US2402131A - Backing wheel for belt type polishing machines - Google Patents

Description

v B. F. FOWLER 2,402,131

BACKING WHEEL FOR BELT TYPE POLISHING MACHINES Filed Sept. 14, 1944' nmumnur 1 lllllll :llllllllllll I III! llllIlI|llllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllg ll|||II|'"'""llllllll dim AT T ORNE Y8.

Patented June 18, 1946 BACKING WHEEL FOR BELT TYPE POLISHING MACHINES Bert F. Fowler, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to The Studebaker Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1944, Serial No. 553,991

6 Claims.

This invention relates, in general, to polishing or finishing machines, and has particular relation to an improved backing wheel for belt type machines of this character.

In machines of the class described, an emery belt or other polishing or finishing belt travels over a backing wheel, and the object to be polished or finished is ap lied against the emery or other polishing or finishing surface of the belt along the portion of the belt that is backed by the backing wheel.

The object to be polished or finished may be, for example, a fender or other body part of an automotive vehicle, or it may be a part which it is desired to make smooth, for example, after a soldering, brazing, welding or the like operation, or any other part to be polished or finished.

If the circumference of such a backing wheel is too hard or rigid it will not accommodate itself to irregular surfaces or operate uniformly upon various uneven surfaces which require polishing or finishing, for example, convex, concave, and angular surfaces, and various combinations thereof. On the other hand, if the circumference of the wheel is too soft, the desired polish or finish is not obtained.

Backing wheels formed of rubber or rubberlike materialhave been provided, but they produce a chattering action and otherwise are not satisfactory. Chatter-marks or other irregular markings are produced on the surface of an object polished or finished on a belt backed by such a wheel, and, as a result, the desired polish or finish is not produced.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide an improved backingwheel of the class described which will provide better cooperation between the polishing or finishing surface of the belt and the object to be polished or finished, and, as a result, better polishing or finishing of the object.

Another object of the invention is to provide a backing wheel which is sufliciently soft or yielding to provide the desired accommodation of the polishing or finishing surface of the belt to various irregular surfaces and which will produce uniform operation of the belt upon various uneven surfaces, for example, convex, concave, and angular surfaces, and various combinations thereof; also a, backing wheel having the desired soft or yielding properties combined with a circuml'erence which will provide and maintain improved contact of the polishing or finishing surface of. the belt with the surface of the object to be polished or finished.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved backing wheel comprising a relatively yielding body having its circumference covered with a coating secured to the circumference of the body and broken into pieces which, in operation of the wheel, will tend to be forced outwardly by centrifugal force to provide and maintain improved contact of the polishing or finishing surface of the belt with the object to be polished or finished; the yielding bod of the wheel and the broken character of the coating at the same time enabling effective and uniform cooperation with all portions of irregular, as well as smooth, surfaces of the object to be polished or full bed.

A other object of the invention is to provide a backing wheel having an improved form of yielding body; more particularly, a yielding body comprising a plurality of sections each of which comprises a plurality of suitable fabric discs stitched together out from the center to a distance short of or spaced inwardly from the circumference of the wheel an amount that will provide the de sired degree of softness or yielding character along the circumference ofthe wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a backing wheel having a yielding body comprising sections composed of fabric discs stitched together to a distance short of or spaced inwardly from the circumference of the wheel, combined with sections composed of fabric discs stitched together out to, or substantially to, the circumference of the wheel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates the manner of constructing and operating a backing wheel in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a more or less simplified side elevational view of a polishing or finishing machine showing a backing wheel embodying the present invention employed thereon;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of backing wheel embodying the present invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary radial section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of backing wheel embodying the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary radial section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the polishing or finishing machine shown in more or less simpiified form in Figure l, and which is for illustrative purposes, comprises a main body It on which the backing wheel I l of the Present invention is Journaled for rotation at l3. Guide pulleys l4 and I5 are journaled for rotation at IS and I1, and an idler pulley I8 is journaled for rotation at IS. The pulleys ill, l5 and 58 are preferably of crowned form to keep the belt from slipping off.

The backing wheel Ii preferably acts as the driving wheel for the polishing or finishing belt 20 which is trained about and travels over the wheel I! and pulleys It, IS, and 58, preferably.

in the direction indicated by the arrow 2|. The wheel II is driven from a motor or other driving means by a belt or other driving connection (not shown). The driving means may be housed within the body it for access, for example, through a door 22. The pivoted arm 23 on which the idler pulley i8 is journaled is urged clockwise about its pivot 24 by a spring 25 to maintain proper tension in the belt 20.

The spring 25 is connected, for example, at one end to thebody i0 and, at its other end, to the arm 23 through a flexible element 26 trained over a sheave 21. A hand lever 23, pivoted to the body it and connected by a link 29 to the arm 2Z3r is adapted for swinging the arm 23 counterclockwise against the tension of the spring 25 in order to release the tension in the belt 23 for application and removal of the same. The foregoing details are for illustrative purposes and may vary widely.

The backing wheel ii, shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, comprises a relatively yielding body composed, for example, of a plurality of intermediate fabric sections 30 each comprising a plurality of fabric discs (such as canvas or the like) and a pair of end sections 3i, one at each of the opposite ends of the wheel. Each of the end sections 3| also comprises a plurality of fabric discs which may also be made of canvas or the like. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the body of the wheel is composed of twelve intermediate sections 30 and the two end sections 3|, but this may, of course, vary.

The fabric discs of each intermediate section 33 are shown as stitched together at 32 out from the center of the wheel to a distance short of or spaced inwardly from the circumference of the wheel an amount that will provide the desired degree of softness or yielding character along the circumference of the wheel. The spacing of the stitching 32 from the circumference. of the wheel will vary according to the size and character of the wheel and the properties desired therein.

The fabric discs of the end sections 3| are shown stitched together at 33 out to, or substantially to, the circumference of the body of the wheel II to provide stability at the ends of the wheel. The fabric sections 30 and 3| are provided with coaxial openings 34 for receiving the mandrel or shaft on which the wheel II is fixed for rotation, and end plates or collars, (not shown) may be provided for clamping the fabric sections 30 and 3| together centrally of the wheel, as well known in the art. The stitching at 32 and 33 may be spiral stitching as well known, or any other suitable stitching.

A fabric wrapping 35 is applied circumferentially about the circumference of the fabric sections 30 and 3| and its free ends may be secured to the circumference of the body part of the wheel H by suitable glue or adhesive.

A, coating 36, preferably comprising glue or a gelatin-like or glue-like material which will adhere to the circumference of the body of the wheel II, is applied to the circumference of the wheel, for example, by painting it thereon. While the coating material may vary widely within the scope of the present invention, one suitable glue for this purpose is marketed by Industrial Lubricant Company of Detroit, Michigan, under the trade name Grain Lock Cement."

The coating is preferably applied uniformly to provide a relatively thin anduniform coating covering the entire circumference of the wheel ii. The coating 35 will set to a relatively hard and frangible or brittle condition, and when so set I break the same into numerous relatively small pieces 35a, for example, by striking the coating about the circumference of the wheel with a rod or other suitable implement. The small pieces 36a adhere or are secured to and cover the outer circumference of the wheel it except for the interlacing network of cracks 38 between the pieces 36. The outer surfaces of the pieces 38 conform generally with the circumference of the wheel ii.

In the operation of the machine, the object to be polished, such as a fender or other body part of an automotive vehicle or a part which it is desired to smoothen, polish or finish after soldering. brazing, welding or the like, or any other part to be polished or finished, is applied or pressed against the outer emery or other finishing or polishing surface of the belt 23 along the portion of the belt that is backed by the wheel ii. The object is preferably applied to the under part of the wheel backed part of the belt 2|! to the left of a vertical plane through the axis of the wheel H as it is viewed in Figure 1, and, so applied, the object is preferably worked upwardly in the polishing or finishing operation.

In the polishing or finishing operation the circumference of the backing wheel ii is sufiiciently soft or yielding to provide the desired conformity to irregular as well as regular surfaces of the object and uniform operation upon various uneven surfaces. At the same time the numerous pieces 3611 into which the coating 36 is broken are forced or tend, in the operation of. the machine, to be forced outwardly by centrifugal force to provide and maintain improved contact of the polishing or finishing surface of the belt 20 with the object to bepolishedor finished. As a result, the chattering of rubber or rubber-like wheels is avoided, and improved smoothening, polishing or' finishing of the object is obtained.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing is similar to the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 except that the stitching together at 33, of the fabric discs comprising the end sections 3|. instead of extending out to the circumference of the wheel ll, terminateswhere the stitching together at 32', of the discs comprises the intermediate sections 30', terminates, i. e., spaced inwardly of the circumference of the wheel.

The wheel shown in Figures 4 and 5 also has fabric end Pieces 40 and 4|, one covering each of its opposite ends. These fabric end coverings 40 and ll are turned in marginally at 43a and a beneath the opposite ends of the fabric wrapping 35' which otherwise corresponds with the fabric wrapping 35 of the preceding embodiment of the invention. The coating 33' is similar to thecoating 33 of the preceding embodiment of the invention, and is applied, broken into pieces, and operates in the manner previously set forth.

The embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing are for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be expressly understood that said drawing and the accompanying specification are not to be construed as a definition of the limits or scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

I claim:

1. A backing wheel for a polishing or finishing belt having a relatively yielding'fabric body comprising a plurality of sections each of which is composed of a plurality of fabric discs stitched together outwardly from the center to a distance short of or spaced inwardly from the circumference of the wheel an amount that will provide the desired degree of softness or yielding char- 'said fabric body having its circumference covered with an outer non-abrasive coating secured to the circumference of said body and broken into an irregular patch work of individual pieces.

2. A backing wheel for a polishing or finishing belt having a relatively yielding fabric body comprising sections composed of fabric discs stitched together to a distance short of or spaced inwardly from the circumference of the wheel combined with sections composed of fabric discs stitched together substantially to the circumference of the wheel, and said fabric bod having its circumference covered with an outer nonabrasive coatingsecured to the circumference of said body andtyhrjoken into an irregular patch work of individual pieces.-

ing belt comprising a body composed of a plu rality of sections v eacli comprising fabric discs' stitched together-'- out to a distance short of or spaced inwardly from the circumference of the 6 7 ing the circumference of said body and comprising a gelatin-like or glue-like material applied to the circumference of the body of the wheel and allowed to set, said coating being broken in- 36. 3. A backing wheel for a polishing or finishwith sections composed of fabric discs stitched together out to substantially the circumference of the wheel, and a coating covering the circumference of said wheel and broken into pieces.

5. A backing wheel for a polishing or finishing belt comprising a body composed of intermediate sections comprising fabric discs stitched together to a, distance spaced inwardly from the circumference of the wheel, combined with end sections composed of fabric discs stitched together out to substantially the circumference of the wheel, and a coating covering the circumference of said wheel and comprising a gelatin-like or glue-lik material applied to the circumference of the wheel and allowed to set, said coating being broken into pieces.

6. A backing wheel for a polishing 0r finishi ing belt comprising a fabric body having its circoating, and fabric pieces covering the ends of the wheel and turned in marginally beneath said coating.

BERT F. FOWLER.

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