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Title: Fixed-super-abrasive tool and method of manufacture thereof
Claims: I claim 1. A method of manufacturing a super-abrasive tool for grinding and polishing purposes and having a curvilinear working surface of predetermined desired conformation comprising the steps of: a. providing a substantially-rigid, non-abrasive backing member having a curved support surface determinative of the curvature of said curvilinear working surface; b. disposing adjacent said support surface a substantially-malleable, multi-layered, integrally-formed abrasive wafer of predetermined thickness contour having a substantially smooth surface and an abrasive-containing surface, including a thickness in excess of about 1/32 inch, said abrasive wafer comprising i. a layer of super-abrasive particles having uniform surfaces and a Knoop Hardness in excess of about 3000 kg/mm.sup.2 and interspersed and bound in a powdered metal matrix having malleability-imparting properties and comprising a major proportion of copper and a minor proportion of tin and ii. a layer comprising a malleable metal having substantially smooth surfaces and substantially free of said super-abrasive particles, said wafer being formed by subjecting said layer of malleable metal and said layer of super-abrasive particles interspersed in a powdered metal binder to sintering conditions of pressure and temperature for the metals to form said multi-layered integrally-formed abrasive wafer; c. causing the substantially smooth surface of said abrasive wafer to conform to said support surface so as to impart said predetermined desired conformation as to the exposed abrasive-containing surface of said abrasive wafer by interposing said wafer between said support surface and an opposed surface conformable to the predetermined desired conformation and thereafter bringing said support surface and said opposed surface towards one another with sufficient force to accomplish such conformation; d. releasably securing the conformed wafer of (c) to said backing member. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said curved support surface has a toric shape which is imparted to said working surface. 3. A method of grinding and polishing toric and other curvilinear lenses comprising the steps of: a. forming a super-abrasive grinding tool comprising: i. a substantially-rigid, non-abrasive backing member having a curved support surface determinative of the curvature of said toric and curvilinear lenses and having peripheral dimensions adapted to the motion of the optical grinding apparatus with which it is to be used by determining the area swept out by a lens in motion during the grinding of said lenses and shaping said backing member to match but not to exceed the area swept by said tool during grinding of said lens with the area swept by said lens, ii. a substantially malleable, multi-layered, integrally-formed abrasive wafer of predetermined thickness conformed to the curvature of and releasably secured to said backing member of (i), said abrasive wafer comprising 1. a super-abrasive-containing layer comprising abrasive particles having a Knoop Hardness in excess of about 3000 kg/mm.sup.2 and selected from the group consisting of diamonds, cubic boron nitride, and mixtures thereof interspersed and bound in a powdered metal matrix for binding said super-abrasive particles and, 2. a layer substantially free of super-abrasive particles secured to said super-abrasive-containing layer of (1); said wafer being formed by subjecting said super-abrasive-free layer and said super-abrasive-containing layer to sintering conditions of pressure and temperature for the metals to form said multi-layered abrasive wafer, said wafer being conformed to said backing member by interposing said wafer between said support surface and an opposed surface conformable to the predetermined desired conformation and thereafter bringing said support surface and said opposed surface towards one another with sufficient force to accomplish such conformation; b. mounting said grinding tool of (a) in an optical grinding machine and employing said tool to grind an optical lens while simultaneously pumping a fluid to cool, lubricate, and flush said lens during said grinding; c. periodically restoring during its useful life the curvature of said super-abrasive-containing layer of (a) (ii) to the curvature of said backing member of (a) (i) until said super-abrasive-containing layer has been substantially consumed; d. releasing said wafer having a substantially consumed super-abrasive-containing layer from said backing member and thereafter securing a replacement wafer to said backing member and e. representing steps (b), (c), and (d). Other info: Inventors: Highberg, Carle W. (Sylvania, OH, US) Application Number: 569303 Filing Date: 1975-04-17 Publication_date: 1977-03-08 Assignee: Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals Corporation (Murray Hill, NJ) Primary Class(es): 451/42 51/297, 51/309, 228/173.6, 451/56, 451/488, 451/543, 451/548 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Other References: Sarofeen "High Speed Removal and Fine Finishes in Glass" Proceedings of IDA Industrial Diamond Revolution Technical Conference, 1967, pp. 233-241. | |