Method of making electrical discharge machining electrodes

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A COMPOSITE ELECTRODE BY A CASTING PROCESS FOR USE IN AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING DEVICE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A REUSABLE METAL SHANK, SAID SHANK HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BASE SECTION AND A STEM PORTION EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID BASE SECTION FOR SELECTIVE INSERTION OF SAID ELECTRODE INTO SAID DEVICE, PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF EXPENDABLE COPPER BASE ALLOY TOOL PARTS, PROVIDING A MOLD SLEEVE HAVING A CASTING CAVITY THEREIN, PROVIDING A REUSABLE METAL MANDREL TO AID IN POSITIONING SAID PARTS WITHIN SAID CASTING CAVITY, SAID MANDREL BEING FORMED WITH CONTOURED SURFACES TO WHICH THE WORKING FACE OF THE ELECTRODE IS TO BE CONFORMED, POSITIONING SAID PARTS AND SAID MANDREL IN SAID CAVITY SO THAT THE SURFACES OF SAID PARTS ABUT SAID SURFACES OF SAID MANDREL IN THE DESIRED SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO FORM THE DESIRED WORKING FACE CONFIGURATION OF SAID ELECTRODE AND PORTIONS OF SAID PARTS TO EXTEND INTO SAID CAVITY, POSITIONING SHANK WITHIN SAID CAVITY, LUBRICATING SAID SURFACES OF SAID MANDREL AND THE SURFACES OF SAID SLEEVE DEFINING SAID CASTING CAVITY WITH A MOLD RELEASE AGENT, MELTING AN ALLOY MATERIAL, SAID ALLOY HAVING A MELTING TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 150* F. TO 500* F. SO THAT SAID ALLOY MAY BE EASILY MELTED FOR REUSE IN FORMING NEW ELECTRODES, POURING SAID MOLTEN ALLOY INTO SAID CAVITY, COOLING SAID ALLOY TO FORM A CAST BODY WHICH BONDS SAID BASE SECTION OF SAID MEMBER AND SAID PORTIONS OF SAID PARTS EXTENDING INTO SAID CAVITY TO FORM AN INTEGRAL ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY, REMOVING SAID ELECTRODE FROM SAID ELECTRODE TO EXPOSE SAID WORKING FACE OF SAID ELECTRODE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A COMPOSITE ELECTRODE BY A CASTING PROCESS FOR USE IN AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING DEVICE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A REUSABLE METAL SHANK, SAID SHANK HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BASE SECTION AND A STEM PORTION EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID BASE SECTION FOR SELECTIVE INSERTION OF SAID ELECTRODE INTO SAID DEVICE, PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF EXPENDABLE COPPER BASE ALLOY TOOL PARTS, PROVIDING A MOLD SLEEVE HAVING A CASTING CAVITY THEREIN, PROVIDING A REUSABLE METAL MANDREL TO AID IN POSITIONING SAID PARTS WITHIN SAID CASTING CAVITY, SAID MANDREL BEING FORMED WITH CONTOURED SURFACES TO WHICH THE WORKING FACE OF THE ELECTRODE IS TO BE CONFORMED, POSITIONING SAID PARTS AND SAID MANDREL IN SAID CAVITY SO THAT THE SURFACES OF SAID PARTS ABUT SAID SURFACES OF SAID MANDREL IN THE DESIRED SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO FORM THE DESIRED WORKING FACE CONFIGURATION OF SAID ELECTRODE AND PORTIONS OF SAID PARTS TO EXTEND INTO SAID CAVITY, POSITIONING SHANK WITHIN SAID CAVITY, LUBRICATING SAID SURFACES OF SAID MANDREL AND THE SURFACES OF SAID SLEEVE DEFINING SAID CASTING CAVITY WITH A MOLD RELEASE AGENT, MELTING AN ALLOY MATERIAL, SAID ALLOY HAVING A MELTING TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 150* F. TO 500* F. SO THAT SAID ALLOY MAY BE EASILY MELTED FOR REUSE IN FORMING NEW ELECTRODES, POURING SAID MOLTEN ALLOY INTO SAID CAVITY, COOLING SAID ALLOY TO FORM A CAST BODY WHICH BONDS SAID BASE SECTION OF SAID MEMBER AND SAID PORTIONS OF SAID PARTS EXTENDING INTO SAID CAVITY TO FORM AN INTEGRAL ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY, REMOVING SAID ELECTRODE FROM SAID ELECTRODE TO EXPOSE SAID WORKING FACE OF SAID ELECTRODE.