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US 4,072,037 AGranted
Apparatus and methods for forming a plurality of elongated members
AssigneeWestern Electric Company, Inc.
InventorFrancis J. Fuchs, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plurality of separate, elongated, metallic members, such as wires, are formed simultaneously, e.g., through the application of hydrostatic extrusion techniques, by passing a single metallic workpiece through a die with a plurality of apertures. The apertures extend longitudinally through the die from an entry wall of the die, and are so arrayed, and the die entry wall includes surfaces which are so configured, as to cooperate to create cross-shear stresses in the material of the workpiece in the vicinity of the apertures. These cross-shear stresses separate, or assist in separating, the workpiece into a plurality of elongated members, so that the forming process may take place at reduced operating pressures.
Claims18
Apparatus for deforming a single metallic workpiece to produce simultaneously a plurality of elongated, metallic members, said apparatus comprising:
- a die having an entry wall at one end thereof, and having first and second apertures extending longitudinally therethrough with an entrance end of each aperture located along said entry wall;
- said entry wall including first and second entry surfaces, the first entry surface being positioned laterally adjacent to the entrance end of the second aperture while sloping past the entrance end of the second aperture and toward the entrance end of the first aperture, and the second entry surface being positioned laterally adjacent to the entrance end of the first aperture while sloping past the entrance end of the first aperture and toward the entrance end of the second aperture, such that a substantial part of the flow of the metallic material in a single metallic workpiece, forced against the entry wall, will be directed along two neighboring flow paths following said first and second entry surfaces, with the first entry surface directing a first portion of the metallic material past the second aperture and into the first aperture, and with the second entry surface directing a second portion of the metallic material past the first aperture and into the second aperture, so as to introduce a pattern of cross-shear stresses into the metallic material as said single metallic workpiece is forced against said entry wall;
- and
- means for forcing the single metallic workpiece against said entry wall with sufficient pressure to cause said first and second portions of the metallic workpiece to pass, respectively, through the first and second apertures simultaneously as the metallic material of the workpiece separates under the influence of said cross-shear stresses, such that a plurality of elongated, metallic members are formed.
1 more element
Apparatus for deforming a single metallic workpiece to produce simultaneously a plurality of elongated, metallic members, said apparatus comprising:
- a die having an entry wall at one end thereof, and having first and second pluralities of closely spaced apertures extending longitudinally therethrough with an entrance end of each aperture located along said entry wall, the entrance ends of said first and second pluralities of apertures being arrayed along respective first and second, transversely extending rows located adjacent to one another, the apertures of said second plurality being so offset into positions opposite the spaces between the apertures of said first plurality as to establish a staggered relationship of closely proximate apertures;
- said entry wall tapering inwardly past said entrance ends of said apertures along first and second, intersecting entry surfaces which include said second and first rows, respectively, such that the flow of the metallic material in a single metallic workpiece, forced against said entry wall, will be generally directed along two intersecting flow paths, following said first and second entry surfaces while flowing across said respective second and first rows, with said first entry surface directing those elements of the metallic material which traverse the spaces between the apertures of said second plurality into the apertures of said first plurality, and with said second entry surface simultaneously directing those elements of the metallic material which traverse the spaces between the apertures of the first plurality into the apertures of the second plurality, so as to introduce a pattern of cross-shear stresses into the metallic material as the metallic material traverses said staggered relationship of closely proximate apertures, as said single metallic workpiece is forced against said entry wall;
- and
- means for forcing the single metallic workpiece against said entry wall with sufficient pressure to cause different portions of the metallic workpiece to pass through each of the apertures of said first and second pluralities of apertures simultaneously as the metallic material of the workpiece separates under the influence of said cross-shear stresses, such that a plurality of elongated, metallic members are produced.
1 more element
A die for use in deforming a single metallic workpiece to produce simultaneously a plurality of elongated, metallic members, said die comprising:
- a die body having an entry wall at one end thereof, and having first and second apertures extending longitudinally therethrough with an entrance end of each aperture located along said entry wall;
- said entry wall including first and second entry surfaces, the first entry surface being positioned laterally adjacent to the entrance end of the second aperture while sloping past the entrance end of the second aperture and toward the entrance end of the first aperture, and the second entry surface being positioned laterally adjacent to the entrance end of the first aperture while sloping past the entrance end of the first aperture and toward the entrance end of the second aperture, such that a substantial part of the flow of the metallic material in a single metallic workpiece, forced against the entry wall, will be directed along two neighboring flow paths following said first and second entry surfaces, with the first entry surface directing a first portion of the metallic material past the second aperture and into the first aperture, and with the second entry surface directing a second portion of the metallic material past the first aperture and into the second aperture, so as to introduce a pattern of cross-shear stresses into the metallic material as said single metallic workpiece is forced against said entry wall.
A die for use in deforming a single metallic workpiece to produce simultaneously a plurality of elongated, metallic members, said die comprising:
- a die body having an entry wall at one end thereof, and having first and second pluralities of closely spaced apertures extending longitudinally therethrough with an entrance end of each aperture located along said entry wall, the entrance ends of said first and second pluralities of apertures being arrayed along respective first and second, transversely extending rows located adjacent to one another, the apertures of said second plurality being so offset into positions opposite the spaces between the apertures of said first plurality as to establish a staggered relationship of closely proximate apertures;
- said entry wall tapering inwardly past said entrance ends of said apertures along first and second, intersecting entry surfaces which include said second and first rows, respectively, such that the flow of the metallic material in a single metallic workpiece, forced against said entry wall, will be generally directed along two intersecting flow paths, following said first and second entry surfaces while flowing across said respective second and first rows, with said first entry surface directing those elements of the metallic material which traverse the spaces between the apertures of the second plurality into the apertures of the first plurality, and with said second entry surface simultaneously directing those elements of the metallic material which traverse the spaces between the apertures of the first plurality into the apertures of the second plurality, so as to introduce a pattern of cross-shear stresses into the metallic material as the metallic material traverses said staggered relationship of closely proximate apertures as said single metallic workpiece is forced against said entry wall.
A method of deforming a single metallic workpiece to produce simultaneously a plurality of elongated, metallic members, said method comprising:
- a. forcing the single metallic workpiece against an entry wall of a die, which die has a first aperture and a second aperture extending longitudinally therethrough, said die entry wall sloping past an entrance end of said second aperture and toward an entrance end of said first aperture along a first entry surface, and sloping past said entrance end of said first aperture and toward said entrance end of said second aperture along a second entry surface differing from said first entry surface;
- thereby simultaneously
- b. guiding the flow of the metallic material of the single metallic workpiece such that a substantial part of said flow is directed along two neighboring flow paths, one of the two neighboring flow paths following said first entry surface while extending past said entrance end of the second aperture and into said entrance end of the first aperture, and the other of the two neighboring flow paths following said second entry surface while extending past said entrance end of the first aperture and into said entrance end of the second aperture.
A method of deforming a single metallic workpiece to produce simultaneously a plurality of elongated, metallic members, said method comprising:
- a. aligning the single metallic workpiece with a die having an entry wall at one end thereof, and having first and second pluralities of closely spaced apertures extending longitudinally therethrough with an entrance end of each aperture located along said entry wall, the entrance ends of said first and second pluralities of apertures being arrayed along respective first and second, transversely extending rows located adjacent to one another, the apertures of said second plurality being so offset into positions opposite the spaces between the apertures of said first plurality as to establish a staggered relationship of closely proximate apertures, said entry wall tapering inwardly past the entrance ends of the apertures along first and second, intersecting entry surfaces which include said second and first rows, respectively;
- and
- b. forcing the single metallic workpiece against said entry wall with sufficient pressure to cause the flow of metallic material in the workpiece to be generally directed along two intersecting flow paths, following said first and second entry surfaces while flowing across said respective second and first rows, with said first entry surface directing those elements of the metallic material which traverse the spaces between the apertures of the second plurality into the apertures of the first plurality, and with said second entry surface simultaneously directing those elements of the metallic material which traverse the spaces between the apertures of the first plurality into the apertures of the second plurality, as the metallic material of the workpiece separates under the influence of cross-shear stresses, such that a plurality of elongated, metallic members are produced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.