Spark discharge metal depositing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING METAL ON A WORK PIECE, COMPRISING A VOLTAGE SOURCE, A FIRST CONDUCTOR FOR CONNECTING SUCH A WORK PIECE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID SOURCE, AN ELECTRODE, A SECOND CONDUCTOR FOR CONNECTING SAID ELECTORDE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SOURCE, THEREBY TO FORM A DISCHARGE CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE ELECTRODE AND WORK PIECE, AN APPRATUS BASE INCLUDING ELECTRODE SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED FOR POSITIONING THE ELECTRODE IN CONTACT WITH THE WORK PIECE NON-FLUID ENVIRONMENT, MEANS FOR INITIALLY BIASING SAID ELECTRODE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID WORK PIECE, SAID ELECTRODE SUPPORT MEANS BEING MOVABLE ON SAID BASE TO PERMIT RELATIVE VIBRATIONAL MOVEMENT ON ELECTRODE INTO SAID FROM CONTACT WITH SUCH WORK PIECE AND INCLUDING MEANS NORMALLY APPLYING FORCE BETWEEN THE SUPPORT MEANS AND WORK PIECE FOR DRIVING THE ELECTRODE AGAINS THE WORK PIECE WITH HAMMER-LIKE ABRUPTNESS THEREBY TO DRAW A SPARK DISCHARGE CREATING A PARTIAL WELD THEREBETWEEN, ELECTROMAGNET MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND OPERABLE WHEN ENERGIZED TO DRAW THE ELECTRODE SUPPORT MEANS ABRUPTLY AWAY FROM THE WORK PIECE TO BREAK THE WELD, THE ELECTRODE BEING THERMALLY LESS CONDUCIVE THAN THE WORK PIECE AND DRAWING HEAT FROM THE WELD AT A SLOWER RATE WHEREBY METAL FROM THE ELECTRODE IS LEFT DEPOSITED ON THE WORK PIECE WHEN THE WELD IS BROKEN, SAID ELECTROMAGNET MEANS INCLUDING A COIL CONNECTED IN SAID CIRCUIT TO BE ENERGIZED MOMENTARIALY BY FLOW OF CIRRENT SERIALLY THROUGH THE ELECTRODE AND WORK PIECE DURING THE BRIEF INSTANT OF CONTACT THEREBETWEEN, THEREBY TO EFFECT VIBRATION OF THE ELECTRODE BY THE ATTENDANT SWITCHING ACTION OF THE ELECTRODE MAKING AND BREAKING CONTACT WITH THE WORK PIECE, AND AN ENERGY STORAGE CAPACITANCE CONNECTED IN SHUNT ACROSS THE ELECTRODE AND WORK PIECE TO BE CHARGED THEREBY DURING THAT PORTION OF THE VIBRATION CYCLE IN WHICH THE ELECTRODE IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE WORK PIECE AND TO DISCHARGE THROUGH THE SPARK GAP THEREBETWEEN DURING RELATIVE APPROACH MOVEMENT OF THE ELECTRODE AND WORK PIECE, SAID CAPACITANCE PREVENTING ARCING BETWEEN THE ELECTRODE AND WORK PIECE AS THE SAME ARE BEING SEPARATED.