Method and apparatus for abrading with a profiled soft roller

A sanding apparatus for abrading contoured surfaces on a substrate while rotating about a central axis and traveling linearly relative to the substrate, said apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a motor mounted on the frame;
• a roller body rotatably mounted on the frame and driven by the motor and having an outer profiled surface for substantially matching the contoured surface on the substrate;
• a central hub portion on the roller body defining a longitudinal central axis about which the roller body will rotate;
• a first section of the roller body extending radially outwardly of the central axis at a first distance;
• at least one second section of the roller body extending radially outwardly on the roller body at greater distance than the first distance and joined to the first section to create said outer profiled surface on the roller body;
• an abrasive surface on the outer profiled surface of the roller for abrading the contoured surface on the substrate;
• the roller body having an outer layer of soft, deformable material that is deformable from its relaxed shape when the profiled roller's abrasive layer is pushed against substrate contoured surface to deflect and to form a flat extending linearly in the direction of substrate travel relative to roller body, the roller body also deflecting laterally to wrap or fill about the substrate contoured surface.

A method of abrading a contoured surface on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

• providing a profiled, abrading surface on a roller body having an outer layer of soft, compressible material;
• forcing the profiled, abrading surface on the roller with enough force to make a flat surface in the soft, outer layer of the roller body in the direction of linear travel of the substrate relative to roller body;
• expanding the profiled surface laterally relative to the contoured substrate surface while abrading;
• traveling the substrate relative to the roller body in a linear travel direction;
• and
• rotating the roller body and abrading the contoured surface of the substrate while the soft roller body is flattened in the linear direction and expanded in the lateral direction.