GB2230213A

GB2230213A - Rotary polishing machine with workpiece cooling device

Info

Publication number: GB2230213A
Application number: GB9006998A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshimi Ujike
Original assignee: UJIKE KK
Current assignee: UJIKE KK
Priority date: 1989-03-28
Filing date: 1990-03-28
Publication date: 1990-10-17
Also published as: JPH02126746U; JPH0723163Y2; GB9006998D0

Abstract

A rotary polishing machine comprises a polishing element 3 mounted on a rotary shaft 2 of a motor provided in a main body 1 of the polishing machine, wherein the main body of the polishing machine is provided with a port 12a for blowing air on to an article to be polished so as to exert a cooling effect. The air blow-off port 12a may be detachably attached (9, 10) to the main body 1 of the polishing machine or be provided in the main body 1 of the polishing machine. <IMAGE>

Description

ROTARY POLISHING MACHINE AND AIR BLOW-OFF DEVICE THE@E@@ BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (') Field of the Invention This invention relates to a rotary polishing machine for polishing, and lustering, a coated metal material, such as an automobile body, or a woodwork or the like.

(2) Description of the Prior Art Polishing and lustering of an automobIle body has hitherto been carried out, for instance, by use of a polisher which comprises a polishing element mounted on a rotary shaft of a motor incorporated therein. In use of the polisher, a wool buff or sponge buff or the like with a polishing compound held thereon or a sandpaper is used as the polishing element, which is pressed against the material to be polished (automobile body) while being rotated by the motor, thereby polishing the material.

In general, the polishing element is detachably mounted on a mount portion provided on the rotary shaft of the motor.

When the material to be polished is continuedly polished by the polishing element with the polishing compound held as mentioned above, however, frictional heat is generated to cause the polishing compound to adhere to the polished surface of the material being polished. It has therefore been the common practice to suspend the polishing operation, after a predetermined tlme of polishing, until the temperature of the material being polished is lowered. Thus, there have been the problem of difficulty of continuous operation and the problem of poor working efficiency. In order to restrain the rise in the temperature of the material being polished, a method of polishing while sprinkling or dashing water to the material by use of a hose or the like has been contemplated.This approach, however, has difficulties in that the working efficiency is poor, and the polishing compound may be poor in suitability for use with water, which renders application of the approach difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly an object of this invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and difficulties.

According to this invention, there is provided a a rotary polishing machine comprising a polishing element mounted on a rotary shaft of a motor provided in a main body of the polishing machine, wherein the main body is provided with a port for blowing off air for cooling a material to be polished.

The rotary polishing machine may be, for instance, a polisher, a line sander, a disk sander or a disk grinder. Namely, the rotary polishing machine may be any machine which essentially performs polishing by rotating a polishing element by a motor. The polishing element mounted on the rotary shaft of the motor may be a towel buff, sponge buff or wool buff with a polishing compound held thereon, or may be sandpaper or the like.

It is desirable that the polishing machine is detachably mounted on the rotary shaft.

The air blow-off port may be detachably attached to the main body of the polishing machine by an air blowoff device, instead of being provided in a body with the main body of the polishing machine.

Where the air blow-off port is detachably mounted on the main body of the polishing machine, it is desirable that the main body of the polishing machine is provided with a plurality of fixing portions used in common to a handle and the air blow-off device having the air blow-off port.

Namely, according to this invention, the polishing element is rotated by the motor provided in the main body of the polishing machine, and is brought into contact with the material to be polished, thereby polishing the surface of the material.

With air blown off from the air blow-off port toward the surface of the material being polished, it is possible to cool the surface of the material during polishing, without need for special operation, and to carry out a continuous polishing operation.

Besides, with the main body of the polishing machine provided with a plurality of fixing portions used in common to the handle and the blow-off port, it is possible to change appropriately the fixing positions for the handle and the blow-off port, and to carry out polishing under optimum operating conditions (For instance, the position of the handle is reversed according as the the operator is right-handed or left-handed.).

Moreover, according to the second-named invention, it is possible to mount easily the air blow-off device on the rotary polishing machine and to thereby equip the main body of the polishing machine with the air blow-off port, enabling the above-mentioned efficient polishing.

As has been described above, according to the rotary polishing machine of this invention, the main body of the polishing machine comprising a polishing element mounted on a rotary shaft of a motor provided therein is provided with the port for blowing off air for cooling the material to be polished. Therefore, it is possible to cool the surface of the material during the polishing, without need for special operation, and to carry out the polishing operation continuously and efficIently.

In addition, the air blow-off device for a rotary polishing machine according to this inventIon comprises a port for blowing off air for cooling the material to be polished, and is capable of being detachably attached to the rotary polishing machine. It is therefore possible to mount equip easily the rotary polishing machine with the air blow-off port, and to carry out efficient polishing while blowing air to the material being polished.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, takein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show by way of example some preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front view illustrating one embodiment of this invention; and FIGURE 2 is a corresponding perspective view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT One embodiment of this invention will now be explained below while referring to the accompanying drawings.

In a main body 1 of a polishing machine comprising a grip portion la on one side of a prism, a motor (not shown) with a rotary shaft 12 protruding downward is disposed. The rotary shaft 2 is provided at the tip thereof with a disk type mount portion 2a, on which a towel buff (polishing element) 3 in the form of a brimless headgear is mounted so as to cover the mount portion 2. The towel buff 3 is fitted with a rubber string 3a along the circumference of the edge portion thereof, to ensure firm mounting of the towel buff 3 on the mount portion 2a and enable the towel buff 3 to be detachably mounted. The mount portion 2a is fitted with a velvet fastener (not shown) over the entire lower surface thereof, whereby the mount portion 2a is engaged with the inner surface of the towel buff 3, resulting in firm mounting. In addition, slippage between the towel buff 3 and the fixing portion 2a during rotation is prevented, and it is possible to transmit properly the rotation of the motor to the towel buff 3.

The main body 1 of the polishing machine is provided on both sides thereof with the same shaped threaded holes (mount portions) 4, 4, and a screw portion of a handle 5 is engaged with one of the holes 4, 4.

To the other threaded hole 4, a mount plate 6 for fixing an air blow-off port is fixed along the vertical direction by a bolt 7. The mount plate 6 is provided at a tip portion thereof with mount holes 8 and 9 at different heights.

i0 one 8 of the mount holes 8 and 9, a mount plate 10 having an L-shaped cross section is fixed by a bolt 11a and a nut 11b.

To a tip portion of the mount plate 10, an air blow-off device 12 having an air blow-off port 12a is fixed by a bolt 13a and a nut 13b, with the air blow-off port 12a directed downward.

One end of a fleixble air supply tube 13 is connected to the air blow-off port 13, and an air supply device 14 is connected to the other end of the tube 13.

A power cord 15 is connected to the rear end of the grip portion 1a.

The rotary polishing machine is used as follows.

Power is supplied through the power cord 15 to operate a motor, not shown. By the operation of the motor, the rotary shaft 2 and, hence, the fixing porition 2a are rotated, accompanied by rotation of the towel buff 3. A polishing compound (not shown) is preliminarily adhered to (held on) the towel buff 3. With the grip portion 1a held by one hand, and the handle 5 by the other hand, the towel buff 3 is pressed against the surface of the body of an automobile (the material to be polished).

The air supply device 14 is preliminarily operated to blow air through the air supply tube 13,'the air blow-off device 12 and the air blow-off port 11 toward the surface of the material to be polished. By the blow of air, the surface of the automobile body being polished is cooled, whereby a temperature rise due to polishing heat is prevented.

Therefore, it is possible to carry out the polishing operation continuously, without the polishing compound sticking to the surface of the automobile body.

The mounting positions of the handle 5 and the blow-off device 12 (inclusive of the mount plates 6 and 10) are changeable, and it is possible to select the mounting positions so as to facilitate the operation.

Though two mount holes 4, 4 are provided in the embodiment above, three or more mount holes may be provided.

At the time of mounting, it is possible to appropriately adjust the position, height and direction of the air blow-off port 11 by adjusting the mounting angles of the mount plates 6 and 10 or selecting the mount holes 8, 9. It is therefore possible to determine the optimum positions or the like according to, for instance, the size of the buff or the air jetting force.

Though the polishing element has been explain as comprlsing the buff disposed to cover the mount portion in the above embodiment, the polishing element may comprise a sandpaper fitted to the mount portion, and, further, the polishing element may be mounted directly on the rotary shaft.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rotary polishing machine comprising a polishing element mounted on a rotary shaft of a motor provided in a main body of the polishing machine, wherein a port, for blowing air onto a material to be polished so as to exert a cooling effect, in provided on the main body or on means attached or attachable thereto.

2. The rotary polishing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the main body of the polishing machine is provided with more than one fixing portions for selective assembly either to a handle or to a device for blowing air comprising the said port.

3. An air blowing device for a rotary polishing machine which comprises a port for blowing air on to a material to be polished so as to exert a cooling effect and detachable attachment means for attachment of said port to the rotary polishing machine.