Method of continuously machining supports for electromagnetic wave guides

Claim 2

Continuous machining of helical grooves in a cylindrical smooth rod comprises the following steps: supplying the rod from a storage reel, guiding the rod along a preset direction, removing chips resulting from machining by means of a rotating head bearing cutting blades passing alternately in front of ducts within said head into which the chips are forced by decompression of a compressed gas, passing the rod through a cutting head rotating synchronously with said chip removing head comprising a thin sheet cutter with a chemically etched central cutting aperture, guiding the rod along said preset direction, driving the rod parallel to said direction and storing the machined rod.

Claim 3

Continuous machining according to claim 1, wherein the rod is successively passed through two machining heads rotated synchronously and spaced apart at a distance which is an integral multiple of the pitch of the helical grooves so that the first effects the coarse machining and the second the finishing.

Claim 4

Continuous machining according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical rod consists of medium density polyethylene, has a diameter of less than a few centimeters and travels at less than 10 meters per minute, and the temperature of the machining head is between 150° and 200° C.

Claim 5

Continuous machining a rod according to claim 1, wherein the said cutting blades of the chip removing head are rotationally driven by the said rotating head over a fraction of each revolution and then subjected to a return force which forces them back into their initial position.

Claim 6

A machine for machining helical grooves in a rod of dielectric material continuously driven along its axis comprising: a means providing a supply of smooth rod, a first guide for said rod, a chip removing head comprising a solid bloc with inner ducts directed along the surface of a cylinder terminated by a cone in which said chips are aspired by the decompression of a gas introduced through outwardly directed ducts corresponding with said inner ducts and a set of blades passing alternately in front of the outlet of said inner ducts and a central duct for the rod, said head being rotatable around the axis of the rod, a groove cutting head synchronously driven with said chip removing head comprising a heating body with a central duct for said rod around which is located a thin stainless steel plate in which a central aperture having cutting means has been made by chemical etching, a second guide for said rod, a drive for moving said rod past said chip removing and groove cutting heads and a storage for machined rod.

Claim 7

A machine for machining helical grooves in a rod of dielectric material continuously driven along its axis comprising: a means providing a supply of smooth rod, a first guide for said rod, a chip removing head comprising a solid bloc with inner ducts directed along the surface of a cylinder terminated by a cone in which said chips are aspired by the decompression of a gas introduced through outwardly directed ducts corresponding with said inner ducts and a set of blades passing alternately in front of the outlet of said inner ducts and a central duct for the rod, said head being rotatable around the axis of the rod, a groove cutting head synchronously driven with said chip removing head comprising a heating body with a central duct for said rod around which is located a thin stainless steel plate in which a central aperture having cutting means has been made by chemical etching, a second guide for said rod, a drive for moving said rod past said chip removing and groove cutting heads and a storage for machined rod.