Anti-spatter tube
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorWilliam R. Schell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cutting method and apparatus in a laser trim cell system for cutting ducts and tubes used in an airliner. The ducts are cut along a horizontal cutting plane using an orbiting laser nozzle and the apparatus and method includes an anti-spatter tube for removing spatter from the interior of the duct by directing the spatter through an opening in the tube where it impinges a high thermal conductivity plate that deflects it to the bottom of the tube where it solidifies by contact on a surface of high thermal conductivity for easy removal from the tube.
Claims20
Cutting apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable central post,
- a laser cutting nozzle adapted to cut a duct along a cutting plane generally perpendicular to said post orbiting said post and generating a plume of molten metal or spatter on the inner surface of the cut tube,
- a tube mounted on said central post concentric to said duct being cut for removing any spatter generated by cutting the duct, said tube including:
- an opening positioned in the cutting plane of said nozzle tracking and facing said nozzle as it orbits about said duct, and
- a deflector plate positioned at an angle to said cutting plane extending from a position adjacent the top of the interior wall of said tube to the bottom of said interior wall for directing spatter to the bottom of said tube, and
- a bottom wall on said tube for collecting solidified spatter directed to it by said deflector plate.
Cutting apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable central post,
- a laser cutting nozzle adapted to cut a duct along a cutting plane generally perpendicular to said post orbiting said post and generating a plume of molten metal or spatter on the inner surface of the cut duct,
- a tube mounted on said central post concentric to said duct being cut for removing any spatter generated by cutting the duct, said tube including:
- an opening positioned in the cutting plane of said nozzle tracking and facing said nozzle as it orbits about said duct,
- a deflector plate positioned at an angle to said cutting plane extending from a position adjacent the top of the interior wall of said tube to the bottom of said interior wall for directing spatter to the bottom of said tube, and
- a bottom wall on said tube for collecting solidified spatter directed to it by said deflector plate, and
- the opening in said tube being elliptical in shape.
Cutting apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable central post,
- a laser cutting nozzle adapted to cut a duct along a cutting plane generally perpendicular to said post orbiting said post and generating a plume of molten metal or spatter on the inner surface of the cut tube,
- a tube mounted on said central post concentric to said duct being cut for removing any spatter generated by cutting the duct, said tube including
- an opening positioned in the cutting plane of said nozzle tracking and facing said nozzle as it orbits about said duct,
- a deflector plate positioned at an angle to said cutting plane extending from a position adjacent the top of the interior wall of said tube to the bottom of said interior wall for directing spatter to the bottom of said tube,
- a bottom wall on said tube for collecting solidified spatter directed to it by said deflector plate, and
- said bottom wall including a plurality of openings formed therein.
An anti-spatter tube for use in a cutting process for preventing the buildup of spatter or molten metal on the interior of a cut duct comprising:
- an opening in a tube wall adapted to be positioned inside said duct in the cutting plane of a cutting nozzle tracking and facing said nozzle as it orbits about said duct, and
- a deflector plate positioned at an angle to said cutting plane extending from a position adjacent the top of the interior wall of said tube to the bottom of said interior wall for directing spatter to the bottom of said tube, and
- a bottom wall on said tube for collecting solidified spatter directed to it by said deflector plate.
A cutting method using an orbiting laser nozzle for cutting a duct along a horizontal cutting plane comprising the steps of:
- removing spatter from the interior of said duct formed adjacent the cutting plane of said nozzle by
- collecting spatter within the interior of a tube concentrically positioned within said duct, and
- deflecting said spatter away from said cutting plane to the bottom of said tube where it solidifies for easy removal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.