Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
The process of producing billets of tool steel, which comprises a. producing molten steel of tool steel analysis, b. atomizing the molten tool steel by liquid jets to produce small, highly irregular particles substantially free of oxygen impurities, c. encasing the atomized particles in an elongated tubular sheath, and d. heating the encased particles and compacting them principally in radial directions to form an encased tool steel billet suitable for hot working into tool stock.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
75 words
The process of producing billets of tool steel, which comprises a. producing molten steel of tool steel analysis, b. atomizing the molten tool steel by liquid jets to produce small, highly irregular particles substantially free of oxygen impurities, c. encasing the atomized particles in an elongated tubular sheath, and d. heating the encased particles and compacting them principally in radial directions to form an encased tool steel billet suitable for hot working into tool stock.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1, further characterized by a. the heating and radial compacting of the encased tool steel is carried out in at least two stages.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The process of claim 2, further characterized by a. the metal particles being heated to a temperature in the range of 1,700* to 2,250* F. in a first stage of heating and then radially compacted to a density greater than 55 percent, and b. the particles thereafter being further heated in a subsequent stage to a temperature in the range of 1,800* to 2,300* F. and further compacted to a density greater than 80 percent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The process of claim 2, further characterized by a. the metal particles being radially compacted by rotary swaging in at least two stages, and b. the cross-sectional area of the billet being reduced approximately 25 to 45 percent in a first stage and an additional approximately 20 to 40 percent in a second stage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
The process of claim 4, further characterized by a. the atomized metal particles being of a size predominantly smaller than 20 mesh and predominantly larger than 325 mesh, b. the initial apparent density of the encased metal particles being on the order of 50 percent or less, and c. the apparent density of the particles after rotary swaging being greater than 80 percent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 5, further characterized by a. the apparent density of the encased particles after rotary swaging being substantially in the range of 85 percent or greater.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1, further characterized by a. the atomized metal particles, prior to radial compaction, having an oxygen content of 0.25 percent or less.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 7, further characterized by a. the encased metal particles being exposed to a reducing gas during the heating thereof prior to radial compacting.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 8, further characterized by a. the reducing gas being hydrogen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
204 words
The process of producing billets of tool steel which comprises a. supplying a body of molten steel refined to tool steel analysis, b. water atomizing the molten steel by subjecting the molten steel to the action of opposed pairs of high pressure jets of quenching water in a plurality of closely spaced stages and maintaining the atOmized particles in contact with highly turbulent water until cooled below the temperature at which oxidation of the steel readily occurs, c. encasing the particles, while in an unannealed form, in an elongated tubular sheath of light gage soft steel, d. heating the encased particles for a period not significantly longer than necessary to bring the particles uniformly to a temperature of between about 1,700* and about 2,250* F., e. compacting the encased heated particles principally in radial directions to increase the density thereof to substantially above 50 percent, f. heating the encased and radially compacted particles in a second stage for a period not significantly longer than necessary to bring the particles uniformly to a temperature of between about 1,800* and about 2,300* F., and g. radially compacting the reheated particles in a second stage to a density substantially in the range of 80 percent or more.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
204 words
The process of producing billets of tool steel which comprises a. supplying a body of molten steel refined to tool steel analysis, b. water atomizing the molten steel by subjecting the molten steel to the action of opposed pairs of high pressure jets of quenching water in a plurality of closely spaced stages and maintaining the atOmized particles in contact with highly turbulent water until cooled below the temperature at which oxidation of the steel readily occurs, c. encasing the particles, while in an unannealed form, in an elongated tubular sheath of light gage soft steel, d. heating the encased particles for a period not significantly longer than necessary to bring the particles uniformly to a temperature of between about 1,700* and about 2,250* F., e. compacting the encased heated particles principally in radial directions to increase the density thereof to substantially above 50 percent, f. heating the encased and radially compacted particles in a second stage for a period not significantly longer than necessary to bring the particles uniformly to a temperature of between about 1,800* and about 2,300* F., and g. radially compacting the reheated particles in a second stage to a density substantially in the range of 80 percent or more.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 10, further characterized by a. the stages of radial compacting being carried out by rotary swaging.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
The process of making a cutting tool with a tool steel billet of claim 11, which comprises a. hot working said billet in one or more stages to further compact said tool steel to 100 percent density and to reduce the thickness of the billet, b. removing the steel tubing encasement surrounding the tool steel, and c. thereafter machining the cutting tool from the hot worked steel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
97 words
The process of producing billets of tool steel which comprises a. supplying water atomized steel of tool steel analysis having an oxide content not significantly in excess of 0.25% and having a particle size range substantially smaller than 20 mesh, b. encasing the metal particles in an elongated tubular sheath of soft steel, c. heating the encased particles and compacting them principally in radial directions in at least two stages to an apparent density of at least 80 percent, and d. during the heating and compacting steps, maintaining the metal particles in contact with a reducing agency.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
97 words
The process of producing billets of tool steel which comprises a. supplying water atomized steel of tool steel analysis having an oxide content not significantly in excess of 0.25% and having a particle size range substantially smaller than 20 mesh, b. encasing the metal particles in an elongated tubular sheath of soft steel, c. heating the encased particles and compacting them principally in radial directions in at least two stages to an apparent density of at least 80 percent, and d. during the heating and compacting steps, maintaining the metal particles in contact with a reducing agency.