Grinding machine

Claim 2

In a machine for conditioning the upper surface of an elongated workpiece such as a slab, in combination, a work support for the workpiece, a main carriage, a pair of widely spaced overhead parallel guide rods mounted on said main carriage and completely overlying and extending in a fore and aft direction transversely of the work support, lying in a common horizontal plane above the level of the work support, and overhanging the longitudinal side edges of the latter, reversible motor-actuated means for effecting relative movement between the carriage and work support in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece on the support, a boom carriage slidable in a fore and aft direction on said rods and disposed above the level thereof, reversible motor-actuated means for selectively effecting sliding movements of the boom carriage on said rods, a turret mounted on said boom carriage above the level thereof for rotation about a vertical axis, reversible motor-actuated means mounted on the boom carriage for selectively effecting rotational movements of the turret in either direction throughout an angle of approximately 90* a boom housing pivotally mounted on the turret for fore and aft rocking movements about a horizontal axis, reversible motor-actuated means extending between the boom carriage and boom housing for rocking the latter, a boom rigidly supported on the boom housing and projecting outwardly a slight distance therefrom, a grinding wheel rotatably mounted on the outer end of the boom in work piece traversing relationship, a drive motor fixedly mounted on the boom housing And operatively connected to the grinding wheel in driving relationship, the length of said boom being such that the grinding wheel assumes a position in sufficiently close proximity to the vertical axis of rotation of the turret that it is constrained at all times to traverse the workpiece at a region which lies between the vertical planes of said widely spaced parallel guide rods, and control means for selectively actuating said reversible motoractuated means individually and in unison.

Claim 3

In a conditioning machine, the combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein said reversible motor-actuated means for effecting rocking movements of the boom housing includes an extensible and contractible hydraulic cylinder and plunger assembly connected at one end to a fixed point on the boom carriage adjacent the rear end thereof and at the other end to the boom housing at a point adjacent to the rear end of the latter.

Claim 4

In a machine for conditioning the surface of an elongated workpiece such as a slab, in combination, a fixed support for the workpiece, track rail structures positioned forwardly and rearwardly of the work support and extending lengthwise thereof, a main carriage adapted to travel on the rear track rail structure, a tail stock carriage adapted to travel on the forward track rail structure, a pair of overhead widely spaced parallel guide rods completely overlying and extending in a fore and aft direction transversely of the work support, lying in a common horizontal plane above the level of said work support, and overhanging the longitudinal side edges of the latter, said rods having their rear ends secured to the main carriage and their forward ends secured to the tail stock carriage, individual reversible motor-actuated means for impelling each carriage along its associated track rail structure selectively in opposite directions, a boom carriage slidable in a fore and aft direction on said guide rods and disposed above the level thereof, reversible motor-actuated means for selectively effecting sliding movements of the boom carriage on said guide rods, a turret on said boom carriage above the level thereof for rotation about a vertical axis, reversible motor-actuated means mounted on the boom carriage for selectively effecting rotational movements of the turret in either direction throughout an angle of approximately 90*, a boom housing pivotally mounted on the turret for fore and aft rocking movements about a horizontal axis, reversible motor-actuated means extending between the boom carriage and boom housing for rocking the latter, a boom rigidly supported on one end of the boom housing and projecting outwardly a slight distance therefrom, a grinding wheel rotatably mounted on the outer end of the boom in workpiece traversing relationship, and an electric drive motor mounted on the boom housing at the other end thereof in counterbalancing relationship with respect to the boom, and means operatively connecting said drive motor to the grinding wheel in driving relationship, the length of said boom being such that the grinding wheel assumes a position in sufficiently close proximity to the vertical axis of rotation of the turret that it is constrained at all times to traverse the workpiece at a region which lies between the vertical planes of said widely spaced parallel guide rods, and control means for selectively actuating said reversible motor-actuated means individually and in unison.

Claim 5

In a machine for conditioning the surface of an elongated workpiece such as a slab, in combination, a fixed support for the workpiece, track rail structures positioned forwardly and rearwardly of the work support and extending lengthwise thereof, a main carriage adapted to travel on the rear track rail structure, a tail stock carriage adapted to travel on the forward track rail structure, a pair of overhead widely spaced parallel guide rods completely overlying and extending in a fore and aft direction transversely of the work support, lying in a common horizontal plane above the level of said work support, and overhanging the longitudinal side edges of the latter, said rods having their rear ends secured to the main carriage and their forward ends secured to the tail stock carriage, individual reversible motor-actuated means for impelling each carriage along its associated track rail structure selectively in opposite directions, a boom carriage slidable in a fore and aft direction on said guide rods and disposed above the level thereof, reversible motor-actuated means for selectively effecting sliding movements of the boom carriage on said guide rods, a turret on said boom carriage above the level thereof for rotation about a vertical axis, reversible motor-actuated means mounted on the boom carriage for selectively effecting rotational movements of the turret in either direction throughout an angle of approximately 90*, a boom housing pivotally mounted on the turret for fore and aft rocking movements about a horizontal axis, reversible motor-actuated means extending between the boom carriage and boom housing for rocking the latter, a boom rigidly supported on one end of the boom housing and projecting outwardly a slight distance therefrom, a grinding wheel rotatably mounted on the outer end of the boom in workpiece traversing relationship, and an electric drive motor mounted on the boom housing at the other end thereof in counterbalancing relationship with respect to the boom, and means operatively connecting said drive motor to the grinding wheel in driving relationship, the length of said boom being such that the grinding wheel assumes a position in sufficiently close proximity to the vertical axis of rotation of the turret that it is constrained at all times to traverse the workpiece at a region which lies between the vertical planes of said widely spaced parallel guide rods, and control means for selectively actuating said reversible motor-actuated means individually and in unison.

Claim 6

In a conditioning machine, the combination set forth in claim 3 and wherein the reversible motor-actuated means for effecting sliding movements of the boom carriage on said guide rods comprises a cylinder positioned in close proximity to each guide rod and having one end thereof secured to the main carriage and the other end secured to the tail stock carriage, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a cable seal effectively closing each end of the cylinder, a pair of cable sections secured to the opposite sides of the piston and passing outwardly of the opposite endS of the cylinder and through said cable seals, a pulley for each cable section, one pulley being mounted on the main carriage and the other pulley being mounted on the tail stock carriage, said cable sections passing around said pulleys and secured to the boom carriage, an hydraulic pump mounted on the main carriage and operatively connected to the opposite ends of each of said cylinders, means for reversing the flow of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic pump to said cylinders, and means connecting said pump to said electric motor.

Claim 7

In a conditioning machine, the combination set forth in claim 3 and wherein said reversible motor-actuated means for effecting rotational movements of the turret comprises a reversible rotary hydraulic motor operatively connected to the turret in driving relationship, an hydraulic pump on said main carriage, flexible hydraulic connections between said pump and rotary motor, and means for reversing the flow of hydraulic fluid from said pump to said rotary motor.

Claim 8

A conditioning machine as set forth in claim 3 and wherein the reversible motor-actuated means for impelling the main carriage along its associated track rails includes a first hydraulic motor operatively connected in driving relationship to such carriage, the reversible motor-actuated means for impelling the tail stock carriage along its associated track rail includes a second hydraulic motor operatively connected in driving relationship to such carriage, the reversible motor-actuated means for effecting sliding movements of the boom carriage includes a third hydraulic motor operatively connected in driving relationship thereto, the reversible motor-actuated means for effecting rotational movements of the turret includes a fourth hydraulic motor operatively connected in driving relationship thereto, the reversible motor-actuated means for rocking the boom housing includes a fifth hydraulic motor operatively connected in driving relationship thereto, the conditioning machine further including a first pump for supplying actuating fluid to said first and second hydraulic motors, a second pump for supplying actuating fluid to said second, third, fourth and fifth hydraulic motors, and an electric motor common to said pumps and operatively connected thereto in driving relationship, said pumps and electric drive motor being mounted on the main carriage.

Claim 9

A conditioning machine as set forth in claim 3 and including, additionally, an operator''s cab mounted on the boom carriage in close proximity to said boom, substantially at the horizontal level of the boom housing and between said widely spaced parallel guide rods, said cab being movable bodily with the boom carriage, said cab being provided with operating controls for selectively reversing the flow of actuating fluid from each pump to its associated hydraulic motors.