Taylor Hobson Limited

Rank Taylor Hobson

Leonard E Chaloux

David H Youden

Robert Blair

A blocking technique and apparatus are used to mount a partially finished lens or other component to an arbor, which is useable to hold the partially finished lens for subsequent machining or mechanical operations. The blocking of the partially finished lens occurs on the same axes of the multi-axis machining device that were used to generate the partially finished lens. The blocking of the partially finished lens occurs without removing the partially finished lens from the workpiece holder which held the partially finished lens during the machining operation. Accurate and repeatable blocking is achieved using the axes of the lens generating equipment.

In-situ method and apparatus for blocking lenses

A tool setter is used to locate the cutting edges of a cutting machine tool with respect to the rotational axis of a lathe's workpiece holder. One or more machine tool detecting probes are mounted on the tool setter having their styluses in predetermined registration with the rotational axis of the workpiece holder. The machine tool is moved into contact with the styluses so that the location of the cutting edges of the machine tool relative to the rotational axis may be calculated. Once the precise location of the machine tool is known, the path the machine tool is required to traverse may be accurately calculated for machining the workpiece. The tool setter is removed from the workpiece holder prior to securing a workpiece to prevent contamination from spewn cutting chips and cutting oil during the machining process. The tool setter is provided with an alignment assembly to repeatedly and accurately position the styluses at the same predetermined registration locations during each mounting of the tool setter to the workpiece holder.

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Keene, NH, United States of America

Leonard E Chaloux