Finish-machining machine

Claim 2

In a finish-machining machine comprising an upper annular finishing disk, which is mounted to be rotatable on a vertical axis, a lower annular finishing disk, which is mounted to be rotatable on said axis and spaced below and defines a working gap with said upper disk, separate disk drive means for rotating said upper and lower disks, respectively, about said axis, an inner annular series of pins, which is centered on said axis and extends in said working gap adjacent to said lower disk and mounted to be rotatable about said axis, pin drive means for rotating said inner series of pins about said axis, an outer annular series of pins, which is centered on said axis and extends in said working gap adjacent to said lower disk radially outwardly of said inner series of pins, an annular series of workpiece holders, which are disposed between said inner and outer series of pins in said working gap generally in a plane which is at right angles to said axis and are formed with teeth meshing with said inner and outer series of pins, pin drive means for rotating said inner series of pins about said axis to impart a planetary motion to said workpiece holders, holding-down means for acting on said upper disk to exert on said lower disk an axial force, and a feedback control system for controlling said axial force, the improvement residing in that an underframe is provided, in which said lower disk is mounted for rotation on said axis, and said feedback control system comprises force pickups which are angularly spaced apart about said axis and support said lower disk on said underframe and are adapted to sense said axial force and said holding-down means comprise fluid-operable means for exerting said axial force on said upper disk in dependence on the axial force sensed by said force pickups.

Claim 3

The improvement set forth in claim 1 as applied to a lapping machine.

Claim 4

The improvement set forth in claim 2, wherein said disk drive means comprise means for rotating said upper disk about said axis in a predetermined sense, said upper disk has a bottom surface defining said working gap and a top surface that is formed with at least one annular groove, which is centered on said axis and is adapted to receive an abrasive slurry and communicates with said working gap through a plurality of angularly spaced apart bores, which open in said bottom surface, scraping means are provided, which are rotatable relative to said upper disk and comprise a plurality of scrapers extending into said at least one annular groove and adapted to distribute said annular slurry in said at least one groove to said bores, speed-sensing means are provided for indicating a rotation of said upper disk at a speed below a predetermined speed, and scraper drive means are provided for rotating said scraping means in the sense which is opposite to said predetermined sense when said speed-sensing means indicate a rotation of said upper disk at a speed below said predetermined speed.

Claim 5

The improvement set forth in claim 1 as applied to a finish-grinding machine.

Claim 6

The improvement set forth in claim 1 as applied to a polishing machine.

Claim 7

The improvement set forth in claim 1 as applied to a finish-machining machine in which said outer annular series of pins is mounted to be stationary.

Claim 8

The improvement set forth in claim 1 as applied to a finish-machining machine comprising a portal in which said upper disk is mounted.

Claim 9

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said force pickups are indirectly contacted by said lower disk.

Claim 10

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said force pickups are indirectly axially engageable by said lower disk.

Claim 11

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein self-aligning bearing means are provided by which said upper disk is mounted for rotation on said axis.

Claim 12

The improviment set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid-operable means are pneumatic means.

Claim 13

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid-operable means are hydraulic means.

Claim 14

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said lower disk is mounted to be rotatable on said axis in a bearing unit, which is centered on said axis and is axially supported on said underframe by said force pickups and tensioned straps extending in a plane which is parallel to the above-mentioned plane are connected to said underframe and to said bearing unit to hold said bearing unit against rotation.

Claim 15

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein a top frame is provided, in which said upper disk is mounted for rotation about said axis, an adjusting sleeve is mounted in said top frame for a movement along said axis and axially couples said fluid-operable means to said upper disk, said fluid-operable means are selectively operable to lift said upper disk by means of said adjusting sleeve and said holding-down means comprise angularly spaced apart guide rods, which are radially spaced from said adjusting sleeve and axially slidably mounted in said top frame and connected to said fluid-operable means to hold them against a rotation about said axis.

Claim 16

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said lower disk is mounted in said underframe to be movable along said axis and adjusting means are provided for adjusting said lower disk along said axis.

Claim 17

The improvement set forth in claim 15, wherein said adjusting means comprise an adjusting sleeve which is axially coupled to said lower disk and is mounted in said underframe for a movement along said axis.

Claim 18

The improvement set forth in claim 15, wherein said adjusting means comprise a plurality of angularly spaced apart, synchronously operable power screws, which are radially spaced from and parallel to said axis and mounted on said underframe, and a crosspiece by which said power screws are axially coupled to said lower disk.

Claim 19

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said disk drive means are operable to rotate said upper and lower disks at speeds which are infinitely adjustable, said pin drive means are operable to rotate said inner annular series of pins at an infinitely adjustable speed and program-controlled means are provided for adjusting said speeds independently of each other.

Claim 20

The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein additional pin drive means are provided for selectively rotating said outer series of pins about said axis at an infinitely adjustable speed and said program-controlled means are adapted to adjust said speed of said outer series of pins independently of the others of said speeds.

Claim 21

In a lapping machine comprising an upper annular finishing disk, which is mounted to be rotatable on a vertical axis, a lower annular finishing disk, which is mounted to be rotatable on said axis and spaced below and defines a working gap with said upper disk, separate disk drive means for rotating said upper and lower disks, respectively, about said axis, an inner annular series of pins, which is centered on said axis and extends in said working gap adjacent to said lower disk and mounted to be rotatable about said axis, pin drive means for rotating said inner series of pins about said axis, an outer annular series of pins, which is centered on said axis and extends in said working gap adjacent to said lower disk radially outwardly of said inner series of pins, an annular series of workpiece holders, which are disposed between said inner and outer series of pins in said working gap generally in a plane which is at right angles to said axis and are formed with teeth meshing with said inner and outer series of pins, pin drive means for rotating said inner series of pins about said axis to impart a planetary motion to said workpiece holders, holding-down means for acting on said upper disk to exert on said lower disk an axial force, and a feedback control system for controlling said axial force, the improvement residing in that said disk drive means comprise means for rotating said upper disk about said axis in a predetermined sense, said upper disk has a bottom surface defining said working gap and a top surface that is formed with at least one annular groove, which is centered on said axis and is adapted to receive an abrasive slurry and communicates with said working gap through a plurality of angularly spaced apart bores, which open in said bottom surface, scraping means are provided, which are rotatable relative to said upper disk and comprise a plurality of scrapers extending into said at least one annular groove and adapted to distribute said annular slurry in said at least one groove to said bores, speed-sensing means are provided for indicating a rotation of said upper disk at a speed below a predetermined speed, and scraper drive means are provided for rotating said scraping means in the sense which is opposite to said predetermined sense when said speed-sensing means indicate a rotation of said upper disk at a speed below said predetermined speed.

Claim 22

In a lapping machine comprising an upper annular finishing disk, which is mounted to be rotatable on a vertical axis, a lower annular finishing disk, which is mounted to be rotatable on said axis and spaced below and defines a working gap with said upper disk, separate disk drive means for rotating said upper and lower disks, respectively, about said axis, an inner annular series of pins, which is centered on said axis and extends in said working gap adjacent to said lower disk and mounted to be rotatable about said axis, pin drive means for rotating said inner series of pins about said axis, an outer annular series of pins, which is centered on said axis and extends in said working gap adjacent to said lower disk radially outwardly of said inner series of pins, an annular series of workpiece holders, which are disposed between said inner and outer series of pins in said working gap generally in a plane which is at right angles to said axis and are formed with teeth meshing with said inner and outer series of pins, pin drive means for rotating said inner series of pins about said axis to impart a planetary motion to said workpiece holders, holding-down means for acting on said upper disk to exert on said lower disk an axial force, and a feedback control system for controlling said axial force, the improvement residing in that said disk drive means comprise means for rotating said upper disk about said axis in a predetermined sense, said upper disk has a bottom surface defining said working gap and a top surface that is formed with at least one annular groove, which is centered on said axis and is adapted to receive an abrasive slurry and communicates with said working gap through a plurality of angularly spaced apart bores, which open in said bottom surface, scraping means are provided, which are rotatable relative to said upper disk and comprise a plurality of scrapers extending into said at least one annular groove and adapted to distribute said annular slurry in said at least one groove to said bores, speed-sensing means are provided for indicating a rotation of said upper disk at a speed below a predetermined speed, and scraper drive means are provided for rotating said scraping means in the sense which is opposite to said predetermined sense when said speed-sensing means indicate a rotation of said upper disk at a speed below said predetermined speed.