Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A centerless grinder, comprising in combination: (a) a base; (b) a grinding wheel, rotatably journaled in a grinding wheelhead on said base; (c) a regulating wheel, rotatably journaled in a regulating wheelhead on said base and disposed relative to said grinding wheel so as to form an inlet end and an outlet end between said wheels; (d) a work support located between said wheels, adapted to support a workpiece of revolution; (e) a pivot joint proximate to said inlet end; (f) means to pivot one of said regulating wheel and said grinding wheel relative to the other, about said pivot joint, while grinding; (g) means to axially move said workpiece relative to said wheels while grinding; and (h) pivot feed means operable to achieve variable feed distances along the face of said regulating wheel relative to said grinding wheel, from said inlet end to said outlet end, while grinding.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
A centerless grinder, comprising in combination: (a) a base; (b) a grinding wheel, rotatably journaled in a grinding wheelhead on said base; (c) a regulating wheel, rotatably journaled in a regulating wheelhead on said base and disposed relative to said grinding wheel so as to form an inlet end and an outlet end between said wheels; (d) a work support located between said wheels, adapted to support a workpiece of revolution; (e) a pivot joint proximate to said inlet end; (f) means to pivot one of said regulating wheel and said grinding wheel relative to the other, about said pivot joint, while grinding; (g) means to axially move said workpiece relative to said wheels while grinding; and (h) pivot feed means operable to achieve variable feed distances along the face of said regulating wheel relative to said grinding wheel, from said inlet end to said outlet end, while grinding.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The centerless grinder of claim 1, wherein said pivot feed means provides relative wheelhead feed through predetermined wheelhead angular positions about said pivot joint, and further comprises: (i) work support positioning means operable to bisect predetermined angles formed by said grinding wheel and said regulating wheel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The centerless grinder of claim 2, wherein said means to axially move said workpiece includes means to continuously move said workpiece while grinding.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
66 words
A method of grinding a workpiece on a centerless grinder comprising the following steps: (a) supporting and rotating a workpiece of revolution between regulating and grinding wheels; (b) continuously moving said workpiece in an axial direction while grinding; and (c) pivoting one of said regulating and grinding wheels relative to the other, about a pivot joint proximate a workpiece inlet end between said wheels, while grinding.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
66 words
A method of grinding a workpiece on a centerless grinder comprising the following steps: (a) supporting and rotating a workpiece of revolution between regulating and grinding wheels; (b) continuously moving said workpiece in an axial direction while grinding; and (c) pivoting one of said regulating and grinding wheels relative to the other, about a pivot joint proximate a workpiece inlet end between said wheels, while grinding.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The grinding method of claim 4, further comprising the following steps: (d) pivoting said workpiece about a pivot axis in said pivot joint, bisecting the angle formed between said regulating and grinding wheels, while grinding.