United States Patent [19] [li] Patent Number: 4,593,495
Kawakami et al. [45] Date of Patent: Jun. 10, 1986
[54] POLISHING MACHINE
[75] Inventors: Hideo Kawakami, Numazu; Shinichi Tazawa, Mishima; Masami Endo, Shizuoka, all of Japan
[73] Assignee: Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 674,663
[22] Filed: Nov. 26, 1984
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Nov. 25, 1983 [JP] Japan 58-221828
Oct. 19, 1984 [JP] Japan 59-219970
[51] Int. CI.4 B24B 7/17
[52] U.S. CI 51/118; 51/133;
51/131.2; 51/131.3
[58] Field of Search 51/111 R, 113, 117-118,
51/129, 131.1-131.4, 132-133
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
2,316,071 4/1943 Johnson 51/118
3,089,292 5/1963 Hunt 51/133 X
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 5768747 10/1955 Japan .
A polishing machine for polishing the surfaces of the workpieces to be processed has upper and lower surface plates which are rotated relative to each other. A plurality of carriers are placed between the upper and lower surface plates and each of the carriers has a plurality of bores into which the workpieces are fitted. These carriers are engaged with both the sun gear and the internal ring gear within the same plane. In account of the sun gear and the internal ring gear, the carriers are rotated round the sun gear, turning round their own axes. The internal ring gear can be lifted up and down by a lift mechanism. The sun gear is slidably attached to a hollow driving shaft and has a feed screw which is engaged with a feed nut. This feed nut is rotatably fitted onto the hollow driving shaft in such a way that the nut is limited of its movement in the axial direction. The sun gear can be lifted up and down independently of the internal ring gear when an operating means including the feed screw and nut is operated.
13 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures
