FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of vessel polishing.

DEFINITIONS

In this specification, the following terms have the following definitions as given alongside. These are additions to the usual definitions expressed in the art.

The term "vessel" refers to articles made any metal and/or wood.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vessels, typically of stainless steel, are universally used in all households because they are robust and eco-friendly. The material steel gained a name over silver due to the polished surface of the vessels. Polishing of vessels is done manually and is typically of three types; namely- rough, medium and mirror finish.

The polishing carried our presently is time consuming and skill oriented, producing lot of dust and unhealthy work environment. Internal and external polishing of vessels is carried out on separate polishing apparatus. The presently available machines can polish articles of uniform, cylindrical and open vessels. Certain vessels having complicated shapes such as vessels having narrow opening cannot be polished and involves the use of a number of machines and processes.

Manufacturing units involved in manufacturing of vessels are required to have polishing machines depending on the type and the shape of the vessels manufactured by them. Vacuum polishing machines presently available can be used to polish vessels made of high quality material devoid of micro holes. The presently available machines for polishing are expensive because of the need to customize the polishing machines as per the type of the vessels to be polished.

Hence, there is felt a need for an apparatus for polishing of vessels in order to overcome the drawbacks of the presently available machines.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:

An object of the present invention is to provide a vessel polishing apparatus which can be used for polishing of all types of vessels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vessel polishing apparatus which is efficient.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide better quality of polishing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce the manpower required for polishing of vessels.

Further another object of the present invention is to reduce the time required for polishing of vessels and hence larger number of vessels can be polished within the same time interval as compared to the vessel polishing existing apparatus.

An added object of the present invention is to provide a robust vessel polishing apparatus.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a vessel polishing apparatus which has longer life.

Further another object of the present invention is to provide a vessel polishing apparatus which is cost effective.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vessel polishing apparatus which helps in reducing pollution of the environment.

Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vessel polishing apparatus mounted on a bed plate, comprising: a base frame and at least one foot mounting, a brush unit with accessories mounted on a vertical pillar column on one of the sides of the bed plate and a vessel holder with accessories mounted on the other side of the bed plate for mounting a vessel to be polished, the vessel polishing apparatus having a predefined dimension to accommodate various sizes of the vessels.

Typically, the vertical pillar column comprises a plurality of mechanisms for vertical movement, for brush loading and for tilting; and a brush holder coupled to a high speed spindle driven by a suitable driving motor.

Typically, the vessel holder is rotated by means of a rotary spindle of a variable speed geared motor unit and a pneumatic clamping mechanism for polishing throughout the length of the vessel in one setting, wherein the vessel holder is rotated at a variable speed depending on the size of the vessel; a reciprocating mechanism for providing a reciprocating motion to displace the vessel (18) along a vertical axis by another variable drive geared motor unit.

Typically, the pneumatic clamping mechanism comprises at least one removably fitted clamping arm configured according to the shape and size of the vessel to be polished, the pneumatic clamping mechanism is provided with pneumatic valves operated by compressed air supplied by an air-compressor.

Typically, the clamping arm/s is/are fitted with rubber pads for providing better grip and to avoid scratches on the vessels during the polishing operation thereof.

Typically, a pneumatic valves panel box with controls is provided below the bed plate for operating the mechanisms on the vertical pillar column and for the operation of the vessel holder.

Typically, an electrical control with an operating panel is provided on the apparatus at a suitable operating position.

Typically, the electrical and pneumatic controls are automatic type controls or semi-automatic type controls.

Typically, the polishing force on the brush holder is varied by regulating the air pressure of a pneumatic cylinder provided for brush loading and tilting mechanism.

Typically, the brush holder comprises at least one single ended brush holder coupled to a high speed spindle unit driven by a drive motor to provide a swing movement for loading of the brush on the apparatus for polishing the vessel, the spindle unit capable of being lifted or lowered on the vertical pillar column.

Typically, the vessel polishing apparatus further comprises: a dust collection unit including a dust hood cooperating with a dust collection duct/hose, a safety enclosure and an emergency stop switch.

Typically, the vessel polishing apparatus is made of stainless steel or chrome plated materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the non-limiting accompanying drawings in which:

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the accompanying drawings and their description stated below, which are merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and do not limit in any way the nature and scope of the invention.

The vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of examples and illustrations.

The vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

The description herein after, of the specific embodiments of the vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without dreaming from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments.

It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

Figure 1 illustrates a front view of the vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the vessel polishing apparatus of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which do not limit the scope and ambit of the invention. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.

The vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

The description herein after, of the specific embodiments of the vessel polishing apparatus will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments.

It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

Referring to the accompanied drawings, a vessel polishing apparatus, in accordance with this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and is particularly shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the drawing.

The vessel polishing apparatus (10) is mounted on a bed (14) having a base frame and at least one foot mounting. A vertical Pillar column (12) is provided to support a brush unit and accessories are mounted on the left side of the bed (14) while a vessel holder (16) and accessories will be mounted on the right side of the bed (14). Preferably, the vessel polishing apparatus (10) has a length of 1500 mm, width of 1200 mm and height of 1600 mm.

The vertical pillar column (12) is provided with mechanisms for vertical movement, brush loading and tilting, a brush holder fitted to a high speed spindle driven by a drive motor, typically of 3 horsepower.

The Rotary Vessel holder (16) is rotated by means of a rotary spindle (21) with a one Horse power variable RPM drive geared motor unit (19) and a pneumatic vessel clamping mechanism. The speed of rotation of the vessel on the Rotary Vessel holder (16) is varied by using the variable RPM drive geared motor unit, depending on the size of vessel (18). The vessel holder (16) is provided with a reciprocating motion by means of a reciprocating mechanism (15) to displace the vessel (18) along an axis by means of a one Horse power variable RPM drive geared motor unit.

The clamping mechanism is provided with at least one vessel clamping arm (20) which is required to be fitted to the clamp mechanism. The vessel clamping arms (20) are removably fitted to the clamping mechanism and are dependent on the shape and the size of the vessels (18). The vessel clamping arms (20) are fitted with rubber pads in order to provide a better grip and to avoid causing scratches on the vessels (18) during clamping operation.

A pneumatic valves panel box is provided with controls (not shown) which are located below the bed plate (14) for operating the mechanisms on the vertical pillar column (12) and for the operation of the vessel holder (16). An electrical control with an operating panel is mounted on the apparatus (10) at suitable operating position.

The electrical and pneumatic controls are typically automatic type or semi¬automatic type of controls. Compressed Air requirement for one polishing apparatus is 5 Cubic Feet per Minute. The air required for the operation of the pneumatic valves is provided by means of an air compressor.

The vessel (18) is required to be mounted on the vessel holder (16) so as to facilitate in moving the vessel (18) by means of a motorized variable speed feeder unit to facilitate polishing throughout the length of the vessel in one setting. The amount of force required to be applied for polishing the vessel can be varied by regulating the air pressure of a pneumatic cylinder (22) for brush loading and tilting mechanism. The brushes used for the polishing operation are of varying shapes and sizes, depending on the type of vessel (18) to be polished.

The brush holder (24) is typically single ended brush holder fitted in a high speed spindle unit driven by a drive motor, enabling in providing a swing movement for the loading of brush on the apparatus (10) for polishing of the vessel (18). The spindle unit is caused to be lifted or lowered on the vertical column.

The apparatus (10) is provided with a dust collection unit in order to eliminate the pollution caused by the polishing of vessels (18). The dust collection unit consists of a dust hood cooperating with a dust collection duct/ hose. The apparatus is provided with safety covers/ enclosures and an emergency stop switch, to provide protection during operation of the apparatus (10).

The apparatus (10) is made of stainless steel or chrome plated materials in order to prevent corrosion and hence to improve its operating life. The total electrical power required for operating a polishing apparatus is 5 Horse Power.

The tilting mechanism allows the polishing machine to polish vessels of different sizes and shapes and therefore a large variety of different types of vessels can be polished using the apparatus disclosed herein.

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES AND ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE

The technical advantages of the vessel polishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention include the following:

The product as described herein above offers several advancements over similar products disclosed in the prior art. The vessel polishing apparatus helps in reducing skilled human labor and helps in providing improved hygienic work environment by reducing the environmental pollution.

The rate of production is increased by 120 % to 150 % thus reducing the cost of production. The apparatus is compact and helps in polishing vessels of variable shapes and sizes. The apparatus has longer life and is economical to install. The apparatus is easy to operate, economical in the long run and helps in providing uniform polishing of the vessels.

Wherever a range of values is specified, a value up to 10% below and above the lowest and highest numerical value respectively, of the specified range, is included in the scope of the invention.

Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

The use of the expression "at least" or "at least one" suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the invention as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.

The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.

In view of the wide variety of embodiments to which the principles of the present invention can be applied, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only. The numerical values given of various physical parameters and dimensions are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher or lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions and quantities fall within the scope of the invention.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.

We claim:

1. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) mounted on a bed plate (14), comprising: a base frame and at least one foot mounting, a brush unit with accessories mounted on a vertical pillar column (12) on one of the sides of said bed plate (14) and a vessel holder (16) with accessories mounted on the other side of said bed plate (14) for mounting a vessel (18) to be polished, said vessel polishing apparatus having a predefined dimension to accommodate various sizes of said vessels (18).

2. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertical pillar column (12) comprises a plurality of mechanisms for vertical movement, for brush loading and for tilting; and a brush holder (24) coupled to a high speed spindle driven by a suitable driving motor.

3. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed ii. claims 1 or 2, wherein said vessel holder (16) is rotated by means of a rotary spindle (21) of a variable speed geared motor unit (19) and a pneumatic clamping mechanism for polishing throughout the length of said vessel in one setting, wherein said vessel holder (16) is rotated at a variable speed depending on the size of said vessel; a reciprocating mechanism (15) for providing a reciprocating motion to displace the vessel (18) along a vertical axis by another variable drive geared motor unit (19).

4. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pneumatic clamping mechanism comprises at least one removably fitted clamping arm (20) configured according to the shape and size of the vessel to be polished, said pneumatic clamping mechanism is provided with pneumatic valves operated by compressed air supplied by an air-compressor.

5. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein said clamping arm/s (20) are fitted with rubber pads for providing better grip and to avoid scratches on the vessels (18) during the polishing operation thereof.

6. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a pneumatic valves panel box with controls is provided below said bed plate (14) for operating the mechanisms on the vertical pillar column (12) and for the operation of the vessel holder (16).

7. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an electrical control with an operating panel is provided on said apparatus (10) at a suitable operating position.

8. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said electrical and pneumatic controls are automatic type controls or semi-automatic type controls.

9. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polishing force on said brush holder (24) is varied by regulating the air pressure of a pneumatic cylinder (22) provided for brush loading and tilting mechanism.

10. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 2 or 9, wherein said brush holder (24) comprises at least one single ended brush holder coupled to a high speed spindle unit driven by a drive motor to provide a swing movement for loading of the brush on said apparatus (10) for polishing the vessel (18), said spindle unit capable of being lifted or lowered on said vertical pillar column (12).

11. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said vessel polishing apparatus further comprises: a dust collection unit including a dust hood cooperating with a dust collection duct/hose, a safety enclosure and an emergency stop switch.

12. Vessel polishing apparatus (10) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said vessel polishing apparatus is made of stainless steel or chrome plated materials.