US2438543A

US2438543A - Abrading machine

Info

Publication number: US2438543A
Application number: US571732A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas G Custin; Robert G Stoneman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-01-08
Filing date: 1945-01-08
Publication date: 1948-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1965-03-30

Description

March 30, 1948. "r. G.'cusT|N ET AL 2,438,543

ABRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 3 sheets-sheet 1 I QAM/MW 2770777575 G. [L/52h? Haber? 5. 570175777527 T. G. CUSTIN ET AL March 30, 1948.

ABRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 U@ fm M55. p a @REM @mm W. ,SEEN s H J Ft fc March 30, 1948. T. G. CUSTIN ET Al.

ABRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 s sheets-sneek 5 atented Mar. 30, 1948 ABRADING MACHINE Thomas G. Custin and Robert G. Stoneman, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors of one-third to Jack Shaw, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application January 8, 1945, Serial No. 571,732

15 Claims.

rl`his invention relates to automatic abrading machines and refers particularly to a skate sharpening machine.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a skate sharpening machine so designed and constructed that operation thereof may be automatic and coin controlled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character described s designed and constructed that operation thereof requires merely proper placing of the skate in a receptacle or holder of lthe machine and proper ac* tuation of the coin controlled starting switch.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a skate sharpening machine having means to clamp or grip the skate t0 be sharpened and having a grinder or other suitable sharpening tool operable upon relative motion between the clamp and the tool to properly grind the edge of the skate blade and wherein the clamping of the skate and the relative motion between the clamp and the tool is eifected by a coin controlled power drive.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel form of clamp for gripping and holding the skate to be sharpened.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel manner of movably mounting the grinder or other sharpening tool for traversal across the length of the skate blade to be sharpened.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the lnovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly' dened by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the exterior of the upper portion of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine with the cover of the cabinet removed and with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken through Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3 3;

Figure 4 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken through Figure 3 on the plane of the line 5 5;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic View to illustrate the manner in which the tilt of the tool carrying carriage is limited;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the coin mechanism controls operation of the machine; and

Figure 8 is a view illustrating a slightly varied form of grinding wheel which may be used to facilitate grinding the ends of the skates.

Before specically defining the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the general aspects of the machine will be outlined.

The machine is preferably housed within a neat cabinet so as to be unobtrusive when installed at public and private rinks. of the cabinet is an opening which constitutes a receptacle for the skate to be sharpened. The skate is placed in this opening with its blade downwardly so as to engage between the jaws of a clamp which grip the blade and securely hold the same the instant the machine is started. Starting of the machine is effected by means of a coin controlled switch.

.A carriage arranged to move back and forth and driven by a reversible electric motor started by the coin controlled switch mechanism drives the grinder and propels the carriage from one end of the machine to the other and back again to cause the grinder to traverse the length of the skate blade twice.

When the carriage carrying the grinder returns to its normal initial position the clamp is automatically opened and the skate is released for removal, The machine thus operates cyclically with each cycle initiated by actuation of the coin mechanism.

The machine illustrated has provision for sharpening only one skate at a time but as will be readily apparent from the description to follow, the machine may be easily designed to sharpen two or more skates at one time.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the cabinet or housing of the IInachine, the front wall of which carries` a conventional coin mechanism 6, proper actuation of which initiates one cycle of operation of the machine.

'I'he cover of the cabinet has a hole I therein into which the blade of a skate S may be i11-A At the D013' end as at l2 to the cross member IB. Their opposite free ends are held down on the cross member Il by guides i4 and tension springs I5 yieldigly draw the rails together, The springs l5 are individually anchored to the'cross member Il, so as to hold the rails symmetrically disposed with relation to their bisecting center line.

The clamp jaws 8 are pivotally connected to the rails i3 by studs I6. The lower ends of these studs also mount rollers l1 for a purpose laterY to be described.

In view of the pivotal connection betweenthe jaws and the rails, the rails may move angularly while the faces of the jaws remain parallel to each other. It is preferable, however, to p rovide light springs I3 between the opposite ends of the jaws and their carrying rails to hold the same substantially parallel as the carrying rails are spread apart and brought together.

As will be readily apparent, the location of the clamp near the pivoted ends of the carrying rails gives the clamp considerable leverage so that the springs l5 exert a strong clamping force tending to close the clamp.

A skate gripped by the clamp is in position to be acted upon by a grinder or other appropriate sharpening tool i9 as the latter is moved back and forth along the length of the machine. This grinder or sharpening tool is mounted on a carriage 20 by means of an arbor 2| journalled in a bearing structure 22 depending from the undersurface of the carriage The carriage is slidably supported on a shaft 23 extending between the cross members I0 and Il. v

In addition to the grinder, the carriage carries a reversible electric motor 24. It is to be observed that the motor is at one side of the pivotal sliding carriage support provided by the shaft 23 and that the grinder is at the opposite side of this fulcrum. The weight of the motor being greater than that of the grinder thus biases the grinder upwardly toward the undersurface or bottom of a skate blade in position in the clamp. A leaf spring 25 secured to the undersurface of the carriage and having its free end slidably bearing on a longitudinal supporting rail 21 assists in holding the grinder up against the blade of the skateY to guard against chattering and insure smooth operation of the machine. A belt 28 trained over pulleys on the motor shaft and the grinder arbor drives the grinder directlyfrom the motor.4

In the loading position of the machine thevcarthe clamp jaws to `support a skate blade and properly locate the same with relation to the `jaws. Y

The end of the bottom guide 39 nearest the grinder has an inclined guide 3l fixed thereto, the upper end of which is substantially in line with the periphery of the grinder so that upon movement of the carriage to bring the grinder under the skate blade the carriage will be depressed by the guide 3| riding under the end of the blade to enable the grinder wheelto be engaged with the blade.

AsY the grinder wheel has a at peripheral surface parallel with its axis, the guide 3l must not project beyond the periphery of the wheel. .Preferably, it terminates just below the periphery of the wheel riding, but if a grinder wheel having a cross-sectional shape such as shown in Figure 8 is employed the guide 3l need not be so high. Moreover, the grinder shown in Figure 8 will enable the rounded Yend of the skate blade to be ground as the wheel rides under the blade.

A guide 32 similar to the guide 3l is mounted on the carriage at the opposite side or face of the grinder to function in the manner described during the return stroke of the carriage.

Any suitable means may be employed to cause the carriage to traverse the length of themaehine, but in view of the fact that the carriage must be free to rock about its supporting'shaft 23, a cable drive has been found desirable. This and worm wheel drive 3E. Hence, when the mo-` tor revolves in one direction the cable is wound one way on the shaft or on a drum carried lthereby to pull the carriage from its normal loading position (shown in full lines in Figure 2)*to the opposite end-of theV machine (shown in dotted Y lines in Figure 2).

riage is at one end of the machine with the grinder spaced beyond the end of a skate in the clamp, and as noted hereinbefore, in this loading'position of the machine the clamp jaws are held open to permit the insertion or removal of a skate.

This latter function is performed by two cams 29 1 top surface of the carriage is in position under During this forward stroke of the carnage the grinder traverses the lengthV of the skate blade once Vand as will be readily apparent, during the initial forward motion of the carriage the cams 29 move from between the rollers il so that the clamping jaws come together to grip the skate and hold the same firmly during the grinding action.A

When the carriage reaches its dotted line position shown in Figure 2 a lreversing switch operates and causes the motor to reverse its direction of rotation.V Thisreturns the carriage toits normal position of rest in the same manner as described so that the grinder traverses the blade of the skate for the second time and as the carriage iinishes its return stroke the cams 29 ride between the rollers l1 and open 'the clamp to release the skate.

As noted hereinbefore, the weight of the motor 2d` and the tension of the leaf `spring 25 cornbine to urge the front end of the carriage carrying the grinder upwardly to apply the grinder to the skate with the proper degree of pressure.

The bias imposed upon the carriage in this manner is limited by the engagement of aprojection 31- extended from the rear of the carriage and engageable with a track 3B xedto the rear wall of the cabinet or a` suitable portion of the 4 supporting frame. The position of the carriage dened by the engagement of the projection 31 with the supporting rail 38 is illustrated in Figure 6.

In this position the grinder is held below the level of the clamp jaws so that operation of the machine without a skate in place will not result in grinding of the clamp.

While the specic coin controlled mechanism forms no part of this invention and may be of any desired construction capable of performing the required functions, for purposes of illustration the usual coin mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 39 has been shown provided with a pusher 4t projected from the rear thereof and operable when a proper coin is used to simultaneously open a normally closed switch il and rock a pivoted lever 42 to actuate a reversing switch e3 to a forward position. This leaves the motor circuit open. Its closure requires the coin mechanism to be retracted whereupon the motor operates in the direction to cause the carriage to execute its forward stroke.

At the completion of the forward stroke of the carriage the reversing switch 43 is actuated as by the engagement of an actuator 44 .with a stop l5 to cause the motor to run in the opposite di,- rection and return the carriage to its normal position of rest.

During the final return travel of the carriage the reversing switch 43 is opened by engagement of the actuator M with another Xed stop 46 and in addition a switch 47 is opened, 'Il-his latter switch is in parallel with the switch el and is biased to closed position so as to close the instant the carriage starts its forward stroke.

By requiring the coin controlled mechanism to be retracted to close the motor circuit, assurance is obtained against defeating the coin control feature by holding its handle in.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent that this invention provides a practical wholly automatic skate sharpening machine, which, by virtue of its capability of coin controlled operation, is exceptionally well suited for installation at public and private skating rinks.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A skate sharpening machine comprising: clamp mechanism adapted to grip a skate; a grinder; means mounting the grinder for back and forth motion between dened limits along a path so related to the clamp mechanism that the grinder traverses the bottom of the blade of a skate in the clamp mechanism; means for driving the grinder back and forth along said path; and clamp releasing means connected with said grinder so as t0 travel in said back and forth path of travel of the grinder to be engaged with portions of the clamp mechanism upon motion of the grinder t0 one of its limits for effecting opening of the clamp mechanism and release of the skate.

2. In a skate sharpening machine: a sharpening unit including a carriage mounted :for linear movement between defined limits and a grinder carried by and movable with said carriage; means for moving said carriage from and back to a normal position of rest; a skate clamp located betwten said limits of linear motion of the carriage and adapted to grip a skate and hold the blade thereof in position to be acted upon by the grinder as it is moved from and back to said position of rest; and cooperating clamp 6 controlling means on the carriage and clamp operable to effect opening of the clamp at the completion of the skate sharpening motion of the sharpening unit and to hold the clamp open while the unit is at said normal position of rest.

3. A skate sharpening machine, comprising: a cabinet having an aperture in one wall thereof skate clamp mechanism adjacent to the aperture in said wall and adapted to hold a skate with its blade projecting through the aperture and with its edge to be sharpened exposed at the interior of the cabinet; grinder mechanism in the cabinet adapted to sharpen the blade upon relative motion between said mechanisms in a direction lengthwise of the blade of a skate in said clamp mechanism; means fixed with respect to the cabinet mounting one of said mechanisms for reciprocatory motion lengthwise of the skate blade between dened limits; means iixed with respect to the cabinet mounting the other of said mechanisms in a position alongside the path of movement of said reciprocatory mechanism and between said limits of motion thereof; a power drive for the machine for reciprocating said reciprocatory mechanism; and control instrumentalities for starting. and stopping said power drive including means actuated by the reciprocatory mechanism upon movement thereof to one of its limits of motion for automatically rendering the power drive inoperative.

4. A skate sharpening machine, comprising: a sharpening tool; clamp mechanism adapted to grip a skate to be sharpened with its blade exposed for contact with the sharpening tool; means mounting the sharpening tool and clamp mechanism adjacent to one another and for relative motion lengthwise of the blade of a skate held in the clamp mechanism; a power drive for the machine operable to effect said relative motion of the tool and the'clamp mechanism; means for controlling the drive to cause cyclical functioning of the machine with relative motion between the tool and the clamp mechanism occurring from and back to a predetermined initial loading postion, during which motion forward and retrograde traversal of the tool and the skate blade occurs for at least the length of the skate blade; and cooperating means on the clamp mechanism and the sharpening tool operatively engaged by said relative lengthwise motion of the tool and the clamp mechanism for effecting automatic closure of the clamp mechanism at the start of the cycle and opening of the clamp mechanism at the end of the cycle so that application and removal of the skate may be elrected only when the parts are in said predetermined loading position.

5. A skate sharpening machine, comprising the combination of: a sharpening unit including a rotatable sharpening tool; clamp mechanism adapted to grip a skate to be sharpened with its blade exposed for contact with the tool; means mounting the sharpening unit and the clamp mechanism adjacent to one another and for relative movement lengthwise of the blade of a skate held in the clamp mechanism; a power drive for the machine operable to actuate the sharpening tool and effect said relative motion of the sharpening unit and clamp mechanism; means for controlling the power drive to cause cyclical functioning thereof with'relative motion between the sharpening unit and clamp mechanism occurring from and back to a predetermined loading position of the sharpening unit and clamp mechanism during which motion forward; and retrograde traversal: ofthe sharpening` unit. and the skate occurs. at: least: for the length ofthe skate blade; and cooperating means on the clamp mechanismv and the sharpening unit engaged by relative skate traversingmotion of the sharpening unit and' the clamp.. mechanism to said?y predetermined loading' position offV the parts for effecting, opening of the clamp: mechanism to. release a skate therein at the end of the cycle.

6'. A skate sharpening machine comprisingthe combination. of: a sharpening element; a clamp element adapted to grip a skate to-be sharpened withl its blade exposed for Contact with the sharpening element; means. m-ounting said elements for motion relative toone another length-4 wise of the` blade of a skate in the clamp element from a loading position at which the sharpening element is spaced far enough to one end of the'` clamp element to enable application of" a sk ate to the clamp, element without contacting the sharpening element, to aposition withthe sharpeningv element at the opposite end of theJclamp. element .reached by. relative traversal of' one of said elementsby the other'and back tosaid'loading position, said: mounting means alsoy permitting said elements to ,be relatively movable towardand from one another in a direction trans-l verse to relative lengthwiseA .motion therebetween; means yi'eldinglybiasing one of'said element-fs toward the other whereby the sharpening element is. yieldinglyv urgedV against the blade of a skate Yinsaid clamp. element under pressure during Yrelative. lengthwise motion between said elements; a power driveV for the machine operable t-oeiectV said relative lengthwise motion of said elements; meansforfstarting the-power drive and controlling it. to cause ther machine to perform one cycle during; which forward'and Yretrograde traversal ofthe sharpening element and the skate blade in. the clamp element occurs for the length. of the skate blade; and.,mear 1s for. automatically opening the clampA element. at:l the completion ofV the-` cycle when the elements reltur-n to said loading. position.

combination ofi: a: sharpening tool;Y means: mounting the tool for reciprocating movement betweenv dened limits ar 'clampad'aptedl to grip a skate to bel sharpened with its blade exposed for contact with the sharpening tool? as itzrecip.- rocates between said limits, said tool and' clamp. being mounted for; relatitev motionA toward and from one another in a direction. crosswise, to

Yreciprocating movement o' the tool; a power drive for imparting reciprocatory motion to they sharpening tool to cause it to trave-rse the length of the blade of a skate in; theolamp; means vfor controlling the power drive. to.` cause; it; to operate in cycles during which thesharpening: tool is moved; between its; limit-s; of motion at least once;`A yieldable, means tending; to: ati all; timeSf '1. A1 skate sharpening.A machinecomprising the eiect relative motion between the sharpening Y tool andthe clamp ofv said transverse-'direction toward, one another wherebythe blade; and tool are maintained in engagement under p -resslire during; motion; of" the, tool between Vsaid limits.Y

of reciprocatory motion, thereof; and means; on:

me toolV adapted for initial eng-agement, witntne 8; In a machine of'thecharacter described', the combination ofi: a rotatable grinding wheel; means. mounting the. wheel forv bodily reciproca,- tory movement between dened limits andi for" rotation. on an axis: parallel to the ,path of` bodily motion of the wheel; a pair of levers adjacent to the, path of reciprocatory movement ofthe wheel and extending in theA direction oiV the axis of rotation. off the wheel; pivotal supports for one end of the levers mountingthe same: for pivotal motion on Xed axes parallelA to one; another and normal to the axis of rotation -o-f the wheel;` means yieldingly urging` the free ends. ofthe levers together; work engaging clamps carried by the leversy near their; pivoted ends and between the limitsY of reciprocatory motion of' the; wheel, Said clamps being adapted to grip w-ork` and se,- curely hold the same in position to be acted: upon by the grinding wheelduring reciprocatory movement thereof' between its limits of, motion;` a power drive for the machine operable to rotate.

the grinding Wheel and to` reciprocate the same Y bodily along said path]` of movement thereof; and means for controlling the power drive to initiate reciprocatory motion of the wheel and tor stop: reciprocatory motionVV thereof at one. limit of motion of the wheelsothat themachine operates cyclically.y

9. A skate sharpening machine comprising theLk combinationV of; a sharpening tool;V a carriage on which thesharpening toolis mounted; means:

movably supporting'V the'carriage and constraining the same and the sharpening tool there-on; to

reciprocatory motion; a clamp positioned alongside the path of recprocatorymotion of the tool,r and adapted tofgr-ip askate-to be sharpened and to hold the same with its, blade exposed Yto the sharpening tool as the same reciprocates, said clamp and the carriage being relatively movable toward and from eachl other in a: direction. transverse to reciprocatory-,motion of the tool; yieldable means tending to-at all times effect relative movement between the tool and clamp in: said transverse direc-tion toward one another so that` the blade of a; skate inthe clamp is yieldingly engaged by: thel tool as; the tool' traverses the, length of the blade during reciprocatory motionof the carriage; a power drive for imparting moti-on to the carriage;` and meansfor rendering saidpower drivefoperative to eiect reciprocatory Y motion of the carriage between defined. limits to, carry the tool along and beyond the blade of a skate; in the clamp and for rendering; said power drive ineffective at one of the limits of reciprocatory movement of the, tool. l

1G; A. skate sharpening. machine; comprising the combination of.:l aA sharpening tool); a carriage on which the sharpening tool is mounted adapted to reciprocate between defined limits; means movab'ly.V supporting the carriage and constraining the same and the sharpening tool.

thereon to Vreciprooatory motion between-said predetermined limits;l a clamp positionedv alongside the path of movement ofY the tool and adapted tog-rip a skate to .be sharpened Yand to hold the same with its bladej extending lengthwise of the path off motion of the carri-age and exposed to thesharpening tool as the same travelsv with theicarriage, said clamp:and:` carriage being rclativelymovabletoward` from. eachotherV ina direction transverse to reciprocatory motion'` ol`= the tool; yieldable means tending to at all: Y

times eilect relative. motion between the clam-pV and' tool-in saidftransverse direction toward= eaclr other sc thatzthe tool; is engaged withthe,blade.

of a skate in the clamp under yielding pressure as the tool traverses the length of the blade; means for reciprocating the carriage to cause the tool to traverse the length of a skate blade in the clamp including a power drive and means for controlling said power drive so as to effect reciprocatory motion or the carriage between said dened limits and consequently traversal of the skate blade by the sharpening tool and for rendering said power drive ineffective at one of the limits of reciprocatory movement of the tool; and means operated by the carriage for automatically effecting opening of the clamp as the sharpening tool comes to rest at said last named limit thus to release the sharpened skate for removal.

1l. In a skate sharpening device of the character described: a spring powered clamp adapted to grip the blade of a skate; a sharpening tool movable in opposite directions between predetermined limits to traverse the length of a blade of a skate in the clamp during motion of the tool and thereby effect sharpening of the blade; means for moving the sharpening tool forward and backward across the length of a skate blade in the clamp; and means movable with the sharpening tool along said path of motion thereof for controlling the operativeness of the clamp7 said clamp control means actuating the clamp to open the same in consequence to backward motion of the tool to one of its limits of motion and effecting closure of the clamp in consequence to initial forward travel of the tool from said designated limit of motion.

12. In a skate sharpening machine of the char-- acter described: a clamp adapted to grip the blade of a skate and hold it in a iXed position; a sharpening tool; means mounting the sharpening tool for motion longitudinally of the blade of a skate in the clamp between defined limits spaced from opposite ends of the skate blade to enable the tool to traverse the length of said blade; means for yieldingly urging the sharpening tool toward the skate blade bottom and to a position beyond the plane of the blade bottom as the tool leaves the blade during travel toward either of its limits of motion; and means for guiding the sharpening tool into proper engagement with the blade of a skate in the clamp as the tool travels between its limits of motion.

13. An abrading machine for grinding an edge of a piece of work, comprising: clamping means for releasably securing the work with the edge thereof to be ground exposed; a grinding head including a grinding wheel and means for rotating the same; means pivotally mounting said grinding head with the pivotal axis thereof substantially parallel to the edge to be ground and spaced from the grinding wheel, said mounting means enabling the head, by its pivotal motion, to swing the periphery of said grinding wheel toward and from grinding engagement with said edge to be ground; means for sliding the head along its pivot axis; means yieldingly biasing said grinding head about its pivotal axis in a direction to urge the grinding wheel into grinding engagement with the edge to be ground and beyond the same; means for effecting cyclical reciprocatory motion of said grinding head between dened limits so as to cause the grinding wheel to grind said edge along substantially the entire exposed length thereof; and cam means on said grinding head adjacent to said grinding wheel, on either side thereof, cooperable with said edge to be ground to cam the grinding wheel into smooth engagement with said edge as the grinding wheel approaches said exposed edge during cyclical movement of the grinding head.

14. The machine set forth in claim 13 further characterised by the provision of cooperating cam means on the clamping means and the grinding head for effecting closure of the clamping means upon sliding motion of the head away from one of its limits of motion and for effecting opening of the clamping means upon sliding motion of the grinding head to said limit of motion.

A skate sharpening machine comprising: a cabinet having a top wall provided with an aperture therein through which the blade of a skate may be passed to have its underside exposed on the interior of the cabinet; clamping means on the cabinet adjacent to said aperture securely gripping the blade of a skate ins ted into said aperture with its blade downward; a sharpening tool; means inside the cabinet, including a reciprocable carriage, mounting sharpening tool for lengthwise traversal of the skate blade between predetermined limits along a path beneath said aperture and clamp ing means, said carriage being tiltable about an axis parallel to reciprocal motion of the carriage to enable the sharpening tool to move toward and from the underside of the blade of a in said clamp; yieldable means biasing the carrriage upwardly so as to maintain the sharpening tool engaged with the underside of a skate blade under pressure; power means for driving said carriage; and control means for said power drive for effecting controlled reciprocation of said carn riage to cause the same to traverse the skate blade with a motion starting from a skate loading position of rest at one end of the blade of a skate in said clamp to a position at the other end of said blade, and back to said irst named posi.- tion of rest.

THOMAS G. CUSTIN. ROBERT G. STONENIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,435,387 Goerke Nov. 14, 1922 1,480,422 Strom Jan. 8, 1924 1,929,810 Edwards et al Oct. 10, 1933 1,966,869 Owen July 17, 1934 1,967,964 Miller July 24, 1984 2,055,665 Moon Sept. 29, 1936 2,358,880 Robinson Sept. 26, 1944