AU2005101014A4 - Grinding wheel adaptor and method - Google Patents

Description

06/12/2005 18:41 86/2/0051841 +613-9699-9826 D SHANKS ASWDCS PG 31 PAGE 03/14 GRINDING WHEEL ADAPTOR AND METHOD No FIELD OF THE INNOVATION The innovation here described relates to an apparatus and method that permit rapid and easy exchange of a grinding wheel for a buffing wheel, and vice versa, on a. grinding machine.

BACKGROUND

0 Grinding and buffing or polishing are activities often cardied out in the S mechanical arts. It is sometimes required-to fit a buffing or polishing wheel to a grinder (of bench type or hand-held type) and sometimes required to change such a whieel for a grinding wheel.

Some buffing and polishing wheels are adapted to be quickly and easily mounted on a tapered and threaded spindle that are is in turn threadably engaged on a grinder shaft. However, a problem that arises in practice is that if a grinding wheel is to be mounted on the grinder shaft instead, removing the buffing or polishing wheel and its spindle can be a tedious and time-wasting procedure.

What is needed is a rapid means for changing between a grinding wheel and a buffing wheel, preferably without requiring the use of tools. The present innovation provides a method and apparatus that meets this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INNOVATION According to the innovation, there is provided an adaptor for mounting a wheel such as a grinding wheel to a grinder, comprising: a body having an open-ended recess with a conical inwardly facing surface; and mounting means secured to the body and adapted for the mounting of a wheel concentrically with the conical surface, wherein the said conical surface of the body has a taper substantially the same as the taper of a tapered buff wheel spindle mounted to a grinder shaft so that the spindle can be received and held tightly in the recess and a wheel mounted to the adaptor thereby mounted concentrically with the grinder shaft.

COMS ID No: SBMI-021 32607 Received by P1 Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06 06/12/2005 1B:41 06/2/0051841 +613-9699-9286 D SHANKS ASSOCS PG 41 PAGE 04/14 2 o Preferably, the inwardly facing surface is a surface of a plastics Cl material. Suitable plastics materials include for example Nylon and high molecular weight Polyethylene.

Preferably also, the mounting means comprises a shaft having a thread and a cooperating nut the wheel being mountable on the shaft and retained thereon by the nut.

In a further aspect, the innovation provides a method for mounting a wheel such as an abrasive wheel to a grinder shaft, comprising the steps of.

0 securing on a grinder shaft a tapered and threaded spindle adapted for 010 mounting buffing wheels; V) providing an adaptor in any of the forms disclosed herein and mounting awheel to the mounting means of the adaptor; Cl pushing 'the adaptor onto the tapered spindle so that the spindle abuts the conical surface of the recess of the adaptor; rotating the adaptor on the spindle so that the adaptor is tightly held on the spindle.

In this specification, including in the appended claims, the words "comprising" and "comprises" when used in relation to a set of elements Integers features or steps are to be taken to indicate that the elements integers features or steps are present, but are not to be taken to preclude the possibility of other elements integers features or steps being present iklso.

The preferred embodiment of the innovation will be further described in the following detailed description, by reference to the attached Figures, of which: Figure 1 is a side view of a tapered spindle adaptor mounted on a spindle of a grinding machine; Figure 2 is a side view of the tapered spindle adaptor and grinding machine as shown in Figure 1, now fitted with the adaptor of the innovation and a grinding wheel, the adaptor and grinding wheel being shown partly cross sectioned on a diameter; Figure 3 is a side view of the adaptor and grinding wheel shown in Figure 2, the adaptor being shown partially cut away.

COMS ID No: SBMI-02132607 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06 06/12/2005 18:41 06/2/005 1641 +613-9699-9686 D SHANKS ASSUCS PG 51 PAGE 05/14 3 o DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Cl Figure 1 shows part of a grinder 1, having a shaft 2. Secured to shaft 2 U is a tapered spindle 3 of a type known in the art Spindle 3 is screwed onto a threaded. section 4 on shaft 2 and rotates coaxially with shaft 2.

The purpose of spindle 3 is to enable mounting of a buffing wheel (shown in phantom outline). Spindle 3 has a conical portion 6, with a tapered thread 7 formed along its length. Buffing wheel 5 is of the type having a hub 8 with soft plastics discs 9 with central holes therein, designed to screw onto a 0 conical spindle portion 6. The thread 7 is generally made with a section, as shown in detail of Figure 1, adapted to "bite" into the discs 9 to provide thread-type engagement between discs 9 and spindle portion 6 and retain o wheel 5 on spindle 3. When screwed sufficiently far onto the conical portion 6, Cl buffing wheel 5 is securely mounted thereon. This has beenl found to be a quick and easy way to mount a buffing wheel with adequate concentricity with the spindle 3 and therefore shaft 2. The thread 7 is handed the same way as the female thread of spindle 3 that engages threaded section 4 of shaft 2.

Further, adaptors 3 are available in both left- and right-handed thread versions, so that a spindle 3 can be selected that tends to tighten on shaft 2 rather than loosen under the torque imposed by the buffing wheel 5 when it Is in use, whichever direction of shaft 2 rotation is used. Nevertheless, spindle 3 must be carefully tightened on shaft 2, and spanner flats 26 are provided to assist in tightening.

If it is required to fit a grinding wheel (not shown) to shaft 2 instead of buffing wheel 5, it is necessary to loosen and then remove spindle 3 before the grinding wheel can be fitted to threaded section 4 and a retaining washer and nut (not shown) fitted to retain the grinding wheel. This involves significant time and inconvenience.

Figures 2 and 3 show a grinding wheel adaptor 10 according to the innovation, which addresses this problem. Adaptor 10 is shown fitted with a grinding wheel 11. Adaptor 10 comprises the following parts a body 12, a partly threaded shaft 13, a nut 14 and washer 15. Body 12 is shown with a conical outer surface 16, although this is not essential to the innovation.

As best seen in Figure 3, adaptor body 12 has a conical recess 17 with an inwardly facing surface 18. Shaft 13 is concentric with recess 17 and is COMS ID Na:SBMI-02132607 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06 06/12/2005 19:41 06/2/0051241 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASWOCS PG 61 PAGE 06/14 4 secured fixedly in body 12. The taper of recess 17 is substantially the same as the taper of the conical portion 6 of the buffing wheel spindleS3.

U Grinding wheel 11 is mounted on shaft 13, being held against a shoulder 19 of body 12 by nut 14 and washer Figure 2 shows adaptor 10, with grinding wheel 11, mounted to buffing 0 wheel spindle 3 ready for use. To secure adaptor 10 on spindle 3, adaptor is simply moved axially toward spindle 3 so that the conical portion 6 enters recess 17 as far as possible, contacting surface 16, and is then twisted a little o on conical portion 6 in such a direction as to tighten body 12 on the-thread 7.

It has been round that provided the surface 18 is not too hard, these steps can ensure that body 12 is firmly secured on conical portion 6 of spindle 3.

Because shaft 13, conical recess 17 and spindle 3 are coaxial when body 12 Clis secured this way on spindle 3, grinding wheel 11 wuns trueD.

Grinding wheel 11 and adaptor 10 can be removed easily, as a single item, from spindle 3 by simply preventing rotation of shaft 2, twisting body 12 a little in such a direction as to loosen it from thread 7, and withdrawing body 12 from spindle 3. It has been found that once spindle 3 has been sufficiently tightly screwed onto shaft 2, mounting adaptor 10 and grinding wheel, as a unit, on spindle 3 requires limited time and effort and no special tools. The same comment applies to dismounting of adaptor 10 and grinding wheel 11, 858a unit, from spindle 3..

Body 12 may be formed from a suitable plastics material. Nylon and high-molecular weight polyethylene are plastics materials that in suitable grades have been found appropriate, but these particular choices are not thought to be essential. An important criterion of suitability for this material is that it should provide easy but firm engagement of thread 7 against surface 18, without excessive wear of surface 18. It is found with suitable materials that surface 18 does wear over time if many mountings and dismountings on spindle 3 are carried out, until eventually replacement (or refurbishment of surface 18) is necessary. Suitable plastics materials can be chosen by trial for example, without the need for any inventive or innovative effort. Body 12 may be formed in any suitable way, for example by machining from solid, or by injection moulding.

COMS ID No: SBMI-02132607 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06 06/12/2005 18: 41 06/1/285 1:41 +13-9699-98863 D SHANKS ASSOCS PS 71 PAGE 07/14 o Where injection moulding is used, there is the opportunity to secure Cl shaft 13 permanently in place by providing suitable locating elements 22 (see Figure 2) and holding shaft 13 in the mould (not shown) when moulding body 12. Where body 12 is made by machining, shaft 13 can be secured in place INO 5 by providing for example for threaded or interference-filling engagement between shaft 13 and body 12 with or without the use of a suitable adhesive.

Although body 12 has been described as being formed from a plastics material, there is no intention here to preclude the possibility of another 0 material being used, or of a combination of materials being used. For example, a'suitable metal could be used for body 12 including or excluding tfl shaft 13. "Suitable" M again includes the requirement of adequately secure o locking of body 12 on spindle 3 without excessive wear. For further example, Cl an adaptor (not* shown) equivalent to adaptor 10 could be rtiade from metal but with a recess (equivalent to recess 17) faced with, a different material (for example a different metal or a suitable plastics material) chosen for secure locking on spindle 3 without excessive wear.

Variations, not exceeding the spirit or scope of the innovation, will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art.

COMS ID No: SBMI-02132607 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06

Claims (3)

1. 2. An adaptor according to claim 1 wherein the inwardly facing surface is a surface of a plastics material.
2. 3. An adaptor according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the mounting means comprises a shaft having a thread and a cooperating nut the wheel being mountable on the shaft and retained thereon by the nut.
3. 4. A method for mounting a wheel such as an abrasive wheel to a grinder shaft, comprising the steps of: securing on a grinder shaft a tapered and threaded spindle adapted for mounting buffing wheels; providing an adaptor according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and mounting a wheel to the mounting means of the adaptor, COMS ID No: SBMI-02132607 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06 06/12/2005 18:41 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 09/14 7 o pushing the adaptor onto the tapered spindle so that the spindle abuts Cthe conical surface of the recess of the adaptor; C) rotating the adaptor on the spindle so that the adaptor is tightly held on O 5 the spindle. An adaptor for mounting a wheel such as a grinding wheel to a grinder substantially as described herein by reference to Figures 1 and 2. 0 0 Cl COMS ID No: SBMI-02132607 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:37 Date 2005-12-06