US2664675A - Burnishing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan' 5, 1954 F. LA MONICA BURNISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 5, 1952 INVENTOR. FRAN/f L A /Vo/v/cfl.

TTOENEY Jan. 5, 1954 Filed July 5, 1952 F. LA MONICA BURNISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN1/EN TOR. WPA/wf L/l /VON/m.

TTOFP/VEX Patented Jan. 5, 1954 BURNISHING APPARATUS Frank La Monica, Unionville, Conn., assignor to The United Tool & Die Company, Elmwood, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 5, 1952, Serial No. 297,221

Thisl invention relates to a burnishing apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for burnishing or polishing metal articles by rubbing them with other pieces of material such as pebbles, metal balls and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a burnishng apparatus in which the articles to be burnished are placed into a iiexible barrel, or drum, together with the pieces of burnishing or polishing material and rolled at high speeds While undel` pressure.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an apparatus in which the articles to be burnished are rolled while forced into contactwith the burnishing material.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a burnishing apparatus including a ilexiblebarrel or drum in which the articles to be burnished and the burnishingl material are constantly in motion and in circulation within the drum so that all portions of the articles are brought into contact with the said material and the efficiency of the apparatus is thereby greatly increased.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, in central vertical section, of a exi'ble burnishing drum embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side View of my burnishing apparatus,partly in section on line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the said apparatus, partly in central Vertical section.

In the embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, there is provided a iiexible barrel 5 which includes a bag 6 that is preferably constructed of rubber or similar viiexible material and is longitudinally cross-sectionally oval-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1, when in its normal condition. The said bag is molded upon end inserts 'I and v8 which provide axial bearing members at the opposite ends of the said bag. The insert 8 is in the form of an annular collar having a bearing portion 9 and anouter annular ange I0 to which a cover II is detachably secured by means of screws I2 or other suitable fastening means. The said insert 8 also has an inner1 annular flange I3 to which the bag 6 is lattached by either a molding or a vulcanizing operation.

The cover II has attached thereto a suitable swivel connection I4 which includes a nipple I5 that is threaded to the said cover and is rotatably 1o claims. (o1. 51-2) secured to a shell I6 by means of a sleeve I'I and a sealing ring I8. A conductor pipe I9 is connected to the said shell and communicates with a suitable source of vacuum or pressure.

A similar swivel connection Ill-a is connected to the insert 'l which insert also has an annular ange 2D by means of whichy it is attached to the bag 6. A fiuid supply pipe IQ-a is connected to the said swive1 connection Ill-a.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, my improved apparatus further includes a pair of pneumatic supporting rolls 2| and 22 which are rotatably mounted in a suitable frame 23 and driven by such as an electric motor 24.

A pneumatic pressure roll 25 is rotatably mounted upon a pair of supporting 'bars 26-26 which are hinged at 27 upon the said frame 23 and an adjusting screw 28 is threaded to a bearing 29 in said frame and is connected to the said supporting bars 26-26.

The said supporting rolls and the pressure roll are preferably in the form of circular bags or tires which are inflated to the pressure required for applying a suitable yielding force against the barrel and upon the material therein to produce the desired results.

The barrel 5 is pivotally mounted upon supporting bars 30--30 which are pivotally mounted upon the said frame at 3l and rotatably connected to the bearing portions 9 and the insert 7.

'It will be noted from Fig. 2 of the drawings that during th-e operation of the apparatus the bag 6 is squeezed between the rolls 22 and 25 so that it is distorted from its normal shape and is forced inwardly at the points of contact with the said rolls to form conveX-spheroidal protrusions upon the inside surface of the bag, as at 3|, and sufficient pressure is applied to compact the contents of the said bag and provide inwardly extending protrusions which are stationary while the bag is rotated. These protrusions provide obstruction in the path of the material in the barrel which deflects the said contents towards the ends of the barrel.

The operation of my above described apparatus is as follows:

The cover II is first removed, the articles to be burnished, together with the burnishing material, are placed inside of the barrel 6 and the cover I I is replaced. The pressure screw 28 is then rotated to force the pressure roll upon the against the articles in said barrel.

When the motor 2f! is energized, it will drive the rolls 2l and 22 and thereby rotate the barrel 6 while it is maintained in squeezed condition between the said rolls.

The rotation of the exible barrel 6 will cause the particles of burnishing material to rub against the articles in the barrel and rapidly burnish them.

The rapid rotation of the barrel 6 will cause centrifugal force which will move the material therein towards the center of the barrel and the depressions 3l in said barrel, which are formed by the supporting and pressure rolls, will cause the said material to be deflected towards the ends of the barrel and thereby cause circulation of the burnishing material and the articles being burnished towards the opposite ends of the barrel so that a continuous circulating movement of the contents of the barrel will be maintained by the combined centrifugal force, which moves the contents towards the center of the barrel, and the deecting action towards the end of the barrel that is caused by the protrusions on the inside of the barrel which are formed by the supporting and pressure rolls and which are stationary while the barrel is rotated.

I claim:

1. A burnishing apparatus including a flexible longitudinally cross-sectionally oval-shaped barrel, means for rotating said barrel, and a plurality of pneumatic rolls applied under pressure against the exterior of the barrel and forming protrusions upon the inside thereof for compacting and deecting the contents oi the barrel.

2. A burnishing apparatus including a flexible longitudinally cross-sectionally oval-shaped barrel adapted to contain material and cause said material to be moved towards its center by centrifugal force during rotation thereof, means for rotating the barrel, and pressure means including a plurality of pneumatic rolls applied against the exterior of the barrel for compacting the material therein and forming inwardly extending protrusions to deflect the said material towards the ends of the barrel.

3. A burnishing apparatus including a exible barrel having a detachable cover and being longitudinally cross-sectionally oval-shaped, a plurality of rolls supporting said barrel, means forforcing said rolls against said barrel and forming inwardly extending protrusions therein to compact material in said barrel and deect the material towards the ends thereof, and means for rotating said rolls and barrel.

4. A burnishing apparatus including a flexible barrel, a pair of supporting rolls for supporting said barrel, means for driving said supporting rolls to apply rotational movement to the barrel, and a pneumatic pressure roll for squeezing said barrel between it and the supporting rolls and thereby forming inwardly extending protrusions in the wall thereof for compacting and circulating the material therein.

5. A burnishing apparatus including a frame, a flexible barrel swingingly and rotatably mounted upon said frame, a pair of spaced supporting rolls for supporting said barrel, a pressure roll for squeezing said barrel between it and the said supporting rolls, and means for driving said supporting rolls to rotate said barrel.

6. A burnishing apparatus including a frame, a flexible barrel swingingly and rotatably mounted on said frame, a pair of spaced supporting rolls, a pressure roll rotatably and swingingly mounted upon the said frame for squeezing the barrel between it and the said supporting rolls, means for rotating the said pressure rolls to apply rotational movement to the barrel, and an adjusting screw for adjustably forcing the pressure roll against the barrel; the said barrel being longitudinally cross-sectionally oval-shaped whereupon material therein is centrifugally moved towards the center of the barrel during rotation thereof, and the said rolls forming protrusions upon the inside of the barrel for compacting the said material and deflecting it towards the end of said barrel and thereby maintaining circulation of the material in the barrel during the rotation thereof.

7. A burnishing apparatus including a frame, a pair of spaced pneumatic supporting rolls rotatably mounted on said frame, a flexible barrel resting upon said supporting rolls, a pair of supporting bars swingingly and rotatably securing said barrel to the frame to retain it in position upon the supporting rolls, a pneumatic pressure roll resting upon the said barrel, means for rotatably and swingingly mounting said pressure roll to the frame, an adjusting screw for adjustably forcing the said pressure roll upon the barrel and thereby squeezing said barrel between it and the supporting rolls, and means for rotating said supporting rolls to thereby rotate the barrel; the said barrel being longitudinally cross-sectionally oval-shaped whereby material therein is centrifugally moved towards the center thereof and the said rolls forming protrusions upon the inside of the barrel compacting and deilecting the material to thereby circulate the said material towards the opposite ends of thebarrel.

8. A burnishing apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the protrusions are movable relatively to the barrel during the rotation thereof to thereby provide deflecting obstructions upon the inside of the barrel for deflecting the material therein towards the end of the barrel.

9. A burnishing apparatus as set forth inclaim 8 including means for circulating a fluid through the barrel during the rotation thereof.

10. A burnishing apparatus including a flexible barrel, a detachable cover on said barrel, bearing means rotatably mounting said barrel, conducting means swivelly connected to said barrel for circulating a fluid therethrough, means for rotating the barrel, and means for squeezing said barrel during the rotation thereof.

FRANK LA MONICA.-

References Cited in the le of `this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number' Name Date 86,819 Crosby Feb. 9, 1869 695,102 Griswold Mar. 11, 1902 1,180,226 Baylls Apr. 18, 1916 1,265,564 Wharrad May 7, 1918 1,840,429 Beckett Jan. 12, 1932 FGREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 273,065 Great Britain June 30, 1927

Images