GB994145A - Improvements in or relating to the lapping or grinding of balls - Google Patents

Abstract

994,145. Grinding. S. MESSERSCHMIDT. May 8, 1964 [May 31, 1963], No. 19321/64. Heading B3D. Apparatus for grinding or lapping balls comprises a driven magazine 6 rotating in a substantially horizontal plane and arranged to feed a stream of balls continuously to a ball inlet 11, lapping discs 1, 5 to which the balls pass as a layer from the inlet, a movable arm 18 arranged in the region of the ball inlet to sense the ball layer, and means for monitoring the position of the arm. The magazine consists of a channel which is defined by walls 9, 10 and rotated by a motor in the direction of the arrow 7. The lapping discs are eceentrically disposed within the magazine, the lower disc 1 being grooved for reception of the balls and rotating in the direction of the arrow 4, and the upper disc 5 being stationary and formed with a sectorshaped opening 11 forming the ball inlet. A member 12 extends from the outer wall 9 into the inlet 11 and is shaped with a shoe 13 so that balls carried by the magazine move in the direction of the arrow 15 into the inlet end between the discs 1, 5 and eventually engage the rear wall 12 of the member for transfer back to the magazine. The arm 18 is secured to a shaft 17 rotatable in a bearing 16 on the member 12 and has a shoe 20, which may be faced with abrasion-resistant material, such as leather or plastic, and bears on the balls within the inlet. A yoke 23 is secured to the shaft 17 and is movable between stops 21 to determine the amount of movement of the arm. A pair of adjustable contacts 24 are carried by the yoke and co-act with a lever 25 mounted on a pivot 26, the lever having contacts 28 for acting on the contacts 29, 30 of a pair of switches 31, 32 in a circuit including the motor for rotating the magazine and an acoustic or optical signal means such as a lamp. In the event of an increase in the number of balls at the inlet, the arm 18 rises causing the yoke 23 to rock and a contact 24 to engage and rock the lever 25 to actuate one of the switches which causes the motor to stop and the signal means to be actuated. As the accumulation of balls at the inlet decreases, either by action of the operator or by itself, the arm 18 falls until the yoke moves the lever to actuate the other switch and start the motor and de-energize the signal means. In other embodiments, the movement of the arm is used to effect a stepwise or other variable control of the motor during the magazine or controls an oil feed and/or abrasive feed.