Device for mounting and orienting a workpiece

Claim 2

A work mounting device including an apparatus for orienting the mean axis of an irregular inner surface of revolution of a hollow workpiece to an apparatus axis comprising: a plurality of support members rigidly secured to said apparatus to define a workpiece support plane normal to said apparatus axis, said workpiece inner surface abutting at least one of said members when said workpiece is at said plane, means for initially orienting the workpiece so that said mean axis intersects said apparatus axis and said workpiece is spaced from said plane, and displacement means for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis is substantially coincident with said apparatus axis and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said workpiece has an annular surface whose axis substantially coincides with said mean axis, said orienting means including annular gripping means whose axis coincides with said apparatus axis, said gripping means gripping said annular surface to orient said workpiece.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein said gripping means is a mandrel whose gripping surfaces are spaced from said rigid support members.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 wherein said workpiece has a planar surface disposed at an angle to said mean axis, said tilting and displacing means including a planar reference pressure plate disposed normal to said apparatus axis and arranged to translate along said apparatus axis against said planar surface.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 wherein said orienting means includeS a mandrel and said tilting and displacing means includes a resiliently mounted mandrel operating cam and means for resiliently mounting said pressure plate.

Claim 7

The device of claim 4 further including means for mounting said apparatus to rotate about said apparatus axis, said tilting and displacing means including means for rotating said apparatus.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1 wherein said displacement means includes three support members resiliently secured to said apparatus for resiliently supporting said workpiece when said mean axis is oriented to intersect said apparatus axis.

Claim 9

The device of claim 7 wherein said resilient members define a plane parallel to and spaced from said rigid support member plane.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1 further including means for rotating said apparatus about said apparatus axis.

Claim 11

The combination comprising: a rotatably mounted workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, gripping means secured to said body for gripping the workpiece so as to orient the mean axis of said inner surface to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arranged to define a workpiece support plane, said workpiece initially being spaced from said plane, and displacement means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 12

The combination comprising: a rotatably mounted workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, gripping means secured to said body for gripping the workpiece so as to orient the mean axis of said inner surface to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arranged to define a workpiece support plane, said workpiece initially being spaced from said plane, and displacement means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 10 wherein said displacement means includes a plurality of support members resiliently mounted and arranged to resiliently support said workpiece when said mean axis is oriented to intersect said axis of rotation.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 11 wherein said resilient and rigidly mounted support members are mounted in the same imaginary surface of revolution.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 12 where the imaginary surface of revolution is conical and said resiliently mounted members reciprocate only in a direction toward the apex of said conical surface of revolution.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 13 wherein said irregular inner surface is substantially normal to said imaginary surface of revolution.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 10 wherein said gripping means is an expanding mandrel arranged to grip an annular inner surface of said workpiece and whose center substantially coincides with said mean axis.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 15 wherein said mandrel includes a plurality of pivotally mounted gripping fingers arranged in diametrically opposing pairs, each finger being capable of pivoting independently of the remaining fingers.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 16 wherein said tilting and displacing means includes a mandrel expanding cam and a workpiece tilting and displacing ram.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 17 wherein said cam and ram are independently and resiliently mounted.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19 wherein said tilting step includes the step of pushing against a surface of the workpiece that is disposed at an angle to said mean axis in a direction along said given axis.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19 wherein said orienting step includes the steps of resiliently supporting said workpiece and centering a portion of the inner surface about said given axis.

Claim 25

The combinAtion comprising: a rotatably mounted workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, gripping means secured to said body for gripping the workpiece so as to orient the mean axis of said inner surface to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arrangd to define a workpiece support plane, a plurality of support members resiliently mounted and arranged to resiliently support said workpiece when said mean axis is oriented to intersect said axis of rotation, said resilient and rigidly mounted support members being mounted in the same imaginary conical surface of revolution, said resiliently mounted members reciprocating in a direction only toward the apex of said conical surface of revolution, and means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 26

The combinAtion comprising: a rotatably mounted workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, gripping means secured to said body for gripping the workpiece so as to orient the mean axis of said inner surface to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arrangd to define a workpiece support plane, a plurality of support members resiliently mounted and arranged to resiliently support said workpiece when said mean axis is oriented to intersect said axis of rotation, said resilient and rigidly mounted support members being mounted in the same imaginary conical surface of revolution, said resiliently mounted members reciprocating in a direction only toward the apex of said conical surface of revolution, and means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 27

The combination of claim 22 wherein said irregular inner surface is substantially normal to said imaginary surface of revolution.

Claim 28

The combination comprising: a rotatably mounted workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, an expanding mandrel arranged to grip an annular inner surface of said workpiece and whose center substantially coincides with the workpiece inner surface mean axis to thereby orient said mean axis to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arranged to define a workpiece support plane, and means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 29

The combination comprising: a rotatably mounted workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, an expanding mandrel arranged to grip an annular inner surface of said workpiece and whose center substantially coincides with the workpiece inner surface mean axis to thereby orient said mean axis to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arranged to define a workpiece support plane, and means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 30

The combination of claim 24 wherein said mandrel includes a plurality of pivotally mounted gripping fingers arranged in diametrically opposing pairs, each finger being capable of pivoting independently of the remaining fingers.

Claim 31

The combination of claim 24 wherein said tilting and displacing means includes a mandrel expanding cam and a workpiece tilting and displacing ram.

Claim 32

The combination of claim 26 wherein said cam and ram are independently and resiliently mounted.

Claim 33

The combination comprising: a workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, gripping means secured to said body for gripping the workpiece so as to orient the mean axis of said inner surface to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arranged to define a workpiece support plane, said workpiece being initially spaced from said plane, a plurality of support members resiliently mounted and arranged to resiliently support said workpiece when said mean axis is oriented to intersect said axis of rotation, said resilient and rigidly mounted support members being mounted in the same imaginary surface of revolution, said resiliently mounted members resiliently reciprocating in a direction along said surface of revolution, and means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 34

The combination comprising: a workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece whose inner surface is an irregular surface of revolution, gripping means secured to said body for gripping the workpiece so as to orient the mean axis of said inner surface to intersect the axis of rotation of said body, a plurality of spaced support members rigidly secured to said body and arranged to define a workpiece support plane, said workpiece being initially spaced from said plane, a plurality of support members resiliently mounted and arranged to resiliently support said workpiece when said mean axis is oriented to intersect said axis of rotation, said resilient and rigidly mounted support members being mounted in the same imaginary surface of revolution, said resiliently mounted members resiliently reciprocating in a direction along said surface of revolution, and means coupled to said body for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis substantially coincides with said axis of rotation and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane until at least one of said rigid members abuts said inner surface at said support plane.

Claim 35

In combination: a workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece, a plurality of workpiece support members rigidly secured to said body for defining a rigid workpiece support plane, grIpping means secured to said body for aligning a portion of said workpiece to a given axis, a plurality of workpiece support members resiliently secured to said body for defining a resilient workpiece support plane disposed intermediate said rigid workpiece support plane and said gripping means, said resiliently secured members initially supporting said workpiece in a position spaced from said rigid workpiece support plane, and workpiece displacement means coupled to said body and arranged to displace said workpiece along said given axis to said rigid workpiece support plane.

Claim 36

In combination: a workpiece support body for supporting a hollow workpiece, a plurality of workpiece support members rigidly secured to said body for defining a rigid workpiece support plane, grIpping means secured to said body for aligning a portion of said workpiece to a given axis, a plurality of workpiece support members resiliently secured to said body for defining a resilient workpiece support plane disposed intermediate said rigid workpiece support plane and said gripping means, said resiliently secured members initially supporting said workpiece in a position spaced from said rigid workpiece support plane, and workpiece displacement means coupled to said body and arranged to displace said workpiece along said given axis to said rigid workpiece support plane.

Claim 37

The combination of claim 29 wherein said rigidly secured members are rounded at said rigid workpiece support plane.

Claim 38

The combination of claim 29 wherein said resiliently secured members are rounded at said resilient workpiece support plane.

Claim 39

The combination of claim 31 wherein said resiliently secured members are arranged to reciprocate in an imaginary surface of revolution.

Claim 40

The combination of claim 32 wherein said resiliently secured members reciprocate in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the workpiece contiguous therewith in said initial supporting position.

Claim 41

The combination of claim 29 wherein said gripping means includes a mandrel and said displacement means includes a resiliently mounted mandrel operating cam.

Claim 42

A work mounting device including an apparatus for orineting the means axis of an irregular inner surface of revolution of a hollow workpiece to an apparatus axis, said workpiece having a planar surface disposed at an angle to said mean axis, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of rigid support members secured to said apparatus to define a workpiece support plane normal to said apparatus axis, said workpiece inner surface abutting at least one of said members when said workpiece is at said plane, means for initially orienting the workpiece so that said mean axis intersects said apparatus axis and said workpiece is spaced from said plane, said orienting means including a mandrel, and tilting and displacing means for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis is substantially coincident with said apparatus axis and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane, said tilting and displacing means including a planar reference pressure plate disposed normal to said apparatus axis and arranged to translate along said apparatus axis against said planar surface, and further including a resiliently mounted mandrel operating cam and means for resiliently mounting said pressure plate.

Claim 43

A work mounting device including an apparatus for orineting the means axis of an irregular inner surface of revolution of a hollow workpiece to an apparatus axis, said workpiece having a planar surface disposed at an angle to said mean axis, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of rigid support members secured to said apparatus to define a workpiece support plane normal to said apparatus axis, said workpiece inner surface abutting at least one of said members when said workpiece is at said plane, means for initially orienting the workpiece so that said mean axis intersects said apparatus axis and said workpiece is spaced from said plane, said orienting means including a mandrel, and tilting and displacing means for tilting said workpiece so that said mean axis is substantially coincident with said apparatus axis and simultaneously axially displacing said workpiece to said plane, said tilting and displacing means including a planar reference pressure plate disposed normal to said apparatus axis and arranged to translate along said apparatus axis against said planar surface, and further including a resiliently mounted mandrel operating cam and means for resiliently mounting said pressure plate.