US4047984A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Corpuscular energy beam produced microasperities
Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
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Filing: 1975-11-17
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Granted: 1977-09-13
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Expires: 1995-11-17
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for producing microasperities for enhancing lubrication is provided. A pulsed laser beam or other heat source having high resolution with respect to time and space is focused onto a surface such as a thrust bearing surface to produce an array of microasperities of controlled size, shape and density. The staggered ramp shaped asperities produce an enhanced lubrication effect.
Inventors
- 👤 William H. Belke
- 👤 Joseph C. Hafele
- 👤 Ernest W. Landen
- 👤 Thomas J. Richards
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:54
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16J; F16J15/00; F16J15/16; F16J15/34; F16J15/3404; F16J15/3408; F16J15/3424; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/064; B23K26/0643; B23K26/0648; B23K26/0665; B23K26/352; B23K26/3568; B23P; B23P9/00; C; C21; C21D; C21D1/00; C21D1/06; C21D1/09; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/902; Y10S148/903; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/47
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of producing asperities on a body defining a surface, comprising the steps of selecting a body of unhardened pearlite carbon steel material having the property of expanding by grain structure change under the action of a beam of corpuscular energy, impinging a beam of corpuscular energy on said surface, varying the intensity of said beam from a minimum to a maximum value and then abruptly dropping the intensity back to said minimum so as to produce asperities, moving said body in a predetermined path relative to said beam while varying the intensity of said beam, and, repeating the above steps so as to produce a plurality of spaced, raised, martensitic asperities defining a height, length and width on said surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of producing asperities on a body defining a surface, comprising the steps of selecting a body of unhardened pearlite carbon steel material having the property of expanding by grain structure change under the action of a beam of corpuscular energy, impinging a beam of corpuscular energy on said surface, varying the intensity of said beam from a minimum to a maximum value and then abruptly dropping the intensity back to said minimum so as to produce asperities, moving said body in a predetermined path relative to said beam while varying the intensity of said beam, and, repeating the above steps so as to produce a plurality of spaced, raised, martensitic asperities defining a height, length and width on said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of moving comprises, rotating said body so as to produce a first circular pattern of asperities on said surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 2 further including the step of indexing said body with respect to said beam after said circular pattern of asperities is produced and further rotating said body so as to produce a further circular pattern of asperities on said surface having a diameter different from that produced with said first circular pattern.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 3 including the steps of further indexing and further rotating said body so as to produce a concentric series of spaced, circular asperity patterns on said surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of moving comprises, linearly translating said body with respect to said beam so as to produce a first linear pattern of asperities on said surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 5 further including the step of indexing said body with respect to said beam after a first linear pattern of asperities of a desired length has been produced, and further linearly translating said body in a direction generally parallel to the direction of said first linear pattern of asperities so as to produce a further linear pattern of asperities on said surface spaced from said first linear pattern.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 6 including the steps of further indexing and further linearly translating said body so as to produce an asperity array of rows and columns on said surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 further including the preliminary step of splitting said beam into a plurality of spaced beams prior to said step of impinging whereby a plurality of spaced asperity patterns are simultaneously produced on said surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-09-12 | 1981-03-14 | 1981-09-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-09-12 | 1985-03-14 | 1985-09-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-09-12 | 1989-03-14 | 1989-09-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |