Grinding device

Abstract

To provide a grinding device that can efficiently grind multiple different parts of an annular workpiece by simply changing the settings of the grinding wheel. [Solution] A grinding apparatus 10 comprising two rolls 22, 24 that grip and rotate an annular workpiece 60 from opposing directions, one shoe 26 that supports the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece, a support member 30 that supports the end face 60a of the rotating workpiece 60, and a grinding wheel 50 that is pressed against the surface of the workpiece 60 to grind the workpiece, wherein the support member 30 has a through hole 32 of a size that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted, and the through hole 32 is formed in a position where only a part of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 and the entire width of the end face are exposed when the workpiece 60 is installed, and the grinding wheel 50 can be inserted outside the outer circumference of the workpiece 60.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a grinding device, and more particularly to a grinding device for grinding an annular workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a grinding device for grinding an annular workpiece such as an inner ring or an outer ring of a bearing, a grinding device including a rotary drive mechanism for rotating the workpiece and a grinding wheel pressed against the surface of the workpiece is known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a grinding device provided with a spindle for rotating a workpiece. In this grinding device, the end face of the workpiece is attached by magnetic force to the tip of the spindle provided on the device body. The workpiece rotates together with the rotation of the spindle, and the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece is ground by pressing a grinding wheel against the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece in a rotating state.

[0004] For workpieces with a small outer diameter, since the workpiece cannot be attached to the spindle of the grinding device with a large magnetic force, a two-roll one-shoe type grinding device that supports the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece by two rolls and one shoe is used. In this grinding device, while rotating the two rolls with the workpiece sandwiched between the upper and lower two rolls, the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece is supported by one shoe, thereby maintaining the rotating state of the workpiece at a predetermined position of the grinding device.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 2 describes a two-roll one-shoe type grinding device for grinding the outer peripheral surface of a workpiece. In this grinding device, the workpiece in a rotating state is prevented from falling off in the axial direction by abutting both end faces in the axial direction against the front plate and the backing plate, and the grinding wheel for grinding the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece moves to a position adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece while avoiding the front plate and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece.

[0006] Patent Document 3 describes a two-roll, one-shoe type grinding device for grinding the inner circumferential surface of a workpiece. In this grinding device, a grinding wheel smaller than the inner diameter of the workpiece is inserted into the rotating workpiece and pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the workpiece.

[0007] In this way, high-precision machining is performed on the inner and outer surfaces of the bearing's inner and outer rings, which have smaller outer diameters, by grinding them with grinding wheels using a grinding device. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-110672 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5239589 [Patent Document 3] Publication No. 3-54838 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Conventional grinding equipment requires not only changing the type of grinding wheel but also modifying the grinding wheel's position and operation depending on the area being ground. Therefore, there is a need for a grinding equipment that can grind multiple parts of an annular workpiece with simple settings and operations related to the grinding wheel.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a grinding device that can efficiently grind multiple different parts of an annular workpiece by simply changing the settings and operation of the grinding wheel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the grinding apparatus according to claim 1 is: Two rolls that grip and rotate an annular workpiece from opposing directions, A shoe supporting the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece, A support member that supports the end face of the rotating workpiece, A grinding wheel that is pressed against the surface of the workpiece to grind the workpiece, In a grinding apparatus equipped with, The support member has a through hole of a size that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted, The through-hole is characterized in that, in the installed state of the workpiece in which the workpiece is rotated by the two rolls, only a portion of the end face of the workpiece and the entire width of the end face are exposed, and the grinding wheel is formed in a position that allows it to be inserted outside the outer circumference of the workpiece.

[0012] In this configuration, the workpiece is gripped and rotated by two rolls, while the end face of the workpiece is supported by a support member. The support member has a through hole, the size and shape of which are set so that a grinding wheel can be inserted through it, and only a portion of the installed workpiece is exposed, while the entire width, i.e., the entire thickness, of the end face of the workpiece is exposed. Therefore, because only a portion of the end face is exposed, there is no risk of the workpiece falling through the through hole, meaning that the support function of the support member is not impaired. Furthermore, since at least a portion of the entire width of the workpiece's end face is exposed, it is possible to polish and grind the end face with a grinding wheel. In other words, since the workpiece is rotated by a roll, it is possible to polish and grind the entire end face by bringing the grinding wheel into contact with the exposed end face. Furthermore, by inserting the grinding wheel through the through hole to the outside of the outer circumference of the rotating workpiece and pressing it against the outer surface of the workpiece, the outer surface can be ground. Thus, the grinding apparatus according to the present invention can grind multiple different parts of an annular workpiece by simply changing the setting to alter the operation of the grinding wheel within the range of the through hole, thereby achieving increased efficiency in the grinding operation.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the grinding apparatus according to claim 2 is Two rolls that grip and rotate an annular workpiece from opposing directions, A shoe supporting the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece, A support member that supports the end face of the rotating workpiece, A grinding wheel that is pressed against the surface of the workpiece to grind the workpiece, In a grinding apparatus equipped with, The support member has a through hole of a size that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted, The through-hole is characterized in that, in the installed state of the workpiece in which the workpiece is rotated by the two rolls, only a portion of the end face of the workpiece and the entire width of the end face are exposed, and the through-hole is formed in a position that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted inside the inner circumference of the workpiece.

[0014] In this configuration, the workpiece is held and rotated by two rolls, while the end face of the workpiece is supported by a support member. The support member has a through hole, the size and shape of which are set so that a grinding wheel can be inserted through it, and only a portion of the installed workpiece is exposed, while the entire width, i.e., the entire thickness, of the end face of the workpiece is exposed. In this way, because only a portion of the end face is exposed, there is no risk of the workpiece falling through the through hole, meaning that the support function of the support member is not impaired. Furthermore, since at least a portion of the entire width of the workpiece's end face is exposed, it is possible to polish and grind the end face with a grinding wheel. In other words, since the workpiece is rotated by a roll, it is possible to grind the entire end face by bringing the grinding wheel into contact with the exposed end face. Furthermore, by inserting the grinding wheel through the through hole into the inner circumference of the rotating workpiece and pressing it against the inner surface of the workpiece, the inner surface can be ground. Thus, the grinding apparatus according to the present invention can grind multiple different parts of an annular workpiece by simply changing the setting to alter the operation of the grinding wheel within the range of the through hole, thereby achieving increased efficiency in the grinding operation.

[0015] Furthermore, the invention according to claim 3 is a grinding apparatus as described in claim 1, The through hole is formed at a position where the grinding wheel can be inserted inside the inner circumference of the workpiece in the installed state of the workpiece.

[0016] According to this configuration, in addition to grinding the end face and outer peripheral surface of the workpiece, further, by inserting the grinding wheel from the through hole inside the inner circumference of the rotating workpiece and pressing it against the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece, the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece can be ground. Therefore, by a simple setting change that changes the operation of the grinding wheel within the range of the through hole, each of the end face, inner peripheral surface, and outer peripheral surface of the workpiece can be ground.

[0017] Further, the invention according to claim 4 is the grinding device according to claim 1 or 2, The through hole is an elongated hole having a long side extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the clamping direction of the workpiece by the two rolls, The elongated hole is characterized in that the width dimension is smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece.

[0018] According to this configuration, since the width dimension of the elongated hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece, the condition that only a part of the workpiece is exposed can be satisfied regardless of the position of the workpiece set in the length direction. That is, it is possible to easily prevent the workpiece from falling off from the through hole regardless of the position of the workpiece. Further, since the end face portion of the workpiece abuts against the edge portion in the width direction of the elongated hole, when grinding the workpiece with the grinding wheel, the rotating workpiece can be stably abutted against the support member. Also, it is possible to easily position the workpiece so that the entire width of the workpiece is exposed within the region in the length direction of the through hole.

[0019] Further, the invention according to claim 5 is the grinding device according to claim 3, The through hole is an elongated hole having a long side extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the clamping direction of the workpiece by the two rolls, and is formed at a position where the entire inner circumference of the workpiece is exposed in the installed state of the workpiece. The width dimension of the elongated hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece, and the length dimension of the elongated hole is larger than the sum of the inner diameter of the workpiece, the radial thickness of the workpiece, and the outer diameter of the grinding wheel.

[0020] With this configuration, since the width dimension of the elongated hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece, the condition that only a part of the workpiece is exposed can be satisfied regardless of the position of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction. In other words, it is easy to prevent the workpiece from falling out of the through hole, regardless of its position. In addition, since the end face portion of the workpiece abuts against the widthwise edge of the elongated hole, the rotating workpiece can be stably brought into contact with the support member when grinding the workpiece with a grinding wheel. Furthermore, by ensuring the length of the elongated hole meets the above dimensional conditions, it is possible to press the workpiece against all of its outer, inner, and end surfaces without changing the position of the support member or workpiece, and to process those surfaces. In addition, since the entire inner circumference of the workpiece is exposed, a relatively large grinding wheel with an outer diameter close to the inner diameter of the workpiece can be used, thereby suppressing grinding wheel wear. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the grinding apparatus of the present invention, a through-hole is formed in the support member that supports the end face of a rotating workpiece. The size and shape of this through-hole are set so that a grinding wheel can be inserted, and only a part of the rotating workpiece is exposed, while the entire width of the workpiece is exposed, so that the support function of the support member for the workpiece is not impaired. In addition, since at least a part of the entire width of the end face of the workpiece is exposed through the through-hole, grinding of the end face with a grinding wheel is possible. Furthermore, since the inner or outer circumferential surface of the workpiece can be ground by inserting a grinding wheel through the through-hole, multiple different parts of an annular workpiece can be ground by simply changing the setting to change the operation of the grinding wheel within the range of the through-hole, thereby achieving increased efficiency in the grinding operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the main part of a grinding device, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the front plate. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the positional relationship between the elongated holes in the front plate, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel. [Figure 4A] This is a diagram showing the main part of the grinding device viewed from above, illustrating the positional relationship between the elongated hole, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel for the end face. [Figure 4B] This is a front view of the main part of the grinding device, illustrating the positional relationship between the elongated hole, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel for the end face. [Figure 5A] This is a diagram showing the main part of a grinding device viewed from above, illustrating the positional relationship between the elongated hole, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel for the outer surface. [Figure 5B] This is a front view of the main part of the grinding device, illustrating the positional relationship between the elongated hole, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel for the outer surface. [Figure 6A] This is a diagram showing the main part of the grinding device viewed from above, illustrating the positional relationship between the elongated hole, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel for the inner circumferential surface. [Figure 6B] This is a front view of the main part of the grinding device, illustrating the positional relationship between the elongated hole, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel for the inner circumferential surface. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates another embodiment of the present invention and is a front view showing the positional relationship between the elongated hole in the front plate, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates another embodiment of the present invention and is a front view showing the positional relationship between the elongated hole in the front plate, the workpiece, and the grinding wheel. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a grinding device 10, which is one embodiment of the present invention. The grinding device 10 comprises a headstock 12 on which an annular workpiece 60 to be ground is placed, and a grinding wheel holder (not shown) on which a grinding wheel 50 for grinding the workpiece 60 is placed, on a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped device base (not shown). The workpiece 60 is placed in a predetermined processing position on the headstock 12 and rotates around its central axis when rotational force is applied. The workpiece 60 can be, for example, a raceway ring of a bearing. A raceway ring includes the inner and outer rings of a bearing. Note that the workpiece 60 that can be ground by the grinding device 10 is not limited to a raceway ring, but also includes other annular (including cylindrical) objects to be ground. The grinding wheel 50 is formed in a cylindrical or disc shape and is rotatably supported on the grinding wheel holder. The grinding device 10 grinds the workpiece 60 by pressing the grinding wheel 50 against the surface of the rotating workpiece 60.

[0024] The grinding device 10 has X, Y, and Z directions that are perpendicular to each other. In the illustrated example of the grinding device 10, the X and Z directions coincide with the horizontal direction, and the Y direction coincides with the vertical direction. The axial direction of the rotation axis of the workpiece 60 and the grinding wheel 50 is set to coincide with the Z-axis direction. The headstock 12 and the grinding wheel base are arranged adjacent to each other in the Z direction. In the following description, in the Z direction, the side with the grinding wheel base will also be referred to as the front side, and the side with the headstock 12 will also be referred to as the rear side. In a front view of the grinding device 10 from the front, the direction toward the right in the X direction will also be referred to as the right side, and the direction toward the left will also be referred to as the left side.

[0025] The headstock 12 includes a supply chute 20, a loader blade 21, an upper roll 22, a lower roll 24, a shoe 26, a front plate 30 which is a first support member that supports one end face 60a of the workpiece 60, a backing plate 38 which is a second support member that supports the other end face 60b of the workpiece 60, and a discharge chute 28.

[0026] The supply chute 20 is fixed to the headstock 12 and is formed in a box shape that extends long in the Y direction, and can accommodate multiple unprocessed workpieces 60 arranged in the Y direction. A shoe 26 is fixedly installed below the supply chute 20, and the loader blade 21 is positioned between the supply chute 20 and the shoe 26 in the Y direction. The loader blade 21 is an extrusion member that pushes the unprocessed workpieces 60 supplied from the supply port at the bottom of the supply chute 20 in the X direction to move them to the processing position, and is formed in a rod shape that extends long in the X direction when installed. The loader blade 21 receives driving force from an actuator provided on the headstock 12 and reciprocates in the X direction.

[0027] The shoe 26 supports the workpiece 60 by contacting its outer circumferential surface as it rotates at the machining position. The shoe 26 is a plate-shaped member and is fixed to the headstock 12 using fasteners such as bolts. When installed, the shoe 26 extends long in the X direction and is tapered so that the width of the tip on the left side in the X direction, which is on the roll 22 and 24 side, becomes smaller. The shoe 26 has an upper surface portion 26a that is positioned parallel to the horizontal plane when installed, and the loader blade 21 reciprocates in the X direction along the upper surface portion 26a of the shoe 26. As shown in Figure 1, the tip of the shoe 26 is positioned between the upper roll 22 and the lower roll 24.

[0028] The upper roll 22 and the lower roll 24 are arranged so that their axis portions, which serve as the centers of rotation, are substantially parallel to each other and rotate substantially on the same plane. The upper roll 22 and the lower roll 24 are configured so that at least one roll 22 or 24 can move closer to or further away from the other roll 24 or 22 by a roll drive mechanism 14 provided on the headstock 12. Each roll 22, 24 is also rotated around its axis by receiving a driving force from a motor that constitutes the roll drive mechanism 14. The axis portions of the upper roll 22 and the lower roll 24 extend in the Z direction, and in this embodiment, the axis portion of one of the two rolls 22, 24 (for example, the upper roll 22) is tilted by 1° to 2° relative to the axis portion of the other roll (for example, the lower roll 24) so ​​that thrust in the Z direction is applied to the workpiece 60.

[0029] The front plate 30 and the backing plate 38 are support members that support both ends of the workpiece 60, and are fixed to the headstock 12 using fasteners 36 such as bolts. In this embodiment, the front plate 30 and the backing plate 38 are each formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. When installed, the surfaces of each plate 30 and 38 coincide with the XY plane and extend long in the X direction, with the backing plate 38 protruding to the left in the X direction more than the front plate 30. The distance between the front plate 30 and the backing plate 38 is set to be approximately equal to the axial dimension of the workpiece 60.

[0030] The front plate 30 is positioned on the Z-front side of the upper roll 22, lower roll 24, and shoe 26, and supports the front end face 60a of the workpiece 60 at the machining position (i.e., the side where the grinding wheel holder is positioned and the grinding wheel 50 is inserted into the workpiece 60). The backing plate 38 is positioned on the Z-rear side of the upper roll 22, lower roll 24, and shoe 26, and supports the rear end face 60b of the workpiece 60 at the machining position.

[0031] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the front plate 30. The front plate 30 has a plurality of fastener holes 34 and an elongated hole 32 which is a through hole sized to allow the grinding wheel 50 to be inserted. As shown in Figure 1, the elongated hole 32 has a long side that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the workpiece 60 is clamped by the two rolls 22, 24 (approximately the vertical direction in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the elongated hole 32 extends linearly along the X direction.

[0032] Figure 3 is a front view showing the relationship between the elongated hole 32 of the front plate 30, the workpiece 60 placed at the processing position, and the grinding wheel 50. The elongated hole 32 is formed in a position where, when the workpiece 60 is installed in the grinding device 10 (i.e., when the workpiece 60 is installed at the processing position where it is ground in the grinding device 10), only a portion of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 and the entire width of the end face 60a are exposed within the elongated hole 32. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elongated hole 32 is formed in a position where, when the workpiece 60 is installed, the grinding wheel 50 can be inserted outside the outer circumference of the workpiece 60, and also in a position where the grinding wheel 50 can be inserted inside the inner circumference of the workpiece 60. Moreover, it is preferable that the elongated hole 32 is formed in a position where the entire inner circumference of the workpiece 60 is exposed, as shown in Figure 3.

[0033] The width dimension W (Y-direction dimension) of the elongated hole 32 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter D of the workpiece 60. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width dimension of the elongated hole 32 is larger than the inner diameter d of the workpiece 60, and the center position of the elongated hole 32 in the width direction is set to coincide with the center of the workpiece 60 at the machining position. This allows the entire inner circumference of the workpiece 60 to be exposed at the machining position, while the upper and lower ends of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 can be brought into contact with the upper and lower edges of the elongated hole 32.

[0034] The length dimension L of the elongated hole 32 is set to be greater than the sum of the inner diameter d of the workpiece 60, the radial thickness t of the workpiece 60, and the outer diameter φ of the grinding wheel 50 used to grind the outer surface of the workpiece 60 (L>d+t+φ). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the size and position of the elongated hole 32 are set such that the workpiece 60 is located to the right of the elongated hole 32, and the grinding wheel 50 used to grind the outer surface of the workpiece 50 can be inserted to the left of the workpiece 60, and the grinding wheel 50 can contact and separate from the outer surface of the workpiece 60. In a front plate 30 having such an elongated hole 32, the upper end, lower end, and right end of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 abut against the front plate 30 at the machining position, thereby maintaining the support state of the workpiece 60.

[0035] For example, a grinding wheel 50 with an outer diameter φ of 3.52 mm to 3.80 mm can be used for a workpiece 60 with an outer diameter D = 4.40 mm, an inner diameter d = 3.00 mm, and a thickness t = 0.7 mm. In this case, the length dimension L of the elongated hole 32 is set to be greater than 8.2 mm. Also, the width dimension W of the elongated hole 32 is set to be greater than the inner diameter d = 3.00 mm of the workpiece 60 and less than the outer diameter D = 4.40 mm of the workpiece 60.

[0036] In Figure 3, the elongated hole 32 has semicircular ends in the longitudinal direction and a rectangular shape in between, but the shape is not limited to this. Any elongated hole 32 that extends linearly in the X direction is acceptable, and for example, an elongated hole 32 that is roughly rectangular with rounded corners may also be used.

[0037] The discharge chute 28 discharges the workpiece 60 after processing and is located on the opposite side of the shoe 26 in the X direction of the headstock 12, with the processing position of the workpiece 60 in between. In this embodiment, the discharge chute 28 is detachably attached to the headstock 12. The discharge chute 28 is formed in an inclined shape that descends from the right side to the left side in the X direction.

[0038] The grinding wheel holder includes a spindle 54 that rotatably supports the grinding wheel 50, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 54. The grinding wheel 50 is pressed against the workpiece 60 while rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the spindle 54. In the grinding device 10, the grinding wheel 50 is replaced as appropriate depending on the part of the workpiece 60 to be ground. In this embodiment, the grinding wheel 50 includes an end-face grinding wheel 50A (see Figures 4A and 4B) for grinding the end face of the workpiece 60, an outer-circumferential surface grinding wheel 50B (see Figures 5A and 5B) for grinding the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece 60, and an inner-circumferential surface grinding wheel 50C (see Figures 6A and 6B) for grinding the inner circumferential surface of the workpiece 60. Note that in Figures 4A, 5A and 6A, the upper roll 22 and lower roll 24 are removed, and the front plate 30 is shown in a cross-sectional view. For example, when grinding the outer surface of a workpiece 60 after grinding the end face 60a, the grinding wheel 50A for the end face is removed and the grinding wheel 50B for the outer surface is installed.

[0039] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the end face grinding wheel 50A is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed tip, and the tip of the spindle 54 is inserted into the base end. The end face grinding wheel 50A has a flat grinding surface at its tip. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the outer surface grinding wheel 50B is formed in a disc shape, and the tip of the spindle 54 is inserted into a mounting hole formed in the center. The outer surface grinding wheel 50B has a grinding surface on its outer surface, and as shown in Figure 5A, this grinding surface is formed in an arc shape with a convex center in the width direction. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the inner surface grinding wheel 50C is formed in a cylindrical shape with open ends, has a grinding surface on its outer surface, and the tip of the spindle 54 is inserted into its interior.

[0040] Furthermore, the shapes of the end face grinding wheel 50A, the outer surface grinding wheel 50B, and the inner surface grinding wheel 50C can be appropriately changed depending on the shape of the workpiece 60 to be ground. For example, if the workpiece 60 to be ground is an outer ring, the grinding surface formed on the outer surface by the inner surface grinding wheel 50C can be made into an arc shape with a convex center in the width direction.

[0041] Next, the operation of the grinding device 10 described above will be explained. First, the operation of the headstock 12 of the grinding device 10 will be explained. In the headstock 12, multiple unprocessed workpieces 60 are housed in the supply chute 20. When the unprocessed workpieces 60 are discharged from the lower end of the supply chute 20 and supplied to the upper surface 26a of the shoe 26, the tip of the loader blade 21 comes into contact with it and pushes them to the left in the X direction. As a result, the workpieces 60 move to the processing position.

[0042] At the processing position, the workpiece 60 is supported by being clamped from opposing directions by the adjacent upper roll 22 and lower roll 24, and also supported by the tip of the shoe 26 contacting the outer surface. Furthermore, the workpiece 60 rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation of each roll 22 and 24 that are in contact with the workpiece 60. In addition, both end faces 60a and 60b of the workpiece 60 are supported by the front plate 30 and the backing plate 38.

[0043] When grinding the end face 60a of a workpiece 60, a grinding wheel 50A for the end face is mounted on the tip of the spindle 54 in the grinding wheel holder of the grinding device 10. The operation of the grinding wheel 50A for the end face is controlled by a control unit provided in the grinding device 10 so as to press against the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 as it rotates at the machining position of the headstock 12. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the grinding wheel 50A for the end face is controlled to pass through the elongated hole 32 of the front plate 30 and contact the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 that is exposed from the elongated hole 32. When grinding of the workpiece 60 is complete, the upper roll 22 and the lower roll 24 separate, and the ground workpiece 60 is discharged to the outside of the grinding device 10 from the discharge chute 28.

[0044] When grinding the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece 60 using the grinding device 10, a grinding wheel 50B for the outer circumferential surface is mounted on the tip of the spindle 54 on the grinding wheel holder. The settings and operation of the headstock 12 are the same as when grinding the end face 60a of the workpiece 60. The operation of the grinding wheel 50B for the outer circumferential surface is controlled by the control unit of the grinding device 10 so that it is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece 60 as it rotates at the machining position of the headstock 12. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the grinding wheel 50B for the outer circumferential surface moves through the elongated hole 32 of the front plate 30 so as to be positioned outside the outer circumference of the workpiece 60, and is then controlled to contact the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece 60.

[0045] When grinding the inner surface of the workpiece 60 with the grinding device 10, an inner surface grinding wheel 50C is mounted on the tip of the spindle 54 on the grinding wheel holder. The settings and operation of the headstock 12 are the same as when grinding the end face 60a of the workpiece 60. The operation of the inner surface grinding wheel 50C is controlled by the control unit of the grinding device 10 so that it is pressed against the inner surface of the workpiece 60 as it rotates at the machining position of the headstock 12. Specifically, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the inner surface grinding wheel 50C moves through the elongated hole 32 of the front plate 30 so as to be positioned on the inside of the inner circumference of the workpiece 60, and is then controlled to contact the inner surface of the workpiece 60.

[0046] Thus, in the grinding apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the workpiece 60 is gripped and rotated by the upper roll 22 and the lower roll 24, and both end faces 60a and 60b of the workpiece 60 can be supported by the front plate 30 and the backing plate 38. The front plate 30 has an elongated hole 32 formed therein, which is sized and shaped to allow each grinding wheel 50A, 50B, and 50C to pass through. The position of the elongated hole 32 is set so that only a part of the workpiece 60 at the processing position is exposed, and the entire width of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60, i.e., the entire thickness of the workpiece 60, is exposed. Therefore, since only a part of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 is exposed, there is no risk of the workpiece 60 falling from the processing position through the elongated hole 32, that is, the support function of the front plate 30 is not impaired.

[0047] Furthermore, since the entire width of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 is exposed through the elongated hole 32, it is possible to polish and grind the end face 60a with the grinding wheel 50A for the end face. That is, since the workpiece 60 is rotated by the two rolls 22 and 24, the entire area of ​​the end face 60a can be polished and ground by bringing the grinding wheel 50A for the end face into contact with the end face 60a of the workpiece 60. In addition, the grinding wheel 50B for the outer surface can be inserted through the elongated hole 32 to the outside of the outer circumference of the rotating workpiece 60, and the outer surface of the workpiece 60 can be ground by pressing this grinding wheel 50B against the outer surface of the workpiece 60. In addition, the grinding wheel 50C for the inner surface can be inserted through the elongated hole 32 to the inside of the inner circumference of the rotating workpiece, and the inner surface of the workpiece 60 can be ground by pressing this grinding wheel 50C against the inner surface of the workpiece 60.

[0048] Thus, the grinding device 10 can grind multiple different parts of the workpiece 60 by simply changing the grinding wheel 50 depending on the grinding area and changing the operation of the grinding wheel 50 within the range of the elongated hole 32. Furthermore, in the grinding device 10 of this embodiment, there is no need to change the settings on the headstock 12 side when changing the grinding area of ​​the workpiece 60, thus improving the efficiency of the grinding operation.

[0049] Conventional grinding devices, for example, those in which a circular hole is formed in the front plate that is larger than the outer diameter of the grinding wheel but smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece, and the inner circumferential surface of the workpiece is ground by the grinding wheel through this circular hole, require the front plate to be replaced when grinding the end face of the workpiece, making the setting work of the grinding device complicated. Furthermore, in such a grinding device, if one tries to move the grinding wheel to the outside of the outer circumference of the workpiece, avoiding the front plate, the distance the grinding wheel moves becomes longer, meaning the movement time of the grinding wheel increases, and the efficiency of the grinding work decreases. In the grinding device 10 of this embodiment, the work of replacing the front plate 30 when changing the grinding area can be eliminated, and the distance the grinding wheel 50 moves during grinding can be shortened, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0050] Furthermore, in the grinding apparatus 10 of this embodiment, since the width dimension of the elongated hole 32 formed in the front plate 30 is smaller than the outer diameter D of the workpiece 60, the condition that only a part of the workpiece 60 is exposed can be satisfied regardless of the position of the workpiece 60 in the longitudinal direction. In other words, it is possible to prevent the workpiece 60 from falling out regardless of its position in the elongated hole 32, and it is also possible to easily position the workpiece 60 so that its entire width is exposed within the longitudinal region of the elongated hole 32. In addition, since the end face 60a portion of the workpiece 60 abuts against the widthwise edge of the elongated hole 32, the rotating workpiece 60 can be stably brought into contact with the front plate 30 when grinding the workpiece 60 with the grinding wheel 50. Also, since the entire inner circumference of the workpiece 60 is exposed through the elongated hole 32, a relatively large grinding wheel 50 with an outer diameter close to the inner diameter d of the workpiece 60 can be used when grinding the inner surface of the workpiece 60, thus suppressing wear of the grinding wheel 50.

[0051] In the grinding device 10 described above, the grinding wheel 50 inserted into the elongated hole 32 of the front plate 30 allows grinding of the end face 60a, outer surface, and inner surface of the workpiece 60. The size and shape of the elongated hole 32 only need to be set so that the grinding wheel 50 inserted into the elongated hole 32 allows grinding of either the outer surface or the inner surface of the workpiece 60, along with the end face 60a of the workpiece 60.

[0052] Specifically, in the grinding apparatus 10, the through-hole provided in the support member that supports the end face 60a of the rotating workpiece 60 only needs to be formed so that only a portion of the end face 60a of the workpiece 60 and the entire width of the end face 60a are exposed, and so as to be positioned so that the grinding wheel 50 can be inserted outside the outer circumference of the workpiece 60 (see Figure 7) or inside the inner circumference of the workpiece 60 (see Figure 8). Furthermore, the through-hole in the support member into which the grinding wheel 50 is inserted may be of a shape other than the elongated hole 32 (for example, a circular or triangular through-hole). If the through-hole is circular, the center of the circle is set to be offset from the center of the workpiece 60 at the processing position.

[0053] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0054] For example, if support members (i.e., a front plate 30 and a backing plate 38) that support the end faces of the workpiece 60 are provided on both end faces 60a and 60b, it is possible to grind both end faces 60a and 60b of the workpiece 60 by providing through holes in each support member into which a grinding wheel 50 can be inserted, and by installing a grinding wheel mechanism for rotating and moving the grinding wheel 50 on each support member side. Furthermore, if the grinding device 10 is provided with support members and through holes on only one side, it is possible to grind the entire surface of the workpiece 60 by grinding one end face 60a of the workpiece 60, then replacing the workpiece 60 and grinding the opposite end face 60b. In the grinding apparatus 10 of this embodiment, when grinding the opposite end face 60b of the workpiece 60, the workpiece 60 with an unprocessed end face 60b is placed in the supply chute 20 so that the end face 60b faces the front plate 30 side (i.e., the forward side in the Z direction), and then the opposite end face 60b can be ground by performing the same process as for grinding the end face 60a described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 10 Grinding device 12 Headstock 20 supply chutes 22 Upper Roll (Roll) 24 Lower Roll (Roll) 26 Shoe 28 Discharge Chute 30 Front plate (support member) 32 Long hole surface 38 Backing Plates 50 whetstones 60 Work 60a, 60b End faces of the workpiece

Claims

1. Two rolls that grip and rotate an annular workpiece from opposing directions, A shoe supporting the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece, A support member that supports the end face of the rotating workpiece, A grinding wheel that is pressed against the surface of the workpiece to grind the workpiece, In a grinding apparatus equipped with, The support member has a through hole of a size that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted, The grinding device is characterized in that the through hole is formed in a position where, in the installed state of the workpiece, only a portion of the end face of the workpiece and the entire width of the end face are exposed, and the grinding wheel can be inserted outside the outer circumference of the workpiece.

2. Two rolls that grip and rotate an annular workpiece from opposing directions, A shoe supporting the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece, A support member that supports the end face of the rotating workpiece, A grinding wheel that is pressed against the surface of the workpiece to grind the workpiece, In a grinding apparatus equipped with, The support member has a through hole of a size that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted, The grinding device is characterized in that, when the workpiece is installed, only a portion of the end face of the workpiece and the entire width of the end face are exposed, and the through hole is formed in a position that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted inside the inner circumference of the workpiece.

3. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the through hole is formed in a position that allows the grinding wheel to be inserted inside the inner circumference of the workpiece when the workpiece is installed.

4. The through hole is an elongated hole having a long side that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the workpiece is clamped by the two rolls. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the width dimension of the elongated hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece.

5. The through-hole is an elongated hole having a long side that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the workpiece is clamped by the two rolls, and is formed in a position where the entire inner circumference of the workpiece is exposed when the workpiece is installed. The grinding apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the width dimension of the elongated hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the workpiece, and the length dimension of the elongated hole is larger than the sum of the inner diameter of the workpiece, the radial thickness of the workpiece, and the outer diameter of the grinding wheel.

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