Continuous method of and apparatus for making bars from powdered metal

A continuous method of forming a bar comprising introducing a quantity of metal powder into a die cavity having a stop means at one end,

• applying a pressure force through a pressure force applying means axially reciprocable in said cavity for compacting the powdered metal against the stop into a segment of a bar of selective physical characteristics and frictionally engagable with the cavity walls so that the bar in the cavity forms a stop means against which subsequent quantities of powdered metal introduced into the cavity may be compacted,
• measuring the frictional resisting force of the length of bar in the cavity relative to a predetermined maximum and a predetermined minimum resisting force,
• repeatedly introducing a quantity of powdered metal into the cavity,
• applying said pressure force after each introduction of a quantity of powdered metal to compact the quantity of metal powders into segments bonded to each other to form a bar which is forced out of the die cavity with at least a length of the bar frictionally engagable with the cavity wall to define the stop,
• and controlling the length of travel of the axially reciprocable pressure force applying means whenever the measured force is greater than the predetermined maximum or less than the predetermined minimum such that each quantity of powdered metal introduced in said cavity is compacted into a segment of substantially the same physical characteristics as the remainder of the bar.