Apparatus for Grinding Workpieces

Abstract

An apparatus for grinding a planar work piece which is conveyed along a transport path defined by at least partly driven supporting rollers and pressure rollers, contains a revolving grinding element which extends into the transport path and which contacts the work piece circumferentially on its way along the transport path. A pressure device is provided which applies an elastic pressure force to the revolving grinding element in the direction of the work piece in such a way that the revolving grinding element is set flexibly against the planar work piece in such a way as to follow the contour of the latter.

1 . An apparatus for grinding a planar work piece, the apparatus comprising:
 at least partly driven supporting rollers;   pressure rollers, said pressure rollers and said at least partly driven supporting rollers defining a transport path along which the work piece is conveyed;   a revolving grinding element extending into the transport path and contacting the work piece circumferentially on its way along the transport path; and   a pressure device for applying an elastic pressure force to said revolving grinding element in a direction of the work piece such that said revolving grinding element is set flexibly against the work piece in such a way as to follow a contour of the work piece.   
   
   
       2 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said pressure device has a first and a second oscillating lever, rotatably accommodating said revolving grinding element, and an actuator, acting on at least one of said first and second oscillating levers. 
   
   
       3 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising an electronic control device controlling the pressure force applied to said revolving grinding element by said actuator. 
   
   
       4 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a workpiece-width detection device disposed upstream of said revolving grinding element as viewed in a work piece conveying direction. 
   
   
       5 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said electronic control device controls said actuator in dependence on signals from said workpiece-width detection device such that a ratio of the pressure force and a workpiece width corresponds to an essentially constant specified value. 
   
   
       6 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said electronic control device controls said actuator in dependence on signals from said workpiece-width detection device such that said revolving grinding element is moved out of its position outside the transport path into the transport path when a work piece front edge is located in a region of said revolving grinding element and said revolving grinding element is moved out of the transport path after a work piece rear edge has passed said revolving grinding element. 
   
   
       7 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of said supporting rollers and said pressure rollers are driven at an essentially constant rotary speed, and in that the pressure force which said actuator applies to said revolving grinding element is varied by said electronic control device in a straight-line-controlled manner in dependence on a work piece width detected by said workpiece-width detection device. 
   
   
       8 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a further pressure device; and   a counter-pressure roller assigned to said revolving grinding element, said counter-pressure roller being displaceable in a direction of the work piece and is disposed on an opposite side of the transport path and is set against the work piece with an elastic counterforce via said further pressure device.   
   
   
       9 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said further pressure device contains a further actuator, and a pressure force with which said further actuator sets said counter-pressure roller against the work piece is varied by said electronic control device in dependence on an elastic pressure force with which said revolving grinding element is set against the work piece. 
   
   
       10 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said actuator is a pneumatic cylinder. 
   
   
       11 . The grinding apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said further actuator is a pneumatic cylinder.