Machine for lapping bearing elements or the like

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR LAPPING STEEL BALLS AND COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE HOLLOW CYLINDER SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS CENTRAL AXIS AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A QUANTITY OF LAPPING FLUID THEREWITHIN, AN INNER CYLINDRICAL LAPPING SURFACE DEFINED BY A SERIES OF SPACED PARALLEL CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVES THEREIN, SAID GROOVES BEING SEMICIRCULAR IN CROSS SECTION TO ACCOMMODATE A PLURALITY OF SPHERICAL BALLS, BALL CONVEYOR MEANS ARRANGED AT LEAST PARTLY WITHIN SAID CYLINDER AND ADAPTED TO FEED BALLS TO BE LAPPED INTO SAID GROOVES, SAID CONVEYOR MEANS SUPPORTED IN FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CYLINDER AXIS AND HAVING ONE END POSITIONED ADJACENT THE INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AT A FIRST POINT AND A SECOND END ADJACENT THE SAID SURFACE AT A SECOND POINT DEFINING AN ARCUATE SEGMENT OF SAID CYLINDRICAL LAPPING SURFACE THEREBETWEEN, SAID CYLINDER AXIS ORIENTED GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO A DIRECTIONAL FORCE FIELD WHICH INFLUENCES MOVEMENT OF SAID BALLS AND OF THE LAPPING FLUID SAID CONVEYOR MEANS INCLUDING A TRAY INCLINED AT A FIXED ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FORCE FIELD AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FIRST POINT TO SAID SECOND POINT ON SAID INNER CYLINDRICAL LAPPING SURFACE, GROOVES IN SAID TRAY FOR TRANSPORTING LAPPED BALLS FROM SAID SECOND END TO SAID FIRST END WHERE THEY ARE ADAPTED TO BEING INSERTED IN THE GROOVES OF SAID CYLINDER, THE LAPPED BALLS BEING REMOVED FROM SAID CYLINDER GROOVES AT SAID SECOND POINT BY THE INFLUENCE OF SAID FORCE FIELD THEREUPON.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR LAPPING STEEL BALLS AND COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE HOLLOW CYLINDER SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS CENTRAL AXIS AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A QUANTITY OF LAPPING FLUID THEREWITHIN, AN INNER CYLINDRICAL LAPPING SURFACE DEFINED BY A SERIES OF SPACED PARALLEL CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVES THEREIN, SAID GROOVES BEING SEMICIRCULAR IN CROSS SECTION TO ACCOMMODATE A PLURALITY OF SPHERICAL BALLS, BALL CONVEYOR MEANS ARRANGED AT LEAST PARTLY WITHIN SAID CYLINDER AND ADAPTED TO FEED BALLS TO BE LAPPED INTO SAID GROOVES, SAID CONVEYOR MEANS SUPPORTED IN FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CYLINDER AXIS AND HAVING ONE END POSITIONED ADJACENT THE INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AT A FIRST POINT AND A SECOND END ADJACENT THE SAID SURFACE AT A SECOND POINT DEFINING AN ARCUATE SEGMENT OF SAID CYLINDRICAL LAPPING SURFACE THEREBETWEEN, SAID CYLINDER AXIS ORIENTED GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO A DIRECTIONAL FORCE FIELD WHICH INFLUENCES MOVEMENT OF SAID BALLS AND OF THE LAPPING FLUID SAID CONVEYOR MEANS INCLUDING A TRAY INCLINED AT A FIXED ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FORCE FIELD AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FIRST POINT TO SAID SECOND POINT ON SAID INNER CYLINDRICAL LAPPING SURFACE, GROOVES IN SAID TRAY FOR TRANSPORTING LAPPED BALLS FROM SAID SECOND END TO SAID FIRST END WHERE THEY ARE ADAPTED TO BEING INSERTED IN THE GROOVES OF SAID CYLINDER, THE LAPPED BALLS BEING REMOVED FROM SAID CYLINDER GROOVES AT SAID SECOND POINT BY THE INFLUENCE OF SAID FORCE FIELD THEREUPON.