Coburn Optical Industries, Inc.

Gerber Coburn Optical, Inc.

Cobain Optical Industries, Inc.

Fred A Haddock

Kimber W Rarick

Brian A Lanham

Steven C Schneidewent

Harry K Seim

A machine for fining/polishing ophthalmic lenses has a horizontal and vertical plates rigidly fixed in an inverted T. Eccentric shafts journalled 180 degrees out of phase on the horizontal plate orbit tools on one side of the vertical plate. A swing frame pivotally mounted on the other side of the vertical plate has a horizontal shaft parallel to the vertical plate. Shafts orthogonal to the horizontal shaft are journalled for see-saw motion about the horizontal shaft, for rotational motion about their own longitudinal axes and for sliding motion along the horizontal shaft. Block adapters on the orthogonal shafts hold lenses in vertical alignment above the tools. Separate linkages reciprocate the horizontal shaft in parallel relationship to the vertical plate and the orthogonal shafts in orthogonal relationship to the vertical plate. The shaft linkages have a timing ratio such that the block adapters travel in laterally reciprocating horizontal figure eight patterns. The orthogonal shafts are adapted for independent adjustment to permit horizontal and vertical realignment of the block adapters. Air cylinders see-saw the orthogonal shafts to maintain a desired pressure between the tools and lenses. A microprocessor storing data representative of appropriate times of operation of the machine and pressures between the tools and lenses for a plurality of lens materials and fining/polishing operations automatically sets and controls the time of operation of the machine and the pressure between the tools and lenses in response to input in directing the material of the lens to be fined/polished and the selected fining/polishing operation.

Fining/polishing machine

A computerized tracing/edging system for the edging of an ophthalmic lens comprises a tracing sub-system for performing a tracing operation with respect to a frame, a pattern or a lens to derive data relating to the dimensions thereof, a storing sub-system for storing the data relating to the dimensions of the traced frame, pattern or lens, and an edging sub-system responsive to the data relating to the dimensions of the traced frame, pattern or lens for edging the ophthalmic lens so as to provide it with dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the traced frame, pattern or lens. The computerized tracing/edging system can be implemented as a multi-processor system consisting of a first sub-system for performing the tracing operations, a second sub-system for performing the storage operations (as well as data translation procedures for converting the data from one form to another), and a third sub-system for performing the edging operations. Alternatively, the tracing or edging sub-systems can be implemented as single, stand-alone systems having the capabilities described above. The tracing sub-system employs a data sensor to convert traced dimensions to electrical signals, the same data sensor being employed in any of the modes of operation (frame tracing, lens tracing or pattern tracing).

Computerized tracing/edging system

An apparatus for simultaneously grinding a peripheral shape and edge surface upon a pair of ophthalmic lenses including an abrading wheel and first and second floating heads for rotatably supporting a pair of ophthalmic lenses on either side of the abrading wheel. The lenses are biased toward the wheel and are incrementally rotated about mutually parallel axes which lie parallel with a central longitudinal axis of the abrading wheel. An electronic control system is operably connected to each of the lenses and serves to control incremental rotation of each of the lenses as well as lateral engagement of the lenses with the central abrading wheel.

Apparatus for edging ophthalmic lenses

A follower travels the inside contour of a rotating eyeglass frame and the movement caused by changing radii is detected by a linear variable differential transformer and converted into electrical signals which actuate an electrically operated valve. The valve, in turn, controls the movement of a hydraulic cylinder which dictates the positioning of a lens blank to be edged relative to the grinding periphery of an abrading wheel taking into account the position of the lens edge on the abrading surface.

Growing community of inventors

Muskogee, OK, United States of America

Fred A Haddock