Polishing machine load plate

Claim 2

In a polishing machine and the like having a polishing wheel assembly mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and at least one vertically movable spindle supported above the polishing wheel assembly, the combination therewith of load plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said load plate means having vacuum passage means therein communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, vacuum connection means supported by said load plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means intermediate the center and outer peripheral edge of said load plate means, said vacuum connection means being releasably connectible to a source of vacuum for effecting a vacuum within said passage means and retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said connection means including self-closing valve means for maintaining said negative pressure after disconnection of said connection means from the vacuum source such that the load plate may be transferred to and from the machine with a work piecE mounted on said pedestal for engagement with the polishing wheel assembly.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 including means supported by said spindle and releasably cooperable with said load plate means to selectively exert a downward pressure on the mounted work piece against the wheel assembly.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 1 including mask plate means secured to said load plate means adjacent said depending pedestal, said mask plate means having an opening therethrough to receive said pedestal therein and being positioned such that the lower surface of said mask plate lies in a plane spaced below the plane of the lower surface of said pedestal to form a work piece receiving pocket with the lower surface of said pedestal.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 1 including a resilient ring member secured to the peripheral surface of said pedestal adjacent said lower surface thereof, said resilient member having a lower surface disposed below the lower surface of said pedestal for sealing engagement with a work piece when mounted on the lower surface of said pedestal.

Claim 6

In a polishing machine and the like having a polishing wheel assembly mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and at least one vertically movable spindle supported above the polishing wheel assembly, the combination therewith of load plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said load plate means having vacuum passage means therein communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, vacuum connection means supported by said load plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means, said vacuum connection means being connectible to a source of vacuum for retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said connection means being further adapted to maintain said negative pressure after disconnection from the vacuum source such that the load plate may be transferred to and from the machine with a work piece mounted on said pedestal for engagement with the polishing wheel assembly, means supported by said spindle and releasably cooperable with said load plate means to selectively exert a downward pressure on the mounted work piece against the wheel assembly, said load plate means having a central opening in the surface thereof opposite said depending pedestal, said load plate means having second passage means in communication with said vacuum passage means and said central opening, normally closed valve means disposed within said second passageway means, said central opening being connectible to a source of vacuum pressure, and said valve means being operable to connect said vacuum passage means to said central opening to effect negative pressure retention of a work piece mounted on the lower surface of said pedestal during finishing of the work piece when said load plate means is supported on the polishing wheel assembly in cooperating relation with said releasable cooperating means supported by said spindle.

Claim 7

In a polishing machine and the like having a polishing wheel assembly mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and at least one vertically movable spindle supported above the polishing wheel assembly, the combination therewith of load plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said load plate means having vacuum passage means therein communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, vacuum connection means supported by said load plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means, said vacuum connection means being connectible to a source of vacuum for retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said connection means being further adapted to maintain said negative pressure after disconnection from the vacuum source such that the load plate may be transferred to and from the machine with a work piece mounted on said pedestal for engagement with the polishing wheel assembly, means supported by said spindle and releasably cooperable with said load plate means to selectively exert a downward pressure on the mounted work piece against the wheel assembly, said load plate means having a central opening in the surface thereof opposite said depending pedestal, said load plate means having second passage means in communication with said vacuum passage means and said central opening, normally closed valve means disposed within said second passageway means, said central opening being connectible to a source of vacuum pressure, and said valve means being operable to connect said vacuum passage means to said central opening to effect negative pressure retention of a work piece mounted on the lower surface of said pedestal during finishing of the work piece when said load plate means is supported on the polishing wheel assembly in cooperating relation with said releasable cooperating means supported by said spindle.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said load plate means includes a plurality of depending pedestals the lower surfaces of which are coplanar and adapted to receive work pieces thereon, said vacuum passage means communicating with the lower surface of each of said pedestals, and said vacuum connection means being connectible to a vacuum source for effective a negative pressure operative to retain the work pieces on the lower surfaces of said pedestal during transfer of said load plate means to and from the polishing machine.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 6 including a mask plate secured to said load plate means adjacent said downwardly depending pedestals, said mask plate having a plurality of openings therethrough corresponding to said pedestals and each adapted to receive a pedestal therein with slight clearance therebetween, said mask plate having a lower surface lying in a plane below the plane of the lower surfaces of said pedestal to provide work piece receiving pocketS with said pedestals.

Claim 10

The improvement as defined in claim 7 wherein said mask plate has at least one jack screw therein operative to effect separation of said mask plate from said load plate means for disassembling the same.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 7 including a resilient ring member supported on the peripheral surface of each of said depending pedestals adjacent the lower surface thereof, each of said resilient members having a sealing surface lying in a plane spaced below the lower surface of the associated pedestal for sealing engagement with a work piece mounted on the associated pedestal.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 6 wherein said pedestals comprise cylindrical members secured to the lower surface of said load plate means, each of said pedestals being laterally positionable relative to the axis of said load plate means.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said load plate means has an annular groove in the upper surface thereof opposite said depending pedestals, and wherein said means supported by said spindle and cooperable with said load plate means includes pressure disk means having depending engagement means cooperable with said annular groove in said load plate means for exerting a downward pressure on said load plate means upon vertical downward movement of the associated spindle.

Claim 14

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said means supported by said spindle and releasably cooperable with said load plate means includes pressure disc means connected to the spindle through swivel connection means.

Claim 15

A load plate for retaining work pieces during finishing thereof on a polishing machine and the like, comprising plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said plate means having vacuum passage means communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, and vacuum connection means supported by said plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means intermediate the center and outer peripheral edge of said plate means, said vacuum connection means being releasably connectible to a source of vacuum pressure for effecting a vacuum within said passage means and retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said connection means including self-closing valve means for maintaining said negative pressure after disconnection of said connection means from the vacuum source.

Claim 16

A load plate for retaining work pieces during finishing thereof on a polishing machine and the like, comprising plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said plate means having vacuum passage means communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, and vacuum connection means supported by said plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means intermediate the center and outer peripheral edge of said plate means, said vacuum connection means being releasably connectible to a source of vacuum pressure for effecting a vacuum within said passage means and retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said connection means including self-closing valve means for maintaining said negative pressure after disconnection of said connection means from the vacuum source.

Claim 17

A load plate as defined in claim 13 wherein said plate means has a plurality of depending pedestals thereon the lower surfaces of which are coplanar and adapted to have work pieces mounted thereon, and wherein said vacuum passage means communicates with the lower surface of each of said pedestals for retaining work pieces thereon by negative pressure.

Claim 18

A load plate as defined in claim 14 wherein said plate means includes upper and lower plate portions which define said vacuum passage means therebetween, and wherein said pedestals comprise generally cylindrical pedestal members secured to said lower plate portion in a manner to allow lateral positioning of said pedestals relative to the axis of the load plate.

Claim 19

A load plate as defined in claim 14 including a mask plate secured to said plate means adjacent said pedestals, said mask plate having openings therethrough to receive said pedestals therein and being positioned such that the lower surface of said mask plate is spaced below the plane of the lower surfaces of said pedestals so as to define work piece receiving pockets with said pedestals.

Claim 20

A load plate as defined in claim 13 including sealing means secured to the peripheral surface of said pedestal, said sealing means having an annular surface portion spaced below the plane of the lower surface of said pedestal for sealing engagement with a work piece mounted on the lower surface of said pedestal.

Claim 21

A load plate for retaining work pieces during finishing thereof on a polishing machine and the like, comprising, Plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said plate means having vacuum passage means communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, vacuum connection means supported by said plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means, said vacuum connection means being releasably connectible to a source of vacuum pressure for effecting a vacuum within said passage means and retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said plate means having a central opening in the surface thereof opposite said depending pedestal, said plate means including second passageway means communicating between said vacuum passage means and said central opening, and normally closed valve means disposed within said second passageway means and operable to effect open communication between said vacuum passage means and said central opening such that connection of said central opening to a source of vacuum pressure effects a negative pressure within said vacuum passage means for retaining a work piece on said pedestal.

Claim 22

A load plate for retaining work pieces during finishing thereof on a polishing machine and the like, comprising, Plate means having at least one depending pedestal the lower surface of which is adapted to have a work piece mounted thereon, said plate means having vacuum passage means communicating with said lower surface of said pedestal, vacuum connection means supported by said plate means and communicating with said vacuum passage means, said vacuum connection means being releasably connectible to a source of vacuum pressure for effecting a vacuum within said passage means and retaining a work piece on the lower surface of said pedestal by negative pressure, said plate means having a central opening in the surface thereof opposite said depending pedestal, said plate means including second passageway means communicating between said vacuum passage means and said central opening, and normally closed valve means disposed within said second passageway means and operable to effect open communication between said vacuum passage means and said central opening such that connection of said central opening to a source of vacuum pressure effects a negative pressure within said vacuum passage means for retaining a work piece on said pedestal.

Claim 23

The improvement of claim 12 wherein said swivel connection means includes resilient washer means operatively associated with said pressure disc means and the spindle, said resilient washer means allowing swivel movement of said load plate means relative to the axis of the associated spindle.