Method of forming an electrically conductive abrasive wheel

Claim 1

A method of imparting an electric conductivity to an electrically nonconductive porous abrasive body to form an electrochemical-grinding wheel therefrom with a chemical plating solution comprising a reducing agent and a liquid containing a reducible metal salt, the method comprising the steps of: (a) holding said reducing agent and said liquid separately in different reservoirs and mixing said reducing agent and said liquid together immediately prior to impregnation into said body to form said chemical plating solution; (b) impregnating a predetermined amount of said chemical plating solution into said porous body immediately upon mixing of said liquid with said agent as an impregnating solution; (c) confining said impregnating solution within the interconnected pores of said porous body for a predetermined time period to cause a metallic coating to be chemically deposited from said impregnating solution onto the wall portions of said pores, said predetermined time period being sufficient for the metal to be deposited and substantially completely depleted from said solution by deposition; (d) thereafter introducing a substantially equal amount of fresh impregnating solution immediately upon said mixing into said pores and simultaneously discharging the depleted solution in an amount substantially equal to the amount of the fresh solution to again impregnate the latter therewith, followed by the step (c); and (e) repeating the step (d) a predetermined number of times.

Claim 2

A method of imparting an electric conductivity to an electrically nonconductive porous abrasive body to form an electrochemical-grinding wheel therefrom with a chemical plating solution comprising a reducing agent and a liquid containing a reducible metal salt, the method comprising the steps of: (a) holding said reducing agent and said liquid separately in different reservoirs and mixing said reducing agent and said liquid together immediately prior to impregnation into said body to form said chemical plating solution; (b) impregnating a predetermined amount of said chemical plating solution into said porous body immediately upon mixing of said liquid with said agent as an impregnating solution; (c) confining said impregnating solution within the interconnected pores of said porous body for a predetermined time period to cause a metallic coating to be chemically deposited from said impregnating solution onto the wall portions of said pores, said predetermined time period being sufficient for the metal to be deposited and substantially completely depleted from said solution by deposition; (d) thereafter introducing a substantially equal amount of fresh impregnating solution immediately upon said mixing into said pores and simultaneously discharging the depleted solution in an amount substantially equal to the amount of the fresh solution to again impregnate the latter therewith, followed by the step (c); and (e) repeating the step (d) a predetermined number of times.

Claim 3

A method of producing an electrochemical-abrasive machining tool electrode from a wheel having interconnected pores therein and composed of electrically nonconductive abrasive particles prebonded together into a given shape, the method comprising the steps of: (a) holding said wheel substantially horizontally, (b) bringing at least one surface of said wheel in contact with a mass of a chemical plating solution, (c) periodically reversing said surface coming in contact with said mass, (d) intermittently pressuring said mass to repetitively impregnate said wheel with a predetermined amount of said chemical plating solution and to confine said amount within said interconnected pores for a predetermined time period to cause the wall portions of said pores to be reductively plated, said predetermined time period being sufficient for the metal to be deposited and substantially completely depleted from said solution by deposition and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) a predetermined number of times to render said wheel electrically conductive.

Claim 4

A method of producing an electrochemical-abrasive machining tool electrode from a wheel having interconnected pores therein and composed of electrically nonconductive abrasive particles prebonded together into a given shape, the method comprising the steps of: (a) holding said wheel substantially horizontally, (b) bringing at least one surface of said wheel in contact with a mass of a chemical plating solution, (c) periodically reversing said surface coming in contact with said mass, (d) intermittently pressuring said mass to repetitively impregnate said wheel with a predetermined amount of said chemical plating solution and to confine said amount within said interconnected pores for a predetermined time period to cause the wall portions of said pores to be reductively plated, said predetermined time period being sufficient for the metal to be deposited and substantially completely depleted from said solution by deposition and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) a predetermined number of times to render said wheel electrically conductive.

Claim 5

A method of imparting electrical conductivity to an electrically nonconductive porous abrasive body having interconnected pores therein to produce an electrochemical-abrasive machining tool electrode therefrom by chemically depositing a coating of a metal onto wall portions of said pores from a chemical depositing solution containing a metal component, the method comprising the steps of: (a) impregnating a predetermined amount of the chemical depositing solution into said body; (b) confining the impregnated predetermined amount of the solution within the interconnected pores of said body for a predetermined period of time sufficient to deplete the content of said metal component substantially completely by deposition of the metal thereof onto said wall portions; (c) draining the solution from which said metal component has been substantially completely depleted from said pores and simultaneously introducing there into a substantially equal amount of fresh chemical depositing solution to again impregnate said body therewith, followed by step (b), and (d) repeating step (c) a predetermined number of times.

Claim 6

A method of imparting electrical conductivity to an electrically nonconductive porous abrasive body having interconnected pores therein to produce an electrochemical-abrasive machining tool electrode therefrom by chemically depositing a coating of a metal onto wall portions of said pores from a chemical depositing solution containing a metal component, the method comprising the steps of: (a) impregnating a predetermined amount of the chemical depositing solution into said body; (b) confining the impregnated predetermined amount of the solution within the interconnected pores of said body for a predetermined period of time sufficient to deplete the content of said metal component substantially completely by deposition of the metal thereof onto said wall portions; (c) draining the solution from which said metal component has been substantially completely depleted from said pores and simultaneously introducing there into a substantially equal amount of fresh chemical depositing solution to again impregnate said body therewith, followed by step (b), and (d) repeating step (c) a predetermined number of times.

Claim 7

A method of producing an electrochemical-abrasive machine tool electrode from an abrasive wheel having interconnected pores therein and composed of electrically nonconductive abrasive particles bonded together into a wheel shape, said method comprising the steps of: (a) depositing said wheel substantially horizontally whereby said wheel has a lower surface; (b) bringing the lower surface of said wheel into contact with a mass of a chemical plating solution containing a metal component adapted to deposit the metal of said component by chemical deposition; and (c) intermittently pressurizing said mass to repetitively impregnate said wheel with a predetermined amount of said chemical plating solution and confine said amount within said interconnected pores for a predetermined time period to cause the wall portions of said pores to be reductively plated with said metal and the metal to be substantially completely depleted from the confined solution before the next impregnation, the repetition in step (c) being carried out a predetermined number of times sufficient to render said wheel electrically conductive.

Claim 8

A method of producing an electrochemical-abrasive machine tool electrode from an abrasive wheel having interconnected pores therein and composed of electrically nonconductive abrasive particles bonded together into a wheel shape, said method comprising the steps of: (a) depositing said wheel substantially horizontally whereby said wheel has a lower surface; (b) bringing the lower surface of said wheel into contact with a mass of a chemical plating solution containing a metal component adapted to deposit the metal of said component by chemical deposition; and (c) intermittently pressurizing said mass to repetitively impregnate said wheel with a predetermined amount of said chemical plating solution and confine said amount within said interconnected pores for a predetermined time period to cause the wall portions of said pores to be reductively plated with said metal and the metal to be substantially completely depleted from the confined solution before the next impregnation, the repetition in step (c) being carried out a predetermined number of times sufficient to render said wheel electrically conductive.