Apparatus for superpolishing the inside surface of a seam of a continuous photoreceptor belt

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for superpolishing the inside diameter surface of a seam of a flexible continuous photoreceptor belt. The apparatus includes (a) spaced apart support rollers for supporting the inside surface of the flexible continuous photoreceptor belt into a loop having strands, including a seam strand, between adjacent rollers; (b) a polishing machine mounted adjacent the seam strand, the polishing machine having: (i) polishing forms defining a path for the seam strand; (ii) a rotatable drum for supporting and carrying a polishing media material against the inside surface of the seam on the seam strand, (iii) sets of pinch rolls for clamping the seam strand and straddling the seam thereon; (iv) polishing media material mounted over the rotatable drum and through the path between the polishing forms for contacting the inside surface of the seam; and (v) a reciprocating superpolishing head for reciprocating relative to a width of the flexible continuous belt and a length of the seam, thereby simultaneously (x) reciprocating the superpolishing head in contact with the inside surface of the seam along the length thereof, (y) moving the seam with the sets of pinch rolls, and (z) rotating the drum for move the polishing media material in polishing contact with the inside surface of the seam and across a width of the seam to achieve required random superpolishing motion against the inside surface of the seam.