Method and apparatus for grinding and slotting friction products

A method for grinding and slotting molded friction products, which comprises:

• a) loading a friction product to be ground to a finished thickness and to be provided with a linear slot across a friction surface thereof on a rotary indexing table at a first indexing position;
• b) indexing the rotary indexing table by one indexing position such that the friction product is transported from the first indexing position to a second indexing position;
• c) grinding a planar friction surface and providing the friction product with a finished thickness at the second indexing position;
• d) indexing the rotary indexing table by one indexing position such that the friction product is transported from the second indexing position to a third indexing position;
• e) cutting a substantially linear slot across the planar friction surface of the friction product in a radial direction with regard to a rotary axis of the rotary indexing table at the third indexing position;
• f) indexing the rotary indexing table by one indexing position such that the friction product is transported from the third indexing position to a fourth indexing position;
• and
• g) unloading the friction product from the rotary indexing table at the fourth indexing position.

An apparatus for grinding molded friction products, comprising:

• a rotary indexing table having a substantially horizontal indexing table surface rotatable about a central axis;
• index drive and index control means operatively connected to said rotary indexing table for rotating said rotary indexing table about said central axis and intermittently stopping said rotary indexing table at given indexing positions;
• tool fixture means for supporting friction product parts to be ground on a friction surface thereof, said tool fixture means being disposed on said rotary indexing table at said given indexing positions;
• grind stone means disposed above said indexing table surface at a first index position for grinding a planar surface of the friction product part supported in said tool fixture means;
• said grind stone means rotating about a grind axis substantially parallel to said central axis of said indexing grind table;
• grind motor means for driving said grind stone means;
• and a slotting assembly for forming a linear slot in the planar surface of the friction product part by driving said slotting assembly linearly across the friction product part in a substantially radial direction with regard to said central axis of said rotary indexing table.