CNC dual workhead chucker grinder
OwnerR. Warren Aldridge, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grinding machine has an abrasive wheel mounted on a spindle carried by a wheelhead which provides for movement in a direction perpendicular to the spindle. A pair of workheads are separately mounted on workslides and cross slides so that the workheads may be moved along an X-axis or a Y-axis as required to bring chucks of the workheads into grinding position. Sliding movement of the workslides and cross slides is produced by ball screws powered by servo motors and mounted on bearing housings, with the ball screws propelling ball nuts connected to the slides. The machine uses CNC computerized controls, with each of the workheads having a separate and independent control. This enables attainment of a high degree of precision.
Claims15
A grinding machine comprising:
- a base;
- a wheel spindle;
- a wheelhead carried by said base including an abrasive wheel mounted on said spindle and providing a plurality of grinding surface locations;
- a pair of workheads each comprising a lateral workslide movable along a first path parallel to said spindle, a cross slide movable along a second path perpendicular to said spindle and a workpiece grasping device in position to be moved so as to support a said workpiece against said wheel at a grinding location;
- a separate motion-imparting device coupled to each said workslide and to each said cross slide;
- and
- a CNC control system including controls coupled to each said workhead separate and independent of controls for the other said workhead, whereby precise grinding positioning of each said workpiece independent of positioning of the other said workpiece may be obtained.
A grinding machine support structure comprising:
- a base;
- a wheelhead carried by said base including a spindle and an abrasive wheel rotatably mounted on said spindle;
- a pair of workheads each comprising a laterally moveable workslide adapted for sliding along a first path parallel to said spindle, a cross slide adapted for movement along a second path perpendicular to said spindle, a clamping device located for grasping a workpiece in position to be brought into contact with said wheel;
- and means for imparting linear motion to said workslide and said cross slide.
A grinding machine comprising a base;
- a wheelhead carried by said base and including a pair of grinding wheels adapted for grinding inside diameters of selected workpieces, said grinding wheels carried by a support assembly mounted on a wheelhead slide and propelled for grinding by a double shaft motor having a rotating shaft at each end thereof and connected to said wheels by belts and pulleys engaging the belts;
- a pair of workheads each comprising a lateral workslide movable along a first path parallel to a spindle axis of a said grinding wheel and a cross slide movable along a second path perpendicular to a said spindle axis and a workpiece grasping device in position to be moved so as to support a said workpiece against said wheel at a grinding location;
- a separate motion-imparting device coupled to each said workslide and to each said cross slide;
- and
- a CNC control system including controls coupled to each said workhead separate and independent of controls for the other said workhead, whereby precise grinding positioning of each said workpiece independent of positioning of the other said workpiece may be obtained.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.