Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of changing the structure of a solid material comprising: disposing a quantity of a first reaction material in a solid state, which first material has a first crystalline structure, at a first location in a reaction chamber, and generating and directing at least one collimated high energy radiant energy beam along an axis which intersects said first location within said reaction chamber and is directed against said reaction material disposed at said first location; causing said high energy radiant energy beam to transfer a substantial portion of its radiant energy to said reaction material and to generate a shock wave in said reaction material wherein the energy transferred to said reaction material includes the energy of said shock wave which reacts on and heats said reaction material and converts at least a portion thereof from said first crystalline state to a second state having a crystalline structure which is substantially different from said first crystalline structure of said reaction material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of changing the structure of a solid material comprising: disposing a quantity of a first reaction material in a solid state, which first material has a first crystalline structure, at a first location in a reaction chamber, and generating and directing at least one collimated high energy radiant energy beam along an axis which intersects said first location within said reaction chamber and is directed against said reaction material disposed at said first location; causing said high energy radiant energy beam to transfer a substantial portion of its radiant energy to said reaction material and to generate a shock wave in said reaction material wherein the energy transferred to said reaction material includes the energy of said shock wave which reacts on and heats said reaction material and converts at least a portion thereof from said first crystalline state to a second state having a crystalline structure which is substantially different from said first crystalline structure of said reaction material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reaction material comprises a small quantity of carbon and the intensity of the radiant energy beam directed thereagainst is sufficient to convert at least a portion of said carbon to a diamond-like crystalline structure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reaction material is in the form of a solid pellet, and said step of disposing said reaction material at a first location in said reaction chamber comprises injecting said pellet into said reaction chamber along a substantially predetermined path which intersects said first location.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 which includes simultaneously generating and directing a plurality of intense radiation beams along axes which intersect said first location within said reaction chamber when said reaction material is disposed at said first location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
92 words
A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said step of disposing said reaction material at a first location in said reaction chamber includes injecting said reaction material into said reaction chamber along a path which intersects said first location and controlling the generation of said plurality of radiation beams such that they all intersect said reaction material at said first location substantially simultaneously and wherein the multiple shock waves generated cooperatively heat and compress the reaction material intersected thereby to effect conversion of said reaction material to said second crystalline structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first quantity of said reaction material is disposed at said first location in an open cavity of a solid member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reaction material contains a quantity of carbon and the intensity of the radiant energy of said radiant energy beam directed against said first reaction material is sufficient to convert at least a portion of said carbon to a hard crystalline structure having the characteristics of diamond.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said quantity of said first reaction material is disposed at said first location against a surface of a solid material and is converted to said second solid state thereagainst.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 which includes bonding said material disposed against said surface to said solid material by means of the radiant energy of said beam transferred thereto.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of converting carbon to diamond comprising: disposing a quantity of carbon in a cavity formed in a surface of a die, and generating and directing an intense radiation beam along an axis intersecting said carbon disposed in said die cavity so as to cause the radiation of said beam to intensely heat said carbon and to generate at least one shock wave therein to convert at least a portion of the carbon in said die to diamond.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of converting carbon to diamond comprising: disposing a quantity of carbon in a cavity formed in a surface of a die, and generating and directing an intense radiation beam along an axis intersecting said carbon disposed in said die cavity so as to cause the radiation of said beam to intensely heat said carbon and to generate at least one shock wave therein to convert at least a portion of the carbon in said die to diamond.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method in accordance with claim 10 which includes bonding the diamond formed in said die cavity to the walls of the die cavity as it is formed therein.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of converting carbon to a hard diamond-like structure comprising: disposing a quantity of carbon against a surface of a solid substrate, and generating and directing intense radiation to intersect said carbon on said substrate and to heat and react on same in a manner to convert at least a portion of said carbon to a hard diamond-like structure against said substrate.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of converting carbon to a hard diamond-like structure comprising: disposing a quantity of carbon against a surface of a solid substrate, and generating and directing intense radiation to intersect said carbon on said substrate and to heat and react on same in a manner to convert at least a portion of said carbon to a hard diamond-like structure against said substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method in accordance with claim 12 which includes bonding said hard diamond-like structure to said surface of said substrate as it is formed thereon.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of forming a composite article with a hard wear resistant surface portion comprising: disposing a select quantity of a material containing carbon against a select portion of a surface of a solid substrate, generating and directing intense beamed radiation towards said substrate to cause said intense radiation to intersect said carbon containing material while it is disposed against said substrate, and intensely heating said carbon containing material against said substrate with said radiation while simultaneously generating and directing a shock wave through said material in a manner to effect the conversion of at least a portion of the carbon thereof to a hard diamond-like material, and forming a composite article of said substrate and at least a portion of said carbon containing material.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of forming a composite article with a hard wear resistant surface portion comprising: disposing a select quantity of a material containing carbon against a select portion of a surface of a solid substrate, generating and directing intense beamed radiation towards said substrate to cause said intense radiation to intersect said carbon containing material while it is disposed against said substrate, and intensely heating said carbon containing material against said substrate with said radiation while simultaneously generating and directing a shock wave through said material in a manner to effect the conversion of at least a portion of the carbon thereof to a hard diamond-like material, and forming a composite article of said substrate and at least a portion of said carbon containing material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein said composite article is formed by bonding said hard diamond-like material to said select portion of the surface of said solid substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein said substrate is a die having a die cavity, said method including disposing at least a portion of said carbon containing material in said die cavity, forming said hard diamond-like material within said die cavity and bonding same to the wall of said die cavity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein said substrate is a die containing an operating surface portion, said method including disposing said carbon containing material against said operating surface portion and simultaneously forming said hard diamond-like material from carbon thereof and bonding said diamond-like material to said operating surface portion of said die.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of forming a composite article having a hard wear-resistant surface portion comprising: disposing a carbon containing material against a surface of an article defined by a solid substrate and adapted to form part of a composite article, generating and directing intense radiation against said carbon containing material disposed against the surface of said article, and heating said carbon containing material and said substrate with said intense radiation while said carbon containing material is disposed adjacent said surface of said article in a manner to effect the conversion of at least a portion of said carbon containing material to a hard diamond-like material while it is disposed against the surface of said article so as to form a hard stratum of said diamond-like material on said surface, and bonding said diamond-like material to the surface of said substrate to form a composite article of said substrate and said diamond-like material wherein said diamond-like material forms at least a portion of the surface of said composite article.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of forming a composite article having a hard wear-resistant surface portion comprising: disposing a carbon containing material against a surface of an article defined by a solid substrate and adapted to form part of a composite article, generating and directing intense radiation against said carbon containing material disposed against the surface of said article, and heating said carbon containing material and said substrate with said intense radiation while said carbon containing material is disposed adjacent said surface of said article in a manner to effect the conversion of at least a portion of said carbon containing material to a hard diamond-like material while it is disposed against the surface of said article so as to form a hard stratum of said diamond-like material on said surface, and bonding said diamond-like material to the surface of said substrate to form a composite article of said substrate and said diamond-like material wherein said diamond-like material forms at least a portion of the surface of said composite article.