Methods and apparatus for compacting powdered metal to form strips

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR COMPACTING POWDERED METAL TO FORM NARROW STRIPS OR RIBBONS PREPARATORY TO SINTERING COMPRISING A PAIR OF SHAFTS; A PAIR OF COACTING ROLLS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFTS, THE PERIPHERAL SURFACES OF THE ROLLS BEING SPACED LATERIALLY TO FORM A GAP HAVING A WIDTH DEPENDING ON THE THICKNESS OF THE STRIP TO BE FORMED AND THE ROLLS EACH HAVING A LENGTH EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE STRIP TO BE FORMED BETWEEN THEM; MEANS LOCATED AT EACH SIDE OF SAID PAIR ROLLS FOR APPLYING OPPOSING THRUSTS TO THE END FACES OF THE ROLLS AND THE LATERAL EDGES OF THEMETAL POWDER AND COMPACTED STIP AS THE METAL POWDER APPROACHES THE GAP BETWEEN THE COOPERATING ROLLS AND PASSES THROUGH SAID GAP, SAID MEANS FOR APPLYING THRUSTS TO THE ENDS OF SAID PAIR OF ROLLS COMPRISING AN ENDLESS BELT ENGAGING END FACES OF THE ROLLS FOR CLOSING THE ENDS OF THE GAPS BETWEEN THE ROLLS, AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE BELT FOR TRAVELING MOVEMENT IN A STRAIGHT LINE IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE TRAVELING MOVEMENT OF THE COMPACTED STRIP, SAID THRUST APPLYING MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING A RIGITS SUBSTANTIALLY UNYIELDING PRESSURE PLATE ENGAGING THE BELT OVER AN AREA THEREOF WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE GAP AND FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE THE GAP, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE PRESSURE PLATES ADJACENT THE END FACES OF THE ROLLS, AND MEANS ON THE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING EACH PRESSURE PLATE FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND FROM THE ENDS OF THE ROLLS.