Apparatus and methods for gemstone and mineral sphere grinding and polishing

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for forming a generally spherical object from a workpiece are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a frame having a laterally-projecting elongated member, and a support member slideably engaged with the elongated member. A motor is coupled to the support member and pivotably suspended below the elongated member. A surface treating member is attached to the shaft of the motor and is adapted to engage the workpiece. In an alternate embodiment, an apparatus includes two laterally-projecting elongated members and a pair of surface treating modules that engage the workpiece from opposite sides. In yet another embodiment, an apparatus includes three laterally-projecting elongated members and three surface treating modules that engage the workpiece from approximately equidistant directions. The inventive apparatus and methods advantageously allows gravity to naturally force the surface treating members toward the workpiece, thereby improving the engagement of the surface treating members toward the workpiece.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for forming a generally spherical object from a workpiece, comprising: 
 a frame including a laterally-projecting elongated member;    a support member slideably engaged with the elongated member;    a motor coupled to the support member and pivotably suspended below the elongated member, the motor including a shaft projecting therefrom; and    a surface treating member attached to the shaft and adapted to engage the workpiece.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the support member includes a threaded nut oriented approximately along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, further comprising a threaded member rotatably coupled to the frame and extending through the threaded nut such that rotation of the threaded member in a first rotational direction drives the support member in a first direction along the elongated member, and rotation of the first threaded member in a second rotational direction drives the support member in a second direction along the elongated member.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the support member includes a threaded nut oriented along an axis that is approximately laterally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, further comprising a threaded member rotatably coupled to the support member and extending through the threaded nut such that rotation of the threaded member in a first rotational direction changes an angular orientation of the support member in a first lateral direction with respect to the elongated member, and rotation of the threaded member in a second rotational direction changes the angular orientation of the support member in a second lateral direction with respect to the elongated member.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the support member includes a threaded nut oriented along an axis that is approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, further comprising a threaded member rotatably coupled to the support member and adapted to engage the frame and extending through the threaded nut such that rotation of the threaded member in a first rotational direction changes an angular orientation of the support member in a first vertical direction with respect to the elongated member, and rotation of the threaded member in a second rotational direction changes the angular orientation of the support member in a second vertical direction with respect to the elongated member.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the support member includes a slide member positioned above the elongated member, and a motor mount pivotally coupled to the slide member and suspended below the elongated member, the motor being coupled to the motor mount.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the support member includes a slide member positioned above the elongated member, and a motor mount pivotally coupled to the slide member and suspended below the elongated member, the motor mount including a shock absorbing device having an engagement member adapted to engage the elongated member when the motor mount is pivoted, and a spring operatively associated with the engagement member such that the spring is at least partially compressed when the engagement member engages the elongated member.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an abrasive delivery system coupled to the frame and adapted to deliver an abrasive proximate the surface treating member, the abrasive delivery system including 
 a support structure coupled to the frame;    an abrasive feed device coupled to the support structure; and    an abrasive container removeably coupled to the support structure and to the abrasive feed device, the abrasive container being removeable without disassembly of the support structure and the abrasive feed device.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the abrasive container includes a rotatable cover having an aperture disposed therein, a rate of delivery of the abrasive being selectively controlled by a rotational position of the rotatable cover.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for forming a generally spherical object from a workpiece, comprising: 
 a mounting hub;    at least two surface treating modules coupled to the mounting hub, each surface treating module including: 
 a frame including a laterally-projecting elongated member;  
 a support member slideably engaged with the elongated member;  
 a motor coupled to the support member and pivotably suspended below the elongated member, the motor including a shaft projecting therefrom; and  
 a surface treating member attached to the shaft and adapted to engage the workpiece.  
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the at least two surface treating modules comprises first and second surface treating modules, the first and second surface treating modules being coupled to opposite sides of the mounting hub.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the at least two surface treating modules comprises first, second, and third surface treating modules, the first, second, and third surface treating modules being spaced apart by approximately 120 degrees angles around the mounting hub.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein, for at least one surface treating module, the support member includes a threaded nut oriented approximately along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, further comprising a threaded member rotatably coupled to the frame and extending through the threaded nut such that rotation of the threaded member in a first rotational direction drives the support member in a first direction along the elongated member, and rotation of the first threaded member in a second rotational direction drives the support member in a second direction along the elongated member.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein, for at least one surface treating module, the support member includes a threaded nut oriented along an axis that is approximately laterally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, further comprising a threaded member rotatably coupled to the support member and extending through the threaded nut such that rotation of the threaded member in a first rotational direction changes an angular orientation of the support member in a first lateral direction with respect to the elongated member, and rotation of the threaded member in a second rotational direction changes the angular orientation of the support member in a second lateral direction with respect to the elongated member.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein, for at least one surface treating module, the support member includes a threaded nut oriented along an axis that is approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, further comprising a threaded member rotatably coupled to the support member and adapted to engage the frame and extending through the threaded nut such that rotation of the threaded member in a first rotational direction changes an angular orientation of the support member in a first vertical direction with respect to the elongated member, and rotation of the threaded member in a second rotational direction changes the angular orientation of the support member in a second vertical direction with respect to the elongated member.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein, for at least one surface treating module, the support member includes a slide member positioned above the elongated member, and a motor mount pivotally coupled to the slide member and suspended below the elongated member, the motor being coupled to the motor mount.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein, for at least one surface treating module, the support member includes a slide member positioned above the elongated member, and a motor mount pivotally coupled to the slide member and suspended below the elongated member, the motor mount including a shock absorbing device having an engagement member adapted to engage the elongated member when the motor mount is pivoted, and a spring operatively associated with the engagement member such that the spring is at least partially compressed when the engagement member engages the elongated member.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising an abrasive delivery system adapted to deliver an abrasive proximate at least one of the surface treating members, the abrasive delivery system including 
 a support structure coupled to at least one of the mounting hub and the at least two surface treating modules;    an abrasive feed device coupled to the support structure; and    an abrasive container removeably coupled to the support structure and to the abrasive feed device, the abrasive container being removeable without disassembly of the support structure and the abrasive feed device.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the abrasive container includes a rotatable cover having an aperture disposed therein, a rate of delivery of the abrasive being selectively controlled by a rotational position of the rotatable cover.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for forming a generally spherical object from a workpiece, comprising: 
 a frame;    a motor coupled to the frame, the motor including a shaft projecting therefrom; 
 a surface treating member attached to the shaft and adapted to engage the workpiece; and  
 an abrasive delivery system coupled to the frame and adapted to deliver an abrasive proximate the surface treating member, the abrasive delivery system including a support structure coupled to the frame;  
   an abrasive feed device coupled to the support structure; and    an abrasive container removeably coupled to the support structure and to the abrasive feed device, the abrasive container being removeable without disassembly of the support structure and the abrasive feed device.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the abrasive container includes a rotatable cover having an aperture disposed therein, a rate of delivery of the abrasive being selectively controlled by a rotational position of the rotatable cover.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the frame includes a laterally-projecting elongated member and a slide member slideably engaged with the elongated member, the motor being coupled to the slide member and pivotably suspended below the elongated member.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein the slide member includes a motor mount pivotally coupled to the slide member and suspended below the elongated member, the motor being coupled to the motor mount.  
     
     
         23 . The method of forming a generally spherical object from a workpiece, comprising: 
 providing at least one laterally-projecting elongated member;    pivotally suspending at least one surface treating mechanism below the at least one elongated member, the surface treating mechanism including a surface treating member;    rotating the surface treating member; and    employing a gravitational force to bias the surface treating member into engagement with the workpiece.    
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23  wherein providing at least one laterally-projecting elongated member comprises providing a first elongated member and a second elongated member, the first and second elongated members being approximately aligned along respective longitudinal axes thereof, and wherein pivotally suspending at least one surface treating mechanism comprises pivotally suspending a first surface treating mechanism below the first elongated member and pivotally suspending a second surface treating mechanism below the second elongated member, the first and second surface treating mechanisms including first and second surface treating members, the first and second surface treating members engaging the workpiece from approximately opposite sides.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23  wherein providing at least one laterally-projecting elongated member comprises providing first, second, and third elongated members oriented at approximately equidistant positions about the workpiece, and wherein pivotally suspending at least one surface treating mechanism comprises pivotally suspending first, second, and third surface treating mechanisms below the first, second, and third elongated members, respectively, the first, second, and third surface treating mechanisms including first, second, and third surface treating members, the first, second, and third surface treating members engaging the workpiece from approximately equidistant positions about the workpiece.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23 , further comprising adjustably controlling a position of the surface treating mechanism along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 23 , further comprising adjustably controlling a horizontally-angular orientation of the surface treating mechanism with respect to the elongated member.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 23 , further comprising adjustably controlling a vertically-angular orientation of the surface treating mechanism with the elongated member.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 23 , further comprising delivering an abrasive proximate the surface treating member.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising adjusting a rate of delivery of the abrasive by a rotating a cover of an abrasive container.