Electrical discharge machine apparatus tilted current pickup

A current pickup assembly for placing electric current on an electrical discharge machine apparatus moving wire electrode having a normal straight line of travel, said current pickup assembly comprising:

• a conductive body;
• a bore in said conductive body for receiving the wire electrode therethrough, said bore having a longitudinal axis and a wire contact wall;
• wherein said bore longitudinal axis is at an angle with respect to the normal straight line of wire travel, and whereby the moving wire electrode contacts said contact wall;
• a pre guide member with a guide bore on one side of said body and a post guide member with a guide bore on the other side of said body, wherein said pre and post guide members guide the wire electrode through said respective guide bores in the normal straight line of travel;
• and,
• a final guide member with a guide bore located on one side of said post guide member opposite said body, said final guide member also guiding the wire electrode through said final guide bore in the normal straight line of travel.

A current pickup assembly for placing electric current on an electrical discharge machine apparatus moving wire electrode having a normal straight line of travel, said current pickup assembly comprising:

• a conductive body;
• a bore in said conductive body for receiving the wire electrode therethrough, said bore having a longitudinal axis and a wire contact wall;
• wherein said bore longitudinal axis is at an angle with respect to the normal straight line of wire travel, and whereby the moving wire electrode contacts said contact wall;
• and,
• wherein said bore longitudinal axis intersects the normal straight line of travel substantially at a longitudinal midpoint of said bore, whereby in cross-section, the wire electrode contacts said contact wall on one side at one end of said midpoint and contacts said contact wall on the other side at the other end of said midpoint.

A current pickup assembly for placing electric current on an electrical discharge machine apparatus moving wire electrode having a normal straight line of travel, said current pickup assembly comprising:

• a conductive body;
• a bore in said conductive body for receiving the wire electrode therethrough, said bore having a longitudinal axis and a wire contact wall;
• and,
• pivot means for supporting said body and selectively pivoting said bore longitudinal axis at an angle with respect to the normal straight line of wire travel, whereby the moving wire electrode selectively contacts said contact wall.

A current pickup assembly for placing electric current on an electrical discharge machine apparatus moving wire electrode having a normal straight line of travel, said current pickup comprising:

• a conductive body;
• a bore in said conductive body for receiving the wire electrode therethrough, said bore having a longitudinal axis and a wire contact wall;
• and,
• gimball means for supporting said body and selectively gimballing and pivoting said bore longitudinal axis about a point defined by two mutually perpendicular and intersecting axes of rotation whereby the moving wire electrode may contact said contact wall.

A current pickup assembly for placing electric current on an electrical discharge machine apparatus moving wire electrode having a normal straight line of travel, said current pickup assembly comprising:

• a conductive body;
• a bore in said conductive body for receiving the wire electrode therethrough, said bore having a longitudinal axis and a wire contact wall;
• and,
• wherein said bore longitudinal axis is at an angle with respect to the normal straight line of wire travel and wherein in cross section, said bore longitudinal axis appears to intersect the normal straight line of wire travel at a point and, the moving wire electrode contacts said contact wall on one side at one end of said point and contacts said contact wall on the other side at the other end of said point.