System for driving a centerless grinder regulating wheel
AssigneeGrinders Clearing House
InventorThomas J. Kirt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric servomotor drive system for controlling the regulating wheel of a centerless grinder is disclosed. The electric servomotor replaces the transmission normally used on centerless grinders and provides infinitely variable speed control of the regulating wheel. The system is designed for retrofitting centerless grinders manufactured by a variety of machine tool builders.
Claims17
An apparatus for driving a regulating wheel rotatable about a spindle of a centerless grinder comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft disposed within the housing having first and second ends which extend beyond the housing;
- an electric servomotor mounted to the housing and coupled to the first end of the shaft, the servomotor being operative to rotate the shaft;
- and
- means for coupling the second end of the shaft to the spindle so as to drive the regulating wheel.
An apparatus for driving a regulating wheel rotatable about a spindle of a centerless grinder comprising:
- a housing;
- a cylindrical cam unit having a longitudinal aperture, the aperture having a longitudinal axis parallel to, but displaced from, the cam unit longitudinal axis, the cam unit being selectively rotatable and disposed within the housing such that rotation of the cam unit varies the distance between the longitudinal axis of the aperture and a point on the housing perimeter;
- a shaft disposed within the aperture having first and second ends which extend beyond the cam unit;
- an electric servomotor having a longitudinal axis, the servomotor mounted to the housing such that the longitudinal axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cam unit and is displaced therefrom an adjustable distance, the servomotor being operative to rotate the shaft;
- means for coupling the electric servomotor to the first end of the shaft;
- and
- means for coupling the second end of the shaft to the regulating wheel spindle so as to drive the regulating wheel.
A centerless grinder having a regulating wheel and a grinding wheel rotatable about corresponding spindles, the regulating wheel being operative to rotate a workpiece in contact with the grinding wheel during a grinding cycle, the centerless grinder comprising:
- a housing;
- a cylindrical cam unit having a longitudinal aperture, the aperture having a longitudinal axis parallel to, but displaced from, the cam unit longitudinal axis, the cam unit being selectively rotatable and disposed within the housing such that rotation of the cam unit varies the distance between the longitudinal axis of the aperture and a point on the housing perimeter;
- a shaft disposed within the aperture having first and second ends which extend beyond the cam unit;
- an electric servomotor having a longitudinal axis, the servomotor mounted to the housing such that the longitudinal axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cam unit and is displaced therefrom an adjustable distance, the servomotor being operative to rotate the shaft;
- means for coupling the electric servomotor to the first end of the shaft;
- and
- means for coupling the second end of the shaft to the regulating wheel spindle so as to drive the regulating wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.