Metal cladding

Claim 2

Apparatus for cladding a round metallic, aluminum core with metal comprising means directing a length of round metallic, aluminum core material along a selected path, means cutting metal material from the entire periphery of said length of round aluminum core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of bond-deterrent materials, means maintaining said virgin metal surface of said aluminum core material free of bond-deterrent materials, means directing clean metal cladding material around said virgin metal surface, and means pressing said cladding material against said virgin metal core surface entirely around the periphery of said core material with reduction in the composite thickness of said core and cladding materials for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together entirely around said core periphery.

Claim 3

Apparatus for cladding a round metallic aluminum core with metal comprising annular skiving means, means directing a length of round metallic, aluminum core material through said annular skiving means for cutting metal material from the entire periphery of said length of round aluminum core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of bond-deterrent materials, means establishing a protective atmosphere around said virgin metal surface for preventing oxide-film formation on said virgin metal surface, means directing clean metal cladding material around said virgin metal surface, and means pressing said cladding material against said virgin metal core surface entirely around the periphery of said core material with reduction in the composite thickness of said core and cladding materials for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together entirely around said core periphery.

Claim 4

Apparatus for cladding a round metallic aluminum core with metal comprising annular skiving means, means directing a length of round metallic, aluminum core material through said annular skiving means for cutting metal material from the entire periphery of said length of round aluminum core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of bond-deterrent materials, means establishing a protective atmosphere around said virgin metal surface for preventing oxide-film formation on said virgin metal surface, means directing clean metal cladding material around said virgin metal surface, and means pressing said cladding material against said virgin metal core surface entirely around the periphery of said core material with reduction in the composite thickness of said core and cladding materials for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together entirely around said core periphery.

Claim 5

Apparatus for cladding a round metallic core with metal comprising peripherally grooved drawing and squeezing rolls foRming a nip space therebetween, annular skiving means mounted adjacent to said nip space, means directing a length of round metallic core material to be drawn into said nip space through said annular skiving means by said rolls for cutting metal from the entire periphery of said length of core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of bond-deterrent films, means establishing a protective atmosphere around said core material between said skiving means and nip space to prevent any substantial oxide-film formation on said virgin metal surface, and means directing lengths of clean metal cladding material to be drawn into said nip space around said virgin metal surface by said rolls to be squeezed with said core material between said rolls for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together.

Claim 6

Apparatus for cladding a round metallic core with metal comprising peripherally grooved drawing and squeezing rolls foRming a nip space therebetween, annular skiving means mounted adjacent to said nip space, means directing a length of round metallic core material to be drawn into said nip space through said annular skiving means by said rolls for cutting metal from the entire periphery of said length of core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of bond-deterrent films, means establishing a protective atmosphere around said core material between said skiving means and nip space to prevent any substantial oxide-film formation on said virgin metal surface, and means directing lengths of clean metal cladding material to be drawn into said nip space around said virgin metal surface by said rolls to be squeezed with said core material between said rolls for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said atmosphere-establishing means comprises manifold means mounted between said skiving means and nip space, and means providing a protective atmosphere within said manifold means, said manifold means having an inlet for said core material, said skiving means being mounted in said inlet for sealing said inlet around said core material.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said manifold means is disposed in sealing relation to said rolls.

Claim 9

Apparatus for cladding a round aluminum core material with a copper material comprising peripherally grooved drawing and squeezing rolls forming a nip space therebetween, annular skiving means mounted adjacent to said nip space, means directing a length of round aluminum core material to be drawn into said nip space through said annular skiving means by said rolls for cutting metal material from the entire periphery of said length of core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of aluminum oxide material, means directing lengths of copper cladding material to be drawn into said nip space around said virgin metal surface by said rolls from opposite sides of said core material along paths which are at least partly angled with respect to said core material, means establishing a protective atmosphere around said core material between said skiving means and nip space to prevent any substantial reformation of aluminum oxide film on said virgin metal surface and establishing an oxide-reducing atmosphere around said lengths of cladding material in said paths, and means heating said lengths of cladding material for removing oxide films from said lengths of cladding material in said oxide-reducing atmosphere, said rolls squeezing said core and cladding materials together with reduction in a composite thickness thereof for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together.

Claim 10

Apparatus for cladding a round aluminum core material with a copper material comprising peripherally grooved drawing and squeezing rolls forming a nip space therebetween, annular skiving means mounted adjacent to said nip space, means directing a length of round aluminum core material to be drawn into said nip space through said annular skiving means by said rolls for cutting metal material from the entire periphery of said length of core material to expose a virgin metal surface therearound which is substantially free of aluminum oxide material, means directing lengths of copper cladding material to be drawn into said nip space around said virgin metal surface by said rolls from opposite sides of said core material along paths which are at least partly angled with respect to said core material, means establishing a protective atmosphere around said core material between said skiving means and nip space to prevent any substantial reformation of aluminum oxide film on said virgin metal surface and establishing an oxide-reducing atmosphere around said lengths of cladding material in said paths, and means heating said lengths of cladding material for removing oxide films from said lengths of cladding material in said oxide-reducing atmosphere, said rolls squeezing said core and cladding materials together with reduction in a composite thickness thereof for solid-phase bonding said core and cladding materials together.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means establishing said protective and oxide-reducing atmospheres comprises manifold means having inlets for receiving said core material and said lengths of cladding material, and means providing an oxide-reducing atmosphere in said manifold means around said lengths of cladding material and said virgin metal surface of said core material, said manifold means being disposed in sealing relation to said rolls, said annular skiving means being disposed in said core material inlet for sealing said inlet around said core material.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means directing said lengths of cladding material include idling-roll means guiding said lengths of cladding material over paths which include doubled-back path portions, and said manifold means enclose said doubled-back path portions.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said heating means heat said lengths of cladding material at least partly outside said manifold means.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means directing said lengths of cladding material include idling-roll means engaging said lengths in spaced relation to said nip space, and said heating means direct electrical Current through portions of said lengths of cladding material which are spaced from said nip space and which terminate at said idling-roll means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said grooved squeezing rolls form a substantially circular nip space therebetween.