Shock forming

Claim 2

In a method of forming a workpiece by generating a shock wave which is propagated against said workpiece by electrical discharge in a liquid medium, the improvement which comprises the steps of: temporarily bridging at least part of a gap between spaced-apart electrodes in said liquid medium with a fusible conductor by feeding a length of the fusible conductor to the gap from a location offset from the electrodes; applying an electrical pulse across said electrodes of an intensity and for a duration sufficient to disintegrate the length of fusible conductor in said gap and produce an electrical discharge across said electrodes; displacing said liquid medium independently of said discharge in a power jet trained against said workpiece; and controlling a parameter of said power jet by directing selectively and generally transversely to the power jet at least one control jet of a fluid.

Claim 3

The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said length of fusible conductor is fed along a predetermined path to said gap in the direction of one of said electrodes while the other of said electrodes is disposed adjacent said path and transversely thereto.

Claim 4

The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a spacing between said fusible conductor and at least one of said electrodes upon the application of said electrical pulse thereby causing an incipient discharge between the conductor and the electrode spaced therefrom prior to disintegration of said fusible conductor.

Claim 5

The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating the application of said electrical pulse to said electrodes by relatively displacing said conductor and at least one of said electrodes to reduce the distance between them and thereby effect breakdown of said fluid medium.

Claim 6

The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said control jet is composed of the same fluid as the power jet.

Claim 7

The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the control jet is regulated in accordance with a predetermined program.

Claim 8

The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical pulse includes initial high-voltage, low-current breakdown component folLowed by a low-voltage, high-current component sustaining the discharge.

Claim 9

The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein said fusible conductor is fed to said gap as a continuous strip, further comprising the step of stiffening said length of said conductor by imparting a transverse curvature thereto at least across said gap.

Claim 10

The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein successive lengths of said fusible conductor are successively propelled into said gap.

Claim 11

In a method of forming a workpiece by training thereagainst a power jet of a liquid and superimposing upon said power jet a shock wave produced by electrical discharge in the liquid, the improvement which comprises controlling at least one parameter of said power jet by directing generally transversely thereto a control jet of a fluid at a pressure less than that of said power jet.

Claim 12

In a method of forming a workpiece by training thereagainst a power jet of a liquid and superimposing upon said power jet a shock wave produced by electrical discharge in the liquid, the improvement which comprises controlling at least one parameter of said power jet by directing generally transversely thereto a control jet of a fluid at a pressure less than that of said power jet.

Claim 13

The improvement defined in claim 10 wherein a plurality of control jets are trained at said power jet and are disposed in spaced relationship therearound, the method further comprising the step of selectively operating said control jets in accordance with a predetermined program established in dependence upon the desired forming of a workpiece.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for forming a workpiece by deformation or kinetically depositing particles thereon by generating a shock wave which is propagated against said workpiece by electrical discharge in a fluid medium in force-transmitting relationship with said workpiece, the improvement which comprises: a shock-wave generator including a pair of spaced-apart relatively permanent electrodes; means for feeding a length of fusible conductor to a gap between said electrodes from a location offset therefrom; means for applying an electrical pulse across said electrodes to disintegrate the length of fusible conductor in said gap and produce an electrical discharge thereacross, said apparatus being a device for the hydroimpact forming of said workpiece and including a housing having a mouth trained at said workpiece but spaced therefrom; means for passing a liquid at high velocity through said mouth to form a power jet of said liquid impinging upon said workpiece and upon which said shock wave is imposed; and at least one control chamber ahead of said electrodes and formed with at least one nozzle trained transversely to said power jet for directing thereagainst a fluid control jet to regulate a parameter of said power jet.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for forming a workpiece by deformation or kinetically depositing particles thereon by generating a shock wave which is propagated against said workpiece by electrical discharge in a fluid medium in force-transmitting relationship with said workpiece, the improvement which comprises: a shock-wave generator including a pair of spaced-apart relatively permanent electrodes; means for feeding a length of fusible conductor to a gap between said electrodes from a location offset therefrom; means for applying an electrical pulse across said electrodes to disintegrate the length of fusible conductor in said gap and produce an electrical discharge thereacross, said apparatus being a device for the hydroimpact forming of said workpiece and including a housing having a mouth trained at said workpiece but spaced therefrom; means for passing a liquid at high velocity through said mouth to form a power jet of said liquid impinging upon said workpiece and upon which said shock wave is imposed; and at least one control chamber ahead of said electrodes and formed with at least one nozzle trained transversely to said power jet for directing thereagainst a fluid control jet to regulate a parameter of said power jet.

Claim 16

The improvement defined in claim 12, further comprising guide means for directing said fusible conductor along a substantially linear path toward one of said electrodes, the other of said electrodes being disposed alongside said path and generally transversely thereto.

Claim 17

In an apparatus for forming a workpiece by deformation or kinetically depositing particles thereon by generating a shock wave which is propagated against said workpiece by electrical discharge in a fluid medium in force-transmitting relationship with said workpiece, the improvement which comprises: a shock-wave generator including a pair of spaced-apart relatively permanent electrodes; means for feeding a length of fusible conductor to a gap between said electrodes from a location offset therefrom; means for applying an electrical pulse across said electrodes to disintegrate the length of fusible conductor in said gap and produce an electrical discharge thereacross; guide means for directing said fusible conductor along a substantially linear path toward one of said electrodes, the other of said electrodes being disposed alongside said path and generally transversely thereto, the means for feeding said fusible conductor to said gap including a magazine for successively disposing individual length of said conductor in alignment with said guide means; and means for propelling said lengths in succession to said guide means.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for forming a workpiece by deformation or kinetically depositing particles thereon by generating a shock wave which is propagated against said workpiece by electrical discharge in a fluid medium in force-transmitting relationship with said workpiece, the improvement which comprises: a shock-wave generator including a pair of spaced-apart relatively permanent electrodes; means for feeding a length of fusible conductor to a gap between said electrodes from a location offset therefrom; means for applying an electrical pulse across said electrodes to disintegrate the length of fusible conductor in said gap and produce an electrical discharge thereacross; guide means for directing said fusible conductor along a substantially linear path toward one of said electrodes, the other of said electrodes being disposed alongside said path and generally transversely thereto, the means for feeding said fusible conductor to said gap including a magazine for successively disposing individual length of said conductor in alignment with said guide means; and means for propelling said lengths in succession to said guide means.

Claim 19

The improvement defined in claim 12 wherein the means for feeding said length of fusible conductor to said gap includes a supply of A continuous fusible conductor and feed means for dispensing the conductor through said guide means.

Claim 20

The improvement defined in claim 14, further comprising means independent of said feeding means for relatively displacing at least one of said electrodes and said conductor to establish a predetermined spacing therebetween.

Claim 21

The improvement defined in claim 14 wherein said apparatus is a device for the hydroimpact forming of said workpiece and includes a housing having a mouth trained at said workpiece but spaced therefrom, said apparatus further comprising means for passing a liquid at high velocity through said mouth to form a power jet of said liquid impinging upon said workpiece and upon which said shock wave is imposed.

Claim 22

The improvement defined in claim 12, wherein a plurality of such nozzles is provided in spaced-apart relationship around said power jet, further comprising programming means connected to said nozzles for selectively operating same with selected control jet intensities.

Claim 23

The improvement defined in claim 18 wherein at least some of said nozzles are oriented at right angles to said power jet and at least one further nozzle is oriented at an angle to the axis of said power jet.

Claim 24

The improvement defined in claim 12 wherein said means for applying said electrical pulse across said electrodes includes a high-voltage low-current source connectable across said electrodes to initiate a discharge through said fusible conductor and at least one low-voltage, high-current source connectable across said electrodes for sustaining said discharge upon its formation by said high-voltage, low-current source.

Claim 25

In an apparatus for the hydrocompact forming of a workpiece by training a power jet against said workpiece through a barrel and applying to said power jet a shock wave by electrical discharge in the liquid, the improvement which comprises means along said barrel for controlling the parameters of said power jet and including a control-nozzle trained transversely to and against said power jet and means for supplying a control fluid to said nozzle.

Claim 26

In an apparatus for the hydrocompact forming of a workpiece by training a power jet against said workpiece through a barrel and applying to said power jet a shock wave by electrical discharge in the liquid, the improvement which comprises means along said barrel for controlling the parameters of said power jet and including a control-nozzle trained transversely to and against said power jet and means for supplying a control fluid to said nozzle.

Claim 27

The improvement defined in claim 21, wherein the last-mentioned means includes a programmer for regulating said power jet in accordance with a predetermined series of instructions determined by the configuration to be imparted to said workpiece.

Claim 28

The improvement defined in claim 21 wherein a plurality of such nozzles are spaced around said power jet.

Claim 29

The improvement defined in claim 21, further comprising a control body ahead of said power jet for defining the cross section thereof.

Claim 32

The apparatus defined in claim 25, further comprising a magazine containing a quantity of individual length of said fusible conductor and aligned with said guide means for successively dispensing the individual length and feeding same along said path.

Claim 33

The apparatus defined in claim 25, further comprising supply means carrying a continuous fusible conductor and aligned with said guide means while being intermittently drivable for feeding successive portions Of said fusible conductor along said path.

Claim 34

The apparatus defined in claim 25 wherein said fusible conductor is in the form of a strip, further comprising means for stiffening the length of said fusible conductor as it is fed from said guide means toward said first electrode by imparting a transverse curvature to said strip.

Claim 35

The apparatus defined in claim 25, further comprising a housing receiving said electrodes, said fluid medium and said fusible conductor, said housing being formed with a mouth trained in the direction of said workpiece but spaced therefrom for propelling said fluid medium against said workpiece.

Claim 36

The apparatus defined in claim 25 wherein said fluid medium is a liquid, further comprising means for displacing said liquid independently of said discharge in a power jet trained at said workpiece.

Claim 39

The method defined in claim 31 wherein said one of said electrodes is positioned at a fixed distance from a point of intersection of an imaginary extension of said other electrode and said path, and said conductor is fed toward said first electrode, said other electrode being displaced toward said conductor to reduce the gap and cause dielectric breakdown of said medium.

Claim 40

The method defined in claim 32 wherein said fusible conductor is fed into contact with said first electrode and thereafter said other electrode is moved toward said conductor to initiate dielectric breakdown of said fluid medium.

Claim 41

The method defined in claim 32 wherein said fusible conductor is first fed along said path until it reaches a position at a predetermined distance from said first electrode and thereafter said other electrode is advanced transversely to said path toward said conductor to a position at which dielectric breakdown of said fluid medium occurs in the fluid medium across the gaps between said conductor and said electrodes to effect explosive disintegration of said conductor and thereafter form said electrical discharge directed between said electrodes.

Claim 42

The method defined in claim 32 wherein said fusible conductor is fed toward said first electrode along said path through a fixed distance and thereafter said other electrode is advanced transversely toward said conductor to a point at which dielectric breakdowns occur in said fluid medium between said conductor and said electrodes to impulsively destroying the conductor and thereafter form a direct discharge between said electrodes.

Claim 43

The method defined in claim 32 wherein said other electrode is brought into contact with said fusible conductor and said fusible conductor is then advanced along said path toward said first electrode until dielectric breakdown occurs in the gap between said conductor and said first electrode to explosively destroying said conductor and then form a direct discharge between said electrodes.

Claim 44

The method defined in claim 32 wherein said other electrode is fed to a predetermined point adjacent said path and defines a gap with said fusible conductor, and said fusible conductor is then advanced along said path to reduce the gap between itself and said first electrode to a point at which dielectric breakdown occurs across both gaps to explosively destroying said conductor and thereafter form a direct elecTrical discharge between said electrodes.

Claim 49

In a method of hydroimpact forming a workpiece by directing a power jet of a liquid in shock-transmitting relationship therewith, the improvement which comprises controlling at least one parameter of said power jet by directing generally transversely thereto a control jet of a fluid at a pressure less than that of said power jet.

Claim 50

In a method of hydroimpact forming a workpiece by directing a power jet of a liquid in shock-transmitting relationship therewith, the improvement which comprises controlling at least one parameter of said power jet by directing generally transversely thereto a control jet of a fluid at a pressure less than that of said power jet.

Claim 51

The improvement defined in claim 40 wherein said power jet of liquid directed by generating an impulsive electrical discharge in said liquid.

Claim 52

In an apparatus for the hydroimpact forming of a workpiece by directing a power jet of a liquid in shock-transmitting relationship therewith through a barrel, the improvement which comprises means along the path of said power jet for controlling at least one parameter of said power jet and including a control nozzle trained transversely to and against said power jet and means for supplying a control fluid to said nozzle.

Claim 53

In an apparatus for the hydroimpact forming of a workpiece by directing a power jet of a liquid in shock-transmitting relationship therewith through a barrel, the improvement which comprises means along the path of said power jet for controlling at least one parameter of said power jet and including a control nozzle trained transversely to and against said power jet and means for supplying a control fluid to said nozzle.

Claim 54

The improvement defined in claim 42 wherein said power jet is directed by generating an impulsive electric discharge in said liquid within said barrel.

Claim 55

In a method of hydroimpact forming a workpiece into an intricate shape having a plurality of recesses by sweeping masses of a high-velocity liquid power jet in shock-transmitting relationship over said workpiece, the improvement which comprises controlling a parameter of said masses in accordance with the configurations of said recesses.

Claim 56

In a method of hydroimpact forming a workpiece into an intricate shape having a plurality of recesses by sweeping masses of a high-velocity liquid power jet in shock-transmitting relationship over said workpiece, the improvement which comprises controlling a parameter of said masses in accordance with the configurations of said recesses.

Claim 57

The improvement defined in claim 44 wherein said parameter is at least one of the velocity and the configuration of said mass.

Claim 60

The apparatus defined in claim 46 wherein the last-mentioned means is so constructed and arranged as to control the velocity of said power jet.

Claim 61

The apparatus defined in claim 46 wherein the last-mentioned means is so constructed and arranged as tO control the configuration of said power jet.

Claim 62

A method defined in claim 31 wherein said discharge is generated by an electrical pulse including an initial high-voltage, low-current breakdown component followed by a low-voltage, high-current component sustaining the discharge.