Back to results
US 7,429,208 B1Granted
Automated system for precision grinding of feedstock
AssigneeGlebar Company, Inc.
InventorsRobert C. Gleason, John Bannayan, Frederick A. Schumacher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grinding system for grinding feedstock includes a transport apparatus, a grinding apparatus, and a controller. The transport apparatus continuously transports feedstock of an arbitrarily long length at a desired feed rate, and the grinding apparatus grinds the feedstock transported by the transport apparatus. The controller controls a grinding position of the grinding apparatus and a longitudinal position of the feedstock during grinding to be coordinated with each other.
Claims21
A grinding system comprising:
- a collet assembly that selectively grips and releases feedstock to be ground;
- a motor assembly that transports the collet assembly;
- a grinding apparatus that grinds the feedstock;
- a support assembly having a horizontal surface for supporting the feedstock during grinding and a vertical surface with elongate grooves formed therein;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to at least the collet assembly and the motor assembly, the controller including a microprocessor and a computer-readable storage medium storing a program of computer-readable instructions for controlling at least the collet assembly and the motor assembly,
- wherein, when the program of computer-readable instructions is executed by the microprocessor, the controller electronically controls grip and release operations of the collet assembly and a transport operation of the motor assembly without monitoring a trailing endpoint of the feedstock, and
- wherein the controller determines and controls a grinding position of the feedstock by controlling a sequence of grip and release operations of the collet assembly in coordination with a series of transport operations of the motor assembly.
5 more elements
A grinding system comprising:
- grinding means for grinding feedstock;
- support means for supporting the feedstock during grinding;
- gripping means for selectively gripping and releasing the feedstock;
- transport means for transporting the gripping means;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to at least the gripping means and the transport means, the controller including a microprocessor and a computer-readable storage medium storing a program of computer-readable instructions for controlling at least the gripping means and the transport assembly,
- wherein, when the program of computer-readable instructions is executed by the microprocessor, the controller electronically controls grip and release operations of the gripping means and a transport operation of the transport means without monitoring a trailing endpoint of the feedstock, and
- wherein the controller determines and controls a grinding position of the feedstock by controlling a sequence of grip and release operations of the gripping means in coordination with a series of transport operations of the transport means.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.