Electrochemical machining using a multisegmented electrode with individual current control for each segment

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ELECTROLYTICALLY REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF A WORKPIECE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING SUCH SURFACE IN JUXTAPOSITON TO BUT OUT OF CONTACT WITH AN ELECTRODE TOOL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS INSULATED ONE FROM ANOTHER AND TOGETHER PROVIDING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TO A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE CONTOUR TO BE PRODUCED IN THE WORKPIECE, SUPPLYING AN ELECTROLYTE BETWEEN THE JUXTAPOSED SURFACES OF THE TOOL AND THE WORKPIECE, ADVANCING THE JUXTAPOSED SURFACES RELATIVELY TOWARD EACH OTHER, AND SUPPLYING CURRENT THROUGH THE WORKPIECE, THE ELECTROLYTE, AND THE TOL, THE CURRENTS SUPPLIED TO EACH OF THE CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE TOOL BEING SEPARATELY INITIATED WITH THE CURRENT BEING SUPPLIED FIRST TO THE MEMBER OPPOSITE WHICH THE GREATEST DEPTH OF MATERIAL IS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE WORKPIECE, THE CURRENT BEING SUPPLIED NEXT TO THE MEMBER OPPOSITE WHICH THE NEXT GREATEST DEPTH OF MATERIAL IS TO BE REMOVED, AND SO ON.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ELECTROLYTICALLY REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF A WORKPIECE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING SUCH SURFACE IN JUXTAPOSITON TO BUT OUT OF CONTACT WITH AN ELECTRODE TOOL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS INSULATED ONE FROM ANOTHER AND TOGETHER PROVIDING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TO A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE CONTOUR TO BE PRODUCED IN THE WORKPIECE, SUPPLYING AN ELECTROLYTE BETWEEN THE JUXTAPOSED SURFACES OF THE TOOL AND THE WORKPIECE, ADVANCING THE JUXTAPOSED SURFACES RELATIVELY TOWARD EACH OTHER, AND SUPPLYING CURRENT THROUGH THE WORKPIECE, THE ELECTROLYTE, AND THE TOL, THE CURRENTS SUPPLIED TO EACH OF THE CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE TOOL BEING SEPARATELY INITIATED WITH THE CURRENT BEING SUPPLIED FIRST TO THE MEMBER OPPOSITE WHICH THE GREATEST DEPTH OF MATERIAL IS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE WORKPIECE, THE CURRENT BEING SUPPLIED NEXT TO THE MEMBER OPPOSITE WHICH THE NEXT GREATEST DEPTH OF MATERIAL IS TO BE REMOVED, AND SO ON.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF PREPARING AN ELECTRODE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TIGHTLY WINDING INSULATED WIRE AROUND A CYLINDRICAL FORM IN A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS LAYERS, FASTENING THE WOUND LAYERS IN FIXED REALTION TO A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID FORM, CUTTING THROUGH SAID LAYERS IN SAID PLANE, BENDING THE RESULTING BUNDLES OF WIRES OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR ACCESS TO THE CUT ENDS OF THE WIRES, THE BUNDLE OF WIRES FORMING AN ELECTRODE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS INSULATED ONE FROM ANOTHER, AND REMOVING MATERIAL FROM ONE SURFACE FORMED BY THE ENDS OF THE WIRES TO PROVIDE A CONDUCTIVE SURFCE HAVING A DESIRED SURFACE SHAPE FOR USE IN ELECTROYLTIC PROCESSES WHEN CURRENT IS SUPPLIED THERETO BY CONNECTION TO THE OTHER ENDS OF THE WIRES.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF PREPARING AN ELECTRODE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TIGHTLY WINDING INSULATED WIRE AROUND A CYLINDRICAL FORM IN A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS LAYERS, FASTENING THE WOUND LAYERS IN FIXED REALTION TO A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID FORM, CUTTING THROUGH SAID LAYERS IN SAID PLANE, BENDING THE RESULTING BUNDLES OF WIRES OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR ACCESS TO THE CUT ENDS OF THE WIRES, THE BUNDLE OF WIRES FORMING AN ELECTRODE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS INSULATED ONE FROM ANOTHER, AND REMOVING MATERIAL FROM ONE SURFACE FORMED BY THE ENDS OF THE WIRES TO PROVIDE A CONDUCTIVE SURFCE HAVING A DESIRED SURFACE SHAPE FOR USE IN ELECTROYLTIC PROCESSES WHEN CURRENT IS SUPPLIED THERETO BY CONNECTION TO THE OTHER ENDS OF THE WIRES.

Claim 5

A METHOD OF PREPARING AN ALECTRODE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF COATING WITH ALUMINUM THE SIDES OF A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS OVER A SUBSTANTIAL AREA OF EACH BEGINNING ADJACENT TO ONE END, FURTHR COATING EACH SAID AREA WITH LEAD DIOXIDE, ASSEMBLING AND RETAINING SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS IN A BUNDLE WITH SAID ONE ENDS FORMING A SURFACE AND WITH THE COATED AREAS OF ADJACENT MEMBERS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, ELECTROSHAPING SAID SURFACE WITH SAID BUNDLE CONNECTED AS AN ANODE IN AN ELECTROLYTE CAPABLE OF ANODICALLY REMOVING THE MATERIAL OF SAID MEMBERS AND THE COATINGS THEREON, HEATING SAID BUNDLE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO DIFFUSE OXYGEN FROM THE OUTER COATINGS INTO THE INNER COATINGS TO FORM A LAYER OF ALUMINUM OXIDE AROUND EACH SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBER AND TO CAUSE THE OUTER COATINGS OF SAID MEMBERS TO ADHERE TO EACH OTHER, SAID SURFACE BEING SUITABLE FOR USE IN ELECTROYLTIC PROCESSES WHEN CURRENT IS SUPPLIED THERETO BY CONNECTIONS TO THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS.

Claim 6

A METHOD OF PREPARING AN ALECTRODE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF COATING WITH ALUMINUM THE SIDES OF A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS OVER A SUBSTANTIAL AREA OF EACH BEGINNING ADJACENT TO ONE END, FURTHR COATING EACH SAID AREA WITH LEAD DIOXIDE, ASSEMBLING AND RETAINING SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS IN A BUNDLE WITH SAID ONE ENDS FORMING A SURFACE AND WITH THE COATED AREAS OF ADJACENT MEMBERS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, ELECTROSHAPING SAID SURFACE WITH SAID BUNDLE CONNECTED AS AN ANODE IN AN ELECTROLYTE CAPABLE OF ANODICALLY REMOVING THE MATERIAL OF SAID MEMBERS AND THE COATINGS THEREON, HEATING SAID BUNDLE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO DIFFUSE OXYGEN FROM THE OUTER COATINGS INTO THE INNER COATINGS TO FORM A LAYER OF ALUMINUM OXIDE AROUND EACH SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBER AND TO CAUSE THE OUTER COATINGS OF SAID MEMBERS TO ADHERE TO EACH OTHER, SAID SURFACE BEING SUITABLE FOR USE IN ELECTROYLTIC PROCESSES WHEN CURRENT IS SUPPLIED THERETO BY CONNECTIONS TO THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS.