Grinding machine with a method for securing dimensional accuracy

Claim 1

In a rotary type surface grinding machine having a cylindrical grinding wheel rotatable in one direction about the axis of the cylinder, a workpiece opposedly disposed against the circumferential grinding surface of said grinding wheel and rotatable at such a rate of rotation so as to produce a relative motion with respect to said grinding wheel and to thus provide an effective grinding function, said grinding wheel and said workpiece being relatively feedable toward and away from each other, said grinding wheel and said workpiece being relatively feedable in a direction with respect to each other parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the method for securing a desired dimensional accuracy in the finish grinding of said workpiece without any possibility of error resulting from the stopping or adjustment of the grinding machine during the grinding operation comprising the steps of: (a) supporting a diamond cutter means adjacent to but laterally displayed from the workpiece in a selected finish depth-of-grind position relative to the grinding surface of the grinding wheel with the diamond cutter means generally opposing the direction of feed of the grinding wheel toward said workpiece; (b) moving the grinding wheel laterally over first the diamond cutter means and then the workpiece in a single continuing movement; (c) incrementally feeding the grinding wheel towards the workpiece and toward the diamond cutter as the grinding wheel passes over both the workpiece and the diamond cutter means until desired finish grind has been completed, the dressing of the grinding wheel by the diamond cutter means on each lateral movement preventing excessive grinding of the workpiece during the grinding operation of that lateral movement so that the grinding operation can be completed without any stoppage or feed adjustment of the grinding machine.