Appeal No. 2002-0049 Page 9
Application No. 09/317,538
about an axis of rotation 57. Pilot 56 is actually a shaft coaxial with shaft 52 but of
smaller diameter which extends below shaft 52 and flutes 54. Flutes 54 extend from
the end of shaft 52 to the base of pilot 56 at an angle " relative to the normal of
axis 57. Shaft 52 is secured in chuck 32 during operation of the edge contouring
system.
Dombrowski's edge contouring system operates as follows with reference to
Figure 6. The workpiece or part to be deburred is fixed to the top of index table 18.
Industrial robot 12 is programmed2 to move deburring tool 30 along the perimeter of
part 58 such that the axis of compliance 41 is at a right angle to the part edge at all
times. Compliance device 36, which is preloaded with a force of one pound, exerts
pressure on the yoke and grinder to keep deburring tool 30 and pilot 56 in contact with
part 58. Deburring or chamfering of the part edge is accomplished by rotating deburring
tool 30 at high RPM in the direction of arrow 66 while the industrial robot moves the tool
assembly along the part edge. Material is removed from the top edge to form a
chamfer 60 by the action of the cutting teeth on the tungsten carbide deburring tool or
abrasive on a ceramic tool. Movement of the tool assembly is in the direction of arrow
64 at the instant illustrated in Figure 6. Pilot 56 enables the deburring tool to maintain
an extremely accurate chamfer by limiting the tool's horizontal penetration into the part
edge. Vertical penetration is controlled by manipulator 12. The width of the chamfer is
2 Claim 7 provides that the industrial manipulator "comprises a computer controlled robotic arm."
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