at least one object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces,
- a disk at the base of said containment vessel having a top surface and an outer edge for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said at least one object, said top surface of said disk including a channel circumferentially around said disk and near said outer edge for storing particles abraded from said abrasive pieces and said at least one object and further including a raised barrier adjacent to said channel and inside an inside circumference of said channel,
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel,
- a plenum at a lower portion of said at least one vertical wall of said containment vessel for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material between said plenum and said disk for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said disk so as to produce a boundary region between said porous layer and said disk as a bearing for said containment vessel.
2 more elements
A centrifugal finisher for finishing an object, comprising:
- a containment vessel having a base and at least one vertical wall for containing said object and for containing a plurality of abrasive pieces,
- a disk at the base of said containment vessel for imparting motion to said abrasive pieces and said object,
- means for rotating said disk relative to said containment vessel,
- a plenum at an outer portion of said disk for receiving a fluid, and
- a porous layer of a porous material at said outer portion of said disk and above said plenum for passing said fluid from said plenum towards said containment vessel so as to produce a boundary region between said porous layer and said containment vessel as a bearing for said containment vessel.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.