Machine for brushing the ends of cylindrical workpieces

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR BRUSHING THE ENDS OF CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A PAIR OF SPACED CIRCULAR BRUSHED JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION ON THE FRAME IN A PLANE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, A ROTATABLE FEED ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SHAFT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN AN AREA BETWEEN THE BRUSHES, A PAIR OF SPACED FEED WHEELS SECURED ON THE SHAFT AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF ALIGNED, GENERALLY U-SHAPED RECESSES AROUND THEIR PERIPHERIES, EACH PAIR RECEIVING A CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECE FOR DELIVERY TO THE BRUSHES DURING ROTATION OF THE ASSEMBLY, EACH RECESS HAVING OPPOSED, LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES, BOTH DISPOSED GENERALLY RADIALLY OF THE ASSEMLY AXIS, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE FEED ASSEMBLY AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED AND THE BRUSHES AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED, A FEED TABLE FOR THE WORKPIECES WHICH IS DOWNWARDLY INCLINED TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE MACHINE FOR DELIVERING SAID PIECES TO A PAIR OF SLOTS AT A POINT ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AT THE FRONT OF SAID FEED WHEELS, SAID WHEELS ROTATING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM SAID POINT, AND MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROLLERS ALONG THE LEADING RADIAL EDGES OF EACH PAIR OF SLOTS FOR SUPPORTING EACH WORKPIECE FOR ROTATION BY THE BRUSHES AS SAID BRUSHES ENGAGE THE ENDS OF EACH WORKPIECE AND OPERATE THEREON WHILE IT IS IN A REARWARD POSITION ON THE FEED ASSEMBLY, AND A PLATE ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE TRAILING EDGE OF EACH SLOT ON THE FEED WHEELS TO VARY THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOT TO RECEIVE WORKPIECES OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS.