Apparatus for electrochemically forming a plurality of articles

An apparatus for at least partially forming articles by electrolytically removing material from a workpiece having opposing sides and at least partially composed of an electrically conductive material, said apparatus comprising working chamber means for receiving at least a portion of the workpiece, means for holding at least a portion of the workpiece in said working chamber means, first and second separately movable electrode means at least partially disposed in said working chamber means for use in effecting the electrolytic removal of material from opposite sides of the workpiece to at least partially form opposing side surfaces of an article, said first and second electrode means being movable toward each other through working strokes during which material is electrolytically removed from opposite sides of the workpiece, said first and second electrode means being movable away from each other through return strokes after material has been electrolytically removed from opposite sides of the workpiece, third and fourth separately movable electrode means spaced apart from said first and second electrode means and at least partially disposed in said working chamber means for use in effecting the electrolytic removal of material from opposite sides of the workpiece to at least partially form opposing side surfaces of an article, said third and fourth electrode means being movable toward said first and second electrode means and toward each other through working strokes during which material is electrolytically removed from opposite sides of the workpiece, said third and fourth electrode means being movable away from said first and second electrode means and away from each other through return strokes after material has been electrolytically removed from the workpiece, means for supporting each of said electrode means for movement relative to each of the other electrode means during movement of said electrode means through their working and return strokes, means for establishing an electrical potential between the workpiece and each of said electrode means during movement of each of said electrode means through its working stroke, means for establishing a flow of electrolyte between the workpiece and each of said electrode means during movement of each of said electrode means through its working stroke, and means for simultaneously moving each of said electrode means through working strokes toward each other while the electrical potential is established between each of said electrode means and the workpiece and during the flow of electrolyte between each of said electrode means and the workpiece to effect the electrolytic removal of material from the workpiece.

An apparatus for at least partially forming a plurality of articles by electrolytically removing material from a workpiece at least partially composed of an electrically conductive material and having opposing major sides interconnected by opposing minor sides, said apparatus comprising working chamber means for receiving at least a portion of the workpiece, means for holding at least a portion of the workpiece in said working chamber means, a plurality of pairs of electrode means movable in said working chamber means relative to each other and to the opposing sides of the workpiece for use in effecting the electrolytic removal of material from the workpiece at each of a plurality of spaced apart locations to at least partially form opposing side surfaces of a plurality of articles, said plurality of pairs of electrode means including first and second pairs of electrode means, said first pair of electrode means including first electrode means for use in forming a first recess extending inwardly toward a central portion of the workpiece from a first minor side of the workpiece, said first recess having an opening in a first major side of the workpiece, and second electrode means for use in forming a second recess extending inwardly toward the central portion of the workpiece from the first minor side of the workpiece, said second recess having an opening in the second major side of the workpiece opposite from the opening to the first recess in the first major side of the workpiece, said second pair of electrode means including third electrode means for use in forming a third recess extending inwardly toward the central portion of the workpiece from the second minor side of the workpiece, said third recess having an opening in the first major side of the workpiece, and fourth electrode means for use in forming a fourth recess extending inwardly toward the central portion of the workpiece from the second minor side of the workpiece, said fourth recess having an opening in the second major side of the workpiece opposite from the opening to the third recess in the first major side of the workpiece, said first and second recesses being spaced apart from said third and fourth recesses by the central portion of the workpiece, means for establishing an electrical potential between the workpiece and said electrode means, means for establishing a flow of electrolyte between the workpiece and said electrode means at each of the plurality of spaced apart locations, and means for moving the electrode means of each pair of electrode means toward each other and transversely to the opposing sides of the workpiece while the electrical potential is established between said electrode means and workpiece and during the flow of electrolyte between said electrode means and workpiece to effect the electrolytic removal of material at the plurality of spaced apart locations to at least partially form a plurality of articles.

An apparatus for electrochemically forming a plurality of series of article surface areas in a workpiece which is at least partially formed of an electrically conductive material, said apparatus comprising first and second electrode means for use in simultaneously forming opposite side surface areas of a first series of articles in a first portion of the workpiece, said first electrode means including a first plurality of spaced apart working surfaces each of which has a configuration corresponding to the configuration of a first side surface area of an article of the first series of articles, said second electrode means including a second plurality of spaced apart working surfaces each of which has a configuration corresponding to the configuration of a second side surface area of an article of the first series of articles, third and fourth electrode means for use in simultaneously forming opposite side surface areas of a second series of articles in a second portion of the workpiece, said second portion of the workpiece being spaced apart from said first portion of the workpiece, said third electrode means including a third plurality of spaced apart working surfaces each of which has a configuration corresponding to the configuration of a first side surface area of an article of the second series of articles, said fourth electrode means including a fourth plurality of spaced apart working surfaces each of which has a configuration corresponding to the configuration of a second side surface area of an article of the second series of articles, means for establishing an electrical potential between the workpiece and said working surfaces of each of said electrode means, means for establishing a flow of electrolyte between the workpiece and said working surfaces of each of said electrode means, and means for simultaneously moving each of said electrode means relative to the workpiece while the electrical potential is established between the working surfaces of each of said electrode means and the workpiece and during the flow of electrolyte between the workpiece and the working surfaces of each of said electrode means to effect the simultaneous electrolytic removal of material from the first and second portions of the workpiece and the simultaneous formation of the opposite side surface areas of the first and second series of articles.

An apparatus for at least partially forming a plurality of articles by electrolytically removing material from a workpiece having opposing sides and at least partially composed of an electrically conductive material, said apparatus comprising working chamber means for receiving at least a portion of the workpiece, means for holding at least a portion of the workpiece in said working chamber means, a plurality of pairs of separately movable electrode means at least partially disposed in said working chamber means for use in effecting the electrolytic removal of material from the workpiece at each of a plurality of spaced apart locations to at least partially form opposing side surfaces of a plurality of articles, means for supporting each of said electrode means of said plurality of pairs of electrode means for movement relative to each of the other of said electrode means during the electrolytic removal of material from the workpiece, means for establishing an electrical potential between the workpiece and each of said electrode means, means for establishing a flow of electrolyte between the workpiece and each of said electrode means at each of the plurality of spaced apart locations, and a plurality of motor means each of which is connected with an associated one of said electrode means for simultaneously moving each electrode means of said plurality of pairs of electrode means relative to each other and the workpiece while the electrical potential is established between each of said electrode means and the workpiece and during the flow of electrolyte between each of said electrode means and workpiece to effect the electrolytic removal of material at the plurality of spaced apart locations to at least partially form a plurality of articles.