US3881378A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Machine for producing aspherical surfaces
Assignee: EssilorLuxottica SA
•
Filing: 1973-12-26
•
Granted: 1975-05-06
•
Expires: 1993-12-26
Abstract
Abstract A machine for producing concave or convex aspherical surfaces, comprises a blank carrier spindle mounted for rotation about a first axis, a cutting tool mounted for travelling movement in the direction of the second axis and pivotable about a third axis perpendicular to the first two axes, a control cam, and drive means controlled by the said cam and adapted to displace the said cutting tool, in response to the cam, along its travelling axis between two positions, one of which is an advance position and the other a withdrawn position and either of which is a cutting position and the other a position of rest, the axis of rotation of the spindle and the axis of movement of the tool passing through the centre of the aspherical surface to be cut, and wherein the blank carrier spindle is adjustable in a stable axial position in a spindle support, the control cam is fixed, and the cutting tool is carried by a shoe displaceable on a rotating turret, a drive means being disposed between the said shoe and the said fixed control cam.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruno P Bettiol
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 00:37
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23Q; B23Q35/00; B23Q35/04; B23Q35/42; B23Q35/44; B23Q11/00; B23Q11/0032; B23Q35/08; B23Q35/10; B23Q35/101; B23Q35/102; B23Q35/20; B24; B24B; B24B13/00; B24B13/06; B24B13/065; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T82/00; Y10T82/13; Y10T82/135; Y10T82/14; Y10T82/148
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
A machine for producing concave or convex aspherical surfaces comprising a frame, a spindle, support means carried on the frame for mounting said spindle for rotation about its axis, a blank carrier, means for supporting said blank carrier on said spindle, a cutting tool, first mounting means for mounting the cutting tool for travelling movement along a second axis, second mounting means for mounting the cutting tool for rotation about a third axis substantially perpendicular to said axis of the spindle and said second axis, a fixed control cam fastened to said frame, drive means controlled by said control cam and coacting with said first mounting means to effect the displacement of the cutting tool along a path of movement for cutting the aspherical surface, and first adjustment means for adjusting the orientation of said axis of the spindle in a plane substantially perpendicular to said third axis so that said axis of rotation of the spindle may be brought into precise coincidence with said path of movement of the cutting tool at the center of the aspherical surface to be cut.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
A machine for producing concave or convex aspherical surfaces comprising a frame, a spindle, support means carried on the frame for mounting said spindle for rotation about its axis, a blank carrier, means for supporting said blank carrier on said spindle, a cutting tool, first mounting means for mounting the cutting tool for travelling movement along a second axis, second mounting means for mounting the cutting tool for rotation about a third axis substantially perpendicular to said axis of the spindle and said second axis, a fixed control cam fastened to said frame, drive means controlled by said control cam and coacting with said first mounting means to effect the displacement of the cutting tool along a path of movement for cutting the aspherical surface, and first adjustment means for adjusting the orientation of said axis of the spindle in a plane substantially perpendicular to said third axis so that said axis of rotation of the spindle may be brought into precise coincidence with said path of movement of the cutting tool at the center of the aspherical surface to be cut.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 1, wherein said third axis is substantially vertical and said plane in which the orientation of said axis of the spindle is adjustable is substantially horizontal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 2, wherein said frame includes a base at the top thereof, and further comprising second adjustment means for adjusting the orientation of the base relative to the rest of the frame so that the base and therefore the said plane may be adjusted to a precisely horizontal position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 2, wherein force damping means are provided at one end of said spindle oppositE said blank carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 4, wherein the means for supporting the blank carrier on said spindle is a chuck including at least two pairs of contact members extending radially into engagement with the blank carrier, and securing means for maintaining the contact members in engagement with the blank carrier disposed axially between the two pairs of contact members and opposite thereto.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 3, wherein said second mounting means includes a base plate secured for rotation on a turret, and wherein said first mounting means includes a slide mounted for reciprocating displacement on said base plate in response to said control cam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 6, wherein said base comprises two superimposed portions joined together, the upper portion carrying said first adjustment means, and wherein the lower portion has an extension adapted to receive the turret.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 7, wherein said lower portion is box-shaped and is at least partially filled with a dense material for weighting the frame.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
90 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 2, wherein said first adjustment means includes three support points in contact with the support means for said spindle, one said point being defined by resilient means in contact in the middle of one side of said support means substantially parallel to the axis of the said spindle, the two other points being defined by a pivot and by a thrust point that contact said support means near the ends of a side of said support means opposite said one side.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 9, wherein said thrust point is disposed on a lever mounted for rocking movement about a substantially vertical axis, an orientation screw engaging the lever remote from said thrust point and adjacent to said pivot and resilient means disposed axially between said thrust point and said orientation screw and operating between the support means and said lever.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
109 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 4, wherein said force damping means comprise a central body having a longitudinally displaceable front face and a ball thrust bearing coacting with said spindle and the displaceable front face, said central body having, on each side of its longitudinal axis, means for adjusting the axial position of the central body and means for maintaining the central body in a desired stable position, said last mentioned means being constituted by a traction spring operatively attached between a fixed pillar and said central body and a damping pot in parallel with said traction spring compensating for additional traction forces during machining.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 4, wherein the force damping means is disposed in a fixed, hollow central body also housing said axial adjustment means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
108 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 11, wherein the central body is hollow and has two internal chambers situated one on each side of a piston, a first chamber accommodating a threaded rod connected to the piston having a free terminal portion located outside the body and a graduated disc, said threaded rod turning in a sleeve, said sleeve being fixed against rotation but axially displaceable, and a second chamber in which the free face of the piston is urged by a spring, and wherein an adjoining chamber leads into the said second chamber through a passage controlled by a valve having a calibrated aperture.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 6, wherein said drive means includes a lever arm substantially vertically oriented and pivotally mounted about a substantially horizontal axis and in point contact at its upper end with said slide and in contact at its lower end with said control cam.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 14, wherein said point contact between the lever arm and the slide is effected by a micrometric mechanism carried by said lever arm and having an axially displaceable end in contact with a tip of an element associated with said base.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 14, wherein said base carries a pair of elements having tips spaced along the pivot axis of said lever arm at different distances therefrom and offset, said micrometric mechanism being detachably mounted on said lever arm.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 16, wherein each of said pair of elements comprises a rod rotatable about its axis and terminating in a tip eccentric to its axis.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 14, wherein the lower portion of said lever arm has a follower that coacts with said control cam, the follower being displaceably mounted on the arm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 18, wherein said follower is displaceable in an aperture parallel to the cam, thereby permitting variations of machining profile.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
55 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 14, wherein the control cam comprises a deformable strip fixed at its ends to a removable plate, and a plurality of adjusting elements displaceable parallel to the plane of the said plate and therefore perpendicular to the strip for obtaining the desired shape of the strip.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A machine for producing aspherical surfaces according to claim 5, wherein the securing means for maintaining the contact members in engagement with the blank carrier includes a pressure screw.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1513883A
Cited
US2423941A
Cited
US2539941A
Cited
US2725776A
Cited
US3079732A
Cited
US3139083A
Cited
US3106857A
Cited
US3212371A
Cited
US3744357A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-05 | 1978-11-04 | 1979-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-05 | 1982-11-04 | 1983-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-05 | 1986-11-04 | 1987-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |