Claims
- 1. A sanding drum assembly comprising
a drum structure having a substantially cylindrical outer surface, an opening in the surface of the drum for receiving a portion of an abrasive belt that forms a substantially closed pocket inside the drum structure, and an expansion member configured to be expanded inside the pocket of the abrasive belt so that the abrasive belt is tightly secured around the outer surface of the drum structure.
- 2. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening is substantially linear.
- 3. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening has a length approximately equal to the width of the abrasive belt.
- 4. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the drum structure has a rotational axis, and the opening has a long axis parallel to the rotational axis of the drum structure.
- 5. The drum assembly of claim 1 further comprising
an air source connected to the expansion member.
- 6. The drum assembly of claim 1 further comprising
a drive mechanism configured to drive rotation of the drum structure.
- 7. The drum assembly of claim 1 further comprising
a conveyor for transporting a work piece in a conveyor direction adjacent the drum structure.
- 8. The drum assembly of claim 7, wherein the drum structure is oriented substantially perpendicular to the conveyor direction.
- 9. The drum assembly of claim 7, wherein the drum structure is oriented obliquely relative to the conveyor direction.
- 10. The drum assembly of claim 7 further comprising
a drive mechanism that moves the drum structure in at least one nonlinear motion relative to a work piece being transported by the conveyor.
- 11. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the expansion member includes an inflatable bladder.
- 12. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the drum structure has a rigid inner compartment connected to the opening, the expansion member being housed in the inner compartment of the drum structure.
- 13. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening is in the form of a linear slot.
- 14. The drum assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening is in the form of a curved slot.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/309,830, filed Aug. 2, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The following patents and patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference: application Ser. No. 08/993,699 filed Dec. 18, 1997; application Ser. No. 08/477,069 filed Jun. 7, 1995, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,287; application Ser. No. 08/260,360 filed Jun. 15, 1994, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,414; application Ser. No. 08/006,379 filed Jan. 19, 1993, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,913; application Ser. No. 07/787,897 filed Nov. 5, 1991, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,342; and application Ser. No. 07/568,902 filed Aug. 17, 1990, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,794.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60309830 |
Aug 2001 |
US |