Western Atlas Inc.

Dennis A Fortney

Timothy W Hykes

Russell E Kaiser, Jr

Ricky L Mowen

Dennis F Rice

A grinding machine utilizing multiple, parallel, endless, abrasive belts for simultaneously grinding several surfaces on a workpiece, such as cam lobes on a cam shaft. The grinding machine includes a contouring head assembly comprising a plurality of contour feed units, each contour unit including a curved back-up shoe, a back-up shoe holder, an adaptor for mounting the shoe holder, and a ball-spline mechanism is secured to the adaptor for transmitting power from a drive motor to the back-up shoe to press an abrasive belt, associated with the back-up shoe against a workpiece. A locating lip is defined on each adaptor, and a reference pad is established on the contouring head assembly. The adapters are divided into an upper and lower row, and the locating lips are formed oversized. One row of lips is ground to a desired distance from the reference pad, and the other row of lips is then ground relative to the previously ground row of locating lips. The back-up shoe holders are then secured in position upon the locating lips. The method of assembling the machine, the enclosure that encompasses the rear face of the contouring head assembly, the laterally movable support bracket for the drive drum assembly, and several other complementary features, coact to provide a grinding machine that functions efficiently while maintaining tolerances previously unobtainable with multiple belt grinding machines.

Multiple grinding machine with contouring feed units

A grinding machine utilizing multiple, parallel, endless, abrasive belts for simultaneously grinding several surfaces on a workpiece, such as cam lobes on a cam shaft. The grinding machine includes a contouring head assembly comprising a plurality of contour feed units, each contour unit including a curved back-up shoe, a back-up shoe holder, an adaptor for mounting the shoe holder, and a ball-spline mechanism secured to the adaptor for transmitting power from a drive motor to the back-up shoe to press an abrasive belt, associated with the back-up shoe against a workpiece. A locating lip is defined on each adaptor, and a reference pad is established on the contouring head assembly.

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Waynesboro, PA, United States of America

Dennis A Fortney