The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1995
Heinz Joseph Gerber, West Hartford, CT (US);
Kenneth O Wood, Stafford Springs, CT (US);
Jeffrey J Murray, Ellington, CT (US);
David J Logan, Great Barrington, MA (US);
Gerber Optical, Inc., South Windsor, CT (US);
Abstract
A lens or lap blank surfacing machine, for use in making eyeglass lenses, and related surfacing method and rotary cutting tool, is one wherein the rotary cutting tool is moved point by point over the entire extent of a face of the blank to form a new face surface on the blank with the movements of the tool and blank relative to one another being controlled in three coordinate directions by a computer controller to give the formed surface a shape related to a given eyeglass prescription or similar specification. The rotary cutting tool has a number of peripheral zones surrounding its rotation axis with at least one of the zones having a fine cutting characteristic and with at least one other of the zones having a coarse cutting characteristic. In the movement of the tool and blank relative to one another, the tool is held so that its fine peripheral zone engages and cuts away blank material immediately adjacent the desired surface and so that the coarse peripheral zone engages and cuts away blank material to a depth not quite reaching the desired surface thereby leaving a thin layer of residual unwanted blank material which is cut away by the fine peripheral zone of the tool at a later time, this permitting the creation of a face surface of desired shape and fine surface finish.