Abstract: A robotic positioning system is provided which comprises a base portion; a plurality of interconnected arm members mounted on the base portion and having respective axes of movement; a hand member carried at a distal end of the arm members for supporting a functional member; a plurality of drive means associated respectively with the plurality of arm members and operable by respective drive signals for moving the arm members along the respective axes so that the functional member reaches a target spacial position and there assumes a target spacial orientation; and a gyro assembly having a frame mounted for joint movement with one of the members and a rotor supported in the frame to rapidly spin about an axis set to orient in a predetermined direction, which is invariable relative to the base portion, whereby to provide a directional reference for monitoring a spacial orientation assumed by the one member upon a movement along the corresponding axis of movement.

Abstract: A method of preparing an elastically deformable magnetic object in which fine metal particles treated with a settable organic substance are mixed with a rubber material in a pulverized form to make a powdery mass. This is shaped under pressure, in a magnetic field into a compacted body and heated followed by cooling to allow the powder particles of rubber materials to bond to the magnetic particles and join them together to yield a homogeneous elastically deformable metal object with the magnetic particles uniformly distributed therein.

Abstract: Efficient, high-precision machining of ceramic materials is achieved by supplying onto a workpiece of a ceramic material a liquid electrolyte having components at least one of which is normally inert to but becomes chemically reactive with the ceramic material at an elevated temperature, and applying to a limited zone of interface between the liquid electrolyte and the workpiece, localized energy of a magnitude sufficient to heat the liquid electrolyte and the ceramic material there to the elevated temperature and to remove from the workpiece the locally heated ceramic material in a form at least partially chemically degenerated with that electrolytic component. The limited zone acquiring the localized energy is displaced in a scanning manner from one region to another on the workpiece along numerically programmed path to consecutively remove the ceramic material along the path from the workpiece.

Abstract: A numerical-control (NC) method and system for machining a desired three-dimensional contour in a workpiece with an axial tool, e.g. a rotary milling cutter or electroerosion electrode, formed at its axial end with an active machining surface which is spherical about a center intersected by the axis of the tool. According to the invention, numerical coordinate values for the positions of this center of the tool to be displaced relative to the workpiece need not to be preprogrammed and stored on a record medium.

Abstract: A spark-depositing apparatus includes an electrode storage arrangement which stores a plurality of rigid electrodes. When a new electrode is required, a chuck receives one of these electrodes. A clamp brings the chuck to a first position to allow the electrode to slide into the chuck and brings the chuck to a second position to hold the electrode fast. The electrode is then activated to deposit material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern.

Abstract: An electrical machining system utilizing a machining liquid consisting at least in a major part of an aqueous solution containing a deionized water and a surface active agent dissolved therein, the latter having a temperature-dependent solubility in the solution and a cloud point, i.e. a temperature below which it remains dissolved therein. The machining liquid is supplied into a machining zone which produces a liquid effluent in which machining products are entrapped. The liquid effluent is fed to a separation zone where it is heated at a temperature above its cloud point to separate out an amount of the surface active agent and to collect that amount substantially in a solid form while forming a liquid output constituted by a remainder of the liquid effluent. The surface active agent is collected by deposition on a carrier material, e.g. iron particles. When iron particles are used, an electromagnet may be employed to decrease the time necessary to recover the surface active agent.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling beamed energy radiation, e.g. of electron beams, onto a workpiece making use of a beam gun for producing a series of successive, time-spaced groups of pulsed energy beams. A power supply for the beam gun is constructed to produce a series of successive, time-spaced groups of discrete, time-spaced electrical pulses to produce the series of the successive, time-spaced groups of the pulsed energy beams. A highly precise, subtle control of the energy flow of the beamed radiation onto the workpiece is achieved in this manner by controlling the time duration .tau.on and the time interval .tau.off of the electrical pulses, the time duration Ton and the time interval Toff of the groups and the number n of the electrical pulses in each of the groups.

Abstract: An EDM method and apparatus, utilizing a generic electrode, i.e. a tool electrode independent in shape of a desired cavity or contour to be machined in a workpiece, and utilizing a three-dimensional machining feed displacement, makes use of an assembly for maintaining the contamination of the machining liquid with machining products, e.g. chips and gases, at a certain enhanced level. The assembly includes a pad or block member disposed in the proximity of the workpiece with a small spacing therewith while surrounding the generic electrode to mechanically control or limit discharging of the machining products out of the EDM gap, thereby enabling a stabilized production of machining electrical discharges across the EDM gap maintained substantially constant.

Abstract: A sewing machine and method wherein a needle carrying a thread is axially reciprocated into and through a sewable material moving relative to the axis of the needle to stitch the material, and high-frequency mechanical oscillations are imparted to the reciprocating needle in the direction of its axis to facilitate the stitching of the material which may be thick and/or hard.

Abstract: Wire-cut electroerosion method and apparatus whereby breakage of an electrode wire is substantially prevented by limiting air-bubbling in the cutting zone from the electrode wire traveling through a liquid-machining medium. The air-bubbling is limited by cleaning the electrode wire advancing from its storage reel prior to its entry into the cutting zone supplied with the liquid machining medium. The electrode wire may be cleaned by brushing the wire between the storage reel and the wire-braking roller and thereafter cleansed by a showering fluid. Preferably, ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the showering fluid. The braking rollers and a wire-conducting roller are also provided with brushes to prevent contaminants from being introduced onto the cleaned electrode wire by these rollers.

Abstract: Sintering method and apparatus. A pre-sintered or compacted mass of particulate material is densified by loading the mass into a substantially closed three-dimensional space defined by three pairs of punches juxtaposed thereacross in three respective directions, and then by multi-axially compressing the mass by advancing the punches of each pair toward each other while energizing the mass with thermal energy. The axes of action of pressures applied thereto by the three pairs of punches intersect substantially at a point substantially constituting the center of the three-dimensional space.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for forming a 3D-shaped article, such as a die or mold, utilizing an electroforming process in which a metal layer is electroformed on an electroforming mold and removed therefrom to form the desired article. The removal is facilitated by mirror-finishing anodizing the shaped electroforming mold and thereafter anodizing to form an oxide film thereon. The electroforming apparatus utilizes a worktank having a first and a second region separated by a partition. The partition has a plurality of apertures which provide communication between the first region with the second region, the latter having an anodic electrode and a source of the electroforming metal. The electroforming mold supported by a shank is introduced into the first region and reciprocated longitudinally of the axis of the shank with a stroke not less than the dimension of the electroforming surface of the mold in the direction of that axis.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for dispensing wire from a massive storage spool make use of a rotary support for holding the storage spool and in bearing contact therewith. The rotary support comprises a pair of rollers, one of which is rotationally driven by a motor to turn the spool whereby to permit the wire to be unwound therefrom. The unwound wire is subject to a traction force applied by a capstan and pinch roller driven to advance the wire between outlet guide rollers into a utilization zone, e.g. the cutting zone in a wire-cut EDM machine. A sensor is provided to detect a deviation of the tension of the wire between the outlet guides and the storage spool from a predetermined value. The output of the sensor is applied to a servo control circuit for the motor rotating the rotary support and the wire storage spool so as to maintain the tension of the wire constant.

Abstract: An electrode positioning method and apparatus for NC-EDM wherein a tool electrode and a workpiece are relatively displaced under commands of an NC unit while EDM stock removal of the workpiece is advanced by developing effective electrical discharges between the tool electrode and the workpiece. The method comprises counting the effective electrical discharges, deriving a corrective amount of displacement from a prescribed amount of electrode wear per single effective discharge, the effective machining area of the tool electrode and the counted number of the electrical discharges. The corrective amount is used to correct the commanded relative displacement.

Abstract: Vibratory abrasive contour-finishing method and apparatus in which an axial tool longitudinally vibrated at a high-frequency is rapidly rotated about its longitudinal axis to provide a rapidly reciprocatingly revolving active tool surface for pressure engagement with a shaped surface of a workpiece in the presence of abrasive grits while the tool and the workpiece are relatively displaced translationally to move the active tool surface along the shaped surface to progress the abrasive polishing along it. The load or reciprocatingly revolving resistance encountered by the active tool surface is instantaneously sensed to produce an output signal representing a change therein. A control circuit responds to the output signal and acts on a drive unit for the relative translational displacement between the tool axis and the workpiece so as to maintain the load or resistance substantially constant.

Abstract: A flow meter is provided using a fluid responsive solid member which is introduced into a flow chamber defined in a vertically standing tubular housing and which, with the flowing fluid supplied through an inlet at the lower end of the housing and discharged through an outlet at the upper end of the housing, is propelled to a level as a function of the volume rate of flow of the fluid within the chamber. The solid member is composed at least in part of an electromagnetically susceptible material and an electrically conductive winding is disposed in an electromagnetically inductive relationship with that member to present a reactance which varies as a function of the position of the member in the flow chamber.

Abstract: A carbon material having oxygen impregnated therein, the oxygen being present in an amount of 10 to 100 ppm in the carbon material.

Abstract: A stepping feed EDM motor control method and system in which the rate of driving of a motor for each step of incremental advance of the movable electrode, e.g. a tool electrode or a workpiece electrode, is controlled in accordance with the instantaneous area of the machining surface of the tool electrode juxtaposed in electroerosive machining relationship with the workpiece.

Abstract: A work element supported by a thermally deflectable member in an operating machine tool is held against mispositioning by causing a fluid to flow through a passage formed in the member of the machine tool performing a machining operation to hold the member in a heat-exchanging relationship with the fluid and maintaining the difference in temperature between the fluid flowing into the passage of the member and the fluid flowing out of that passage substantially constant. Two thermistors are used to detect the temperatures of the flowing fluid at an inlet side and at an outlet side, respectively, and a signal representing a temperature difference detected is compared with a threshold value representing a preselected temperature difference to provide a deviation signal which is used to control the rate of flow of the fluid through the passage and/or the temperature of the flow-in fluid. Preferably, the latter is held constant and the former is controlled in response to the deviation or control signal.

Abstract: A traveling-wire EDM method and apparatus in which a machining fluid in liquid phase is sufficiently cooled in its supply conduit to less than a predetermined critical temperature, e.g. 4.degree. C. To this end, the wire electrode prior to introduction into the fluid supply nozzle may be cooled by passage through a refrigerant or by thermoelements. Preferably, the wire electrode is passed between a pair of ice-formed guide members disposed across the nozzle units. The eventual machining fluid may be gas or liquid in which fine ice particles or fragments are suspended.