Method and apparatus for flexible manufacturing a discrete curved product from feed stock
AssigneeTrico Products Corporation
InventorsJerald E. Jones, David E. Peck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for manufacturing a discrete curved product from a feed stock includes a source of heat that is adapted to impose a focused beam of light on at least one surface of a work piece to cause the surface of the work piece to expand and thereby move in the general direction of the heat source so as to impart a predetermined radius of curvature to the work piece. In addition, a method of manufacturing a discrete curved product from feed stock is also disclosed.
Claims19
An apparatus for manufacturing a discrete curved product from a feed stock, said apparatus comprising:
- a source of heat that is adapted to impose a focused beam of heat on at least one surface of a work piece, said beam of heat defining a major axis and a minor axis on the work piece, said major axis of said focused beam of heat being disposed substantially transverse to the relative movement of the work piece with respect to the beam of heat to cause the surface of the work piece to expand and thereby move in the general direction of the heat source and impart a predetermined radius of curvature to the work piece;
- a cooler adapted to cool the work piece after it has been heated by said source of heat;
- and
- a tempering device employed to temper the work piece after it has been cooled.
An apparatus for manufacturing a discrete curved product from a feed stock, said apparatus comprising:
- a source of heat that is adapted to impose a focused beam of heat on at least one surface of a work piece, said beam of heat defining a major axis and a minor axis on the work piece where the major axis of said focused beam of heat is disposed substantially transverse to the relative movement of the work piece with respect to the beam of heat, said transverse focused beam of heat acting to cause the surface of the work piece to expand and thereby move in the general direction of said source of heat to thereby impart a predetermined radius of curvature to the work piece about said major axis;
- and
- a cooler adapted to cool the work piece after it has been heated by said source of heat.
A method of manufacturing a discrete curved product from a feed stock, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a focused beam of heat on at least one surface of a work piece wherein the beam of heat defines a major axis and a minor axis on the work piece and the major axis of the focused beam of heat is disposed substantially transverse to the relative movement of the work piece with respect to the beam of heat to cause the surface of the work piece to expand and thereby move in the general direction of the heat source and impart a predetermined radius of curvature to the work piece;
- and
- cooling the work piece immediately after it has been heated by the source of heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.