Claims
- 1. Apparatus for finishing the surface of a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame, a plurality of elongated spindles, each having a longitudinal axis;
- a sanding member mounted on each spindle, each sanding member being in the form of a body of revolution having a longitudinal axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the corresponding spindle;
- means for supporting the plurality of spindles from said frame such that a circumferential portion of each sanding member lies in a common plane, and the longitudinal axis of the sanding members intersect an axis perpendicular to said common plane;
- means for revolving said supporting means about said axis perpendicular to said comon plane; and
- means for selectively rotating each spindle about its longitudinal axis in either of two opposite directions during separate selected portions of each revolution of said supporting means, said means for selectively rotating each sanding member comprising:
- a friction cone affixed to a radially inner end of each spindle;
- a first friction ring;
- a second friction ring;
- means for mounting the first and second friction rings in fixed spaced relation concentrically perpendicular to said axis perpendicular to said common plane with said friction cones disposed between the first and second friction rings, the spacing between the friction rings being such that each friction cone can contact only one of the friction rings at a time; and said means for supporting said plurality of spindles comprises:
- means for selectively moving each spindle between a first position in which the associated friction cone engages the first friction ring and a second position in which the associated friction cone engages the second friction ring.
- 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for selectively moving each spindle between said first position and said second position comprises:
- a yoke for each spindle, each yoke being rotatably connected to said supporting means for pivoting about an axis parallel to said common plane;
- bearing means for rotatably connecting each spindle to the associated yoke; and
- means for controllably pivoting said yoke to move the associated spindle between said first and second positions.
- 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the longitudinal axis of each spindle intersects the pivot axis of the corresponding yoke.
- 4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the means for controllably pivoting said yoke comprises a cam follower fixed to the yoke and a cam member fixedly connected to the frame, the cam member having a circular cam path contacted by the cam follower as the supporting means revolves around said axis perpendicular to said common plane.
- 5. A method for finishing a surface of a workpiece, the method comprising:
- (a) contacting the surface of the workpiece with a circumferential portion of at least one sanding member in the form of a body of revolution having a longitudinal axis;
- (b) revolving the sanding member in a circle of revolution over the surface of the workpiece; and
- (c) rotating each sanding member about its longitudinal axis in a preselected first direction during a first portion of each circle of revolution and rotating each sanding member in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, during a second portion of each circle of revolution.
- 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one sanding member comprises a plurality of sanding members.
- 7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the plurality of sanding members are arranged with the longitudinal axis of each sanding member intersecting the center of said circle of revolution.
- 8. A method for finishing a surface of a workpiece, the method comprising:
- (a) contacting the surface of the workpiece with a circumferential portion of at least one sanding member in the form of a body of revolution having a longitudinal axis;
- (b) revolving the sanding member in a circle of revolution over the surface of the workpiece; and
- (c) rotating each sanding member about its longitudinal axis in a preselected direction during a first portion of each circle of revolution and stopping rotation of each sanding member during a second portion of each circle of revolution.
- 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the at least one sanding member comprises a plurality of sanding members.
- 10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of sanding members are arranged with the longitudinal axis of each sanding member intersecting the center of said circle of revolution.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 608,096 filed on May 8, 1984 and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
46604 |
Mar 1982 |
EPX |
127657 |
Aug 1982 |
JPX |
497412 |
Mar 1937 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
608096 |
May 1984 |
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