Grinding machine with wheel dress compensating apparatus

Claim 2

A grinding machine comprising: a bed: work support means mounted on said bed for supporting a workpiece; a wheel head slidably mounted on said bed for rotatably supporting a grinding wheel thereon; a dressing device mounted on said wheel head for dressing the grinding wheel; a lead screw rotatably journalled in said bed; a feed mechanism for rotating said lead screw; a feed nut rotatably journalled in said wheel head and being threadedly engaged with said lead screw; a worm wheel coaxially mounted on said feed nut; a worm journalled in said wheel head and meshingly engaging said worm wheel; compensating means connected with said worm to rotate it for compensating the position of said wheel head by an amount equal to the dressing amount, said compensating means including a ratchet wheel being in connection with said worm and a ratchet engageable with said ratchet wheel only upon its actuation for rotating said worm in one direction; and a rotary motor secured to said wheel head and being connected with said worm for rotating the same in the other direction, said rotary motor being rotated in said one direction by said compensating means and upon energization thereof reversing the rotation of said worm for returning said wheel head to an original starting position thereof.

Claim 3

A grinding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first bevel gear is fixedly mounted on a shaft connected with said worm and is meshed with a second bevel gear secured to a rotary shaft of said rotary motor.

Claim 4

A grinding machine as set forth in claim 2, wherein said compensating means comprises: a rocking member rotatably mounted on said wheel head; drive means for rotating said rocking member; and a ratchet pivoted on said rocking member and being urged toward said ratchet wheel.

Claim 5

A grinding machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said compensation means comprises a block means adjustably mounted on said wheel head for releasing the engagement of said ratchet with said ratchet wheel.

Claim 6

In a grinding machine have a bed, workpiece supporting means mounted on the bed, a wheel head slidably mounted on the bed for supporting a grinding wheel, a lead screw rotatably journalled in the bed, a feed nut threadedly engaged with the lead screw being connected with the wheel head for sliding the same upon movement thereof axially of the lead screw to move the grinding wheel relative to the workpiece and a dressing device on the wheel head for dressing the grinding wheel, the improvement comprising; compensating means releasably connectable with said feed nut for rotating the same in one direction about said lead screw to move said wheel head a predetermined amount toward said workpiece to compensate the reduction of the diameter of said grinding wheel every time a dressing operation is performed thereon; a worm wheel on said feed nut; a worm journalled in said wheel head and meshingly engaging said worm wheel; a rotary motor fixedly connected with said feed nut for rotating the same in an opposite direction about said lead screw, said rotary motor being rotated in said one direction by said compensating means and upon energization thereof reversing the rotation of said worm for returning said wheel head to an original starting position thereof, for permitting replacement of a worn grinding wheel; and means for selectively rotating the lead screw and for preventing rotation thereof during the operation of said compensating means and said rotary motor.

Claim 7

In a grinding machine have a bed, workpiece supporting means mounted on the bed, a wheel head slidably mounted on the bed for supporting a grinding wheel, a lead screw rotatably journalled in the bed, a feed nut threadedly engaged with the lead screw being connected with the wheel head for sliding the same upon movement thereof axially of the lead screw to move the grinding wheel relative to the workpiece and a dressing device on the wheel head for dressing the grinding wheel, the improvement comprising; compensating means releasably connectable with said feed nut for rotating the same in one direction about said lead screw to move said wheel head a predetermined amount toward said workpiece to compensate the reduction of the diameter of said grinding wheel every time a dressing operation is performed thereon; a worm wheel on said feed nut; a worm journalled in said wheel head and meshingly engaging said worm wheel; a rotary motor fixedly connected with said feed nut for rotating the same in an opposite direction about said lead screw, said rotary motor being rotated in said one direction by said compensating means and upon energization thereof reversing the rotation of said worm for returning said wheel head to an original starting position thereof, for permitting replacement of a worn grinding wheel; and means for selectively rotating the lead screw and for preventing rotation thereof during the operation of said compensating means and said rotary motor.

Claim 8

In the grinding machine of claim 5, wherein said compensating means comprises: a ratchet wheel mounted on a shaft extending from said worm; a rocking member rotatably mounted on said wheel head; means for rotating said rocking member; a ratchet pivotably mounted on said rocking member being biased toward engagement with said ratchet wheel; blocking means adjustably mounted on said wheel head for releasing the engagement of said ratchet and said ratchet wheel to thereby disconnect said compensating means from said feed nut; and means for adjusting said blocking means to vary the range of rotation of said feed nut.