Apparatus for electrolytic machining

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR USE IN ELECTROLYTIC MACHINING OF CUTS OF A PEDETERMINED SHAPE IN A METAL WORKPIECE, THE DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE WORKPIECE, AN ELECTRODE TOOL FOR MACHINING CUTS IN THE WORKPIECE, MEANS FOR CAUSING CONVERGING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE TOOL AND THE WORKPIECE AND FOR MAINTAINING A GAP THEREBETWEEN THEREBY DEFINING A WORKING SPACE, MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AN ELECTRODE THROUGH SAID WORKING SPACE, AND A SOURCE OF DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE WORKPIECE AND SAID ELECTRODE TOOL WHEREBY THE WORKPIECE AND SAID ELECTRODE TOOL FUNCTION AS AN ANODE AND A CATHODE, RESPECTIVELY; THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID ELECTRODE TOOL INCULDES A BASE, A SUPPORTING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A RELATIVELY THIN METALLIC ELEMENT SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID METALLIC ELEMENT HAVING A WORKING FACE SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH, AND OF THE SAME CONTOUR AS, THE PREDETERMINED SHAPED OF THE CUTS TO BE MADE IN THE WORKPIECE, A RIGID BODY OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL MOUNTED BETWEEN AND HOLDING SAID METALLIC ELEMENT SPACED AND ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE IN CROSS SECTION WITH THE CONTOUR OF SAID METALLIC ELEMENT AND THE PEDETERMINED SHAPE OF A CUT TO BE MADE IN THE WORKPIECE, MMEANS FORMING INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ELECTROLYTE CIRCULATING MEANS AND LEADING, RESPECTIVELY, TO AND FROM SPACED PORTIONS OF SAID METALLIC MEMBER WHEREBY ELECTROLYTE FLUID MAY BE DIRECTED THROOUGH SAID WORKING SPACE OVER SAID WORKING FACE OF THE METALLIC MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR CONDUCTING CURRENT TO SAID METALLIC MEMBER.