Recoater bracket for additive manufacturing
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorStephen Michael Deak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mounting apparatus for a recoater rail of an additive manufacturing machine includes: a bracket including: a body having first and second ends; first and second flanges extending from the first and second ends respectively, the body and flanges cooperatively forming a C-shape; a first jack screw mounted to the first flange, the first jack screw extending parallel to the body; and a second jack screw mounted to the second flange, the second jack screw extending parallel to the body.
Claims17
A mounting apparatus for a recoater rail of an additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
- a bracket including:
- a body having first and second ends;
- first and second flanges extending from the first and second ends respectively, the body and flanges cooperatively forming a C-shape;
- a first jack screw mounted to the first flange, the first jack screw extending parallel to the body and terminating at a free end adapted to bear against a lower surface of a recoater rail;
- a second jack screw mounted to the second flange, the second jack screw extending parallel to the body and terminating at a free end adapted to bear against an upper surface of the recoater rail;
- and
- a third jack screw mounted to the second flange, wherein the second and third jack screws are spaced apart from each other and extend parallel to the body.
A method of upgrading a recoater rail in an additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
- removing a pre-existing mounting bracket which interconnects a recoater rail and a frame member of the additive manufacturing machine;
- positioning a revised mounting bracket between the recoater rail and the frame member, the revised mounting bracket comprising:
- a body having first and second ends;
- first and second flanges extending from the first and second ends respectively, the body and flanges cooperatively forming a C-shape;
- and
- a first jack screw mounted to the first flange, the first jack screw extending parallel to the body and terminating at a free end adapted to bear against a lower surface of a recoater rail;
- a second jack screw mounted to the second flange, the second jack screw extending parallel to the body and terminating at a free end adapted to bear against an upper surface of the recoater rail;
- and
- a third jack screw mounted to the second flange, wherein the second and third jack screws are spaced apart from each other and extend parallel to the body;
- and
- securing the revised mounting bracket to the recoater rail and the frame member with the recoater rail between the first and second jack screws.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.