Process for making composite bearings

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MAKING A COMPOSITE STRIP SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BEARINGS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A HARD METAL BACKING STRIP AND A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY MIXED POWDER BLEND CONSISTING ESSENTIALY OF FROM ABOUT 96% TO ABOUT 99% IRREGULAR SHAPED COPPER POWDER HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 100 MESH OF WHICH UP TO ABOUT 60% THEREOF HAS A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 325 MESH, AND FROM ABOUT 1% TO ABOUT 3% LEAD POWDER AND FROM ABOUT 0% TO ABOUT 1% TIN POWDER HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 100 MESH; SUPERPOSING A RELATIVELY UNIFORM LAYER OF SAID POWDER BLEND ON SAID BACKING STRIP, SINTERING SAID LAYER IN A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 1750*F. TO ABOUT 1800*F., AND THEREAFTER COOLING THE SINTERED SAID LAYER IN A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE TO A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 725*F. TO ABOUT 850*F. FORMING A COMPOSITE STRIP INCLUDING A SINTERED POROUS MATRIX TENACIOUSLY BONDED TO SAID BACKING STRIP, IMMERSING SAID COMPOSITE STRIP IN A MOLTEN LEAD-TIN BEARING ALLOY AT A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 725*F. TO ABOUT 850*F., RELATIVELY VIBRATING SAID COMPOSITE STRIP AND SAID MOLTEN BEARING ALLOY AT A FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST ABOUT 3,000 CYCLES PER MINUTE CAUSING INFILTRATION AND SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE FILLING OF THE PORES OF SAID POROUS MATRIX, SAID MOLTEN BEARING ALLOY CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 4% TIN AND THE BALANCE LEAD, AND THEREAFTER REMOVING THE EXCESS OF SAID BEARING ALLOY FROM SAID COMPOSITE STRIP AND RAPIDLY COOLING SAID COMPOSITE STRIP.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MAKING A COMPOSITE STRIP SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BEARINGS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A HARD METAL BACKING STRIP AND A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY MIXED POWDER BLEND CONSISTING ESSENTIALY OF FROM ABOUT 96% TO ABOUT 99% IRREGULAR SHAPED COPPER POWDER HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 100 MESH OF WHICH UP TO ABOUT 60% THEREOF HAS A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 325 MESH, AND FROM ABOUT 1% TO ABOUT 3% LEAD POWDER AND FROM ABOUT 0% TO ABOUT 1% TIN POWDER HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 100 MESH; SUPERPOSING A RELATIVELY UNIFORM LAYER OF SAID POWDER BLEND ON SAID BACKING STRIP, SINTERING SAID LAYER IN A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 1750*F. TO ABOUT 1800*F., AND THEREAFTER COOLING THE SINTERED SAID LAYER IN A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE TO A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 725*F. TO ABOUT 850*F. FORMING A COMPOSITE STRIP INCLUDING A SINTERED POROUS MATRIX TENACIOUSLY BONDED TO SAID BACKING STRIP, IMMERSING SAID COMPOSITE STRIP IN A MOLTEN LEAD-TIN BEARING ALLOY AT A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 725*F. TO ABOUT 850*F., RELATIVELY VIBRATING SAID COMPOSITE STRIP AND SAID MOLTEN BEARING ALLOY AT A FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST ABOUT 3,000 CYCLES PER MINUTE CAUSING INFILTRATION AND SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE FILLING OF THE PORES OF SAID POROUS MATRIX, SAID MOLTEN BEARING ALLOY CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 4% TIN AND THE BALANCE LEAD, AND THEREAFTER REMOVING THE EXCESS OF SAID BEARING ALLOY FROM SAID COMPOSITE STRIP AND RAPIDLY COOLING SAID COMPOSITE STRIP.