Apparatus and method for finishing workpieces

Claim 1

In a machine for finishing workpieces the combination comprising, a pair of rollers spaced apart on parallel axes, one of said rollers being located in a plane above the other roller, an endless belt trained around said rollers, said belt having a length substantially greater than twice the distance between the roller axes, means guiding the belt around said rollers such that the top run of the belt is slack and assumes a generally V-shaped configuration between the rollers which is nonsymmetrical about a vertical axis through the apex of the V, the side of the V adjacent the higher roller being more steeply inclined than the other side of the V, a pair of fixed side plates disposed one adjacent each edge of the belt and cooperating with the top run of the belt to define a generally V-shaped chamber for containing a mass of workpieces and finishing media and means for driving the belt in one direction such that the mass of media and workpieces is caused to flow in said chamber in a path upwardly along said more steeply inclined side of the V-shaped chamber in the direction of the upwardly travelling portion of the top run of the belt, then downwardly across the chamber in the direction toward the downwardly travelling portion of the upper run of the belt at the less steeply inclined side of the V and then downwardly along said last-mentioned side of the V and around the apex of the V to the upwardly travelling portion of the belt, the apex of said V being curved in an upwardly concave direction and the sides of said V being generAlly flat, the linear extent of said curved apex being small relative to the linear extent of the sides of said V.

Claim 13

A method of finishing workpieces which comprises, charging a mixture of abrasive media and workpieces into a chamber having fixed side walls and a generally V-shaped bottom wall defined by the upper run of an endless belt causing the major portion of said upper run of the belt to assume an angle substantially more steeply inclined to the vertical at one side of the V than at the other side of the V and driving said belt in a direction such that the upper run thereof is travelling upwardly at the more steeply inclined side thereof and downwardly at the less steeply inclined side thereof thereby causing said mass to flow in said chamber in a path extending upwardly in a direction generally parallel to the more steeply inclined, upwardly travelling portion of said bottom wall, then downwardly across said chamber toward the less steeply inclined, downwardly travelling portion of the bottom wall, then downwardly in the direction of travel of the less steeply inclined, downwardly moving portion of the bottom wall and around the apex of the V to the upwardly travelling portion of the bottom wall.

Claim 14

A method of finishing workpieces which comprises, charging a mixture of abrasive media and workpieces into a chamber having fixed side walls and a generally V-shaped bottom wall defined by the upper run of an endless belt causing the major portion of said upper run of the belt to assume an angle substantially more steeply inclined to the vertical at one side of the V than at the other side of the V and driving said belt in a direction such that the upper run thereof is travelling upwardly at the more steeply inclined side thereof and downwardly at the less steeply inclined side thereof thereby causing said mass to flow in said chamber in a path extending upwardly in a direction generally parallel to the more steeply inclined, upwardly travelling portion of said bottom wall, then downwardly across said chamber toward the less steeply inclined, downwardly travelling portion of the bottom wall, then downwardly in the direction of travel of the less steeply inclined, downwardly moving portion of the bottom wall and around the apex of the V to the upwardly travelling portion of the bottom wall.