Surface polishing apparatus and method therefor

Claim 3

A surface polishing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said vibrating means are transducers located at least opposite said surface to be polished and with said polishing slurry therebetween to induce ultrasonic vibrations to said polishing slurry.

Claim 4

A polishing apparatus for polishing the surface of an article comprising a polishing chamber including means therein to support the article with the surface thereof to be polished fixedly exposed in said chamber, a polishing slurry including polishing particles completely filling and confined in and in nonflowing relation with said chamber and in contact against said surface to be polished, and means for vibrating said slurry such that said polishing particles are caused to have polishing movement against said exposed surface to be polished and thereby result in polishing thereof, and means exerting a pressure on said polishing slurry while the same is confined in and in nonflowing relation to said chamber to provide intimate pressurized contact between said polishing slurry and said fixed exposed surface to be polished.

Claim 5

A polishing apparatus for polishing the surface of an article comprising a polishing chamber including means therein to support the article with the surface thereof to be polished fixedly exposed in said chamber, a polishing slurry including polishing particles completely filling and confined in and in nonflowing relation with said chamber and in contact against said surface to be polished, and means for vibrating said slurry such that said polishing particles are caused to have polishing movement against said exposed surface to be polished and thereby result in polishing thereof, and means exerting a pressure on said polishing slurry while the same is confined in and in nonflowing relation to said chamber to provide intimate pressurized contact between said polishing slurry and said fixed exposed surface to be polished.

Claim 6

A surface polishing apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said pressure exerting means is variable and includes a cylinder having a supply of polishing slurry in fluid communication with said polishing chamber, a piston operating in said cylinder effective to cause charging of said polishing slurry under pressure from said cylinder into said polishing chamber, and means for maintaining said pressure of said polishing slurry during polishing operation of said surface polishing apparatus.

Claim 7

A surface polishing apparatus as defined in claim 4 including transducers operatively arranged in said one of the walls bounding said polishing slurry chamber which is opposite said surface to be polished.

Claim 8

In the method of fine polishing a surface of an article utilizing a polishing slurry, fixedly supporting the article whose surface is to be polished and exposing the surface to be polished by providing a spaced adjacent the surface, confining the polishing slurry in and completely filling the space so that the slurry is in nonflowing, full surface contact with the surface to be polished and the defining walls of the space, placing the confined nonflowing slurry under pressure to cause the slurry to contact the surface void free and under pressure, and subjecting the slurry to ultrasonic vibrations to vibrate the same relative to the fixed article.

Claim 9

In the method of fine polishing a surface of an article utilizing a polishing slurry, fixedly supporting the article whose surface is to be polished and exposing the surface to be polished by providing a spaced adjacent the surface, confining the polishing slurry in and completely filling the space so that the slurry is in nonflowing, full surface contact with the surface to be polished and the defining walls of the space, placing the confined nonflowing slurry under pressure to cause the slurry to contact the surface void free and under pressure, and subjecting the slurry to ultrasonic vibrations to vibrate the same relative to the fixed article.