Metallic surface fusion apparatus

Claim 2

In an apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon; a carrier device for moving the element in a substantially continuous manner and in a prescribed lineal path selectively into contact with and out of contact with the surface; an assemblage forming part of said carrier device and rigidly connected to the element and resiliently connected to the remaining portion of said device by a resilient electrically nonconductive medium; means including an electrical circuit for vibrating said assemblage and element at substantially resonant frequency relative to said remaining portion, such that the element is movable concurrently and with two types of motion, namely, a high-frequency vibratory motion and a continuous lineal motion; said carrier device forming part of a positioning device comprising: a servomotor having a reversely rotatable shaft; helical screw means operatively secured to said shaft for rotation thereby; means rigidly secured to said remaining portion of said carrier device and having balls which ride in the helical grooves of said screw means; and men means for constraining the last introduced means against rotation to cause any degree of rotary motion of the screw means in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to be translated into a corresponding degree of translational movement of said remaining portion in one axial direction or the opposite axial direction, respectively.

Claim 3

Apparatus accOrding to claim 1, including means physically movable by and with said remaining portion for interrupting the supply of electrical energy to the servomotor when said remaining portion is moved beyond a preselected limit position in at least one axial direction.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon; a carrier device for moving the element in a substantially continuous manner and in a prescribed constrained axial path selectively into contact with and out of contact with the surface; an assemblage forming part of said carrier device and rigidly connected to the element and resiliently connected to the remaining portion of said device by a resilient electrically nonconductive medium comprising a silicone rubber compound, said assemblage being provided with openings for receiving said compound to enhance the resilient interconnection of said assemblage with said remaining portion; and means including an electrical circuit for vibrating said assemblage and element at substantially resonant frequency relative to said remaining portion, such that the element is movable automatically and concurrently with two types of axial motion, namely, a high-frequency vibratory motion and a continuous axial motion.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon; a carrier device for moving the element in a substantially continuous manner and in a prescribed constrained axial path selectively into contact with and out of contact with the surface; an assemblage forming part of said carrier device and rigidly connected to the element and resiliently connected to the remaining portion of said device by a resilient electrically nonconductive medium comprising a silicone rubber compound, said assemblage being provided with openings for receiving said compound to enhance the resilient interconnection of said assemblage with said remaining portion; and means including an electrical circuit for vibrating said assemblage and element at substantially resonant frequency relative to said remaining portion, such that the element is movable automatically and concurrently with two types of axial motion, namely, a high-frequency vibratory motion and a continuous axial motion.

Claim 6

Apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon, comprising, in combination: carrier means supporting the element and comprising one means for effecting continuous high frequency vibratory reciprocation of the element; means for providing relative motion between the surface and element in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of reciprocation of the element to cause the element to contact the surface at different points during successive reciprocations; means including a servomechanism responsive to an electrical signal of one level exceeding a preselected duration to move the carrier means and element as a unit away from the surface and to an electrical signal of another level exceeding another preselected duration to move the carrier means and element as a unit toward the surface; other means operative during and responsively to each contact of the element with the surface to provide the signal of said one level for substantially the duration of such contact and operative while the element is physically separated from the surface to provide the signal of said other level; and said servomechanism operating as an averaging device for automatically adjusting the position from which said element is reciprocated according to any variation in contour of said surface of a degree sufficient to cause contact and separation times to exceed said preselected durations during such relative movement in such plane.

Claim 7

Apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon, comprising, in combination: carrier means supporting the element and comprising one means for effecting continuous high frequency vibratory reciprocation of the element; means for providing relative motion between the surface and element in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of reciprocation of the element to cause the element to contact the surface at different points during successive reciprocations; means including a servomechanism responsive to an electrical signal of one level exceeding a preselected duration to move the carrier means and element as a unit away from the surface and to an electrical signal of another level exceeding another preselected duration to move the carrier means and element as a unit toward the surface; other means operative during and responsively to each contact of the element with the surface to provide the signal of said one level for substantially the duration of such contact and operative while the element is physically separated from the surface to provide the signal of said other level; and said servomechanism operating as an averaging device for automatically adjusting the position from which said element is reciprocated according to any variation in contour of said surface of a degree sufficient to cause contact and separation times to exceed said preselected durations during such relative movement in such plane.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the relative-motion-providing means moves the member in X-and Y-coordinate directions in a selectable path, and the vibratory motion is reciprocal substantially in the Z-coordinate direction.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said relative-motion-providing means is repetitively reciprocal in at least one of the X- and Y-directions; and including means for adjusting to a selectable value the amplitude of such reciprocal movement.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein: said element is an electrode and the surface forms part of a workpiece, and the electrode is consumed by metallurgical fusion with the surface of the workpiece during and as a result of such intermittent contact therewith to impart to the surface of the workpiece metallurgical characteristics similar to that of the electrode material; and said servomechanism operates to move the electrode toward the workpiece as necessary to compensate for electrode consumption as well as toward and away from the workpiece as necessary to compensate for changes in surface contour.

Claim 11

Apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon, comprising: a carrier device comprising one portion rigidly connected to the element, another portion connected to said one portion by a rubberlike electrically nonconductive medium, and electromagnetic means successively energized and deenergized for effecting continuous high-frequency axial vibratory motion of the element and said one portion relative to said other portion; and means including a servomechanism mechanically connected to said carrier device and circuit means responsive to an electrical signal of one level generated while and so long as the element contact such surface to cause the carrier device to move one way as a unit to move the element away from such surface if said signal exceeds a preselected duration and responsive to an electrical signal of another level generated during physical separation of the element and surface to cause the carrier device to move the opposite way as a unit to move the element away from such surface if the latter signal exceeds a predetermined duration, thereby to cause the element to be movable concurrently with two types of superimposed motion, namely, a high-speed, low amplitude, continuous vibratory motion and a discontinuous motion of a direction and magnitude that varies automatically depending upon direction and degree of change in contour of the surface and any wear of the element, such that the position of the element will be varied automatically as necessary to compensate for element wear and variations in surface contour upon relative movement of the surface in a path transversely of the directions of superimposed motion of the element, while at the same time maintaining the element substantially within that preselected distance from the surface corresponding to the vibratory amplitude of the element at said frequency.

Claim 12

Apparatus for controlling movement of an electrically conductive element into intermittent contact with an electrically conductive surface of a member to perform a desired operation thereon, comprising: a carrier device comprising one portion rigidly connected to the element, another portion connected to said one portion by a rubberlike electrically nonconductive medium, and electromagnetic means successively energized and deenergized for effecting continuous high-frequency axial vibratory motion of the element and said one portion relative to said other portion; and means including a servomechanism mechanically connected to said carrier device and circuit means responsive to an electrical signal of one level generated while and so long as the element contact such surface to cause the carrier device to move one way as a unit to move the element away from such surface if said signal exceeds a preselected duration and responsive to an electrical signal of another level generated during physical separation of the element and surface to cause the carrier device to move the opposite way as a unit to move the element away from such surface if the latter signal exceeds a predetermined duration, thereby to cause the element to be movable concurrently with two types of superimposed motion, namely, a high-speed, low amplitude, continuous vibratory motion and a discontinuous motion of a direction and magnitude that varies automatically depending upon direction and degree of change in contour of the surface and any wear of the element, such that the position of the element will be varied automatically as necessary to compensate for element wear and variations in surface contour upon relative movement of the surface in a path transversely of the directions of superimposed motion of the element, while at the same time maintaining the element substantially within that preselected distance from the surface corresponding to the vibratory amplitude of the element at said frequency.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 8, including: means associated with said electromagnetic means for adjusting to a selectable magnitude the amplitude of high frequency vibratory motion; and means associated with said circuit means for adjusting to a selectable time interval the normal duration of contact of the element with the surface occurring when no change in contour exists.