Prefilter for EDM machine
AssigneeWesthoff Machine Company
InventorsJohn D. Hartwig, Roy W. Ritchey, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A prefilter for an EDM machine includes a tank for holding flush water with guide rollers and channels used to thread a continuous sheet of filter paper along the bottom thereof such that the flush water is prefiltered by the continuous sheet filter paper. A float switch detects the level of flush water in the tank so that as the filter paper becomes clogged, it actuates a take-up motor for advancing the filter paper through the tank to remove clogged filter paper therefrom and replace it with fresh filter paper. The prefilter may be used as a kit for retrofit to existing EDM machines or provided as part of an original equipment design.
Claims14
A prefilter for removing machining residue entrained in water used to flush an EDM machine having a primary filter so as to extend the life of its primary filter, said prefilter comprising:
- a tank for receiving said water;
- means for supporting a supply of porous filter paper from said tank and for extending said porous filter paper into said tank for capturing said residue from said water;
- means associated with said EDM machine for delivering liquid to be filtered from said EDM machine and into said tank upstream from said filter paper for filtering said water as it passes through said filter paper;
- and
- means connected to said tank for automatically feeding a clean supply of filter paper to said tank in response to said filter paper becoming clogged with residue.
In an EDM machine having a recirculating supply of fluid to entrain machining residue, and a primary filter for removing said machining residue from the fluid, the improvement comprising a prefilter for filtering of said residue prior to introduction of the water into the primary filter to thereby extend the life of the primary filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.