AU717651B2

AU717651B2 - Barrel polishing apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU717651B2
Application number: AU23756/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Shuji Kawasaki; Akitaka Matsushita
Original assignee: BBF Yamate Corp
Current assignee: BBF Yamate Corp
Priority date: 1996-11-27
Filing date: 1999-04-14
Publication date: 2000-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-12
Also published as: AU2375599A; AU717650B2; AU2375699A

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 SHUJI KAWASAKI, AKITAKA MATSUSHITA, BBF YAMATE CORPORATION

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Barrel polishing apparatus The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 2 Barrel Polishing Apparatus Background of the Invention Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a barrel polishing apparatus Prior Art In a conventional barrel polishing apparatus, each workpiece to be polished is subjected to polishing by allowing a polishing medium to flow in a polishing medium receiving container while the workpiece is received in the polishing medium receiving container.

However, in a conventional barrel polishing apparatus as described above, the operational effect achieved by the polishing medium is limited to 15 a certain range by the polishing medium. Thus, it is necessary that the polishing medium is replaced with another medium depending on the object of each polishing operation. For example, polishing operations typically include a rough polishing step, an intermediate finish polishing step and a final finish polishing step. Alternatively, it is necessary for a plurality of barrel polishing apparatuses each including a polishing medium selected in such a manner as to match with a certain object of the conventional barrel polishing apparatus are preparatively arranged and used in sequence. At any rate, there arises an inconvenience that it is difficult in practice to improve an operational efficiency of each barrel polishing operation with the conventional barrel polishing apparatus.

Obiects of the Invention The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the inconvenience inherent to the conventional technique as mentioned above.

Therefore, a object of the present invention is to provide a barrel polishing apparatus which assures that a rough polishing operation can initially be performed with a high intensity of pressure generated by the feeding of a single kind of polishing medium, and thereafter, an intermediate polishing step and a finish polishing step can sequentially be practiced as the intensity of feeding pressure generated by the feeding of the polishing medium is gradually reduced.

3 Structure of the Invention and Advantageous Effects According to the present invention, there is provided a barrel polishing apparatus including a polishing medium receiving container having a polishing medium received therein and a workpiece adapted to be vibrated wherein the polishing medium receiving container includes an upper end opening, a polishing medium feeding port is formed at the bottom part of the polishing medium receiving container, the workpiece is located below the polishing medium feeding port, and the polishing medium received in the polishing medium receiving container can continuously be fed to the workpiece while this workpiece is vibrated.

Thus, the intensity of feeding pressure acting on the workpiece is gradually reduced, as the polishing medium is increasingly discharged from the polishing medium receiving container.

~With such construction, when this barrel polishing apparatus is 15 employed, a rough polishing operation can be performed during the initial period of time when a single kind of polishing medium is fed to the workpiece at a high intensity of feeding pressure, and additionally, a series of steps comprising an intermediate finish polishing step and a final finish polishing step can continuously be practiced as the intensity of feeding pressure of the polishing medium is gradually reduced.

S.Further, since the polishing medium is caused to naturally fall down, it is easily introduced into hole portions formed on the workpiece. As a result, the hole portions on the workpiece can more adequately be subjected to polishing.

Moreover, since the feeling of the polishing medium to the surface of the workpiece is achieved in dependence on the natural falling-down of the polishing medium, few noisy sound is generated from the barrel polishing apparatus, and moreover, energy consumption can be reduced with the barrel polishing apparatus.

Incidentally, when a guide sleeve is arranged between the feeding port of the polishing medium receiving container and the surface of the workpiece, the feeding of the polishing medium to the workpiece can be achieved without any particular loss of polishing medium.

In addition, when the guide sleeve is vibrated integrally with the workpiece, the feeding of the polishing medium to the workpiece can be achieved more smoothly.

4 Additionally, when the polishing medium received in the polishing medium receiving container can be compressed by actuating suitable means, an operational extent attained by each polishing operation performed for the workpiece can be changed.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a polishing apparatus operable in accordance with the present invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments ~Now, the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof.

In Fig. 1, reference numeral 610 designates a polishing medium 15 receiving container for a barrel polishing apparatus. A polishing medium (aggregate) 620 is received in the polishing medium receiving container 610.

Incidentally, any kind of usually used polishing medium such as ceramic grain or the like can be employed for the polishing medium 620.

Reference numeral 611 designates an upper end opening which is 20 formed at the upper end of the polishing medium receiving container 610, and the interior of the polishing medium receiving, container 610 is communicated with the atmosphere via the upper end opening 610.

Reference numeral 612 designates a polishing medium feeding port which is formed at the bottom part of the polishing medium receiving container 610. The polishing medium 620 received in the polishing medium receiving container 610 is caused to naturally fall down via the polishing medium feeding port 612. An intensity of pressure generated by the falling, polishing medium 620 at this time is gradually reduced as the polishing medium 620 is increasingly removed from the polishing medium receiving container 610.

Reference numeral 630 designates a guide sleeve, and the guide sleeve 630 is fitted to the bottom of the polishing medium receiving container 610 from the outside in such a manner as to enable it to be rotated. In addition, reference numeral 631 designates a trumpet-like sleeve, and this trumpet-like sleeve 631 is arranged at the lower end of the guide sleeve 630 so as to constitute a part of the guide sleeve 630. A function of the guide sleeve 630 will be described later.

Reference character W designates a wheel useable for a vehicle or the like (corresponding to a "workpiece" in the present invention), and the wheel W is received in the inside of the trumpet-like sleeve 631 without any substantial gap remaining therebetween. Incidentally, the guide sleeve 630 inclusive of the trumpet-like sleeve 631 is integrally rotated and vibrated when the wheel W (which is useable for a vehicle or the like) is rotated.

**When the polishing medium 620 is caused to naturally fall down from 10 the grinding medium receiving container 610 while the wheel W is vibratively rotated, the polishing medium 620 continuously reaches the surface of the wheel W via the guide sleeve 30 without any substantial gap remaining therebetween. Thereafter, the polishing medium 620 is discharged in the downward direction via a plurality of holes 651 and 652 while the surface of the wheel W is subjected to polishing.

As mentioned above, as the polishing medium 620 is increasingly removed from the polishing medium receiving container 610, the intensity of S"feeding pressure acting on the wheel W useable for a vehicle or the like is gradually reduced.

:i 20 Thus, the surface of the wheel W can be buffed during the initial time "when a high intensity of feeding pressure acts on the surface of the wheel W regardless of a single kind of polishing medium used for each polishing operation. In addition, an intermediate polishing step and a finish step can continuously be practiced for the surface of the wheel W, as the intensity of feeding pressure generated by the polishing medium 620 is gradually reduced.

After the polishing medium 620 is completely discharged in the zone located below the wheel W, after the interior of the polishing medium receiving container 610 becomes empty, the polishing medium 610 is removed again in the polishing medium receiving container 610. Then, the polishing medium 610 can repeatedly be used for continuously practicing a rough polishing step, an intermediate polishing step and a finish polishing step.

6 While the present invention has been described above with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be noted that the present invention should not be limited only to these preferred embodiments but various change or modification may be made without departure from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

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Claims

1. An apparatus for polishing a workpiece in a barrel, wherein said apparatus includes a polishing medium receiving container having a polishing medium received therein and a workpiece adapted to be vibrated, wherein said polishing medium receiving container includes an upper end opening, a polishing medium feeding port is formed at the bottom of said upper end opening, said workpiece is located below said polishing medium feeding port, the arrangement being such that said polishing medium can continuously be fed to the surface of said workpiece while said workpiece is 10 vibrated.

2. The apparatus for polishing a workpiece in a barrel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide sleeve is arranged between said polishing medium feeding port of said polishing medium receiving container and the surface of said :.workpiece. 15

3. The apparatus for polishing a workpiece as in a barrel claimed in claim 2 wherein said guide sleeve is vibrated integrally with said workpiece.

4. The apparatus for polishing a workpiece in a barrel as claimed in claim 2, including means for compressing polishing medium received in said polishing medium receiving container. DATED this fourteenth day of April 1999 SHUJI KAWASAKI, AKITAKA MATSUSHITA, BBF YAMATE CORPORATION Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.B. RICE CO.