Air bearing for a spin index fixture
AssigneeTMX Engineering & Manufacturing
InventorMiklos M. Huszar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spin index fixture has a housing which is provided with an air inlet shaft for permitting pressurized air to enter the housing and to propagate through grooves disposed along the outer surface of the sleeve. The air then enters into a clearance volume between the housing and the spindle and serves as an air bearing. The spindle is further provided with impelling recesses disposed circumferentially along the outside surface of the spindle at an axial location that is in alignment with the pressurized air inlets. The force of the air against the recesses rotates the spindle about its axis when the pressurized air supply contacts the recesses.
Claims6
A spin index fixture comprising:
- a housing, said housing having an air shaft formed therein;
- an inner sleeve within said housing, said inner sleeve having an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer surface having grooves formed therein, said inner sleeve having air inlet holes formed between said grooves and said inner surface;
- a spindle journaled within said inner sleeve and held within said housing by collars, said spindle being spaced apart from said inner sleeve by a clearance volume which allows movement of said spindle within said inner sleeve;
- a hand crank coupled to said spindle;
- a collet affixed to the front of said spindle;
- and
- an air fixture affixed to said housing for connection to a source of pressurized air;
- wherein said grooves and said air inlet holes form passages which interconnect said air fixture through said housing and said inner sleeve to communicate pressurized air into said clearance volume between said inner sleeve and said spindle, said pressurized air providing an air bearing between said inner sleeve and said spindle, wherein said pressurized air rotates the spindle upon entering said clearance volume between said inner sleeve and said spindle.
A spin index fixture comprising:
- a housing;
- an inner sleeve within said housing, said inner sleeve having an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer surface having at least one groove, said inner sleeve having at least one air hole between said at least one groove and said inner surface;
- a spindle journaled within said inner sleeve and held within said housing by collars, said spindle being spaced apart from said inner sleeve by a clearance volume which allows movement of said spindle within said inner sleeve;
- a hand crank coupled to said spindle;
- a collet affixed to the front of said spindle;
- an air fixture affixed to said housing for connection to a source of pressurized air;
- at least one airshaft in said housing through which pressurized air enters, propagates via said at least one groove, flows out said at least one air hole between said at least one groove and said inner surface, and enters said clearance volume between said sleeve and said spindle, said pressurized air providing an air bearing between said inner sleeve and said spindle;
- and
- air engaging elements on said outer surface of said spindle for receiving said pressurized air, said pressurized air acting against said air engaging elements to cause said spindle to rotate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.