ATM Grinding machine arm pressure

[Adam Perkins <scopeguru@yahoo.com>]

Hi all,

It recently occured to me that every over-arm type
grinding machine I've seen uses weights to provide
additional pressure on the back of the tool.

Why not use a spring-loaded arm and reduce the load on
the drive train?  That way, the eccentric only has to
work against the drag of the tool across the mirror,
and not the inertia of waving 40-50 pounds around on
the end of an arm.  

Extra pressure does not have to imply extra mass.

Has anyone explored this?  It may just be an extra
layer of complexity added to a machine for not much
practical gain.

Just wondering,

Adam Perkins
Covington, Louisiana
USA

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