US3099902A - Fluid pressure operated oscillatory buffing head - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 6, 1963 e. A. CARLSON FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED OSCILLATORY BUFFING HEAD Filed June 1'7, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Aug. 6, 1963 G. A. CARLSON 3,099,902

FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED OSCILLATORY BUFFING HEAD Filed June 17, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 TIE-.E.

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610V 9. C/Mus M 1963 G. A. CARLSON 3,099,902

FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED OSCILLATORY BUFFING HEAD Filed June 17, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. W H. Cflfi /V BY w 34999302 FLUE PRESSURE OPERATED GSCEJLATGRY BUFFING EEAD Glen A. Qarlson, 1359 Country Club Drive, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Filed lune 17, 196i), Ser. No. 36,963 Claims. (Cl. 51-33) The present invention relates to improvements in a polishing 'or bufiing mach ne of the oscillatory head type, i.e., in which a boiling wheel, suitably driven for rotation at a high speed, is mounted for oscillatory movement about a given axis, which movement is controlled as to the stroke and and rate of operation thereof by fluid pressure means.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide an oscillatory bufiing machine of this type, in which the axis of oscillation is preferably that of an appropriate motor drivingly connected with a spindle or shaft upon which the buffing wheel is carried for rotation. Thus, the motor may be given an appropriately rugged and fixed mount, as on a floor pedestal or the like, and the oscillating action of the boiling head and wheel be performed without effect on the motor and such mount.

Another object is to provide an oscillatory buffing machine as described, in which the oscillation of the head and wheel is produced under fluid pressure actuated means, preferably a suitable pneumatic cylinder operatively connected with the head to efiect timed oscillation thereof under the control of appropriate valving by which fluid pressure is applied to and exhausted from the cylinder.

Another object is to provide a pneumatic pressure operated machine of this type, with which appropriate hydraulic check provisions are associated for the purpose of controlling the limits of the oscillatory stroke, its speed, and the like.

More specifically, in accordance with the foregoing object, the improved machine is provided with hydraulic check devices, which may be individually of well-known type, on either side of its axis of oscillation, or on either side of the axis of the drive motor for the equipment, in the embodiment thereof illustrated herein. Thus, under the control of such hydraulic devices acting in the general manner of dashpots, the speed of swing of the bufing head and wheel, under actuation of a pneumatic pressure cylinder as described above, may be controlled in a cushioned, anti-shock mmner.

The foregoing as well as other objects will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the improved machine of the invention, a bufing wheel thereof being indicated in dotted line;

PEG. 2 is a "fragmentary view of the machine in side elevation, showing its basic pneumatic actuating and hydraulic check control devices as operatively connected to the buffing head of the machine; and

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical cross section along a line corresponding to broken line 33 of FIG. 2.

The machine of the present invention is one adapted to be associated with appropriate provisions (not shown) for supporting a workpiece of one sort or another rotatively or for linear motion, or for any combination of motions by which the oscillatory stroke of a rotary buffing wheel of the machine may best perform the polishing or buffing of the workpiece. 'I he oscillatory stroke is of assistance in enabling the usual buffing discs of the bulfing wheel to enter into all recesses or re-entrant areas of the workpiece, in a manner not as well accomplished by a bulfing wheel lacking an oscillatory or 3, 9,90-2 Fatented Aug. 6, 1963 equivalent stroke. Although not particularly limited in respect to the length of the stroke or the speed at which it is performed, it is contemplated that such stroke may be in length up to or in excess of one foot, and its rapidity may be as desired, although in most instances a relatively slow travel of the buffing wheel discs across the workpiece surface will be desired. These factors of stroke and speed are readily controllable by regulation of the pneumatic pressure under which the buifing head is caused to oscillate, and the hydraulic checking pressure which determines its stroke limits.

In accordance with the invention, the buffing head of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, is sustained by a heavy and massive pedestal base 11, although provisions for mounting the equipment from above may also be employed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pedestal 11 is one which inclines upwardly and rearwardly from its floor support, then extends vertically upwardly in the dorm of a rigid bracket 12. This bracket has a forward flat surface 13 of substantial height and width, to which is bolted or otherwise secured a rear mounting plate 14 for a suitably rated drive motor 15 for the head 10, the motor 15 constituting a part of the head 10, considered gener ally. It is desirable that the motor mounting plate 14 be mounted upon bracket 12, as by an adjustable swivel connection at 14' (FIG. 2) which will permit some degree of adjustment, for example up to 15 in either direction, about a horizontal axis, and thus permit motor 15 and various other fluid pressure means carried thereby to be adjusted and locked in a fixed position at an angle to the horizontal.

In accordance with the invention, the pedestal 11 may also support, either directly or by means of a welded or other connection to the motor mounting plate 14, a suitable side bracket, generally designated 16, for the fluid pressure actuated or governed controls of the present invention. As herein illustrated, the bracket provision 16 may comprise a suitable rigid channel bracket 18, to the rear of which a pair of depending bracket yoke arms 19 are rigidly welded or otherwise secured in parallel relation to one another.

The upper and lower portions of the channel bracket 18 serve as supports for a pair of upper and lower hydraulic check units, generally designated 20, 21, respectively. These are conventional dashpot type devices operating through suitable adjustable valve provisions to govern the rate of stroke of plungers or pistons (not shown) therein; and it is under the control of the hydraulic check devices 20, 21 that the speed of swing of the oscillatory head 10 is determined, and its stroke limited.

The bracket provisions 16 further comprise an angled upright bracket member 23 received within the top and bottom flanges of the channel bracket 18 and projecting forwardly out of [the latter. The angle bracket 23 serves in part as a support for a special swinging mounting plate 25, this plate 25 being bolted or otherwise secured rigidly to an oscillatory or swinging housing 26 of the oscillatory bufling head unit 10. The swinging plate 25, as bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the housing 26 to swing the latter and swing therewith, is provided with a radially projecting crank bracket 28 adjacent the top thereof, in the form of a generally triangular plate having a clevis 29 pivotally connected thereto by a pin 30. The clevis 29 is carried on a plunger rod 32 of the upper hydraulic check unit 20; and the rod 32 may also be threaded to receive an adjustable stop collar 31 to limit the movement of the rod into the cylinder 20.

Appropriate hydraulic valve control provisions, such as are illustrated in FIG. 2 and designated 33, are associated with the valve unit 20, as at 34, so that as the plunger rod moves outwardly of the unit 20, hydraulic fluid will be restrictedly bled from the unit to control the speed of this movement, and accordingly the oscillatory downward movement of the bufiing head 10 as a whole about the pilot axis of the unit, which is the axis of the shaft of motor 15, as piloted in housing 26.

The angle bracket 23 rigidly supports forwardly thereof a fixed mounting plate 34 *of forwardly projecting tri angular outline, the plate 34 being suitably secured to a side of the angle bracket 23 by bolts 3'5 or the like. The swinging plate 25 is piloted, for its swing in a vertical plane, Within the inner side of the mounting plate 34 and coaxially of the shaft of motor 15, in a boss 36 of plate 34.

For the purpose of mounting the hydraulic check unit 20 for its necessary swing in the action of its plunger rod 32, the cylinder 37' of this unit carries a transverse trunnion 38 at its forward end, and is pivotally mounted by this pin between upright bracket ears 39 fixedly supported upon the upper flange 40 of the channel bracket 18.

The lower hydraulic check unit 21 is similarly mounted upon the lower flange 41 of bracket channel 18, wherefore corresponding parts will be employed to designate corresponding mounting provisions, it being noted that the bracket ears 39 in this case are mounted to depend from the channel 23. Otherwise, the action is the same, i.e., when the plunger rod of hydraulic unit 21 moves outwardly upon clockwise swing of the head 10 in the upward direction there will be a metered bleeding flow of hydraulic fluid out of the unit 21 to limit the speed of such upward swing of unit 10. Hydraulic devices of this sort are conventional and well known, and readily available commercially, so that further detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary and superfluous.

For the purpose of mounting the hydraulic check unit 21 to the swinging plate 25, the latter is formed with an integral depending extension 43 having actuator plates 44, 45 rigidly secured thereto adjacent the bottom thereof, as by bolts 46. One of the actuator plates 44 is provided with an upward extension nose at 47, to which the connecting clevis 48 of the plunger rod of hydraulic unit 21 is pivotally attached.

The plates 44, 45 are thus secured on opposite sides of the depending extension 43 of swinging plate 25, and adjacent the bottom thereof receive a transverse pin 50 upon which the connector block 51 of a pneumatic plunger 52 is pivotally mounted.

The plunger 52 is a component of a pneumatic cylinder unit, generally designated 54, by which the head 10 has imparted thereto its oscillatory working movement. The pneumatic cylinder 54 is provided with air pressure connecting lines 55, 56, leading respectively to its forward and rearward ends; and under the control of suitable control valve means (not shown) of an entirely conventional nature, the plunger 52' is caused to move forwardly or outwardly of the cylinder 54 upon application of pneumatic pressure to the rear of the latter, i.e., through connection 56, air being voided forwardly of the cylinder through the connection 55.

This produces the desired upward and clockwise motion 'of the mounting plate 25, housing 26 and remaining parts of the buifing head unit 10, as controlled by the hydraulic dashpot checking action at the hydraulic unit 21. Reverse, counterclockwise and downward swing of the unit is under the weight of its pants, as controlled in timing by the hydraulic check unit 20 at the top.

In order to support the pneumatic actuating cylinder 54 for its necessary swing in the actions referred to above, the same is provided with a fixed gimbal ring 58 encircling the same midway of its axial length; and this ring is equipped with diametrically opposed, outwardly projecting trunnions 59 (FIG. 3), which are pivotally received in bearing sleeves 60 applied to the depending bracket arms 19 adjacent the lower ends thereof, the cylinder 54 thus swinging freely in a vertical plane between 4 the arms 19. As shown in FIG. 3, the trunnion bearing sleeves 60 are releasably secured on the respective bracket arms 19, as by screws 60, to enable the ready assembly of the cylinder 54 between the arms. It will be noted that the overall axial dimension across the trunnions 59 exceeds the inside space of arms 19.

The bulfering wheel of the machine is generally designated W, being shown in dotted line in FIG. 1, since it is entirely conventional in character. It is carried on a shaft 62 paralleling and outwardly of the shaft of motor 15, being appropriately journaled in a housing extension 63 The wheel shaft 62 is connected by belts (not shown) within the housing extension 63, connected to suitable multi-sheave pulleys (not shown) on the Wheel shaft 62 and shaft of motor 15, in an entirely conventional manner. Likewise, the housing extension 63 is adapted for longitudinal adjustment within the housing 26, in order to maintain belt tension, being suitably clamped rigidly to the latter in an adjusted position, as by means of bolts or studs 64. Any suitable provisions may be made to mechanically hold parts or limit motions thereof relative to one another. Thus, an adjustable set or limit screw 66 may be provided on the belt housing extension 63 to engage the mounting plate 25 and rigidly hold the housing in desired position. Likewise, the housing 26 may be provided with a limit screw 67 on the top and/or bottom thereof to engage a fixed bracket part and thereby mechanically limit the swing of the head 10 as a whole.

It is seen that the invention provides an improved fluid pressure actuated and controlled bufling machine, in which a continued oscillatory stroke of the buffing head 10 and its bufiing wheel W may be had in a desired speed of oscillation, as well as length of stroke, through the agency of an improved one way pneumatic actuator cylinder unit '54, operated under the control of appropriate pneumatic valving (not shown); with the limits of this stroke determined and controlled in an anti-shock way by the hydraulic check units 20, 21, respectively.

The parts are simple, rugged and reliable in character, and the limiting adjustments are readily and easily made by unskilled persons through appropriate manipulation of the respective pneumatic and hydraulic control Valve means referred to above.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An oscillatory polishing or bufling head, comprising a rotary operating tool, :a fixed support, a drive motor operatively connected to said tool to drive the same, means mounting said tool to oscillate relative to said support about an axis spaced transversely of said tool, said means extending radially of said axis and said bufling tool being mounted adjacent an outward end thereof for rotation, said mounting means comprising an actuator member pivotally mounted coaxially of said axis of oscillation and connected to said tool for pivotal movement of the latter therewith about said axis, a fluid pressure unit operatively connected to said member to swing the same in one direction of said oscillation, a fluid pressure check unit operatively connected to said member in transversely oflset relation to the axis thereof on one side of said axis to oppose said motion of the member, and a further fluid pressure check unit operatively connected to said member in transversely offset relation to said axis of the member on the opposite side of the last named axis, said further unit opposing oscillatory motion of said member and tool in the reverse oscillatory direction.

2. An oscillatory polishing or bufling head, comprising a rotary operating tool, a fixed support, a drive motor operatively connected to said tool to drive the same, means mounting said tool to oscillate relative to said support about an :axis spaced transversely of said tool, said means extending radially of said axis and said buffing tool being mounted adjacent an outward end thereof for rotation, said mounting means comprising an actuator member pivotally mounted coaxially of said axis of oscillation and connected to said tool for pivotal movement of the latter therewith about said axis, a fluid pressure unit operatively connected to said member to swing the same in one direction of said oscillation, a valve-controlled hydraulic check unit operatively connected to said. member in transversely ofiset relation to the axis thereof on one side of said axis to oppose said motion of the member; and a further valve-controlled hydraulic check unit operatively connected to said member in transversely offset relation to said axis of the member on the opposite side of the last named axis, said further unit opposing oscillatory motion of said member and tool in the reverse oscillatory direction.

3. An oscillatory polishing or buffing head, comprising a rotary operating tool, a fixed support, a drive motor fixedly carried by said support and operatively connected to said tool to drive the same, means mounting said tool to oscillate relative to said support about a horizontal axis spaced transversely of said tool and coaxial with that of said motor, said means extending radially of said axis and said buffing tool being mounted adjacent an outward end thereof for rotation, said mounting means comprising an actuator member pivotally mounted coaxially of said axis of oscillation and connected to said tool for pivotal movement of the latter therewith about said axis, a valve-controlled pneumatic unit operatively connected to said member to swing the same upwardly in one direction of said oscillation, a hydraulic check unit operatively connected to said member in transversely offset relation to the axis of the latter to oppose said upward swing, and a further hydraulic check unit operatively connected to said member in diametrically opposed relation across said axis to the connection of said first named hydraulic unit, to said member, said further hydraulic check unit opposing oscillatory motion of said member and tool in the reverse, downward oscillatory direction.

4. The combination with a rotary bufiing tool having means mounting the same for oscillatory movement about an axis paralleling and spaced from the rotary axis of the tool, of means operatively engaging said mounting means to control said oscillatory movement, comprising a pneumatic cylinder and plunger device acting on said mounting means to produce one directional component of said oscillatory movement, and a pair of hydraulic cylinder and plunger devices operatively connected to said mounting means on opposite sides of said oscillatory axis, one in a manner to oppose said one component of movement and the other in a manner to oppose an opposite component.

5. The combination with a rotary bufiing tool having means mounting the same for oscillatory movement about an axis paralleling and spaced from the axis of the tool, said movement being in a direction transverse of a plane through said axes and including a gravity produced directional component, of means operatively engaging said mounting means to control said oscillatory movement, comprising a pneumatic cylinder and plunger device acting on said mounting means to produce a non-gravity produced directional component of said oscillatory movement, and a pair of hydraulic cylinder and plunger devices operatively connected to said mounting means on opposite sides of said oscillatory axis, one in a manner to oppose said gravity produced component of movement and the other in a manner to oppose the non-gravity produced component.

Robinson Nov. 11, 1941 Dreher July 25, 1944

Claims (1)

1. AN OSCILLATORY POLISHING OR BUFFING HEAD, COMPRISING A ROTARY OPERATING TOOL, A FIXED SUPPORT, A DRIVE MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TOOL TO DRIVE THE SAME, MEANS MOUNTING SAID TOOL TO OSCILLATE RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT ABOUT AN AXIS SPACED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID TOOL, SAID MEANS EXTENDING RADIALLY OF SAID AXIS AND SAID BUFFING TOOL BEING MOUNTED ADJACENT AN OUTWARD END THEREOF FOR ROTATION, SAID MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING AN ACTUATOR MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED COAXIALLY OF SAID AXIS OF OSCILLATION AND CONNECTED TO SAID TOOL FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER THEREWITH ABOUT SAID AXIS, A FLUID PRESSURE UNIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER TO SWING THE SAME IN ONE DIRECTION OF SAID OSCILLATION, A FLUID PRESSURE CHECK UNIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER IN TRANSVERSELY OFFSET RELATION TO THE AXIS THEREOF ON ONE SIDE OF SAID AXIS TO OPPOSE SAID MOTION OF THE MEMBER, AND A FURTHER FLUID PRESSURE CHECK UNIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER IN TRANSVERSELY OFFSET RELATION TO SAID AXIS OF THE MEMBER ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE LAST NAMED AXIS, SAID FURTHER UNIT OPPOSING OSCILLATORY MOTION OF SAID MEMBER AND TOOL IN THE REVERSE OSCILLATORY DIRECTION.

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