Honing machine for bearing rings and method for feeding such a machine with bearing rings

Abstract

A honing machine for bearing rings includes a frame, a honing tool, a honing station for holding a bearing ring in position with respect to the honing tool, the honing station includes a work piece holder with a concave surface equipped with at least one pad for supporting a bearing ring. The work piece holder is equipped with a damper movable between a first active configuration and a second passive configuration. In the first active configuration, the damper protrudes on a path of a bearing ring moving towards the work piece holder in the honing station. In the second passive configuration, the damper is out of reach of a bearing ring in the honing station.

1 . A honing machine for bearing rings, this machine including:
 a frame;   a honing tool;   a honing station for holding a bearing ring in position with respect to the honing tool, the honing station including a work piece holder with a concave surface equipped with at least one pad for supporting a bearing ring; and   a damper, the damper being movable between a first active configuration and a second passive configuration,   where, in the first active configuration, the damper protrudes on a path of a bearing ring moving towards the work piece holder in the honing station,   where, in the second active configuration, the damper is out of reach of a bearing ring in the honing station.   
     
     
         2 . The honing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each pad of the work piece holder is coated with a high stiffness material, in particular with a layer of polycrystalline diamond. 
     
     
         3 . The honing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each pad of the work piece holder is coated with a layer of polycrystalline diamond. 
     
     
         4 . The honing machine according to  claim 1 , the damper further including a pin and a damping feature,
 wherein the pin is movable in translation along a vertical axis,   wherein the damping component is adapted for braking a vertical downward displacement of the pin.   
     
     
         5 . The honing machine according to  claim 4 , the work piece further comprising a vertical through hole,
 wherein the pin is slidably movable inside the vertical through hole.   
     
     
         6 . The honing machine according to  claim 4 ,
 the pin further comprising an upper head, wherein the upper head is adapted to receive an outer surface of a bearing ring; and   the concave surface of the work piece holder further comprising a stepped portion, wherein the stepped portion is located below an exposed surface of an adjacent pad;   wherein the upper head of the pin is accommodated above the stepped portion of the upper surface of the work piece holder and at a level below the upper surface of the adjacent pad, when the damper is in its second passive configuration.   
     
     
         7 . The honing machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the pin is movable along the vertical axis between a first position and a second position,
 wherein, in the first position, the pin protrudes upwardly with respect to an adjacent pad of the work piece holder,   wherein, in the second position, an upper surface of the pin is positioned below an upper surface of the adjacent pad.   
     
     
         8 . The honing machine according to  claim 7 , the damping feature further including:
 a rotatable shaft movable in rotation around its longitudinal axis, between a first angular position where it interacts with a vertical downward movement of the pin, between its first and second positions, and a second angular position where the shaft is out of reach of the pin; and   a gas cylinder for moving the shaft between a first position of the shaft and a second position of the shaft, and reverse.   
     
     
         9 . The honing machine according to  claim 8 , the shaft further comprising a paddle,
 wherein the paddle lies on the downward path of the pin between a first position of the paddle and a second position of the paddle, when the shaft is in a first shaft angular position, and which is away from the downward path, when the rotating shaft is in its second angular position.   
     
     
         10 . The honing machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the paddle is secured to a first end of the shaft and the gas cylinder is connected by a rocker arm to a second end, opposite to the first end, of the shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The honing machine according to  claim 8 , further comprising an elastic element for biasing the pin downwardly. 
     
     
         12 . The honing machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the elastic element biases the pin against the paddle when the rotating shaft is in its first angular position. 
     
     
         13 . The honing machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the elastic element is a coil spring,
 wherein the coil spring is mounted around the pin and compressed between a lower surface of the work piece holder and a peripheral shoulder of the pin.   
     
     
         14 . The honing machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a transfer mechanism for feeding the honing station with bearing rings, one after the other, the transfer mechanism including:
 a first transfer box, adapted to accommodate a bearing ring and movable in translation, in a to-and-fro movement with respect to the frame, along a first axis,   the first transfer box including a bottom outlet opening,   a second transfer box, adapted to accommodate a bearing ring and movable in translation, in a to-and-fro movement with respect to the frame, along a second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis,   the second transfer box including a top inlet opening,   a first driving mechanism for driving the first transfer box in translation along the first axis and   a second driving mechanism for driving the second transfer box in translation along the axis direction,   wherein the second transfer box is located under and adjacent the first transfer box, above the honing station, and that the second transfer box has a top inlet opening which is vertically aligned with a bottom outlet opening of the first transfer box.   
     
     
         15 . A method for feeding a honing station of a honing machine with a bearing ring, the honing machine comprising:
 a frame;   a honing tool;   a honing station for holding a bearing ring in position with respect to the honing tool, the honing station including a work piece holder with a concave surface equipped with at least one pad for supporting a bearing ring; and   a damper, the damper being movable between a first active configuration and a second passive configuration,   wherein, in the first active configuration, the damper protrudes on a path of a bearing ring moving towards the work piece holder in the honing station,   wherein, in the second active configuration, the damper is out of reach of a bearing ring in the honing station, the method comprising steps of:   a) setting the damper in a damper first active configuration;   b) introducing the bearing ring by gravity into the honing station up to a point where the bearing ring contacts the damper; and   c) setting the damper in its second passive configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , the damper further including a pin and a damping feature,
 wherein the pin is movable in translation along a vertical axis,   wherein the damping component is adapted for braking a vertical downward displacement of the pin,   during the step of setting the damper in its second passive configuration, the method further comprising a step of moving an upper portion of the pin downwardly by gravity up to a level where it is below an exposed surface of an adjacent pad of the work piece holder.