Abrasive member.

The present invention relates to an abrasive member, particularly to an abrasive disk or an abrasive strip.

Such abrasive members are well known and widely used, however they suffer from certain drawbacks.

The fastening action of an abrasive member to a honing machine, grinder or the like, or the fastening action of the abrasive member to the plate of a honing machine, grinder or the like and/or to an abrasive member-bearing support of a honing machine, grinder or the like has some drawbacks. It is necessary to be sure to have properly positioned the member, that is with the face of the member having the abrasive material turned in the proper operating position.

The proper positioning of the disk substantially depends on the fact of providing an accurate arrangement of possible suction holes on the abrasive member, that have to be properly aligned with corresponding suction intakes that are on the honing machine or the like and/or on the abrasive member- carrying plate or the like. It is known that certain honing machines or grinders have a suction system incorporated therein in order to remove most of dust generated during the operation. Tipically the suction is made by a pump, a compressor or the like that draw air directly near or behind the abrasive member. Particularly a preferred solution provides the abrasive member to be partially porous or to have through holes

to be aligned with corresponding suction intakes of the honing machine or of the abrasive member-carrying plate or the like.

The correct positioning of the abrasive member is very important for the proper and efficient operation of the honing machine or the like.

The abrasive member can be mounted in the form of a thin abrasive disk or strip on a support possibly integral with the machine. Unfortunately often the abrasive member has to be replaced during the operation or at the end thereof, or in dimly lit or dusty places, such as for example workshops where such actions are made.

It is therefore very easy to mount the abrasive member in the wrong way, above all when the operation for replacing or fastening the new abrasive member has to be made in short time, for example not aligning holes of the abrasive member with respect to suction intakes, or by mounting the abrasive member upside down, i.e. with the face having the abrasive material faced towards the abrasive member-carrying plate or towards the machine. In this case, i.e. in the case of a wrong mounting, it is necessary to remove again the abrasive member and to mount it again in the correct position, or it necessary, when mounting it, to makes particular attention, and this leads to a prolongation of times for changing the abrasive member, leading to a rise in costs.

A further drawback is due to the fact that abrasive members, both abrasive disks or strips

according to prior art, in order to be identified have on the side where the adhesive is not present, a set of codes or writings in order to identify parameters like the type of abrasive sheet, the manufacturing company the material or the processing they are intended for. These writings or codes are usually printed on the back of the abrasive member. However after using the abrasive member, even only for few times, the writing tends to fade and to be removed both due to processing heat and to wear. Therefore the abrasive member is not more recognizable or however it is hardly to recognize it sometimes even after the first use. Therefore an abrasive member that has been used and then left for example on the bench is difficult to be identified, preventing the correct recognition of the type, brand or other characteristics of the abrasive member.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an abrasive member, having at least a layer of abrasive material, said member further having at least a first and a second face, said first face being at least partially covered or composed of said at least one layer of abrasive material, and said abrasive member further having at least a port like a hole or dead hole, and wherein said at least one port is at least part of a graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message.

Tipically, but not limited to, such abrasive member is made like a disk, that is rotatably placed on honing machines or grinders or the like, or like an abrasive strip.

Thus the operator, when mounting the abrasive member is highly assisted in making the mounting in the correct position, since it will be sufficient for the operator to look at the graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message on the face of the abrasive member and to note if the message can be properly read.

For example the message can be only one letter, number, or a drawing, anyway a representation that is evident for the operator and that is prompt to be identified if it is or not in the correct position. For example for an operator it is immediate to identify if letter E or letter R can be properly read or if are overturned.

By way of example and not limited to, in the case if the message is obtained for example on the face of the member having the abrasive material the operator recognizes the correct positioning of the abrasive member with respect to the honing machine, grinder or the like by reading or interpreting the massage. For example it is possible for the message to be make such that the operator has to read the massage when the abrasive member is mounted in the correct position. In this case the operator at mounting has only to be sure that the message on the abrasive member can be properly read. This leads to a considerable saving in time, since it makes easier and safer the operation mounting the abrasive member on the abrasive member-carrying plate or on the machine in the correct operating position. The message may also be made such to compose a

word, whose correct reading confirms the correct positioning of the abrasive memeber to the operator.

Particularly it is possible to provide the message containing information or indications regarding abrasive grain, name or the type of the abrasive sheet, the name of the manufacturing company or like information. Thus the disk according to the present invention solves an important drawback related to abrasive members according to prior art, an abrasive disk or strip according to the present invention can be always identified as regards characteristics put inside the message. For example if the information content of the message is composed of an indication of the type of abrasive disk both as regards roughness and the material to be processed and for example the company manufacturing the member, these information will be always readable and available, since they are made by holes or ports that are not subjected to cancellation either due to wear or heat. Abrasive members can be composed of one or more layers of material, and ports for generating the massage can be made like through holes or dead holes in the abrasive member.

In the case if holes are made as through holes a further advantage obtained from the present invention is that the message is clearly readable even when the abrasive member is mounted in place. In prior art abrasive members possible printed messages are placed, due to obvious reasons, on the back of the abrasive member that is on the surface of the member faced

towards the abrasive member-carrying plate or towards the machine, that is on the member surface not having abrasive material. This leads to the fact that for reading a message, for example regarding the grain of the abrasive member, it is necessary to remove the abrasive member from the abrasive member-bearing support or from the machine, to turn it and read the message, supposing that it is still readable and it is not erased or worn due to above reasons. In the abrasive member according to the present invention the fact of having the message made by through holes or dead holes on the face having abrasive material, allows the operator to read the message even when the abrasive member is mounted in its operating position. In addition the fact of having the massage made by through holes advantageously increases the cooling of the abrasive member during the operation, rendering the abrasive member more efficient.

Particularly an advantageous embodiment provides ports to be made like through holes passing through all the abrasive member. Thus further advantages are possible: the presence of through ports making said message, at the same time makes also a set of ports that can be advantageously used for removing dust of taken away material deriving from the operation process. In some types of honing machines, grinders or the like a suction of dust of taken away material can be provided directly from the abrasive member-carrying plate, both for cleanliness reasons, related to the fact that dispersion of dust in the environment is

avoided, and a greater cleaning of the abrasive member is obtained during the processing, increasing the efficacy of the abrasive action and so of the processing. Through ports according to the present invention makes possible the advantage of allowing a correct and fast positioning of the abrasive member on the abrasive member-carrying plate of the machine or on the machine itself, and through ports can be also advantageously used for removing dust of taken away material.

According to a further embodiment it is possible to provide the abrasive member to be made by a support sub-layer coupled to a layer of abrasive material or upon which the abrasive material is applied. In the case if the abrasive member comprises also a support sub-layer it is possible to provide different and advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

For example if ports are made like dead holes and ports are made on the face of the abrasive material faced towards the abrasive member-carrying plate in the correct mounting position. In this case ports according to the present invention generate a message that can be read only on the face of the abrasive member to be hidden in the correct mounting position. It is therefore easy for the operator to identify if the mounting position is a correct or wrong one depending on the fact if the message can be read or not.

Similar reasoning can be made with dead holes made on the face of the abrasive member having the abrasive material or layer. In this case the message can be read

only on the abrasive face of the member and so the operator can verify if the mounting of the member is in the correct position when he can read the message.

It is important to underline the fact that holes have not only a circular shape, but they can be advantageously made with an elongated shape, for example like notches.

According to a further improvement it is further possible for the abrasive member to have at least an alignment key for properly aligning the abrasive member on at least a support or abrasive member-carrying plate.

The alignment key for example is composed of, but it is not limited to, at least one, or a set of holes arranged according to preferred profiles or patterns.

Advantageously the alignment key allows the operator making the mounting to position the member by putting it in the correct position with respect to the abrasive member-carrying plate or the support upon which the abrasive member is mounted.

This characteristic combined with the presence of a message that can be properly read by the operator only on a side of the abrasive member makes the action for mounting the abrasive member very easy and potentially it reduces almost at all the possibility to make a wrong mounting.

The fact of having a message made by ports described above and claimed below helps the operator in selecting the correct face of the abrasive member, and once the correct face has been choosen, the operator is

assisted in properly mounting the member on the plate also due to said alignment key, that in order to have a correct mounting has to be matched with a specific reference on the abrasive member-carrying plate or on the honing machine, grinder or the like by the operator. Advantageously the correct positioning of the alignment key match suction holes on the abrasive member with corresponding suction intakes on the honing machine or the like and/or on the abrasive member- carrying plate or the like.

According to a further advantageous characteristic ports composing at least part of the graphic and/or numeri and/or alphanumeric message have a different size with respect to hole or holes composing the alignment key. Thus the operator is not deceived by the simultaneous presence of ports making the message and holes making the alignment key, the different size helps in immediately recognizing the massage and the alignment key. Particularly in order to advantageously make faster the recognition of the alignment key and the message it is provided for ports composing at least part of the graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message to have a size smaller than size of said holes or said holes composing the alignment key.

These and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more evident from the following description of some embodiments shown in annexed drawings wherein: Fig.l is a plan view of an abrasive member

according to the present invention having a message that can be properly read;

Fig.2 is a plan view of an abrasive member according to the present invention having a message that cannot be properly read;

Fig.3 is a plan view of an abrasive member according to the present invention having a message that can be properly read and an alignment key;

Fig.4 is a section view of an abrasive member according to the present invention;

Fig.5 is a section view of an abrasive member according to the present invention and wherein the abrasive member has a support sub-layer.

Fig.6 is an abrasive member in the form of a strip according to the present invention wherein holes are made like alphabet letters.

Fig.7 is an abrasive member in the form of a disk according to the present invention wherein holes are made like alphabet letters. Fig.8 is an abrasive member in the form of a strip according to the present invention wherein holes are made like notches.

Fig.9 is an abrasive member in the form of a disk according to the present invention wherein holes are made like notches.

In figure 1 and 2 there is shown an abrasive member, particularly in the shown embodiment of an abrasive disk 1 having a layer of abrasive material 40, and having a first face 101 and a second face 102, and wherein the first face 101 is at least partially

covered or composed of the layer of abrasive material 40.

The layer of abrasive material can be a self- supporting one or can be applied on at least a support layer, as it will be described below with reference to a further embodiment.

It is possible to note through hole-like ports 2 composing or making a graphic message 3, particularly ports 2 make the writing FRONT, which can be correctly read on the first face 101 of the abrasive member 1 shown in fig.l. On the contrary the writing FRONT cannot be read, or it seems wrong, if the abrasive member is considered by a plan looking of the second face 102, such as shown in fig.2. In this case shown in figs. 1 and 2 through ports 2 make the writing FRONT that can be correctly read on the side of the abrasive member having the abrasive material 40, while by looking at the back or second face 102 of the abrasive member 1 the writing FRONT is reversed.

An operator that has to mount the disk on the abrasive member-carrying plate of the machine or on the machine itself in the correct operating position will be helped by correct reading of the massage, that in this case is the writing FRONT, and by means of the latter he will find the correct operating position for mounting it and/or which of the two sides of the abrasive member is the one with the abrasive material.

The message can be of any type, it can be composed of one or more numbers and/or letters and/or words

having complete meaning and/or drawings advantageously helping the operator during the step for mounting the member .

According to an alternative embodiment it is possible to provide ports 2 making the massage to be like a through hole or dead hole only on one face of the abrasive material 1 or on both faces of the abrasive material 1, which member can comprise also a support sub-layer 42 such as shown in figs. 4 and 5. In fig 4 there is shown a section view of an abrasive member 1 according to the present invention wherein the first face 101 can be seen, said abrasive member being completely made of abrasive material 40, for example synthetic composite embedding hard and/or soft abrasive material, such as diamond dust or the like.

In fig.5 there is shown a section of an abrasive member having on the contrary a support sub-layer 42, upon which the abrasive material 40 is fastened. Particularly in fig. 6 ports 2 are shown regarding the first face 101 having the abrasive material 40 in their all possible depths. Ports can be dead ones, such as ports 201, 202 and 204, or can be through ones such as the port 203. The port 201 is obtained like a dead hole only in the abrasive material, while the port 202 is obtained like a through hole only in the support sub-layer 42, and it ends at the support sub-layer 42. The port 204 is made like a through one passing through the layer of abrasive material 40 and it is like a dead hole in the

support sub-layer 42. In all these cases when the port is not a completely through one, i.e. it does not pass through all the abrasive member 1, the message or drawing generated by ports can be seen only on a face of the abrasive member 1.

Therefore for defining the correct side or face of the abrasive member, the operator that has to mount the abrasive member is helped by the fact that he can look at or read the message generated by said ports. It is possible to make said ports directly generating a graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message, as a letter and/or a number and/or a drawing and/or any graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message, for example as ports having a predetermined shape, such as the shape of a number, letter or the like, such as for example it is shown in figs. 6 and 7. Particularly it is possible for example to provide ports generating the word SKILLED such as shown in fig.6 wherein the abrasive member has a strip-like shape or as in fig.7 wherein the abrasive member has a disk-like shape.

Alternatively said ports, such as shown in figs. 1 and 2 can be made like holes of any shape, which if are one near the other and suitably arranged produce a part of or a complete graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message, such as a letter and/or a number and/or a drawing and/or any graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message. For example in figs. 1 and 2 the letters of the word FRONT are generated by suitably arranging circular hole-like ports one near

the other, while in figs. 8 and 9 the message composed by the word SKILLED is generated by ports or holes made like not circular notches.

Moreover it is possible to consider a combination of different embodiments of the above ports.

In addition in fig.3 it is possible to note an alignement key 4 for properly aligning the abrasive member on at least a support for abrasive members.

In fig 3 the alignement key is made by a set of holes 401 placed according to preferred profiles or patterns, for example like a row. The alignement key allows the operator making the mounting to position the member by putting it in the correct position with respect to the abrasive member carrying plate or the support upon which the abrasive member is mounted, therefore the operator can properly aligning possible suction holes, that can be also completely or partially through ports 2 generating the message, with corresponding suction intakes on the honing machine or the like and/or on the abrasive member-carrying plate or the like, by simply coinciding the alignement key with a suitable reference means that can be provided on the abrasive member-carrying plate or the like and/or on the honing machine, grinder or the like. Particularly in fig 3 ports are provided as through ones, the honing machine or grinder is provided with a suction system and ports 2 serve also as suction ports for dusts of the material taken away during the processing step of the honing machine, grinder or the like, moreover ports serve for increasing cooling of

the abrasive member.

Advantageously in addition, in order to improve the identification between alignement keys 4 and message 3 there is provided for ports 2 composing at least a part of the graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message 3 to have sizes different from said hole or holes 401 composing said at least one alignement key.

Particularly in fig.3 ports 2 composing at least a part of a graphic and/or numeric and/or alphanumeric message have sizes smaller than sizes of said hole or holes 401 composing said at least alignement key.

Alternatively, above all when the sub-layer 42 is a porous one, said notches can be made only in the abrasive material and can end at the support sub-layer 42 as dead notches.

According to further improvements the abrasive member 1 has a substantially circular plan shape, and alternatively or in combination it provides a support sub-layer 42 that is soft or semi-rigid.

On the face 102 of the member 1 opposite to the face having the abrasive material, according to a preferred and advantageous embodiment the member provides at least a fastening means for fastening said abrasive member to a honing machine, grinder or the like and/or for fastening said abrasive member to the plate of a honing machine, grinder or the like and/or to an abrasive member-bearing support or an abrasive member-carrying support of a honing machine, grinder or the like.

Moreover such as shown a central fastening hole and/or further holes or fastening means can be provided that tipically are on known abrasive disks.