US1503497A - Lens-grinding machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 5 1924. 1,503,497

' A. E. GLANCY I LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed July 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR A.ESTELLE GLANCY B y z eewwmm ATTORNEYS Au 5, 1924. r 1,503,497

. 4 A. E. GLANCY IJENS GfiINDING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1922 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AZ ESTELLE GLANC ATTQRN EYS spherical, sphere-cylindrical or toric curve (Patented Aug. 5, 1924 ANNA ESTELLE GLAN'CY, or SOUTHBR-IDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'ro AMERI- tastier earner strict;

CAN OPTICAL COIMPANY, OF SOUTHBRIDG-E, BIASSACHIJ'SE'IITS, A VOLUNTARY AS- SOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

LENS-GRINDING MACHINE.

' Application filed July 3,

Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lens-Grinding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin lens grinding machines and has particular reference to a novel and improved form of machine especially adapted for use in the production of ophthalmic lenses;

One of the principal objects of the present'invention is the provision of a machine adapted for use in the generation of a for a plurality of ophthalmic lenses, as distinguished from the transference method of lens surfacing more commonlyv employed.

A further obj eot of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved mechanism which may be adjusted to pro-; duce a plurality of different curves without change or modification of the tool by which the same, are produced 7 Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood, that I may make any modifications in the specific details of construction shown and described Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention. 7 I

Figure I represents a view partially in elevation and partially in section of one form for carrying out the generic principles of my, invention. 7 b

Figure II represents a view looking at the machine from the right as shown in Figure I.

Figure 111 represents a sectional View taken as on the line IIIIII of Figure I.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main base or frame of the ma.

chine, having rising therefrom the standard 2 in which is journaled the shaft 3 driven as by power applied to the pulley i and bearing the disc orwheel 5 provided with an outwardly extending flange or rim portion 6 designed to bear upon its inner 1922. Serial No. 572,755.

be secured in position as by pitch or other face a plurality of lens blanks 7 whichmay;

suitable adhesive, and are adapted to be consecutively operated upon by the lens engaging tool 7 which is carried by the spindle 8. This spindle 8 is slidably and rota ably supported by the sleeve 9 pivoted as at 10 between the arms of the yoke member 11. The yoke member itself is held and vertically adjusted along a second standard 12 rising from the base, being held in. Vere tically adjusted position asby the screw 13,

while the graduations 1a serve to indicate theposition to which the yoke and associated parts have been shifted. The'yoke is further provided with the pulley 15 driven as bythe belt 16, and having the slot 17 in its face to engage the adjustable eccentric pin 18 connected by the link 19 with. the ear V 20'on the sleeve 9,. whereby rotation of the pulley 15 serves to'rock the sleeve 9 and associated parts on the pivots or trunnions 10.-

In the use ofmy improved machine the wheel 5 is rotated and at the same time the, The effect of this combined movement is that'asrthe lenses member 9 oscillated.

are carried. around with the wheelf5 they have formed along their axes 21 a curve having as its radius the distance from the center line 22 to the face of the tool 7, while at the same time they have formed thereon a transverse curvealong, the line 23 determined by the distance from the center 24 of the trunnion 10 to the surface of the tool, this on account of the transverse rock- 1 ing movement imparted t the tool through the link 19. It will thus be seen that using a spherically surfaced tool 7 with it and the spindle 8 rotated as bysuitable power applied to the pulley 25, therelwill befgen erated or maintained upon the face of each lens a toric surface having different curves in the two principal meridians. If it is desired to make the curve along the, me ridian 23 a sharper curve, this is accomplished by turning the adjusting screw 13 t lower the bracket or yoke 11 b-ringing'the center 24 nearer the surfaceof the lens and thus shortening up the radius, while if it is desired to increase the length of this radius this. is accomplished by raising of the yoke 11 and in order that the curve maybe maintained as near accurate as possibleI preferably make use of the adjustable stop 26 carried by the sleeve 9 and adapted to engage with the lower surface of the pulley 25, this pulley being carried by the collar 27 and capable of adjustable clamping along the shaft 8 as by'the set or clamp screw 29.

In setting up the machine with a given diameter of wheel 5, such that its rotation will, for example, produce a 6 diopter curve along the axis 21, the yoke is adjusted to position to produce, for example, a 9.25 curve as indicated by the graduations let in Figure I, and the pulley 25 lowered until it substantially strikes the stop 26 and clamped 'in this position.

The stop 26 is then let back just the thickness which it is desired to remove from the surface of the lenses during'the grinding operation, so that the weightof the spindle 8 and associated parts will carry the tool 7 that amount into the lens before the engagement between the pulley and stop will prevent further clownward sliding movement of the spindle 8, and thus cause the termination of the grinding action. If slight additional grinding is desired the stop 26 may be turned'slightly without making an appreciable variation in the dioptric curve produced or a similar adjustment may be made during the polishing operation, but in any eventthe transverse curve is controlled by the vertical adjustment of the member 11 and thus of the axis 24: about which the sleeve 9 and associated parts pivot, while the combined oscillation and rotation of the spindle 8 coupled with the rotation of'the shaft 3 and wheel 5 present every part of each of the lenses to the surface of the tool 7 so that the desired curve or combination of curves will be produced or finished thereon.

The particular advantage of the present invention is its adaptability for use in the production of negative toric: lenses. In the production of positive toric lenses it has been possible to make use of a loosely held grinding or polishing tool formed on its concave face, with the complement of the curves which it is desired to produce on the lens, and no difficulty is experienced. In attempting however, to use the polisher of this type on concave toric: surfaces held on a rigidwheel such as 6, in the present drawing it has been found that the edge of the tool will tend to catch on the lens and tilt, Wedging it against the rigid lens causing the lens to be loosened or knocked off the blockor supporting device. This diihculty is entirely obviated however with the pres ent construction making use of the spherically curved rigidly held tool, for the reason that the tool as will be understood by reference to Figure I strikes on a line only so that the edges curve up clear to the lens and there is no liability of the edge of the tool catching against the edge of the lens and pulling off or spoiling a lens, while at the same time the true and correct curve is generated in place of the surface of the tool being reproduced as has been customary in the prior forms.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rotatable wheel having a flange laterally extending therefrom and adapted to receive a plurality of lenses on its inner periphery, a bracket arranged in proximity to the wheel and having a portion extending within the flange portion, a pivoted sleeve carried by the bracket, a rotatable shaft carried by the sleeve, a lens surfacing tool carried by one end of the rotatable shaft, means to rotate the shaft, a pitman connected to the sleeve, and means to drive the pitman whereby to oscillate the sleeve and rotatable shaft therein transversely of the flange, and means to rotate the wheel and flange.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a rotatable wheel having a flange carried thereby, said flange being adapted to receive a multiplicity of lenses on its inner periphery thereof, means to rotate the wheel and flange, a bracket having an arm extending within the flange of the wheel, means to adjust the arm to and from the inner periphery of the flange,'a sleeve pivotally carried by the inner end of' the arm, a rotatable shaft arranged within the sleeve, means to rotate the shaft within the sleeve, adjustable means to restrict theadjustment of the shaft within the sleeve, a surfacing tool carried by one end of the shaft, and adapted to contact with the lenses on the inner periphery of the flange, and link means to oscillate the sleeve and shafttransversely of the flange whereby to generate a curve of a predetermined radius in the transverse axis of the lenses to be ground, and means to drive the link means.

8. A device of the character descr bed, comprising a rotatable wheel having a flange adapted to carry a multiplicity of lenses on its interior face, the curvature of the flange being of the approximate finished desired curve of the lenses to be ground, a

bracket arranged in proximity to the wheel and having an arm extending within the flange of the wheel, a pivoted sleeve carried by the arm, a rotatable shaft arranged within the sleeve and carrying a surfacing tool at one end thereof adapted to contact with the lenses to be ground, means to adjust the arm on the bracket with respect to the inner periphery of the flange to determine the radius of curvature to be formedon the lenses, and means associated with the said sleeve to oscillate the sleeve and rotatable shaft to generate a curvature of power on the transverse meridian of the lenses.

ANNA ESTELLE .GLAN CY.

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