Claims
- 1. A reciprocating assembly for moving an abrasive element back and forth across a work surface comprising:
- a) a reciprocating unit with a front end and a back end and a piston assembly at the front end, said reciprocating unit movable back and forth along a longitudinal axis, said reciprocating unit including a piston head,
- b) a holder having mounted thereto the abrasive element, the holder including a piston cylinder, said piston cylinder slidable along said longitudinal axis around the piston head,
- c) a source of pressurizing fluid in communication with the piston cylinder for sliding the piston cylinder along said longitudinal axis.
- 2. The assembly in accordance with claim 1 further including a restraining rod to restrain axial motion between the reciprocating unit and the holder.
- 3. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein the restraining rod is restrained at a rod first end, slidably positioned within a hollow through the piston head and connected at a rod second end to the holder.
- 4. The assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein the restraining rod is biased to urge the holder to the retracted position.
- 5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the restraining rod is biased with a spring between the first end of the restraining rod and a lip protruding into the hollow.
- 6. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the piston cylinder has an end wall and the restraining rod is attached to the end wall.
- 7. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the holder is slidably mounted upon the reciprocating unit along the longitudinal axis.
- 8. The assembly according to claim 7 wherein the holder is slidably mounted upon the reciprocating unit with linear bearings extending between the reciprocating unit and the holder.
- 9. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein travel of the holder along the longitudinal axis to the extended position is limited by a limit stop.
- 10. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the limit stop is comprised of a bolt with a shank and a head, wherein the shank is connected to the reciprocating unit and extends through a mating passageway in the holder and wherein the head has a diameter greater than that of the passageway to define the maximum extension of the holder from the reciprocating unit.
- 11. The assembly according to claim 1 further including at the back end of the reciprocating unit a coupling for connecting the reciprocating assembly to a mating coupling on a machine tool.
- 12. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pressurized fluid is air.
- 13. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the piston head has at least one passageway extending therethrough to the holder piston cylinder through which the pressurized fluid is introduced within the piston cylinder.
- 14. The assembly according to claim 13 further including a passageway extending through the holder from the piston cylinder head to the abrasive element.
- 15. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the holder is a holder for supporting the abrasive element.
- 16. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the reciprocation between the retracted and extended positions occurs in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis at the work surface.
- 17. The assembly according to claim 1 further including a metering device capable of delivering pressurized fluid to the piston cylinder in pulses at specified time intervals.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to the following co-pending applications, which have been filed on the same day as the subject application and which have the same inventors:
US Referenced Citations (12)