Method and apparatus for producing blades

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A BLADE PREFORM FROM A BLADE BLANK HAVING AN ENLARGED BASE PORTION AND A CENTRALLY DISPOSED EXTENSION OF MATERIALLY SMALLER CROSSSECTIONAL AREA AND INCLUDING ANGULAR TRANSITION REGIONS BETWEEN THE BASE PORTION AND SAID EXTENSION, WHICH COMPRISES SUSPENDING FROM SAID TRANSITION REGIONS SAID PREFORM BY ROUNDED CONVEX SURFACES OF OPPOSED DIES, APPLYING SOLELY TO THE BACK SURFACE OF SAID BASE PORTION OPPOSITE THE CENTRALLY DISPOSED EXTENSION A FORCE TO MOVE SAID PREFORM ALONG A METAL-FORMING PATH EXTENDING INTERMEDIATE SAID DIES, DEVELOPING FROM FORCE OPPOSING FORCES RESPECTIVELY DIRECTED ANGULARLY TOWARD SAID TRANSITION REGIONS OF SAID BLADE BLANK THEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID PREFORM IN POSITION FOR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT BY SAID ROUNDED SURFACES OF SAID DIES DURING ITS MOVEMENT ALONG SAID METAL-FORMING PATH, INCREASING SAID FORCE APPLIED TO SAID BACK SURFACE TO METAL-MOVING MAGNITUDES, AND CONCURRENTLY INCREASING SAID ANGULARLY DIRECTED OPPOSING FORCES IN PROPORTION TO THE QUOTIENT OF SAID FORCE APPLIED TO SAID BACK SURFACE DIVIDED BY THE SINE OF THE ANGLE BETWEEN A LINE NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF THAT APPLIED FORCE AND THE ANGULAR DIRECTION OF EACH OF SAID OPPOSING FORCES, SAID ANGLE DECREASING AS SAID PREFORM MOVES THROUGH SAID METAL-FORMING PATH, SAID APPLIED FORCE AND SAID ANGULARLY DIRECTED FORCES OF INCREASING MAGNITUDE MOVING METAL IN DIVIDED FLOW SAID TRANSITION REGIONS, SOME OUTWARDLY AND SOME INWARDLY, RELATIVE TO SAID EXTENSION TO FORM ROUNDED CONCAVE FILLETS FROM SAID TRANSITION REGIONS WITH CONCURRENT REDUCTION IN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID EXTENSION ADJACENT TO SAID FILLETS AND WITH CONCURRENT INCREASE IN THE LENGTH OF SAID EXTENSION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A BLADE PREFORM FROM A BLADE BLANK HAVING AN ENLARGED BASE PORTION AND A CENTRALLY DISPOSED EXTENSION OF MATERIALLY SMALLER CROSSSECTIONAL AREA AND INCLUDING ANGULAR TRANSITION REGIONS BETWEEN THE BASE PORTION AND SAID EXTENSION, WHICH COMPRISES SUSPENDING FROM SAID TRANSITION REGIONS SAID PREFORM BY ROUNDED CONVEX SURFACES OF OPPOSED DIES, APPLYING SOLELY TO THE BACK SURFACE OF SAID BASE PORTION OPPOSITE THE CENTRALLY DISPOSED EXTENSION A FORCE TO MOVE SAID PREFORM ALONG A METAL-FORMING PATH EXTENDING INTERMEDIATE SAID DIES, DEVELOPING FROM FORCE OPPOSING FORCES RESPECTIVELY DIRECTED ANGULARLY TOWARD SAID TRANSITION REGIONS OF SAID BLADE BLANK THEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID PREFORM IN POSITION FOR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT BY SAID ROUNDED SURFACES OF SAID DIES DURING ITS MOVEMENT ALONG SAID METAL-FORMING PATH, INCREASING SAID FORCE APPLIED TO SAID BACK SURFACE TO METAL-MOVING MAGNITUDES, AND CONCURRENTLY INCREASING SAID ANGULARLY DIRECTED OPPOSING FORCES IN PROPORTION TO THE QUOTIENT OF SAID FORCE APPLIED TO SAID BACK SURFACE DIVIDED BY THE SINE OF THE ANGLE BETWEEN A LINE NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF THAT APPLIED FORCE AND THE ANGULAR DIRECTION OF EACH OF SAID OPPOSING FORCES, SAID ANGLE DECREASING AS SAID PREFORM MOVES THROUGH SAID METAL-FORMING PATH, SAID APPLIED FORCE AND SAID ANGULARLY DIRECTED FORCES OF INCREASING MAGNITUDE MOVING METAL IN DIVIDED FLOW SAID TRANSITION REGIONS, SOME OUTWARDLY AND SOME INWARDLY, RELATIVE TO SAID EXTENSION TO FORM ROUNDED CONCAVE FILLETS FROM SAID TRANSITION REGIONS WITH CONCURRENT REDUCTION IN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID EXTENSION ADJACENT TO SAID FILLETS AND WITH CONCURRENT INCREASE IN THE LENGTH OF SAID EXTENSION.