Powder feeding apparatus, powder feeding method and powder pressing apparatus

Abstract

A powder pressing apparatus includes a powder feeding apparatus for supply of a powder such as a rare-earth alloy powder into a cavity of a tooling. The powder feeding apparatus includes a feeder box having a bottom face provided with an opening. Inside the feeder box, there are provided a hopper for supply of the powder into the cavity, a feeder for supply of the powder to the hopper, and a vibration generator for vibration of the hopper. Surfaces of the feeder and hopper to contact the powder are mirror-polished. Leg portions are provided in two sides of the bottom face parallel to a moving direction of the feeder box. The leg portions make the bottom face of the feeder box spaced from an opening of the cavity. The powder supplied to the powder feeding apparatus is weighed by a weighing unit. The opening of the feeder box is provided with a linear member arranged in a grid pattern having a regular pitch. The linear member is rotationally shaken in a horizontal plane when the powder is fed into the cavity. The linear member is shaken in a stroke greater than the pitch at which the linear member is arranged.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.