Method and apparatus for surface grinding

Claim 1

A method of precision planar surface grinding a workpiece with an endless abrasive belt of predetermined width, comprising the steps of: (a) imparting continuous circulating movement to the endless abrasive belt through a grinding area to define a region of abrasive workpiece engagement extending over the entire width of the belt; (b) rotating the workpiece in a plane that is substantially parallel to the region of abrasive workpiece engagement of said endless abrasive belt to present a grinding surface of predetermined maximum transverse dimension to the region of abrasive workpiece engagement; (c) effecting relative back and forth reciprocating movement between the workpiece and said region of abrasive workpiece engagement along a line that is substantially parallel to said plane of rotation, said relative movement being of sufficient magnitude that the rightmost edge of the belt reaches the leftmost edge of the rotating workpiece and the leftmost edge of the belt reaches the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece, so that during each reciprocating stroke the entire grinding surface of the workpiece moves through the entire width of the region of abrasive workpiece engagement, whereby every point on the workpiece is abrasively engaged by every point of the endless abrasive belt.

Claim 2

A method of precision planar surface grinding a workpiece with an endless abrasive belt of predetermined width, comprising the steps of: (a) imparting continuous circulating movement to the endless abrasive belt through a grinding area to define a region of abrasive workpiece engagement extending over the entire width of the belt; (b) rotating the workpiece in a plane that is substantially parallel to the region of abrasive workpiece engagement of said endless abrasive belt to present a grinding surface of predetermined maximum transverse dimension to the region of abrasive workpiece engagement; (c) effecting relative back and forth reciprocating movement between the workpiece and said region of abrasive workpiece engagement along a line that is substantially parallel to said plane of rotation, said relative movement being of sufficient magnitude that the rightmost edge of the belt reaches the leftmost edge of the rotating workpiece and the leftmost edge of the belt reaches the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece, so that during each reciprocating stroke the entire grinding surface of the workpiece moves through the entire width of the region of abrasive workpiece engagement, whereby every point on the workpiece is abrasively engaged by every point of the endless abrasive belt.

Claim 3

A method of precision surface grinding a workpiece with an endless abrasive belt of predetermined width, comprising the steps of: (a) imparting a continuous circulatory movement to the belt through a grinding area to define a region of abrasive workpiece engagement; (b) rotating the workpiece in a plane that is substantially parallel to said region to define a grinding surface on the workpiece having a predetermined maximum transverse dimension; (c) effecting relative reciprocating movement between the workpiece and said region on the belt by moving said grinding surface of the workpiece across the belt such that the travel of said belt measured from leftmost peak to rightmost peak is not less than twice the width of said maximum transverse dimension plus the width of the belt said relative movement being of sufficient magnitude that the rightmost edge of the belt reaches the leftmost edge of the rotating workpiece and the leftmost edge of the belt reaches the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece, so that every point on the workpiece is abrasively engaged by every point on the endless abrasive belt.

Claim 4

A method of precision surface grinding a workpiece with an endless abrasive belt of predetermined width, comprising the steps of: (a) imparting a continuous circulatory movement to the belt through a grinding area to define a region of abrasive workpiece engagement; (b) rotating the workpiece in a plane that is substantially parallel to said region to define a grinding surface on the workpiece having a predetermined maximum transverse dimension; (c) effecting relative reciprocating movement between the workpiece and said region on the belt by moving said grinding surface of the workpiece across the belt such that the travel of said belt measured from leftmost peak to rightmost peak is not less than twice the width of said maximum transverse dimension plus the width of the belt said relative movement being of sufficient magnitude that the rightmost edge of the belt reaches the leftmost edge of the rotating workpiece and the leftmost edge of the belt reaches the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece, so that every point on the workpiece is abrasively engaged by every point on the endless abrasive belt.

Claim 5

A method of precision planar surface grinding of a workpiece by an endless abrasive belt with a linear working edge comprising the steps of: (1) imparting a circulatory movement in the belt so that the working edge is constantly moving over the workpiece at the region of abrasive engagement, (2) rotating the workpiece on a planar holder, (3) causing the edge to contact the workpiece surface during said circulatory movement, (4) moving the workpiece generally along a line parallel to the working edge, said movement having a minimum travel measured between right and leftmost deviations of twice the width of the workpiece plus the greatest transverse dimension of the abraded surface, so that at one peak the leftmost edge of the belt will contact the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece surface and at the other peak the rightmost edge of the belt will contact the leftmost edge of the abraded surface.

Claim 6

A method of precision planar surface grinding of a workpiece by an endless abrasive belt with a linear working edge comprising the steps of: (1) imparting a circulatory movement in the belt so that the working edge is constantly moving over the workpiece at the region of abrasive engagement, (2) rotating the workpiece on a planar holder, (3) causing the edge to contact the workpiece surface during said circulatory movement, (4) moving the workpiece generally along a line parallel to the working edge, said movement having a minimum travel measured between right and leftmost deviations of twice the width of the workpiece plus the greatest transverse dimension of the abraded surface, so that at one peak the leftmost edge of the belt will contact the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece surface and at the other peak the rightmost edge of the belt will contact the leftmost edge of the abraded surface.

Claim 7

A method of two-step grinding to achieve a precision ground surface on a workpiece with endless abrasive belt grinder having a linear working edge, comprising the steps of: locating a workpiece surface proximate said working edge, rotating said workpiece about its central axis, contacting said working edge and the workpiece to rapidly abrade the surface thereof, dressing the workpiece by causing relative reciprocal movement of the belt and workpiece generally along an axis parallel with said working edge, said movement being of sufficient magnitude so that during each reciprocated stroke the entire abraded surfaces moves across the entire width of the belt, edge to edge, said relative movement being of sufficient magnitude that the rightmost edge of the belt reaches the leftmost edge of the rotating workpiece and the leftmost edge of the belt reaches the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece whereby every point on the abraded surface of the workpiece engages every point on the endless belt.

Claim 8

A method of two-step grinding to achieve a precision ground surface on a workpiece with endless abrasive belt grinder having a linear working edge, comprising the steps of: locating a workpiece surface proximate said working edge, rotating said workpiece about its central axis, contacting said working edge and the workpiece to rapidly abrade the surface thereof, dressing the workpiece by causing relative reciprocal movement of the belt and workpiece generally along an axis parallel with said working edge, said movement being of sufficient magnitude so that during each reciprocated stroke the entire abraded surfaces moves across the entire width of the belt, edge to edge, said relative movement being of sufficient magnitude that the rightmost edge of the belt reaches the leftmost edge of the rotating workpiece and the leftmost edge of the belt reaches the rightmost edge of the rotating workpiece whereby every point on the abraded surface of the workpiece engages every point on the endless belt.