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US 5,331,769 AGranted
Grinding apparatus and method
AssigneeBlack & Decker Inc.
InventorBarry Walton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Grinding apparatus including a grinding disc for grinding a tool having tungsten carbide tips is disclosed, and a recirculating coolant system is provided with a magnetic separator for removing particles of tungsten carbide from the recirculating coolant. The magnetic separator includes an elongated, labyrinthine flowpath through which the coolant flows while the tungsten particles are separated from the coolant by a magnetic field.
Claims15
Grinding apparatus comprising:
- clamping means for clamping a tool, said tool having at least one tungsten carbide tip to be ground by the grinding apparatus;
- a rotatable grinding wheel for grinding said tungsten carbide tip and thereby producing fine tungsten carbide particles;
- coolant circulating means for directing liquid coolant over said tungsten carbide tip during grinding, said coolant circulating means including a sump and pump means for recirculating coolant from said sump over said tungsten carbide tip;
- separation means for separating said tungsten carbide particles from said recirculating coolant as said coolant and particles flow through said separation means;
- said separation means comprising elongated flow channel means having a bottom plate and a pair of side walls, said elongated flow channel means having inlet and outlet portions spaced apart along the elongated length of said elongated flow channel means;
- said separation means further including flow directing walls extending transverse to said side walls and extending into said elongated flow channel means between said inlet and outlet portions, said transverse flow directing walls forming a labyrinthine flowpath through said elongated flow channel means between said inlet and outlet portions;
- and
- at least one magnetic means for magnetizing said bottom plate of said elongated flow channel means with a sufficient magnetic field to attract and hold a substantial portion of said tungsten carbide particles as said particles flow through said labyrinthine flowpath.
5 more elements
Tool grinding apparatus comprising:
- grinding means for grinding cutting tools, said cutting tools being comprised of a first material and having cutting portions being composed of a second material such that fine particles of said second material are produced during grinding of said tool cutting portions,
- liquid coolant recirculating means for recirculating coolant over said tool cutting portions such that said fine particles become entrained in said coolant,
- separator means for separating said fine particles from said recirculating coolant as said coolant and entrained particles pass through said separator means,
- said separator means including means forming a flow channel having an inlet and an outlet and flow-directing wall means forming a labyrinthine flowpath within said flow channel between said inlet and said outlet, and
- magnetic means positioned along said labyrinthine flowpath, said magnetic means being of sufficient magnetic strength to attract and hold a substantial portion of said fine particles as said coolant flows through said labyrinthine flowpath within said flow channel.
2 more elements
In combination:
- grinding apparatus including a clamp for clamping a tool, said tool having at least one portion composed of tungsten carbide,
- said grinding apparatus further including a grinding wheel positioned to grind said tungsten carbide portion and produce ground particles of tungsten carbide,
- a recirculating coolant system for recirculating liquid coolant over said tungsten carbide portion during grinding such that said ground particles of tungsten carbide become entrained in said recirculating coolant,
- a particle/coolant separator, said separator including an inlet positioned to receive coolant entrained with said particles, said separator further including a bottom, side walls and flow-directing walls, said flow-directing walls being positioned to form a labyrinthine flowpath for ground particles and coolant flowing through said separator, and
- at least one magnet positioned along said labyrinthine flowpath of sufficient magnetic strength to magnetically attract and hold a substantial portion of said ground particles as said particles and coolant pass through said labyrinthine flowpath.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.