TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein, in general, relates to a machine for providing a glossy finish to an object and in particular, relates to a buffing machine for providing a glossy finish to an irregularly shaped object.

BACKGROUND

The manufacturing process of expensive and artistic wooden or metal objects such as '' furniture parts, metal casings, and bodies of musical instruments like guitar involves a number of steps. Typically, one of the final steps in the manufacturing process of these objects is to provide a glossy finish to them. This step of providing the glossy finish to the objects is called buffing.

In particular, the buffing process is an essential step in the manufacturing of electric guitars. Currently, a variety of methods are employed to provide a glossy finish to the electric guitars. In one such method, electric guitars are buffed manually, usually in the final stages of manufacturing. In this method, to provide a desired texture to the body of the electric guitar, a buffing wheel mounted on a rotary shaft of a stationary stand is used. The buffing wheel rotates about its own axis, along the rotary shaft. After application of an emulsion or wax on the outer surface of the electric guitar body, the electric guitar body is manually rubbed against the ,, rotating buffing wheel to provide the desired finish to the guitar body.

In this process of buffing, extreme care needs to be taken to avoid any unintentional damages, such as color cut, to the body of the guitar due to improper handling of the electric guitar or the machine itself. Therefore, manual buffing has an essential requirement of being carried out by a skilled worker for assuring a reliable and safe buffing operation. Also, in this conventional process, different buffing wheels are required for performing different types of buffing, such as wax buffing, emulsion buffing, etc., as a part of the buffing process to obtain the final glossy finish. Moreover, as dedicated manual work is required per guitar, only a single guitar can be buffed at a time. As a result, the number of guitars manufactured per day is less.

SUMMARY

The subject matter described herein is directed to a buffing machine for providing a glossy finish to an object such as an electric guitar body. In an embodiment, the buffing machine includes a buffing section and a work-piece section. The buffing section may include a buffing unit having a buffing wheel, a rotaryL shaft, and a motor. The buffing wheel rotates on the rotary shaft, which is driven by the motor. The work-piece section includes a mounting platform that moves back and forth in a longitudinal direction. The mounting platform is provided with ' multiple openings in which adjustable stoppers can be screwed for positioning of the electric guitar body. The buffing unit reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the mounting platform. The buffing unit and the mounting platform can be operated simultaneously.

The buffing machine allows for uniform and safe polishing of the object. Further, the buffing machine excludes the requirement of a skilled worker and thus, reduces the overall manufacturing cost. The buffing machine also provides an automatic system that can buff or polish more pieces of the object with lesser effort, thereby increasing manufacturing output of the object.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is neither intended to identify key features or elements of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope for the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary buffing machine. Fig. 2 illustrates a top view of an exemplary buffing machine of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of an exemplary buffing machine of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter relates to a buffing machine for providing a glossy finish to an object such as an electric guitar. In an embodiment, the buffing machine includes a vertically rotating buffing wheel that rubs against an electric guitar body to produce a glossy finish. In addition to the rotating motion, the buffing wheel is provided with a reciprocating motion while rubbing against the body of the electric guitar. The electric guitar body can be mounted on a mounting platform that moves back and forth in a longitudinal direction, which is perpendicular to the direction of reciprocating motion of the buffing wheel.

The buffing machine provides a lustrous texture to the object by enabling uniform" application of any polishing material such as an emulsion or wax on the object. Further, as compared to the traditional technique of manual buffing, the buffing machine as disclosed herein is capable of securely holding the object during the buffing process. The fastening of the object onto the mounting platform ensures safe application of the polishing material on the body of the electric guitar. Additionally, any fault on part of an unskilled labor due to incautious or inconsistent handling of the buffing machine or the object is also avoided.

Exemplary System

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary buffing machine 100. The buffing machine 100 of the present disclosure may have a buffing section and a work-piece section. The buffing section and the work-piece section are mounted on a main frame 102.

In an embodiment, the buffing section includes a buffing wheel 104, a motor 106, a cam motor 108, and a control panel 110. The buffing wheel 104 is used to provide a glossy finish on an object 112, for example an electric guitar body. The outer surface of the buffing wheel 104 can be made up of a variety of materials such as cotton, wool, animal hide, sisal, synthetic fiber, and napped flannel. The buffing wheel 104 can rotate about a horizontal axis on a rotary shaft 114, which is driven by the motor 106.
The rotating motion generated by the motor 106 is transformed into a rotating motion of the rotary shaft 114 by using a variety of mechanisms, for example, by using a pulley, conveyor belt mechanism 132, such as a 'V belt mechanism, and so on. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the buffing wheel 104, the rotary shaft 114, and the motor 106 can be collectively termed as a buffing unit mounted on a supporting platform 116.

The buffing unit is provided with a reciprocating motion with the help of the cam motor 108 by using a variety of mechanism. In an implementation, the buffing unit follows a reciprocating motion with the help of a rod 118 placed in contact with a cam eccentrically connected to a motor shaft of the cam motor 108. In another implementation, the cam motor 108 ' can employ a crank mechanism to provide the reciprocating motion to the buffing unit. The functioning of the buffing wheel 104, the motor 106, and the cam motor 108 can be regulated from the control panel 110.

On the other hand, in said embodiment, the work-piece section includes a mounting platform 120, adjustable stoppers 122-1, 122-2, and 122-3, hereinafter collectively referred to as adjustable stoppers 122, a chain mechanism 124, and a base plate motor 126. In an" implementation, the mounting platform 120 can be a flat board positioned on linear guides 130-1 and 130-2, hereinafter collectively referred to as linear guides 130, for holding the electric guitar body. The linear guides 130 are placed on the main frame 102. Further, the mounting platform 120 includes a number of slots, which are equally spaced along the length and breadth of the mounting platform 120. The slots are provided to fasten the adjustable stoppers 122 to reliably position the electric guitar body on to the mounting platform 120.

The adjustable stoppers 122 can have a variety of shapes. In an implementation, the adjustable stoppers 122 can be elongated oblate structures with a protruding head on one side. The adjustable stoppers 122 are clamped in appropriate slots provided on the mounting platform 120 for firmly holding the electric guitar body on to the mounting platform 120. The adjustable stoppers 122 can be fastened in the appropriate slots by using a diversity of fastening mechanisms. For example, the adjustable stoppers 122 can be fastened in the appropriate slots by using rivets, screws, and so on.

Furthermore, the mounting platform 120 is located below the buffing section and is provided with a back and forth motion in a longitudinal direction 128 perpendicular to direction of the reciprocating motion of the buffing unit. In one implementation, the back and forth motion can be provided to the mounting platform 120 using the chain mechanism 124. The chain mechanism 124 uses a chain and sprocket assembly, which is driven by the base plate motor 126. Additionally, the back and forth motion of the mounting platform 120 and the reciprocating motion of the buffing unit are simultaneous to each other.

In operation, the electric guitar body is mounted on the mounting platform 120 and is held firmly using the adjustable stoppers 122. A suitable polishing material, such as an emulsion, is then applied on the electric guitar body. Subsequently, in an implementation, the buffing section and the work-piece section can be actuated by a common switch in the control panel 110 such that the buffing wheel 104 and the mounting platform 120 begin to operate simultaneously. In another implementation, the rotation of the buffing wheel 104, the back and forth motion of.

the mounting platform 120, and the cam mechanism are operated independent of each other and are controlled from the control panel 110, to ensure concurrent motions of the buffing wheel 104 and the mounting platform 120. During simultaneous movements of the buffing wheel 104 and the mounting platform 120, the electric guitar body, coated with an emulsion and placed on the mounting platform 120, is automatically rubbed against the vertically rotating buffing wheel 104. The reciprocating and rotating buffing wheel 104 polishes the electric guitar body '' simultaneously in different directions.

Fig. 2 illustrates a top view of an exemplary buffing machine 100. In an embodiment, the buffing machine includes the mounting platform 120, the adjustable stoppers 122, the chain mechanism 124, and the base plate motor 126. The mounting platform 120 holds the object 112 such as electric guitar body to be buffed. The mounting platform 120 is arranged in the " longitudinal direction 128 and is positioned on the linear guides 130, which are located on the main frame 102. The linear guides 130 facilitate sliding of the mounting platform 120 in the longitudinal direction 128. The mounting platform 120 can be made up of a variety of materials, such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), wood, thermoplastic, and metal. The mounting platform 120 includes a number of slots for affixing adjustable stoppers 122 so as to firmly position the electric guitar body to be buffed on to the mounting platform 120.

The adjustable stoppers 122 can be constructed in a variety of shapes and can be clamped in appropriate slots provided on the mounting platform 120 as described in the description of Fig. 1. In one implementation, the adjustable stoppers 122 include a continuous opening along the length of the adjustable stoppers 122. Connecting means, such as screws or rivets, can be positioned at any location along the length of the continuous opening to fasten the adjustable stoppers 122 into any slot located on the mounting platform 120. Therefore, a flexibility to fasten the connecting means at various positions along the continuous opening can be obtained using the adjustable stoppers 122. This helps in providing reliable positioning of the electric guitar body irrespective of its shape and size.

Further, a chain mechanism 124 can be used to control the movement of the mounting platform 120 in the longitudinal direction 128. The chain mechanism 124 enables a steady back and forth movement of the mounting platform 120 in the longitudinal direction 128. The speed of the chain mechanism 124, which is arranged below the mounting platform 120, is regulated by a gear box (not shown in the figure) and is slower than the speed of reciprocating motion of the buffing unit.

The back and forth motion of the mounting platform 120 can be regulated by the base plate motor 126. The base plate motor 126 provides the required thrust to bring the chain mechanism 124 in motion. The base plate motor 126 can be controlled from the control panel 110. Also, the base plate motor 126 is intermittently connected to the gear box for an indirect engagement with the chain mechanism 124. The speed of the chain mechanism 124, which is transmitted by the gear box, is regulated by the base plate motor 126.

In operation, the buffing operation can be initiated by fastening the electric guitar body onto the mounting platform 120 using the adjustable stoppers 122. Subsequently, the mounting platform 120, holding the electric guitar body, is provided with the required movement in the longitudinal direction 128 through the chain mechanism 124.

Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of the exemplary buffing machine 100. The buffing wheel ' 104 in the buffing machine 100 is used for providing a glossy finish on the object 112 such as electric guitar body. The buffing wheel 104 rotates about a horizontal axis and is placed directly above the mounting platform 120. The buffing wheel 104 rotates with the help of a rotary shaft 114 (not shown in Fig. 3), which is controlled by the motor 106 so as to rotate at varying speeds by using appropriate rotary mechanisms known in the art.

The motor 106 transforms the electrical power corresponding to the electrical energy received from the main power source into the required mechanical energy. In an implementation, the rotating motion generated by the motor 106 can be transformed into the rotating motion of the rotary shaft 114 connected to the buffing wheel 104 via a conveyor belt mechanism 132.

Further, a buffing unit including the buffing wheel 104, the rotary shaft 114, and the ( . motor 106, is mounted on a supporting platform 116. In an implementation, an operation of the conveyor belt mechanism 132 used in the buffing unit is independent of the chain mechanism 124 of the work-piece section, as discussed in the description of Fig. 1. The buffing unit is provided with the desired reciprocating motion by using a cam motor 108.
In an embodiment, the cam motor 108 provides a reciprocating motion to the buffing unit in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the mounting platform 120. For this purpose, the rotary motion produced by the cam motor 108 is converted to the reciprocating motion of the buffing unit by means of the rod 118 placed in contact with a cam (not shown in the figure). The functioning of the cam attached to the cam motor 108 for achieving the desired output can be ensured by employing a diversity of mechanisms already known in the art. Additionally, the reciprocating motion of the buffing unit is in conjugation with the back and..; forth motion of the mounting platform 120. In essence, the reciprocating motion of the buffing unit and the back and forth motion of the mounting platform 120 can be achieved simultaneously.

The operations of the motor 106, the cam motor 108, and the buffing wheel 104 are regulated by the control panel 110., The control panel 110 can be an assembly of electrical components (magnetic or static) in the form of a cluster of switches, push-buttons, and so on for governing the flow of power from the control panel 110 and.

The previously described versions of the subject matter and its equivalent thereof have many advantages, including those, which are described below:

The buffing machine 100 enables uniform spreading of polishing material for producing a , uniform glossy finish to the electric guitar body. Uniform and safe application of the polishing material is further confirmed by the reliable positioning of the electric guitar body provided by the buffing machine 100. In addition, any fault on part of unskilled labor due to incautious or inconsistent handling of the body of the electric guitar body is also avoided by using the buffing machine 100.

It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that although the buffing machine has '' been described with reference to an electric guitar body, it can be used for any object having a substantially flat surface to be polished.

Although the subject matter has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. As such, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiment contained therein.

I/We Claim:

1. A system comprising:

a buffing unit having a buffing wheel (104) to rub an object (112);

characterized in that,

a mounting platform (120) is operatively coupled to the buffing unit to support the object (112), wherein the mounting platform (120) reciprocates in a first direction; and

the buffing unit reciprocates in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object (112) is an electric guitar body.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buffing unit and mounting platform (120) are activated simultaneously.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object (112) is fixed on the mounting platform (120) by using adjustable stoppers (122).

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mounting platform (120) includes a plurality of slots to hold the adjustable stoppers (122) for positioning of the object (112).

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buffing wheel (104) located above the mounting platform (120) is rotated by a motor (106) by means of a transmission mechanism,

wherein the transmission mechanism is selected from a group consisting of a conveyor belt mechanism (132) and a pulley mechanism.

7. A method of buffing an electric guitar body, the method comprising:

mounting an object on a mounting platform (120);

activating the mounting platform (120) to provide a reciprocating motion in a first
direction;

activating a buffing unit to provide a reciprocating motion in a second direction to a ' rotating buffing wheel (104), wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and

rubbing the mounted electric guitar body by the buffing wheel (104) reciprocating in the
second direction.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein activation of the buffing unit and the mounting platform (120) is performed simultaneously.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein rubbing of the object (112) is performed by a buffing wheel (104).

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein mounting of the object (112) on the mounting platform (120) is performed using adjustable stoppers (122).