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:
Sep. 26, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 14, 1998
Armando Durazo, Acworth, GA (US);
Drew Morgan, Woodstock, GA (US);
Charles Mannor, Sugar Hill, GA (US);
Novartis AG, Basel, CH;
Abstract
In one form, the disclosure describes a lathe apparatus and method for manufacturing a product with a non-axisymmetric shape from a workpiece, such as a toric contact lens, comprises a spindle for rotating the workpiece about an axis of rotation, a cutting tool, a two-axis bed for supporting the cutting tool and for moving the cutting tool along a predetermined path adjacent the workpiece as the spindle rotates the workpiece, and a mechanism for oscillating the cutting tool along an oscillation axis as the two-axis bed moves the cutting tool along the predetermined path, wherein the oscillation axis is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the axis of rotation. Preferably, the non-zero angle is about 45.degree.. In a second form, a lathe apparatus comprises a rotary bed for arcuately moving a cutting tool adjacent a workpiece and a mechanism for translationally reciprocating the cutting tool as the cutting tool is arcuately moved adjacent the workpiece.