Grinding machine

Claim 2

An internal grinding machine, comprising: a. a workhead for holding and rotating a workpiece having a portion which is to be formed with an internal surface of revolution of non-cylindrical form, said form including two substantially, radially outward portions, a sharp dimension relatively larger than its largest axial dimension and a blunt portion having a radial dimension relatively shallower than its largest axial dimension, b. a wheelhead for holding and rotating an abrasive wheel having a surface complimentary to non-cylindrical form, c. feed means to move the workhead and wheelhead relative to one another to introduce the abrasive wheel to the workpiece for a plunge grind with a predetermined controlled force, d. a dresser having an operative surface of the same non-cylindrical form located adjacent the workhead and wheelhead, the dresser being provided with a wheel having a surface of revolution of non-cylindrical form similar to that of the wheel, the wheel rotatably driven about the major axis of the surface of revolution, the wheel consisting of a matrix in which are embedded a number of diamonds, e. automatic means serving to introduce the rotating abrasive wheel to the dresser while rotating the dresser in the opposite direction to that of the wheel for restoring the abrasive wheel accurately to the said non-cylindrical form after the said plunge grind.

Claim 3

A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion of the dresser is between a first, dressing position and a second, waiting position, the dressing position being where the dresser resides when it is dressing the abrasive wheel, and the waiting position places the dresser substantially distant from the abrasive wheel axis.

Claim 4

A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the workhead is provided with a platen which contacts a radial surface of the workpiece for driving the same, and wherein the spindle is supported at one end only by the wheelhead.

Claim 5

A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the wheel consists of a plurality of individual wheels mounted close together, including a large annular ball track wheel between two thin seal groove wheels.

Claim 6

An internal grinding machine, comprising: a. a workhead for holding and rotating a workpiece having a portion which is to be formed with an internal surface of revolution of a contoured form, said form including the surface formed by the rotation of a generatrix about an axis with all points of the generatrix remaining the same distance from the axis during the revolution, wherein the generatrix is not a straight line extending parallel to the axis, b. a wheelhead for holding and rotating an abrasive wheel having a surface complimentary to non-cylindrical form, c. feed means to move the workhead and wheelhead relative to one another to introduce the abrasive wheel to the workpiece for a plunge grind with a predetermined controlled force, d. a dresser having an operative surface of the same non-cylindrical form located adjacent the workhead and wheelhead, the dresser being provided with a wheel having a surface of revolution of non-cylindrical form similar to that of the wheel, the wheel rotatably driven about the major axis of the surface of revolution, the wheel consisting of a matrix in which are embedded a number of diamonds, e. automatic means serving to introduce the rotating abrasive wheel to the dresser while rotating the dresser in the opposite direction to that of the wheel for restoring the abrasive wheel accurately to the said non-cylindrical form after the said plunge grind.

Claim 7

An internal grinding machine, comprising: a. a workhead for holding and rotating a workpiece having a portion which is to be formed with an internal surface of revolution of a contoured form, said form including the surface formed by the rotation of a generatrix about an axis with all points of the generatrix remaining the same distance from the axis during the revolution, wherein the generatrix is not a straight line extending parallel to the axis, b. a wheelhead for holding and rotating an abrasive wheel having a surface complimentary to non-cylindrical form, c. feed means to move the workhead and wheelhead relative to one another to introduce the abrasive wheel to the workpiece for a plunge grind with a predetermined controlled force, d. a dresser having an operative surface of the same non-cylindrical form located adjacent the workhead and wheelhead, the dresser being provided with a wheel having a surface of revolution of non-cylindrical form similar to that of the wheel, the wheel rotatably driven about the major axis of the surface of revolution, the wheel consisting of a matrix in which are embedded a number of diamonds, e. automatic means serving to introduce the rotating abrasive wheel to the dresser while rotating the dresser in the opposite direction to that of the wheel for restoring the abrasive wheel accurately to the said non-cylindrical form after the said plunge grind.