STEADY PAD FOR CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES

FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] This invention relates to steady pad and more particularly replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces. The invention is specifically concerned with a steady rest that is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with grinding machines, lathes, and similar machine tools.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[003] 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 blue matching is required after steady belt, area where steady support will be applied, is prepared on conventional lathe machine. During blue matching, a thin coating of engineer’s blue is applied, usually with a paint brush, on the rotor before the matching is done with the mating circular curved steady rest. After steady belt preparation, the rotor is usually shifted to a more able lathe such as CNC and again blue matching is done as the rotor requires to be rested on steady rest. Here, the rotor’s non driving end is held in chuck and job setting is done. After job setting, the rotor is rough and finish turned to prepare exact diameter. Generally blue matching is required every time particularly for steady rests in which steady pads are hydraulically supported.

[004] Therefore, there existed a need to propose 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 steady pads are the working surface on which workpiece rests, there are frequent failure that arises of this situation demanding replacement of steady rests. However, such a demand can be met through a replaceable steady pad thereby allowing replacement of pad and not the complete steady rest.

[005] Within the objects of this invention, it is sought to cure the defects existing in the art as mentioned in part above, and to provide a replaceable steady pad having low initial cost and upkeep, great and continuing accuracy inherent in its design and operation, ruggedness and simplicity in its construction and operation, all to the ultimate end of faithfully and consistently reproducing in and through the results desired.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[006] It is, therefore, the primary object of present invention to provide steady pad and more particularly replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces which requires no blue matching, thus avoiding the work and loss of time involved in blue matching operation before the workpiece is again ready for useful operation.

[007] Another object of present invention is to provide steady pad and more particularly replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces which provides replacement of steady pad and not the complete steady rest in case of work contact surface failure, thus avoiding the loss of time and inventory cost involved in replacing entire steady rest before the steady is again ready for useful operation.

[008] Further object of this invention is to provide steady pad and more particularly replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces which is simple in construction.

[009] Still another object of this invention is to provide steady pad and more particularly replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces which serves the purpose effectively.

[0010] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the present invention is illustrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] One or more drawbacks of conventional systems and process are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through the apparatus and a method as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be part of the claimed disclosure.

[0012] According to this invention, there is provided a replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces, wherein said steady pad comprising of:
[0013] - a mounting base 10;
[0014] - an internally recessed plug bore 11 disposed towards center of mounting base 10 to receive the protruded plug of spherical joint of steady rest;
[0015] locating pin 12 to locate and guide the steady pad mounting base 10;
[0016] wear-pad supporting structure 20 mounted on the mounting base 10;
[0017] wear pad flat work contact surface 22 on supporting structure 20 and lying in a plane tangent to the workpiece cylindrical profile 30;
[0018] central oil lubrication supply connection 23 provided radially inward on the supporting structure 20 for lubrication between wear pad surface and workpiece surface.
[0019] The central oil lubrication supply connection (23) provides lubrication oil to plurality of oil openings (24) through oil gallery (25), wherein the plurality of oil openings (24) are connected to central oil lubrication supply connection (23) to supply through oil gallery (26) for lubrication between wear pad surface and workpiece surface.
[0020] Plurality of threaded lifting holes (13) are provided for movement of the steady pad.
[0021] For improved entry of mounting base (10) on steady rest plug, bottom edges of plug bore (11) and locating pin (12) can be chamfered.
[0022] For better strength, 45-degree chamfer is provided on wear-pad supporting structure (20) before welding.
[0023] Before any new application or after a long standstill several greasing is effected until the first drops of lubricant become visible at the flat work contact surface on the wear pad (22).
[0024] 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 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.

[0025] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

[0026] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

[0027] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0028] The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein: -

Fig. 1 shows: Front view of proposed replaceable steady pad, particularly for cylindrical workpieces according to present invention 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 shows: shows top view of proposed replaceable steady pad, particularly for cylindrical workpieces of present invention 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.
[0029] The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0031] Before describing in detail, replaceable steady pad in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in a novel 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.

[0032] The present invention is directed to solve the above-described problems of the prior art and to provide a replaceable steady pad for cylindrical workpieces in accordance with the present invention and to enable to accurately serve its intended purpose.

[0033] The present invention makes a disclosure regarding a technology pertaining to steady pad and more particularly replaceable steady pad for cylindrical work pieces.

[0034] Referring now to figure 1-2 in detail, the mounting base 10 acts as the base of the steady pad wherein mounting base 10 is provided with an internally recessed plug bore 11 disposed towards its center. The plug bore 11 receives the protruded plug of spherical joint of steady rest. As such, the bore size can be selected as per the size of protruded pug available with existing steady. In order to locate and guide the steady pad, locating pin 12 is also provided on mounting base 10. For improved entry of mounting base 10 on steady rest plug, bottom edges of plug bore 11 and locating pin 12 can be suitably chamfered.

[0035] A wear-pad supporting structure 20, which is weldedly mounted on mounting base 10, supports wear pad 22. The Wear pad 22 has a flat work contact surface that lies in a plane that is tangent to the cylindrical profile of a workpiece 30. For better strength, 45-degree chamfer is provided on wear – pad supporting structure (20) before welding.

[0036] Internally recessed standard G1/2” threaded central oil lubrication supply connection 23, a radial facing inward projection, is provided on supporting structure 20 perpendicularly to structure 20. This central oil lubrication supply connection 23 is connected, through oil gallery 25, to plurality of equispaced oil openings 24 that control oil quantity and have their opening at the center of flat work contact surface 22 through oil gallery 26.

[0037] 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 surface on wear pad 22. 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 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.

[0038] 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 tools 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.

[0041] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.

[0042] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particulars claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

[0043] The above description does not provide specific details of manufacture or design of the various components. Those of skill in the art are familiar with such details, and unless departures from those techniques are set out, techniques, known, related art or later developed designs and materials should be employed. Those in the art are capable of choosing suitable manufacturing and design details.

[0044] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the following claims.

[0045] The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.

[0046] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

WE CLAIM

1. A replaceable steady pad, particularly
replaceable for cylindrical workpieces, wherein said steady pad comprising of:
? a mounting base 10;
? an internally recessed plug bore 11 disposed towards center of mounting base 10 to receive the protruded plug of spherical joint of steady rest;
? locating pin 12 to locate and guide the steady pad mounting base 10;
? wear-pad supporting structure 20 mounted on the mounting base 10;
? wear pad flat work contact surface 22 on supporting structure 20 and lying in a plane tangent to the workpiece cylindrical profile 30;
? central oil lubrication supply connection 23 provided radially inward on the supporting structure 20 for lubrication between wear pad surface and workpiece surface.

2. The replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central oil lubrication supply connection (23) provides lubrication oil to plurality of oil openings (24) through oil gallery (25), wherein the plurality of oil openings (24) are connected to central oil lubrication supply connection (23) to supply through oil gallery (26) for lubrication between wear pad surface and workpiece surface.
3. The replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein plurality of threaded lifting holes (13) are provided for movement of the steady pad.
4. The replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces as claimed in claim 1-3, wherein for improved entry of mounting base (10) on steady rest plug, bottom edges of plug bore (11) and locating pin (12) can be chamfered.
5. The replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces as claimed in claim 1-4, wherein for better strength, chamfer is provided on wear-pad supporting structure (20) before welding.
6. The replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces as claimed in claim 1-5, wherein before any new application or after a long standstill several greasing is effected until the first drops of lubricant become visible at the flat work contact surface on the wear pad (22).
7. The replaceable steady pad, particularly replaceable for cylindrical workpieces as claimed in claim 1-6, 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 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.