Universal jaw attachment for microfinishing machine

A taper-correcting shoe assembly for a microfinishing machine having a pair of arms fixed to a base for engaging a workpiece, said taper-correcting shoe assembly comprising:

• a mounting structure adapted for mounting to an arm of a microfinishing machine;
• a first shoe movably mounted to said mounting structure for applying variable grinding pressure to a first portion of a surface of a workpiece;
• a second shoe movably mounted to said mounting structure adjacent said first shoe for applying variable grinding pressure to a second portion of the surface of the workpiece;
• first manual extension means, responsive to manual movement, for extending said first shoe outward from the arm on which said first shoe is mounted in order to correct any taper of the surface of the workpiece;
• and
• second manual extension means, responsive to manual movement, for extending said second shoe outward from the arm on which said second shoe is mounted in order to correct any taper of the surface of the workpiece.

A jaw assembly for a microfinishing machine comprising:

• first and second jaw arms mounted to a base of the microfinishing machine, one of said jaw arms being movable relative to the other jaw arm for engaging a workpiece from opposite directions;
• a first shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece;
• a second shoe having a different grinding surface profile than said first shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece in a different manner than said first shoe;
• and
• universal mounting means adapted for releasably and interchangeably mounting one of said first and second shoes to said first jaw arm of the microfinishing machine.

A jaw assembly for a microfinishing machine comprising:

• first and second jaw arms mounted to a base of the microfinishing machine, one of said jaw arms being movable relative to the other jaw arm for engaging a workpiece from opposite directions;
• a shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece;
• universal mounting means adapted for mounting said shoe to said first jaw arm of the microfinishing machine;
• and
• securing means for releasably securing said mounting means to said first jaw arm, wherein said shoe is a taper-correcting shoe including a first shoe portion movably mounted to said mounting means for applying variable grinding pressure to a first portion of the surface of the workpiece, and a second shoe portion mounted to said mounting means adjacent said first shoe portion for applying grinding pressure to a second portion of the surface of the workpiece.

A jaw assembly for a microfinishing machine comprising:

• first and second jaw arms mounted to a base of the microfinishing machine, one of said jaw arms being movable relative to the other jaw arm for engaging a workpiece from opposite directions;
• a shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece;
• universal mounting means adapted for mounting said shoe to said first jaw arm of the microfinishing machine, wherein said mounting means is generally U-shaped with a bottom and two sides defining a channel for receiving said first jaw arm;
• and
• securing means for releasably securing said mounting means to said first jaw arm, wherein said first jaw arm includes at least one bore and at least one of said two sides of said mounting means includes at least one bore for alignment with the bore of said first jaw arm for receiving said securing means.

A universal shoe assembly kit for a microfinishing machine having a base and a pair of jaw arms mounted to said base, at least one of said jaw arms being movable relative to the other jaw arm for engaging a workpiece from opposite directions, the universal shoe assembly kit comprising:

• a first shoe assembly comprising:
• a first shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece, and
• first universal mounting means adapted for mounting said first shoe to one of the jaw arms of the microfinishing machine;
• a second shoe assembly comprising:
• a second shoe having a grinding surface profile different from that of said first shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece in a different manner than said first shoe, and
• second universal mounting means adapted for mounting said second shoe to the same jaw arm of the microfinishing machine to which said first shoe is mounted, said second universal mounting means having the same mounting structure as said first universal mounting means such that said first and second shoes are interchangeably mounted;
• and
• securing means for releasably securing one of said first and second mounting means to the jaw arm of the microfinishing machine.

A universal shoe assembly for a microfinishing machine having a base and a pair of jaw arms mounted to said base, at least one of said jaw arms being movable relative to the other jaw arm for engaging a workpiece from opposite directions, the universal shoe assembly comprising:

• a shoe for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece:
• universal mounting means adapted for mounting said shoe to one of the jaw arms of the microfinishing machine;
• and
• securing means for releasably securing said mounting means to the jaw arm of the microfinishing machine,
• wherein said shoe is a taper-correcting shoe including a first shoe portion movably mounted to said mounting means for applying variable grinding pressure to a first portion of the surface of the workpiece, and a second shoe portion mounted to said mounting means adjacent said first shoe portion for applying grinding pressure to a second portion of the surface of the workpiece.

A method of interchanging shoe assemblies on a jaw arm of a microfinishing machine, the method comprising the steps of:

• removing a first shoe assembly from the jaw arm, said first shoe assembly including a first shoe having a grinding surface for applying grinding pressure to a surface of a workpiece, and a first mounting member for releasably securing said first shoe assembly to the jaw arm of the microfinishing machine;
• providing a second shoe assembly including a second shoe having a different grinding surface profile than that of said first shoe for applying grinding pressure to the surface of a workpiece in a different manner than said first shoe, and a second mounting member having substantially the same construction as said first mounting member for interchangeably and releasably securing said second shoe assembly to the jaw arm of the microfinishing machine;
• and
• securing said second shoe assembly to the jaw arm.