System for honing camshaft cams

An apparatus for honing an outer surface of a cam on a camshaft extending along a camshaft axis, the cam surface being directed radially outwardly of the camshaft axis, the apparatus comprising:

• means for continuously rotating the camshaft about the camshaft axis;
• a holder adjacent the cam;
• a grinding stone in the holder having a surface directed radially inward of the camshaft axis at the cam surface;
• biasing means for urging the grinding stone radially of the camshaft axis against the cam and thereby pressing the stone surface radially inward of the axis against the cam surface for contact of the stone surface along a line with the cam surface and for movement of the stone in a biasing radial direction relative to the camshaft axis as the camshaft rotates about the camshaft axis;
• and
• drive means connected to the holder for continuously reciprocating the stone surface in a direction generally parallel to a plane perpendicular to said biasing radial direction so the stone surface moves tangentially of the cam surface relative to the camshaft axis and thereby continuously moves the contact line between the cam and stone surfaces along the stone surface.