Process for producing elongated continuous bars and rods from metal powders

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF FORMING FINELY DIVIDED COMPACTIBLE METALLIC POWDERS INTO CONTINUOUS BARS AND RODS AND THE LIKE ELONGATED PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING STEPS IN SEQUENCE: FEEDING A FINELY DIVIDED, COMPACTIABLE METALLIC POWDER TO A ROLL COMPACTING UNIT TO PRODUCE A CONTINUOUS SELF-SUPPORTING GREEN STRIP HAVING A THICKNESS IN THE RANGE OF 1/50 TO 1/100 OF THE DIAMETER OF THE ROLLS OF SAID COMPACTING UNIT AND A DENSITY EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 45% TO 95% OF THE THEORETICAL DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL OF WHICH SAID COMPACTIBLE METALLIC POWDER IS FORMED; SLITTING SAID GREEN STRIP ALONG ITS LENGTH INTO A PLURALITY OF STRIPS OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH; FORMING A VERTICAL STACK OF PREFETERMINED THICKNESS OF SAID PLURALITY OF STRIPS; PASSING SAID STACK TO A SINTERING OPERATION AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF SAID METALLIC PWDER; AND THEREAFTER MECHANICALLY WORKING THE SINTERED STACK TO FROM A CONTINUOUS UNITARY BAR, ROD OR THE LIKE ELONGATED WROUGHT PRODUCT HAVING A DENSITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO 100% OF THE THEORETICAL DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL FROM WHICH SAID PRODUCT IS FORMED.