Active polishing of rotatable article surfaces

A belt polishing machine capable of polishing crankpins of a rotating crankshaft, said machine comprising:

• a movable endless abrasive coated polishing belt that wraps around and travels over a substantial portion of a circumferential surface of a rotatable workpiece for finishing the surface;
• drive means for driving the polishing belt in a continuous path at a desired surface speed over the circumferential surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is being rotated at a desired rotational speed;
• guide means for guiding the polishing belt around and into engagement with a substantial portion of said circumferential surface;
• tensioning means for applying tensioning force to the polishing belt during finishing operations;
• coolant feeding means for applying coolant against the polishing belt for separating and carrying away removed material from the belt and cleaning the abrasive for a subsequent pass;
• a main polishing head mounting said drive means and said guide and tensioning means and movable toward and away from the workpiece to accommodate a fore and aft component of crankpin rotation;
• and
• secondary polishing means carrying said guide means on said main polishing head and capable of moving said guide means to accommodate an up and down component of crankpin rotation.

A belt polishing machine having a moving endless abrasive coated polishing belt that wraps around and travels over a substantial portion of a circumferential surface of a rotatable workpiece for finishing the surface, said machine comprising:

• drive means for driving the polishing belt in a continuous path at a desired surface speed over the circumferential surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is being rotated at a desired rotational speed;
• guide means for guiding the polishing belt around and into engagement with a substantial portion of said circumferential surface, the guide means being carried on pivotable arms that are pivotable outward to allow gaging of the workpiece during continued finishing of the workpiece surface;
• tensioning means for applying tensioning force to the polishing belt during finishing operations;
• and
• gage means positioned beyond the workpiece when in the normal finishing position, said machine and the gage means being movable relative to the workpiece to move the gage means against the workpiece while the pivotable arms swing outward to permit entry of the gage means while continuing engagement of the polishing belt against a smaller portion of said circumferential surface for continued finishing of the surface during gaging of the workpiece.

A belt polishing machine having a moving endless abrasive coated polishing belt that wraps around and travels over a substantial portion of a circumferential surface of a rotatable workpiece for finishing the surface, said machine being capable of polishing crankpins of a rotating crankshaft and comprising:

• drive means for driving the polishing belt in a continuous path at a desired surface speed over the circumferential surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is being rotated at a desired rotational speed;
• guide means for guiding the polishing belt around and into engagement with a substantial portion of said circumferential surface;
• tensioning means for applying tensioning force to the polishing belt during finishing operations;
• a main polishing head mounting said drive means and said guide and tensioning means and movable toward and away from the workpiece to accommodate a fore and aft component of crankpin rotation;
• and
• secondary polishing means carrying said guide means on said main polishing head and capable of moving said guide means to accommodate an up and down component of crankpin rotation.