Centerless grinder assembly and method of operating the same

Claim 1

A method of operating a centerless grinder assembly comprising: determining the ideal profile dimensions of an elongate workpiece to be machined, said ideal profile having a non-uniform diameter along the length of said workpiece; inputting data representative of the ideal profile dimensions into a computer readable memory of the centerless grinder assembly; placing an elongate workpiece at a desired location on said centerless grinding assembly to be fed past a work wheel during machining operations; feeding said elongate workpiece past said work wheel of said centerless grinder assembly to obtain an actual machined workpiece profile, said actual machined workpiece profile having a non-uniform diameter along the length of said workpiece; continuously measuring the dimensions along the profile of the actual machined workpiece by feeding said machined workpiece through a gauging device; converting said measured workpiece profile dimensions into digital signals; transmitting said digital signals representative of said measured workpiece profile dimensions into a computer system of the centerless grinder assembly; calculating deviations between the ideal inputted workpiece dimensions and the measured workpiece dimensions; transmitting signals representative of the calculated deviations to means for modifying the profile of the next workpiece to be machined so that the profile dimensions of the next machined workpiece will be at least as close to said inputted ideal workpiece dimensions as the profile dimensions of the previously machined workpiece.

Claim 2

A method of operating a centerless grinder assembly comprising: determining the ideal profile dimensions of an elongate workpiece to be machined, said ideal profile having a non-uniform diameter along the length of said workpiece; inputting data representative of the ideal profile dimensions into a computer readable memory of the centerless grinder assembly; placing an elongate workpiece at a desired location on said centerless grinding assembly to be fed past a work wheel during machining operations; feeding said elongate workpiece past said work wheel of said centerless grinder assembly to obtain an actual machined workpiece profile, said actual machined workpiece profile having a non-uniform diameter along the length of said workpiece; continuously measuring the dimensions along the profile of the actual machined workpiece by feeding said machined workpiece through a gauging device; converting said measured workpiece profile dimensions into digital signals; transmitting said digital signals representative of said measured workpiece profile dimensions into a computer system of the centerless grinder assembly; calculating deviations between the ideal inputted workpiece dimensions and the measured workpiece dimensions; transmitting signals representative of the calculated deviations to means for modifying the profile of the next workpiece to be machined so that the profile dimensions of the next machined workpiece will be at least as close to said inputted ideal workpiece dimensions as the profile dimensions of the previously machined workpiece.

Claim 6

A method of operating a centerless grinder assembly comprising the steps of: determining the ideal profile dimensions of an elongate workpiece to be machined; inputting data representative of the ideal profile dimensions into a computer readable memory of the centerless grinder assembly; placing an elongate workpiece having a trailing end at a desired location on said centerless grinder assembly to be fed past a plurality of sensors and a work wheel during machining operations; determining ideal position data including the desired position of the regulating wheel with respect to the work wheel of the centerless grinder assembly, and the corresponding position of the trailing end of said elongate workpiece with respect to said work wheel; inputting said ideal position data into the computer readable memory of said centerless grinder assembly; feeding said workpiece past said plurality of sensors and said work wheel at an assumed constant velocity to obtain an actual machined workpiece profile; continuously detecting the position of the trailing end of said workpiece with respect to said work wheel as it passes said plurality of sensors; converting the continuously detected position data into digital signals; transmitting said digital signals representative of the location of said trailing end of said workpiece with respect to said work wheel into the computer system of the centerless grinder assembly; continuously monitoring and detecting the actual position of said regulating wheel with respect to said work wheel in correspondence with the continuous detection of said trailing end of said workpiece; comparing the continuously detected position data of said trailing end of said workpiece and said regulating wheel with respect to said work wheel to the ideal position data to ascertain deviations therebetween; generating deviation signals representative of the deviation between said continuously detected and said ideal position data of said trailing end of said workpiece and said regulating wheel with respect to said work wheel; and transmitting said deviation signals to motor means for effecting movement of said regulating wheel whereby the relative positioning of said regulating wheel and said work wheel is adjusted so that said actual machined workpiece profile will improve.

Claim 7

A method of operating a centerless grinder assembly comprising the steps of: determining the ideal profile dimensions of an elongate workpiece to be machined; inputting data representative of the ideal profile dimensions into a computer readable memory of the centerless grinder assembly; placing an elongate workpiece having a trailing end at a desired location on said centerless grinder assembly to be fed past a plurality of sensors and a work wheel during machining operations; determining ideal position data including the desired position of the regulating wheel with respect to the work wheel of the centerless grinder assembly, and the corresponding position of the trailing end of said elongate workpiece with respect to said work wheel; inputting said ideal position data into the computer readable memory of said centerless grinder assembly; feeding said workpiece past said plurality of sensors and said work wheel at an assumed constant velocity to obtain an actual machined workpiece profile; continuously detecting the position of the trailing end of said workpiece with respect to said work wheel as it passes said plurality of sensors; converting the continuously detected position data into digital signals; transmitting said digital signals representative of the location of said trailing end of said workpiece with respect to said work wheel into the computer system of the centerless grinder assembly; continuously monitoring and detecting the actual position of said regulating wheel with respect to said work wheel in correspondence with the continuous detection of said trailing end of said workpiece; comparing the continuously detected position data of said trailing end of said workpiece and said regulating wheel with respect to said work wheel to the ideal position data to ascertain deviations therebetween; generating deviation signals representative of the deviation between said continuously detected and said ideal position data of said trailing end of said workpiece and said regulating wheel with respect to said work wheel; and transmitting said deviation signals to motor means for effecting movement of said regulating wheel whereby the relative positioning of said regulating wheel and said work wheel is adjusted so that said actual machined workpiece profile will improve.