FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a steady rest, in particular a steady pad for use in conjunction with grinding machines lathes, and similar machine tools. More particularly, the invention relates to a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical work-pieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known in the machine tool art to employ steady rests for rotatably supporting elongated cylinder workpieces for grinding machine operations and the like. A disadvantage of the prior art steady rests is that they are complex and expensive to make, and time consuming to adjust them to various size diameter workpieces. Many of the prior art steady rests employ roller structures for engaging a workpiece, and such roller structures are disadvantageous, since the rollers get in the way of a grinding wheel when smaller diameter workpieces are held in such roller structure type steady rests during a grinding operation. Also, one peculiar problem faced during manufacturing of large size rotors is that a step of blue matching is required after steady belt, area where steady support will be applied, is prepared on conventional lathe machine. During the blue matching, a thin coating of engineers blue paint is applied, usually with a paint brush, on the rotor before the matching is

done with a mating circular curved steady rest. After steady belt preparation, the rotor is usually shifted to a CNC machine and again blue matching is done as the rotor requires to be rested on the steady rest. Here, the rotor's non driving end is held in the chuck and job setting is done. After job setting, the rotor is rough and finish turned to prepare the exact diameter. Generally, blue matching is required every time particularly for steady rests in which steady pads are hydraulically supported.
Therefore, there exists a need for a steady pad which can eliminate the frequent need of blue matching, a process which not only requires time but also operator dexterity. Also, since the steady pads are the working surface on which the workpiece rests, there are frequent failure that arises of this situation demanding replacement of the expensive steady rests. The present inventors recognized , such a demand can be met through a replaceable steady pad thereby allowing replacement of the pad only, and not the complete steady rest.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the of the present invention to propose a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical workpieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching.

Another object of the invention is to propose a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical work-pieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching, which eliminates the loss of time involved in blue maching operation before the workpiece under goes the subsequent operation.
A still another object of the present invention to propose a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical work-pieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching which allows replacement of only the steady pad of complete steady rest assembly in case of work contact surface failure.
A further object of the invention is to propose a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical work-pieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching, which is economical and reduces the manufacturing cycle time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, there is provided a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical workpieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching, comprising a mounting base; an internally recessed plug bore 11 disposed towards center of the mounting base to receive a protruded plug of a spherical joint of a steady rest; a locating pin to locate and guide the steady pad mounting base; a wear-pad supporting structure weldably mounted on the mounting base; a wear

pad flat work contact surface on the supporting structure and lying in a plane tangential to the workpiece is cylindrical profile; a central oil lubrication supply connection provided radially inward on the supporting structure to provide lubrication oil to a plurality of oil openings through an oil gallery; the plurality of oil openings connected to the central oil lubrication supply connection to supply, through the oil gallery for lubrication between the wear pad surface and the workpiece surface; and a plurality of threaded lifting holes 13 for movement of the steady pad.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features of the invention, comprising the improved wheel dressing mechanism together with the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts, will be apparent from the following more particular description of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different figures and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
Fig. 1 is line representation of front view of proposed replaceable steady pad, particularly for cylindrical workpieces, and wherein it may be noted that minor

Changes with respect to the object of the invention may be present in the cross-sectional view.
Fig. 2 is line representation of top view of proposed replaceable steady pad, particularly for cylindrical workpieces, and wherein it may be noted that minor changes with respect to the object of the invention may be present in the cross-sectional view.
DETAILED DESCRlPTTON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Before describing in detail, replaceable steady pad in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in anovel and non-obvious combination of hardware elements and method steps. Accordingly, these elements and steps have been represented by conventional elements and steps in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
The present invention is directed to solve the above-described problems of the prior art and to provide are placeable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces in accordance with the present invention and to enable to accurately serve its intended purpose.
Referring now to figures 1-2 in detail, the mounting base 10 of the steady pad, acts as the base wherein mounting base 10 comprises an internally recessed plug bore 11

disposed towards its center. The plug bore 11 receives a protruded plug of a spherical joint of the steady rest. As such, the bore size can be selected as per the size of the available protruded pug with the existing steady pad. To locate and guide the steady pad, a locating pin 12 is also provided on the mounting base 10. For improved entry of the mounting base 10 on the steady rest plug, bottom edges of the plug bore 11 and the locating pin 12 can be suitably chamfered.
A welded (21) wear-pad supporting structure 20 mounted on the mounting base 10, supports a wear pad 22. The wear pad 22 has a flat work contact surface that liesin a plane that is tangential to the cylindrical profile of a workpiece 30. For better strength, a 45-degree chamfer to be provided before welding.
An internally recessed standard G1/2" threaded central oil lubrication supply connection 23, with a radial facing inward projection, is provided on the supporting structure 20 perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the structure 20. This central oil lubrication supply connection 23 is connected, through oil gallery 25, to a plurality of equispaced oil openings 24 that control oil quantity and have their opening at the center of flat wear pad contact surface 22 through an oil gallery 26.
Before any new application or after a long standstill it is advised to effect several greasing until the first drops of lubricant become visible at the flat work contact

machining in action and if the steady rest is employed as workpiece support with low working pressure and therefore with low clamping force, lower degree of lubrication could be sufficient, meanwhile for heavy machining or in surroundings with high number of small chips it is necessary to increase the lubrication rate.
Although the present discussion relates to a replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces, more particularly, the steady pad shall enable its easy replacement upon wear. It will be appreciated that the device and methods discussed may be readily adapted for use with other similar procedures. Not only the methods and the tool is devised thereof for replacing a faulty steady pad is cheap and easy to manufacture but also will provide safer and ergonomic means for the operators to deal with the replacement operation. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its scope.
Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Also, the various embodiments described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some embodiments can be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments.

WE CLAIM
1. The invention relates to an object of the present invention to propose a replaceable steady pad for rotatably supporting cylindrical workpieces on machine tools during machining operation without blue matching, comprising :
a mounting base 10;
- an internally recessed plug bore 11 disposed towards center of the mounting base 10 to receive a protruded plug of a spherical joint of a steady rest;
- a locating pin 12 to locate and guide the steady pad mounting base 10;
- a wear-pad supporting structure 20 weldably mounted on the mounting base 10;
- a wear pad flat work contact surface 22 on the supporting structure 20 and lying in a plane tangential to the workpiece is cylindrical profile;
- a central oil lubrication supply connection 23 provided radially inward on the supporting structure 20 to provide lubrication oil to a plurality of oil openings 24 through an oil gallery 25;

- the plurality of oil openings 24 connected to the central oil lubrication supply connection (23) to supply, through the oil gallery 26 for lubrication between the wear pad surface and the workpiece surface; and
- a plurality of threaded lifting holes 13 for movement of the steady pad.

2. The replaceable steady pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein for improved entry of the mounting base 10 on steady the rest plug, bottom edges of the plug bore 11 and the locating pin 12 can be suitably chamfered.
3. The replaceable steady pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein for better strength, a 45-degree chamfer is provided on the wear-pad supporting structure 20 before welding,
4. The replaceable steady pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein before any new application or after a long standstill, the first drop of lubricant should become visible at the flat work contact surface on the wear pad 22, before next grinding operation is commenced.
5. The replaceable steady pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the degree of lubrication depends on the type of machining in action and if the steady rest is

employed as workpiece support with low working pressure entailing low clamping force, lower degree of lubrication, and wherein for heavy machining involving generation of high number of small chips, the lubrication is increased.