Apparatus for electrochemical shaping

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRO-EROSION OF MATERIAL FROM AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECE BLANK HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY RADIALLY EXTENDING SECTIONS SO AS TO OBTAIN A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICALLY CONTOURED SECTIONS INTEGRAL WITH THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID BLANK, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE ELECTRODE TOOL PROVIDED WITH A BASE, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED INTEGRAL SEGMENTS HAVING WORKING SURFACES AND PROJECTING FROM SAID BASE IN THE GENERAL CONFIGURATION OF A CYLINDER, SAID PLURALITY OF SEGMENTS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE ARRAY OF SEGMENTS HAVING THEIR WORKING SURFACES FACING IN ONE DIRECTION OF ROTATION; MEANS FOR HOLDING SURFACES FACING IN ONE DIRECTION OF ROTATION; MEANS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE WORKPIECE BLANK IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID INTEGRAL SEGMENTS INTERSECT SPACES BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS; MEANS CONNECTING SAID ELECTRODE TOOL IN AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT SO AS TO RENDER SAID TOOL PREDOMINANTLY CATHODIC; MEANS CONNECTING SAID BLANK IN SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT SO AS TO RENDER SAID BLANK ANODIC; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A CONDUCTIVE ELECTROLYTE AT SUBSTANTIALLY HIGH VELOCITY AND HIGH PRESSURE BETWEEN SAID WORKING SURFACES OF SAID SEGMENTS AND SAID BLANK; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TOOL AND SAID BLANK AXIALLY IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER; AND SEPARATE MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPRESSING RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT UPON SAID TOOL AND SAID BLANK, TO CAUSE THE SEGMENTS OF SAID TOOL TO ELECTROLYTICALLY ERODE PORTIONS OF SAID BLANK WHEREBY CONTOURED SECTIONS ARE LEFT ATTACHED TO SAID BLANK.