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Three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrasive system

  • US 8,602,842 B2
  • Filed: 05/03/2010
  • Issued: 12/10/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An at least three-point, fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine comprising:

  • a) at least three rotary spindles having circular rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that each have a spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of a respective rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-top for a respective rotary spindles;

    b) an abrading machine base having a horizontal nominally-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base nominally-flat top surface;

    c) wherein the at least three rotary spindles are located with near-equal spacing between the at least three of the rotary spindles and that the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and the at least three rotary spindles are mechanically attached to the machine base nominally-flat top surface at those respective at least three rotary spindles'"'"' spindle-circle locations by respective at least three rotary spindle-support mounting legs that are near-equally spaced around the outer periphery of the rotary spindles to form at least three-point support of the at least three rotary spindles;

    d) wherein the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' flat surfaces are aligned to be co-planar with each other;

    e) wherein the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation are perpendicular to the respective spindle-tops'"'"' flat surfaces;

    f) a floating, rotatable abrading platen having a precision-flat annular abrading-surface that has an annular abrading-surface radial width and an annular abrading-surface inner radius and an annular abrading-surface outer radius and where the abrading platen is supported by and is rotationally driven about an abrading platen rotation axis located at a rotational center of the abrading platen by a spherical-action rotation device located at the rotational center of the abrading platen and where the abrading platen spherical-action rotation device restrains the abrading platen in a radial direction relative to the abrading platen axis of rotation and where the abrading platen axis of rotation is concentric with the machine base spindle-circle;

    g) wherein the abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the abrading platen about the abrading platen rotational center where the precision-flat annular abrading-surface of the abrading platen that is supported by the abrading platen spherical-action rotation device is nominally horizontal; and

    h) flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces that have an abrasive coated surface annular band radial width and an abrasive coated surface annular band inner radius and an abrasive coated surface annular band outer radius where a selected flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with an abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface such that the attached abrasive disk is concentric with the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface wherein the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface radial width is at least equal to the radial width of the attached flexible abrasive disk abrasive coated annular abrading band and wherein the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface provides conformal support of the full-abrasive-surface of the flexible abrasive disk abrasive coated surface annular band where the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface inner radius is less than an inner radius of the attached flexible abrasive disk abrasive coated surface annular band and where an abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface outer radius is greater than the outer radius of the attached flexible abrasive disk abrasive coated surface annular band;

    i) wherein each flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface by disk attachment techniques selected from the group consisting of vacuum disk attachment techniques, mechanical disk attachment techniques and adhesive disk attachment techniques;

    j) wherein equal-thickness workpieces having parallel or near-parallel opposed flat workplace top surfaces and flat workpiece bottom surfaces are attached in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops where the workpiece bottom surfaces contact the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops;

    k) wherein the abrading platen can be moved vertically along the abrading platen rotation axis by the abrading platen spherical-action rotation device to allow the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops wherein the at least three rotary spindles provide at least three-point support of the abrading platen; and

    l) wherein total abrading platen abrading contact force applied to workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface with the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops is controlled through the abrading platen spherical-action abrading platen rotation device to allow the total abrading platen abrading contact force to be evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops;

    m) wherein the at least three spindle-tops having the attached equal-thickness workpieces can be rotated about the respective spindle-tops'"'"' rotation axes and the abrading platen having the attached flexible abrasive disk can be rotated about the abrading platen rotation axis to single-side abrade the equal-thickness workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the at least three spindle-tops while the moving abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the moving abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface is in force-controlled abrading contact with the top surfaces of the equal-thickness workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops and where the abrading platen precision-flat annular abrading-surface assumes a co-planar alignment with the precisely co-planar flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops.

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