Apparatus useful for exposing a circumferential path around a workpiece to tool means

Claim 1

An apparatus useful for exposing an oval-like workpiece girth comprised of planar and radial surfaces to tool means while maintaining the surfaces in a fixed plane relative to the tool means as each is exposed thereto, comprising: (a) a base in a fixed plane relative to the tool means; (b) means for effecting relative translational motion between the base and tool means; (c) bearing and shaft means, the shaft means including chuck means, mounted on the base for establishing the planar portions of the workpiece girth in a prescribed fixed plane as each is exposed to the tool means and for rotating the workpiece independently about longitudinal axes through the radii of the radial portions of the girth; and (d) means for rotating the bearing and shaft means and thus the workpiece fixtured thereon; said girth being exposed to the tool means by effecting sequential translational motion between the base on which the workpiece is fixtured and tool means and rotational motion independently about said longitudinal axes, the translational motion being utilized to expose the planar surfaces of the workpiece girth to the tool means and the rotational motion being utilized to expose the radial surfaces of the girth to the tool means while maintaining said radial surfaces in the fixed plane established by the planar surfaces as each is exposed to the tool means.

Claim 2

An apparatus useful for exposing an oval-like workpiece girth comprised of planar and radial surfaces to tool means while maintaining the surfaces in a fixed plane relative to the tool means as each is exposed thereto, comprising: (a) a base in a fixed plane relative to the tool means; (b) means for effecting relative translational motion between the base and tool means; (c) bearing and shaft means, the shaft means including chuck means, mounted on the base for establishing the planar portions of the workpiece girth in a prescribed fixed plane as each is exposed to the tool means and for rotating the workpiece independently about longitudinal axes through the radii of the radial portions of the girth; and (d) means for rotating the bearing and shaft means and thus the workpiece fixtured thereon; said girth being exposed to the tool means by effecting sequential translational motion between the base on which the workpiece is fixtured and tool means and rotational motion independently about said longitudinal axes, the translational motion being utilized to expose the planar surfaces of the workpiece girth to the tool means and the rotational motion being utilized to expose the radial surfaces of the girth to the tool means while maintaining said radial surfaces in the fixed plane established by the planar surfaces as each is exposed to the tool means.

Claim 5

An apparatus useful for exposing an oval-like workpiece girth comprised of planar and radial surfaces to tool means while maintaining the surfaces in a fixed plane relative to the tool means as each is exposed thereto, comprising: (a) a base in a fixed plane relative to the tool means; (b) means for effecting relative translational motion between the base and tool means; (c) a support member affixed to the base; (d) a bearing and shaft assembly, including an inner and outer bearing mounted in the support member, the inner bearing being eccentrically disposed within the outer bearing such that the central axis of the inner bearing is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the radius of one of the radial portions of the workpiece girth and the central axis of the outer bearing is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the radius of the other radial portion of the girth, the axes of the bearings thereby being coplanar with said longitudinal axes, and also including a shaft journaled in the inner bearing, the shaft having one end adapted to be rotated and the other end carrying chuck means for holding the workpiece in the prescribed planar relation to the tool means and axial relation to the bearings; and (e) means for rotating the end of the shaft opposite the chuck means; said girth being exposed to the tool means by effecting sequential translational and rotational motions, the translational motion between the base on which the workpiece is fixtured and tool means being utilized to expose the planar surfaces of the workpiece girth to the tool means and the rotational motion of the workpiece independently about the longitudinal axes being utilized to expose the radial surfaces of the girth to the tool means, rotation about said axes maintaining said radial surfaces in the fixed plane established by each planar surface as it is exposed to the tool means, said rotational motion being effected by translating the base to align one of said longitudinal axes with the rotational axis of the rotating means and rotating said shaft and then repeating the sequence for the other longitudinal axis, wherein one of said rotations of the shaft is eccentric about the central axis of the outer bearing and the other rotation of the shaft is about its own axis.

Claim 6

An apparatus useful for exposing an oval-like workpiece girth comprised of planar and radial surfaces to tool means while maintaining the surfaces in a fixed plane relative to the tool means as each is exposed thereto, comprising: (a) a base in a fixed plane relative to the tool means; (b) means for effecting relative translational motion between the base and tool means; (c) a support member affixed to the base; (d) a bearing and shaft assembly, including an inner and outer bearing mounted in the support member, the inner bearing being eccentrically disposed within the outer bearing such that the central axis of the inner bearing is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the radius of one of the radial portions of the workpiece girth and the central axis of the outer bearing is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the radius of the other radial portion of the girth, the axes of the bearings thereby being coplanar with said longitudinal axes, and also including a shaft journaled in the inner bearing, the shaft having one end adapted to be rotated and the other end carrying chuck means for holding the workpiece in the prescribed planar relation to the tool means and axial relation to the bearings; and (e) means for rotating the end of the shaft opposite the chuck means; said girth being exposed to the tool means by effecting sequential translational and rotational motions, the translational motion between the base on which the workpiece is fixtured and tool means being utilized to expose the planar surfaces of the workpiece girth to the tool means and the rotational motion of the workpiece independently about the longitudinal axes being utilized to expose the radial surfaces of the girth to the tool means, rotation about said axes maintaining said radial surfaces in the fixed plane established by each planar surface as it is exposed to the tool means, said rotational motion being effected by translating the base to align one of said longitudinal axes with the rotational axis of the rotating means and rotating said shaft and then repeating the sequence for the other longitudinal axis, wherein one of said rotations of the shaft is eccentric about the central axis of the outer bearing and the other rotation of the shaft is about its own axis.

Claim 9

An apparatus useful for exposing an oval-like workpiece girth to a laser beam while maintaining the planar and radial workpiece surfaces in a fixed plane relative to the beam focusing lens so that the focal length and angle of incidence of the beam remain substantially unchanged during traverse over the planar and radial surfaces, comprising: (a) a base movable in a fixed plane relative to the laser beam focusing lens; (b) a support member affixed to the base; (c) a bearing and shaft assembly, including an inner and outer bearing mounted in the support member, the inner bearing being eccentrically disposed within the outer bearing such that the central axis of the inner bearing is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the radius of one of the radial portions of the workpiece girth and the central axis of the outer bearing is coincident with the longitudinal axis through the radius of the other radial portion of the girth, the axes of the bearings thereby being coplanar with said longitudinal axes, and also including a shaft journaled in the inner bearing, the shaft having one end adapted to be rotated and the other end carrying chuck means for holding the workpiece in the prescribed planar relation to the focusing lens and axial relation to the bearings; and (d) means for rotating the end of the shaft opposite the chuck means, said means being independently and fixedly mounted from the base and having coupling means for engaging said end of the shaft in a slidable manner to allow translation of the base while retaining capability to impart rotational motion to said shaft; said girth being exposed to the tool means by effecting sequential translational and rotational motions, the translational motion between the base on which the workpiece is fixtured and tool means being utilized to expose the planar surfaces of the workpiece girth to the tool means and the rotational motion of the workpiece independently about the longitudinal axes being utilized to expose the radial surfaces of the girth to the tool means while maintaining said radial surfaces in the fixed plane established by the planar surfaces as they are exposed to the tool means, said rotational motion being effected by translating the base to align one of said longitudinal axes with the rotational axis of the rotating means and rotating said shaft and then repeating the sequence for the other longitudinal axis, wherein one of said rotations of the shaft is eccentric about the central axis of the outer bearing and the other rotation of the shaft is about its own axis.

Claim 10

An apparatus useful for exposing an oval-like workpiece girth to a laser beam while maintaining the planar and radial workpiece surfaces in a fixed plane relative to the beam focusing lens so that the focal length and angle of incidence of the beam remain substantially unchanged during traverse over the planar and radial surfaces, comprising: (a) a base movable in a fixed plane relative to the laser beam focusing lens; (b) a support member affixed to the base; (c) a bearing and shaft assembly, including an inner and outer bearing mounted in the support member, the inner bearing being eccentrically disposed within the outer bearing such that the central axis of the inner bearing is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the radius of one of the radial portions of the workpiece girth and the central axis of the outer bearing is coincident with the longitudinal axis through the radius of the other radial portion of the girth, the axes of the bearings thereby being coplanar with said longitudinal axes, and also including a shaft journaled in the inner bearing, the shaft having one end adapted to be rotated and the other end carrying chuck means for holding the workpiece in the prescribed planar relation to the focusing lens and axial relation to the bearings; and (d) means for rotating the end of the shaft opposite the chuck means, said means being independently and fixedly mounted from the base and having coupling means for engaging said end of the shaft in a slidable manner to allow translation of the base while retaining capability to impart rotational motion to said shaft; said girth being exposed to the tool means by effecting sequential translational and rotational motions, the translational motion between the base on which the workpiece is fixtured and tool means being utilized to expose the planar surfaces of the workpiece girth to the tool means and the rotational motion of the workpiece independently about the longitudinal axes being utilized to expose the radial surfaces of the girth to the tool means while maintaining said radial surfaces in the fixed plane established by the planar surfaces as they are exposed to the tool means, said rotational motion being effected by translating the base to align one of said longitudinal axes with the rotational axis of the rotating means and rotating said shaft and then repeating the sequence for the other longitudinal axis, wherein one of said rotations of the shaft is eccentric about the central axis of the outer bearing and the other rotation of the shaft is about its own axis.