Machine for deburring, grinding and lapping steel balls - has return chute to hopper shaped to ensure that recirculated balls fall into hopper bowl at varying radii

摘要

A machine for deburning, grinding and lapping steel balls has a bowl shaped rotating hopper (20) and machining unit (30) with facing polishing discs (32, 34). Steel balls (12) flow to the machining unit along an inlet chute through an opening (65) in the hopper, and flow out along an outlet chute (50). They continue to circulate between hopper and machining unit until the desired size is reached. Between the outlet chute (50) and the hopper is an accumulator (60) having a ball collecting bucker (62) which can move between a lower position aligned with the outer chute (50) and an upper position above the hopper. In the position a return chute (68) directs the balls from the bucker into the hopper. The exit end (69) of the return chute is shaped to cause the balls to fall into the hoppers at varying radii. ADVANTAGE - Circulating balls are well mixed, thus minimising size variation.