Brush assembly

Abstract

A brush assembly for treating a surface of a workpiece. The assembly has a housing, a brush holder rotatable on the housing about an axis, a ring brush carried on the holder and having an annular array of radially outwardly projecting bristles. The holder and brush are rotated about the axis and reciprocated.

1 . A brush assembly for treating a surface of a workpiece, the assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a brush holder rotatable on the housing about an axis;   a ring brush carried on the holder and having an annular array of radially outwardly projecting bristles; and   means for rotating the holder and brush about the axis and for reciprocating the holder and ring brush.   
     
     
         2 . The brush assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the means axially and/or radially reciprocates. 
     
     
         3 . The brush assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the brush holder has an axially nondisplaceable element and an axially movable element. 
     
     
         4 . The brush assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the axially nondisplaceable coupling element has a bore receiving a pin axially engaging the movable brush part. 
     
     
         5 . The brush assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the axially nondisplaceable coupling element has a sleeve for a drive shaft of the movable coupling element and that is rotatable and axially reciprocal by the drive means. 
     
     
         6 . The brush assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stop carried on the housing and dipping into the rotating annular bristle array to elastically deform the bristles and/or a brush belt forming part of the ring brush while storing kinetic energy.   
     
     
         7 . The brush assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the stop is movable on the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The brush assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the stop is movable radially relative to the axis. 
     
     
         9 . The brush assembly according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an eccentric or linear actuator for moving the stop relative to the housing.   
     
     
         10 . A rotary brush tool having the brush assembly according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A rotary brush assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a brush holder rotatable about an axis on the housing;   a ring brush rotationally fixed on the holder and having an array or radially outwardly projecting bristles;   drive means on the housing for rotating the holder and brush about the axis and for reciprocating the holder and brush axially; and   a stop on the housing engaging into the array to elastically deflect the bristles as the ring brush rotates.   
     
     
         12 . The rotary brush assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the drive means includes:
 a motor with a rotary output;   a shaft extending along, rotatable about, and limitedly movable along the axis;   a cam assembly connected between the rotary output and the shaft for axially reciprocating the shaft on rotation of the output; and   a coupling between the rotary output and the shaft for transmitting rotation of the output to the shaft.   
     
     
         13 . The rotary brush assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the coupling includes an axially nondisplaceable but rotatable element in the housing and splines connecting the element with the shaft for joint rotation but relative axial movement.