Precision glass grinding

Citation

Rigelsford, J. (2004), "Precision glass grinding", Assembly Automation, Vol. 24 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2004.03324aad.012

Precision glass grinding

Precision glass grinding

Keywords: Grinding, Patents, Glass

Applicant: Cerniway; Leon A., USAPatent number: US6,629,877Publication date: 7 October 2003Title: Precision glass grinding

The present invention relates to grinding of small pieces of sheet glass, for the purpose of shaping of the pieces to be fit into an assembly such as stained glass art works. The invention utilizes a water resistant translucent or transparent mask material bearing an opaque outer periphery to locate the edge of the desired pattern on the glass. The mask is then cut to the traced pattern and is adhered to a piece of untrimmed glass of area greater than that of the mask. The transparency of the mask enables the pattern to be traced directly onto the mask, rather than using the cumbersome prior art practice of interposing carbon paper between the master pattern and the card stock material used as a mask. The untrimmed glass can then be abraded on a powered abrading machine having a flat, horizontal work table, a rotatable abrading element disposed to engage a workpiece supported on the work table, and lamps operating at low voltage arranged to back light the workpiece from below. Sharp visual contrast between the illuminated zone and the opaque zone of the mask assures that the glass piece will be trimmed accurately and precisely. The mask, being water resistant, is not distorted by handling in a wet environment.