Vibrational magnetic polishing machine

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6270398
  • Patent Number
    6,270,398
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, October 5, 2000
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 7, 2001
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Banks; Derris H.
    Agents
    • Browdy and Neimark
Abstract
A vibrational magnetic polishing machine comprises a machine frame on which a workpiece container, an action device and a rotary alternating magnetic field generator are mounted such that the workpiece container is vibrated by the action device, thereby causing the workpiece and the polishing media to jump in the container. The polishing media arc induced by the alternating magnetic field to jump so as to smooth the surface of the workpiece.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates generally to a polishing machine, and more particularly to a vibrational magnetic polishing machine for smoothing the surface of a workpiece.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The conventional polishing machine is generally formed of a workpiece container and an actuation device. As the workpiece container is actuated by the actuation device, the polishing stones contained in the workpiece container are actuated to rub the surface of a workpiece contained in the workpiece container. Certain conventional polishing machines are provided with a plurality of magnetic media in place of the polishing stones. The magnetic media are caused by the magnetic field effect to travel randomly at a high speed to rub the surface of a workpiece.




Such conventional polishing machines as described above are defective in design in that the surface of the workpiece is susceptible to damage caused by friction of the fast-moving polishing stones or magnetic media, and that the smoothing effect of the polishing stones or magnetic media depends on the intensity of collision as well as the speed at which the polishing media travel, and further that the comer surface of the workpiece is often poorly smoothed.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a vibrational magnetic polishing machine which is free from the deficiencies of the conventional polishing machines described above.




The vibrational magnetic polishing machine of the present invention comprises a container, a plurality of magnetic polishing media, an action device, and a rotary alternating magnetic field generator. The workpiece and the polishing media are held in the container, which is vibrated by the action device to cause the workpiece and the polishing media to jump. The magnetic polishing media are induced by the rotary alternating magnetic field to move to rub the surface of the workpiece.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 2

shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by a line


2





2


as shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

shows a sectional view taken along the direction indicated by a line


3





3


as shown in FIG.


2


.





FIG. 4

shows a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in action.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




As shown in

FIGS. 1-3

, a polishing machine


1


embodied in the present invention comprises a machine frame


10


, a container


20


, a plurality of polishing media


30


, an action device


40


, and a rotary alternating magnetic field generator


50


.




The container


20


has a body


21


which is of a hexagonal cylindrical construction and is provided at both ends with a pivot


22


for pivoting the container


20


to the machine frame


10


. The body


21


is provided with an opening


211


and a cover


23


which are fastened by two hinges


231


to seal off the opening


211


.




The polishing media


30


are nails of stainless steel and are disposed in the container


20


.




The action device


40


comprises a motor


41


mounted on the machine frame


10


, and two belted wheels


42


mounted on the outer end of a motor rotor


411


such that the belted wheels


42


and the motor


41


are linked by a transmission belt


43


. The body


21


of the container


20


is driven by the motor


41


to turn on the pivots


22


.




The rotary alternating magnetic field generator


50


comprises a motor


51


mounted under the container


20


such that the outer end of a motor rotor


511


is located uprightly. A seat disk


52


is mounted at the center thereof with the outer end of the rotor


511


such that the seat disk


52


is opposite in location to the container


20


. A plurality of permanent magnets


53


are arranged along the periphery of the seat disk


52


such that N poles and S poles of the magnets


53


are alternately arranged. As the motor


51


is started, the seat disk


52


is driven to turn to result in formation of a revolving and alternating magnetic field.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, a workpiece “A” is deposited in the body


21


of the container


20


via the opening


211


. The container


20


is sealed off by the cover


23


before the two motors


41


and


51


are started. As the body


21


is driven to turn, the workpiece “A” and the polishing media


30


are caused to collide with one another so as to smooth the surface of the workpiece “A” by the polishing media


30


. In the meantime, the stainless steel nails


30


, which are contained in the body


21


of the container


20


, are induced by the magnetic field brought about by the magnets


53


, thereby causing the nails


30


to move and jump horizontally along the direction of the magnetic line of force. As a result, the surface of the stationary workpiece “A” is smoothed by the friction between the nails


30


and the workpiece “A”.




In light of the workpiece “A” being turned by the body


21


in motion along the longitudinal direction, a thorough smoothing of the surface of the workpiece “A” is done efficiently. In addition, the rubbing of the workpiece “A” by the polishing media


30


is effected in all directions by the polishing machine


1


of the present invention.




The embodiment of the present invention described above is to be regarded in all respects as being merely illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from the spirit thereof. For example, the shape of the container of the present invention may be hexagonal, tetragonal, octagonal, or other geometric form. In addition, the container of the prcscnt invention may be fastened pivotally with the machine frame by other means, such as an unbalanced pivot. The workpiece may be caused to jump in the container of the present invention by a means other than the one described in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is to be limited only by the scopes of the following appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A vibrational magnetic polishing machine comprising:a machine frame; a container mounted on said machine frame for holding one or more workpieces; a plurality of magnetic polishing media disposed in said container; an action device mounted on said machine frame to vibrate said container such that the workpieces and said magnetic media are caused to jump; and a rotary alternating magnetic field generator mounted on said machine frame for generating a revolving alternating magnetic field to induce said magnetic polishing media to jump in said container.
  • 2. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said container has a body which is pivoted to said machine frame by two pivots; wherein said action device comprises a motor, two belted wheels mounted respectively on a rotor of said motor and a rotary shaft of said body, and a transmission belt linking said two belted wheels whereby said belted wheels drive said body of said container to turn, so as to cause the workpieces and said magnetic polishing media to jump.
  • 3. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said body is of a hexagonal cylindrical construction.
  • 4. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said body is provided with an opening; wherein said container is provided with a cover fastened therewith by two hinges such that said cover is used to seal off said opening.
  • 5. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said polishing media are nails of stainless steel.
  • 6. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary alternating magnetic field generator comprises a motor mounted under said container such that an outer end of a rotor thereof is located uprightly for mounting a seat disk opposite in location to said container, said seat disk being provided with a plurality of permanent magnets which are arranged in such a manner that N poles and S poles of said permanent magnets are arranged alternately to bring about alternating magnetic fields at such time when said seat disk is driven by said motor to turn.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
5237778 Baer Aug 1993
5375377 Kenton Dec 1994
5476415 Nishimura et al. Dec 1995
5611725 Imahashi Mar 1997
5662516 You Sep 1997
5733172 Nishimura et al. Mar 1998
6146243 Imahashi Nov 2000