HILBURN CAREY (US)
GRACE CHRISTOPHER R (US)
HILBURN CAREY (US)
WO2007008207A1 | 2007-01-18 |
US4137617A | 1979-02-06 | |||
GB821511A | 1959-10-07 | |||
US2971247A | 1961-02-14 |
CLAIMS:
1. An abrading device in the nature of a disk for use in concert
with a power tool for removing measured amounts of material from a work
piece;
said disk being of relatively thin material, and having a front face and
a rear face, said disk having a series of tooth segments formed therein, each
segment having a plurality of omnidirectional abrading elements facing
outwardly from said front face, said tooth segments being spaced from one
another;
an attachment device, said attaching device being affixed to the rear
face of said disk in said spaces, said attachment device comprising facing
attachment elements, each said one of said attachment elements engaging a
companion attachment element on the power tool to thereby adhere said
disk to said power tool to drive said disk to remove material when placed
against the work piece.
2. The disk as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the said disk includes
a central segment; said central segment having an array of cutting teeth
therein.
3. The disk as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said disk is planar.
4. The disk as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said teeth in each
said segment are arrayed to cut in any direction in which said disk is moved.
5. The disk as set forth in Claim 1, wherein each said disk
includes a plurality of vents for cooling purposes.
6. The disk as set forth in Claim 5, wherein said vents are
located between each said tooth segment and said center segment.
7. The disk as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said attachment
device comprises a hook and loop arrangement.
8. An abrading device in the nature of a disk for use in concert
with a power tool for removing measured amounts of material from a work
piece;
said disk being planer and of relatively thin material, and having
a front face and a rear face, said disk having a series of tooth segments
formed therein, each said tooth segment having a plurality of abrading
elements, said tooth segments being spaced from one another; said
abrading elements in said segments combined to cut in any direction in
which said disk is moved;
an attachment device, said attachment device comprising
facing
attachment elements, one of said attachment elements being affixed to the
rear face of said disk in said spaces between said tooth segments, one of
said attachment elements engaging a companion attachment element on the
power tool to thereby adhere said disk to said power tool to drive said disk
to remove material when placed against the work piece.
9. An abrading device as set forth in Claim 8 for use in concert
with a power tool for removing measured amounts of material from a work
piece, said disk having abrading elements on the front face; said one of said
attachment elements and said companion attachment element being
engagable with one another by means of a hook and loop device.
10. An abrading device in the nature of a disk for use in concert
with a power tool for removing measured amounts of material from a work
piece;
said disk being of relatively thin material and having a front face
and a rear face, said disk being planer and having a series of tooth segments
formed therein, said disk being affixed to the power tool such that channels
are created between the rear side of the disk and the power tool which
permit the discharge of abraded debris from the area directly behind the
tooth segments. |
IMPROVEMENTS IN SANDING DISKS
The present invention relates generally to disks used for sanding
in conjunction with a power tool, such as an electric drill or vibrating pad.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The sand disk of the present invention is intended for use in
finishing wood products, or the like, in conjunction with a power tool such as
an electric drill. This represents an improvement in the sand disk shown
and described in the above referenced co-pending application.
As stated in the co-pending application, there is a plethora of
sanding devices, all of which have one or more deficiencies ranging from
quickly loading up with removed material to accelerated wear. It is the
intent and purpose of this device to alleviate, if not eliminate, the
deficiencies of existing devices.
Overview of the Prior Art
While the intrinsic value of sandpaper products is almost
universally recognized, so too are the deficiencies. Among early patented
efforts to eliminate the paper backing used in conventional sandpapers is
Lambert patent number 1,729,881, issued in 1929. Lambert teaches a
rotary disk having a series of uniformly spaced punched cutting teeth.
Lambert was primarily concerned with the positioning and rigidity of the
disk, which was intended for use. with a hand power tool, to avoid imbalance
and the dangers of flying debris. Schwartz, in his patent number 4,685,181
offers a slightly different shaped disk with teeth formed by drilling holes and
then upsetting an edge of the opening.
While Lambert focused on a sanding device for a rotary tool,
Benis et al. applied his thinking to a vibratory device in his patent number
3,583,107 for a flexible sheet metai speed file. A uniform pattern of
punched teeth were formed on a rectangular piece of malleable metal. The
thrust of the patent was, however, directed to the flaps 29, 31 which were
used to hold the device to the hand tool. Konrad patent number 4,028,781
is a similar type device, and Young patent number 5,683,292 is yet another
abrading device with rows of upstanding, similarly oriented, teeth having
angles of 45 to 135 degrees.
Having found devices for use with rotary, orbital and vibratory
power tools, Konrad patent number 4,377,081 addresses the use of a metal
belt surfacing tool which has been perforated to form teeth.
The shape of the teeth is a function of the punching device used
to form them, as evidenced by the several patents discussed, together with
Amsen patent number 2,820,28I 7 which teaches an abrasive device in which
the teeth are formed by a punch which causes the upward tearing of the
material so as to have five upstanding points. Kaufman, on the other hand,
in his patent number 3,468,079, creates a star-like tooth. Kaufman
envisions his device as a callous remover.
It will be appreciated that when a punch, or stamping device, is
used, the punch penetrated the metal material at a center point, and the
material is literally torn, as the punch advances; from that central point to
the root, or perimeter, of the tooth, which is determined by the depth of the
punch. Each segment of torn material will define a sharp point which is
intended to contact the material, e.g., wood, plastic or metal, and remove
particles thereof.
Yet another inventor, Rickey Newmayer, has yet another device
in the form of a rotary disk (patent number 4,137,617) having square
and/or circular teeth for the cutting of plastics. The formation of the
Newmayer teeth is attributable, in the Newmayer specification, to two other
patents, and both of those patents talk of punch and die methods.
There are several other patents found in the abrading art, all of
which have one or more variations on essentially the same theme.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises an improved multi-faceted
abrading device, the basic design of which makes it compatible with both
rotary, orbital and vibratory power hand tools to effect a finish of desired
smoothness on a work piece of wooden material.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary objective to provide
such a device that is capable of performing like sandpaper, while having
none of the deficiencies of sandpaper as chronicled above.
Another objective of the present invention is to create an
improved metallic abrading device that has the efficacy of sandpaper, in that
it is capable of removing controlled amounts of material, irrespective of the
direction in which it is moved, while having excellent durability and useful
life.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an
abrading device which is usable either with a rotary hand tool or a vibratory
hand tool, and which starts exceptionally sharp and stays sharp for extended
periods of use. An objective related to the foregoing is that the device of the
present invention will not clog or load up in a way which adversely effects its
performance.
More specifically, it is an objective of the present invention to
overcome occasional problems experienced in the use of the abrasive device
of the above referenced co-pending PCT application.
The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of the
abrading device of the present invention, will become more evident from a
reading of the following Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment,
taken in concert with the drawings, wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1, is a side elevation of the face of an abrading device in
the nature of a sanding disk constructed in accordance with the present
invention; and
FIG. 2, is a side elevation of the rear of the disk of Fig. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference now to the drawings, and coincidently to the
above referenced application which is incorporated herein by reference, the
improved omnidirectional abrading device in the nature of a disk of the
present invention is illustrated at 10.
The several disk configurations described and claimed in the
above referenced PCT application have been shown in most commercial and
home projects to be exceptionally effective. In some applications, however,
there have been times, and under some conditions, when the disk clogs and
toads up with removed material, causing unacceptable erratic surfaces on a
work piece and work delays while the disk is cleaned off or replaced.
In other situations, e.g., where the moisture content is higher
than usual, the saw dust, or other debris removed from the work piece, will
accumulate behind the disk between the disk and the power tool driving the
disk. When this occurs, the disk tends to deform and may pull away from
the tool, and the surface being worked may be damaged, or even worse, the
disk may separate from the tool. The disk 10 has been specifically created
in order to minimize, if not totally eliminate,, the problems enumerated
above. Further, while the disk 10 is metallic and, as illustrated, is circular,
other shapes may be constructed without departure from the operative
principles taught herein.
Finally, heat generated at the disk under normal operating
conditions is heightened by accumulated debris as it clogs teeth, and
adhesives holding the loop and hook material in place may be adversely
effected, as well as the hook and loop material itself, which is susceptible to
distortion due to excessive heat.
Returning to the drawings, it will be seen in FIG. 1 that there are
a plurality of discrete segments 12 , each having a pattern of cutting teeth.
The segments are positioned about the periphery of the disk. The segments
12 are preferably spaced equidistant from each other, although it may not
be necessary. Each of the peripheral segments is preferably of a geometric
shape to take optimum advantage of the space available on the disk. A
central segment is also provided at 16. In an attempt to alleviate heat
problems, a series of vents 17 are strategically located in spaces between
tooth segments 12 and center segment 16.
As pointed out, each tooth segment is formed with an array of
abrading elements, or teeth, 14, which teeth are preferably formed by a
photo chemical etching process in the nature of that set forth in Sturtevant
et al. patent 5,100,506. Each segment may have a tooth pattern which is
omnidirectional, or where appropriate, the array of teeth in each segment
may be unidirectional and all of the segments combined are able to cut in
an omnidirectional pattern when the disk is rotated.
Several omnidirectional tooth configurations are taught in the
above referenced Sand Disk application, any one of which may be used with
the present disk without departure from the invention. In keeping with the
objective of the present invention to substantially alleviate, if not eliminate,
clogging and loading problems, the positioning of teeth segments 12 on the
disk becomes important.
The disk of the present invention is preferably formed of a flat
disk, and as finished, is a planer piece of relatively rigid material having
front and rear faces 18 and 19, respectively. In order to affix the disk to a
platen mounted on its companion power tool (not shown as it is of well
known configuration), it is fitted with a hook and loop type attachment
arrangement which will adhere the disk to the tool used to power it.
Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the back 19 of the disk is affixed with
a series of attachment devices 20. The attachment devices are in spaced
relation about the disk and, as shown, are located in the spaces 22 between
the tooth segments 12. With this intermittent spacing, none of the teeth are
covered by an attachment device, or any portion thereof. Further, there is a
series of channels created between the disk and the power tool equal to the
thickness of the attachment fabric which has the dual advantage of allowing
air flow beneath the clusters or segments 12.
Each attachment device is formed with one half of a hook and
loop type fabric, and all of the attachment devices 20 are of the same fabric.
The companion fabric, whether hook or loop, is mounted to the tool used to
drive the disk, whether it is rotated, oscillated or vibrated, and the disk is,
thus, secured to the tool, by mating segments of the hook and loop fabric,
and able to function in concert with the power tool as it was designed to do.
Having now described the improved sand disk in considerable
detail it will be seen that by spacing the hook and loop attachment material,
channels are created which permit the discharge of debris otherwise
accumulated behind the teeth and, further, provides air flow which would
tend to cool the disk, thereby decreasing heat build up which would harm
performance. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some
variation in the shape, size and nature of the various elements of the disk
would be possible, and such variations are within the contemplation of the
invention as described in the accompanying claims, wherein:
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