JP3196225B2 - Sphere feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sphere supply device for supplying various spheres to a sphere processing device such as a processing device, a cleaning device or an inspection device, and more particularly, a steel ball used for a rolling bearing or the like is wrapped in a circle. The present invention relates to a sphere supply device of a sphere polishing machine that performs a polishing process while rotating while being sandwiched between plates.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a ball polishing machine, there is a type in which a large number of balls are sandwiched between two opposing lap plates and one of the lap plates is rotated to polish. In such a grinding machine, in order to continuously supply the spheres between the lap plates during the polishing of the spheres, a part of the fixed-side lap plate is cut off to form a supply port, which is connected to the supply port. Then, a guide plate having a plurality of guide grooves is provided, and a sphere fed from a circular magazine is supplied to the supply port along the guide grooves. FIG.
FIG. 10 shows an example of a horizontal axis type ball polisher 20 in which the rotation axis of the lap plate 1 is horizontal, and the rotating sphere magazine 3 is disposed substantially horizontally near the sphere supply port 4 of the fixed side lap plate 2. Then, a plurality of spheres are fed from the supply port 4 to the wrap plates 1 and 2 through the plurality of guide grooves 6 on the guide plate 5 with the rotation of the sphere storage portion in the magazine 3. On the other hand, the example of FIG. 11 is an example of the vertical axis type polishing machine 20 in which the axis of the fixed-side wrap plate 2 is vertical, and the spherical magazine 3 surrounds the outer periphery of the horizontal fixed-side wrap plate 2. The guide plate 5 is disposed substantially horizontally, and is formed to bend so as to extend from the sphere housing portion of the magazine 3 to the sphere supply port 4 of the wrap plate 2. In the guide plate 5, a short spherical guide groove 6 having a short length is formed near the supply port 4. Magazine 3
The sphere rotating in the sphere housing portion is biased toward the supply port 4 side by the curved guide plate 5 and enters the supply port 4 from the guide groove 6. In the example of FIG. 9 described above, each guide groove 6 on the magazine 3 side is used.
Of the guide grooves 6 connected to the supply port 4 of the lap plate 2 from the sphere entrance side portions C and D to the sphere exit side end portions A and B of the guide grooves 6 as shown in FIG. This is the same in the case of the guide groove 6 of the vertical axis type polishing machine in FIG. A rotating groove of a sphere is formed concentrically on the inner surface of the lap plate 2.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional sphere supply device, each of the plurality of sphere guide grooves connected to the supply port of the sphere processing device has the same inclination angle as the inner to outer guide grooves. The speeds of the spheres rolling in the guide groove and entering the supply port are all the same. However, in the above-described spherical polishing machine, the concentric spherical rotating grooves formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of lap plates are longer on the outer peripheral side and shorter on the inner peripheral side, so that the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side are the same. When the spheres are supplied at a speed, the amount of the spheres in the lap plate is regulated by the groove length on the inner peripheral side, and the interval between the spheres is increased on the outer peripheral side, and there is a problem that the processing efficiency is poor as a whole. In addition, the lap plate also has a defect that the inner peripheral side where the distance between the spheres is small wears quickly and the polishing accuracy of the sphere tends to vary. Also in a sphere cleaning device and an inspection device, the rotation grooves of the spheres in the device have different sphere intervals between the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side, so that a problem arises in processing efficiency.

According to the present invention, a sphere supply port of a sphere processing device such as a sphere polishing machine, a sphere cleaning device, and an inspection device is provided at a different speed or at a different speed depending on the length of a plurality of sphere rotation grooves inside the processing device. An object of the present invention is to provide a sphere supply device capable of supplying a number of spheres, thereby improving the productivity of sphere processing.

[0005]

According to the present invention SUMMARY OF], a plurality of spheres of times Domizo formed coaxially within the sphere processing apparatus, apparatus for supplying a plurality of spheres via a plurality of spheres guide grooves In the above, there is provided a sphere supply device in which the inclination angle of the sphere guide groove is steeper as the one corresponding to the sphere rotation groove closer to the outer peripheral side in the sphere processing device.

Further, according to the present invention, the sphere processing device has
In a device for supplying a plurality of spheres through a plurality of sphere guide grooves to a plurality of sphere rotation grooves formed in a core shape , a lateral side perpendicular to the sphere guide grooves is provided on an entrance side of the sphere guide grooves. With the sphere on its circumference by rotation
The rotary cone member became adapted to be raised provided, the rotary
The large diameter side of the cone member is the outer periphery of the spherical processing device.
While being arranged to correspond to the spherical rotation groove on the side,
Lifting the conical member to the larger diameter side peripheral surface than the smaller diameter side peripheral surface
The number of spheres that are
Holding the rotating cone member corresponding to each spherical rotating groove of
Earlier in the rotation of the Chi raised sphere the rotary cone member
Spheres supply apparatus to enter the serial sphere guide grooves are provided.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a sphere processing apparatus.
In a device for supplying a plurality of spheres through a plurality of sphere guide grooves to a plurality of sphere rotation grooves formed concentrically, an outer peripheral side in the sphere processing device on an entrance side of the sphere guide grooves.
A fixed arrangement device for arranging the spheres in the sphere guide groove at smaller sphere intervals as the one corresponding to the closer sphere rotation groove is provided , wherein the fixed arrangement device holds a plurality of spheres on a rotating peripheral portion for
A sphere supply device having a pocket is provided.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the spheres fall down from a plurality of sphere guide grooves from the feed-in portion of the supply device and enter a supply port on a processing apparatus, for example, a polishing apparatus side. The inclination angle differs depending on the spherical inflow position, that is, according to the length of the spherical rotating groove inside the processing apparatus. In this case, the inclination angle of the sphere guide groove is set to be steep for a long sphere rotation groove of the processing apparatus, and a guide groove is provided for a short sphere rotation groove of the processing apparatus. Therefore, the velocity of the spheres falling on the sphere guide groove on the steeply inclined sphere guide groove is high, so that a large number of spheres are supplied, and the groove length of the sphere rotation groove differs in the processing apparatus. Also, the spacing between the spheres is averaged for all the sphere rotation grooves, and the processing amount increases.

In a sphere supply device provided with a fixed arrangement device in front (entrance side) of the spherical guide groove, the fixed arrangement device has a spherical holding recess around a rotating cylindrical body. The number of the sphere holding recesses is increased so that more spheres can be distributed to the longer one of the sphere rotation grooves.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spherical polishing machine 20 includes a rotating lap plate 1 that rotates around a horizontal axis.
And a fixed-side lap plate 2 facing the rotation-side lap plate 1
And a sphere supply port 4 extending in the horizontal direction is formed in a part of the fixed side lap plate 2. In this embodiment, the supply port 4 also serves as a discharge port for a sphere, and the sphere that has entered the wrap plates 1 and 2 from the sphere intake edge (lower edge) 4a of the supply port 4 is concentric with the inner surface of the lap plate 2. And makes a round along the spherical rotation groove, and is discharged from the spherical discharge edge (upper edge) 4b of the discharge port (supply port). The spherical take-in edge 4a has the same height from point B on the inner peripheral side of the lap plate 2 to point A on the outer peripheral side.

The sphere supply device disposed on the side of the wrap plates 1 and 2 has a substantially horizontal rotating magazine 3 for accommodating a large number of spheres and rotating and feeding the spheres in one direction. The rotating magazine 3 has a fixed outer peripheral wall 7, a rotating bottom plate and an inner peripheral wall 8, and a number of spheres 1 between the outer peripheral wall 7 and the inner peripheral wall 8.
4 are accommodated. A sphere outlet 9 is formed in a part of the outer peripheral wall 7, and a partition plate 11 is provided so as to cover the sphere housing portion 10 between the outer peripheral wall 7 and the inner peripheral wall 8 in contact with the sphere outlet. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a sphere guide plate 12 curved approximately 90 ° in plan view is provided extending from the sphere outlet 9 to the supply port 4 of the polishing machine 20. Spherical guide plate 12
A plurality of spherical guide grooves 13 are formed along the curved shape of the guide plate, and the tip of each of the guide grooves 13 is connected to each spherical rotation groove (shown in the figure) of the inner surface of the lap plate of the polishing machine 20. (Omitted).

The sphere outlet 9 of the rotating magazine 3 is
2 is slightly higher than the supply port 4 (see FIG. 2), and therefore the sphere guide plate 12 is inclined from the vicinity of the sphere outlet 9 (position C in the drawing) to the supply port 4 in a front view. The plurality of sphere guide grooves 13 formed on the sphere guide plate 12 are also inclined in the sphere feeding direction from the position C to the supply port 4, and the length of the sphere guide grooves 13 is as described above. Due to the curved shape of the guide plate 12, the outer diameter side of the curvature is longer than the inner diameter side, and the spherical intake edge 4a of the supply port 4 has the same height from the outer peripheral point A to the inner peripheral side B point as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the sphere guide groove on the outer diameter side has a gentle gradient in the sphere feeding direction, and the gradient continuously becomes steeper toward the inner diameter side. Since the sphere 14 rotates in the rotating magazine 3 as indicated by arrows D1, D2, and D3, the sphere 14 is closer to the partition plate 11 than the front edge 9a of the sphere outlet 9, that is, the curved sphere guide plate 12 Tend to gather near the partition plate 11 on the inner diameter side. The velocity of the sphere rolling and falling through each guide groove 13 is high on the A side of the supply port 4 and slow on the B side, and enters the supply port 4 due to the difference in the gradient of the spherical guide grooves 13 on the inner and outer diameter sides. The number of spheres is larger on the A side than on the B side. Therefore, in the concentric sphere rotating grooves in the wrap plates 1 and 2 following the supply port 4, more spheres enter the outer peripheral side having a longer groove length, and the sphere intervals in the sphere rotating grooves are averaged as a whole. In addition, the productivity of the spherical polishing process is improved.

In the above embodiment, the curved shape of the spherical guide plate 12 is approximately 90 °, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the spherical guide plate 12 may be curved at 30 ° or any other appropriate angle. In some cases, a linear guide plate may be used as in the embodiment described below.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the spherical guide plate 12 is not curved in a plan view, but extends linearly from the spherical outlet 9 of the rotating magazine 3 to the supply port 4 of the polishing machine 20 in a plan view. The guide plate 12 extends horizontally from the sphere outlet 9 toward the wrap plate 2 to an intermediate position, and this horizontal portion is long on the outer peripheral side (A side) of the wrap plate 2 at the position of the supply port 4 and is longer on the inner peripheral side (B Side). And supply port 4 from the tip of the horizontal part
And a plurality of spherical guide grooves 13 are formed on the inclined surface. As shown in FIG. 3, the length of the inclined surface of the spherical guide plate 12 is shorter on the side A than on the side B, so that the inclination angle of the inclined surface in the sphere rolling direction is the height of the positions A and B and C Since the heights of the position and the position D are equal to each other, the inclination is steep on the A side and gentle on the B side, and the angle continuously changes from the A side to the B side. Therefore, the speed of the sphere 14 rolling and falling along the sphere guide groove 13 is high on the A side and becomes slow as it goes to the B side, and from the inside of the rotating magazine 3 to the horizontal portion of the sphere guide plate 12, FIGS. Partition plate 11 as in the embodiment
The number of the spheres 14 supplied to the supply port 4 in synergy with the fact that they gather more on the side, that is, on the A side, is greater on the A side, and gradually decreases toward the B side. In FIG. 4, θ1 is the inclination angle of the spherical guide groove between AC and θ2 is the inclination angle of the spherical guide groove between BD. As described above, the spherical guide plate 12 and the guide groove 13 constitute a variable speed mechanism of the spherical body.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are a perspective view and a plan view, respectively, showing another example of the sphere speed changing mechanism in the sphere supply device of the present invention. An intermediate portion of the spherical guide plate 12 connected to the supply port of the polishing machine or an entrance side of the spherical guide plate 12,
That is, between the sphere guide plate 12 and the sphere outlet 9 of the rotating magazine 3, the rotating cone member 16 is attached to the sphere guide plate 1.
2, the sphere flowing out of the sphere outlet 9 is sent out through a part of the peripheral surface of the conical member 16. In this case, the large-diameter side (bottom side) of the conical member 16 is on the outer peripheral side (the above-described A side) of the supply port of the polishing machine, and the small-diameter side (apex side) is the inner peripheral side of the supply port (the above-described side). B side). Since the peripheral speed of the large diameter side of the conical member 16 is higher than that of the small diameter side due to the rotational driving of the conical member 16, the sphere carried on this peripheral surface is faster on the large diameter side and the A of the supply port is increased. The side is supplied with more spheres. The speed difference between the spheres on the A side and the B side of the supply port can be determined by the apex angle of the cone member 16.
A guide groove corresponding to the guide groove 13 on the spherical guide plate may be formed on the peripheral surface of the conical member 16. Further, the cone member 16 may be subjected to a surface treatment with a suitable friction material to prevent the sphere from slipping. In this case,
The sphere flowing out of the magazine 3 rotates the cone member 16.
The frictional action of the peripheral surface of the member 16
Lifted up and with the rotation of the cone member 16
The guide groove 13 of the spherical guide plate 12 is carried on this peripheral surface.
To fall.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing various examples of the fixed distribution device in the sphere supply device of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a cylindrical carrier 17 having a plurality of pockets 18 on its peripheral surface is arranged on the entry side of the spherical guide plate 12 so as to cross the spherical rolling direction. The pockets 18 of the cylindrical body carrier 17 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and the intervals are gradually increased from one side of the cylindrical body to the other side (axial direction). The cylindrical carrier end portion 17a on the side with the smaller pocket interval, that is, the side with the larger number of pockets 18 in the circumferential direction is on the outer peripheral side of the supply port of the polishing machine, and the side 17b with the smaller number of pockets 18 in the circumferential direction is the supply port A cylindrical carrier 17 is disposed so as to face the inner peripheral side of the sphere. The sphere sent from the sphere outlet of the rotating magazine by rotation of the carrier 17 by a driving device (not shown) is held in a pocket 18 and corresponds to the sphere guide plate 12. To the guide groove 13. Thereby, the number of spheres corresponding to the length of the sphere rotation groove in the lap plate in the polishing machine is supplied to the supply port. The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is an example in which a cone carrier 19 is used as a fixed distribution device. In the peripheral surface of the cone, equally spaced pockets 18 corresponding to the number of the spherical guide grooves 13 are formed in the circumferential direction. I have. The number of pockets 18 aligned in the circumferential direction of the cone increases toward the large-diameter side of the cone, so that the large-diameter side of the cone is arranged to correspond to the outer peripheral side of the supply port of the polishing machine. As a result, the number of spheres corresponding to the groove length of the sphere rotation groove in the lap plate can be supplied, and thereby the sphere interval of the outer sphere rotation groove in the lap plate of the polishing machine can be changed to the inner sphere rotation. It can be the same spacing as the grooves.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the speed or the number of spheres for transferring a plurality of sphere guide grooves can be changed in accordance with the position of the sphere guide grooves, thereby polishing. Even if there is a difference in the groove length of the sphere turning groove inside the sphere processing device such as a machine, the number of spheres can be increased or decreased according to the groove length, and the productivity of sphere processing can be increased. Taking a spherical polishing machine having a disk-shaped lap plate as an example, the spherical rotating groove in the lap plate has a difference of about twice the groove length between the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side. For example, spheres can be supplied at substantially the same sphere interval on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side, whereby the productivity can be improved about 1.5 times or more compared to the conventional art. Since the spacing between the spheres in the lap plate is equalized, one-sided wear of the lap plate is reduced, and the polishing accuracy and quality of the sphere can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a sphere supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a sphere supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another example of the sphere speed varying mechanism in the sphere supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a fixed distribution device in the sphere supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another example of the fixed distribution device in the sphere supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a sphere polishing machine having a conventional sphere supply device.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the sphere supply device shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing another example of a ball polishing machine having a conventional ball supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Wrap plate 3 Rotary magazine 4 Supply port 9 Spherical outlet 10 Spherical container 11 Partition plate 12 Spherical guide plate 13 Spherical guide groove 14 Spherical member 16 Cone member 17 Cylindrical carrier 18 Pocket 19 Conical carrier 20 Spherical polisher

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References Japanese Patent Publication No. 13-811 (JP, B1) Japanese Utility Model No. 52-7633 (JP, Y2) Japanese Public Utility Model No. 29-9796 (JP, Y1) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B24B 11/06 B65G 47/14-47/30

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] To 1. A plurality formed coaxially within the sphere processing apparatus spheres times Domizo, the apparatus for supplying a plurality of spheres via a plurality of spheres guide grooves, the inclination angle of the spherical guide groove A sphere supply device, wherein a slope corresponding to a sphere rotation groove closer to the outer peripheral side in the sphere processing device has a steeper inclination angle. 2. A plurality of concentrically formed sphere processing devices.
In a device for supplying a plurality of spheres through a plurality of sphere guide grooves to a sphere rotation groove of the sphere guide groove, on the entry side of the sphere guide groove, the device is placed at right angles to the sphere guide groove and rotated.
Therefore, the sphere can be lifted on its peripheral surface.
A rotating cone member, wherein the rotating cone member is
The large-diameter side faces the sphere rotation groove on the outer peripheral side in the sphere processing device.
And the small diameter of the cone member
The number of spheres lifted to the larger diameter side circumference than the side circumference
And each sphere rotation groove in the sphere processing device
Feeder spheres, characterized in that the spheres lifted the rotating cone member in response was to enter the more the sphere guide grooves with the rotation of the rotary cone member. 3. A plurality of concentrically formed sphere processing devices.
In a device for supplying a plurality of spheres to the sphere rotation groove through a plurality of sphere guide grooves, a sphere rotation groove closer to an outer peripheral side in the sphere processing device is provided on an entrance side of the sphere guide groove .
As those respond with small spheres intervals provided Teihai device for arranging the spheres to the sphere guide grooves, the Teihai device rotates
Multiple sphere holding pockets are formed around
Feeder spheres, characterized in that that. 4. The fixed arrangement device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed arrangement device is a cylinder which is placed horizontally and rotates.
Body carrier, and the circumferential surface of the cylindrical body carrier has a circumferential direction.
And a plurality of pockets along the
Row of pockets corresponding to the spherical rotation groove near the outer circumference in the
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein
Sphere feeder. 5. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing device is a conical rotating member.
Body carrier, the circumferential surface of the conical carrier
And a plurality of pockets along the
The large-diameter side of the carrier is the sphere turn on the outer peripheral side in the sphere processing device.
The cone carrier is arranged to correspond to the moving groove, and the size of the cone carrier is large.
The number of pockets on the radial side is greater than the number of pockets on the small side
4. The sphere according to claim 3, wherein
Supply device .