Abstract: Slender water displacer rods for use in water reactors are provided with rings of a wear resistant coating spaced along the length of the rod. Each coating contains Cr.sub.2 C.sub.3 and is metallurgically applied and bonded to the zirconium base alloy forming the outer portion of the rod by electrospark-deposition (ESD) technique.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding a tubular shank of a toolholder is provided with a tool support member bore for receiving the shank and first and second radially reciprocal movable clamping jaws for holding the shank in the bore. The movement of the clamping jaws is radially activated by rotation of a radially aligned differentially threaded member engaging both clamping jaws.

Abstract: The invention relates to a toolholder assembly. The toolholder has a tubular shank at one end for mounting into the bore of a support member. The shank has at least two circumferentially spaced perforations in its tubular wall. Each of the bores extends obliquely toward the rear of the shank as it extends from the outer to the inner surface of the tubular wall. A locking element is located partially within each of said perforations an the recess formed by the inner surface of the tubular shank. An actuating mechanism is located within the recess to drive the locking elements outwardly against the perforation walls, thereby expanding the rear of the tubular shank to lock the shank in the support member bore.

Abstract: The invention relates to a toolholder for holding a tool at one end and having a tubular shank at its other end for mounting it into the bore of a support member. The shank has at least two circumferentially spaced perforations in its tubular wall. Each of the perforations extends obliquely toward the front of the shank as it extends from the inner to the outer surface of the tubular wall.A locking element is located partially within each of said perforations and the recess formed by the inner surface of the tubular shank. An actuating mechanism is located within the recess to drive the locking elements outwardly against the walls, thereby expanding the rear of the tubular shank to lock the shank in the support member bore.

Abstract: A rotary percussion rock drill bit has a body and a symmetrical cross-like arrangement of crushing and cutting inserts secured on the body. The bit body has a rearward shank portion and a forward boring head portion with a front face. The cylindrical crushing inserts are secured in the forward head portion and have noncutting hemispherical rock crushing ends exposed at the front face of the head portion. The cutting inserts, which can be rectangular or cylindrical in shape, are secured in the forward head portion and have roof-shaped ends exposed at the front face of the head portion. A peak of each roof-shaped end defines a rock cutting edge. The crushing and cutting inserts are arranged on the head portion with their respective hemispherical and roof-shaped ends in a symmetrical cross-like pattern. The bit body also has a longitudinal central axis, and the crushing and cutting inserts are aligned along planes disposed in orthogonal relation to one another and intersecting at the central axis.

Abstract: It has been found that modifying standard Zircaloy alloy processing techniques by limiting the working and annealing temperatures utilized after conventional beta treatment results in Zircaloy alloy product having superior high temperature steam corrosion resistance.

Abstract: A grader blade has a steel body with a bottom edge incorporating a substrate of air-hardened tool steel casting material assembling a preformed cemented carbide insert in tiered relationship with, and rearwardly of, a casted layer of carbide grit. The front casted carbide grit layer is formed in the casting operation and the rear preformed cemented carbide insert is arranged in the tiered contacting and attached relationship with the carbide grit layer as the latter is casted with the substrate of special steel casting that holds the insert and layer together. The steel body of the blade also includes a recess formed in and along the forward portion of the blade bottom edge into which the casted asembly is disposed and welded to the blade.

Abstract: A dual phase silicon aluminum oxynitride material comprising a first phase Si-Al-O-N, commonly referred to as .beta.--Si--Al--O--N, and a second phase Si-Al-O-N referred to as .alpha.--Si--Al--O--N. In addition to the double phase Si-Al-O-Ns, there is included a glassy type material which can formulate up to ten percent by weight of the total composition. The material may be manufactured by forming a polytype material made from reacted alumina, aluminum nitride and silicon nitride. The polytype material may be mixed with further powders of silicon nitride and an oxide of yttrium, lithium or calcium and finally reacted to a double phase Si-Al-O-N material where hardness is increased by the additional .alpha.-Si-Al-O-N is increased significantly affecting its strength.The material may be formed in situ by mixing aluminum nitride, alumina, silicon nitride, together with an oxide of yttrium, lithium or calcium. These materials can then be sintered to a final product containing a double phase Si-Al-O-N.

Abstract: A lock rod is provided extending along and reciprocally movable along an axis Y--Y and having a cylindrical cross section near one end. Two circumferentially spaced depressions are located in the cylindrical surface for receiving locking elements in an unlocked position. Extending from the first depression is a ramp inclined with respect to axis Y--Y and from the second depression is a groove parallel to axis Y--Y for driving locking elements radially outwardly to abut against a toolholder shank to lock it onto a tool support member.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a carbide roll having an improved composition for hot forming steel rod in multi-stand rolling mills. The improved composition comprises the addition of nickel as a binder material to a normal tungsten carbide-cobalt roll composition, preferably, so that the composition by volume is approximately: tungsten carbide--70 percent; nickel--10 percent; and cobalt--20 percent. A dual composition is disclosed, wherein the above composition forms the inner layer of the roll and an outer layer may be composed of, by volume, tungsten carbide--70 percent and cobalt--30 percent.

Abstract: Devices for holding mining and road maintenance cutter bits, wherein said devices for holding comprise a cutter bit support block, a clevis and a support block locking mechanism whose geometries have been adapted such that the cutter bit support block can be fixedly and rigidly held in a channel in the clevis by the support block locking mechanism, which has a locking bolt. The support block locking mechanism and the clevis have means for interacting and cooperating such that each abuts with, and applies a downward pressure to, a lower body portion of the support block and thereby drives downward facing longitudinal shoulders on the support block into abutment under pressure with upward facing abutment shoulders of two longitudinal walls forming the channel in the clevis.

Abstract: A braze fixture is described having appendages for holding a first component substantially fixed in a predetermined portion with respect to a second component during a brazing operation in which the first component is brazed to the second component.

Abstract: This invention pertains to an indexable and invertable cutting insert having cutting edges and a positive rake surface which appears convex when viewed in cross section.

Abstract: A cutter bit is disclosed having a shank with a forward working portion and multiple inserts mounted on the forward working portion. One of the inserts is a lead insert facing and projecting foremost in the direction of rotation or travel of the bit. A clearance face is provided rearwardly of the lead insert so as to reduce the rubbing action that occurs between the cutter bit and the material formation to be removed. The lead insert can be a laminated insert with a metal shim between individual inserts. Another insert is located rearwardly of the lead insert in the clearance face of the bit and projects out of said clearance face to control the wear of the clearance face during the life of the cutter bit. A cutting edge may be formed on the wear controlling insert projecting from the clearance face.

Abstract: Described herein is a composite nuclear fuel rod cladding tube which includes two concentric layers of zirconium base alloys metallurgically bonded to each other. The outer layer is composed of a conventional zirconium base alloy having high strength and excellent aqueous corrosion resistance. The inner layer is composed of a second zirconium base alloy containing about 0.2 to 0.6 wt. % tin, about 0.03 to 0.11 wt. % iron and up to about 350 ppm oxygen. This second alloy while also having excellent aqueous corrosion resistance, is further characterized by the ability to prevent the propagation of cracks initiated during reactor operation due to pellet-cladding interaction.

Abstract: A metal compound having a metal radical containing one or more metals, and a radical containing hydrogen and one or more of the elements C, N, O and B is thermally decomposed in the presence of a substrate to form a coating of a metal oxide, nitride carbide or boride on the substrate. In one embodiment of the invention, the metal compound is entrained in a supersonic molecular beam which, upon impact with the surface to be coated, thermally decomposes, forming a refractory metal coating and gaseous by-products.

Abstract: This invention relates to mixtures of tungsten carbide, niobium metal, and molybdenum metal powders for use in the hardfacing of drill pipe couplings used in earth boring operations. It has been found that the addition of small amounts of niobium metal alone, or in combination with molybdenum, are effective to substantially submerge the tungsten carbide particles in the weld pool produced during hardfacing while, also, minimizing the occurrence of cracks which may be produced as the weld pool freezes.

Abstract: A bit and block assembly for use on an earthworking machine rotor including a bit, a block for receiving the bit, and elastomeric means for retaining the bit in the block. The bit has a first shank portion of irregular cross section and extending from one end of that shank portion is a second shank portion of smaller cross section. The longitudinal axes of the first and second shank portions are parallel. At the opposite end of the first shank portion is a forward working portion having an edge of wear resistant material for contacting the working medium. The block has a longitudinal bore of irregular cross section similar to the first shank portion.

Abstract: A toolholder and insert cartridge are disclosed in which an insert cartridge holds multiple, similarly-shaped inserts in a face-to-face relation in a storage chamber. The insert cartridge has means thereon for dispensing individual inserts one at a time and can be adapted to be held and moved by a robotic arm or a reciprocal moving holder. A toolholder having an insert pocket with a movable insert seat therein is utilized with the insert cartridge. A reciprocably movable drawbar moves the insert seat in the toolholder pocket back and forth so as to clamp and unclamp a cutting insert. When it is signaled to change the insert, the drawbar moves the insert seat out of the insert pocket, thereby unclamping the insert. The insert is then removed from the insert seat and the insert storage cartridge is positioned in proper alignment with the toolholder. The cartridge and toolholder are then engaged so that the insert seat engages the dispensing means on the cartridge unit.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to zirconium base alloys containing about 0.1 to 0.6 weight percent tin; about 0.07 to 0.24 weight percent iron; about 0.05 to 0.15 weight percent chromium; and up to about 0.05 weight percent nickel. The balance of the alloy is zirconium with incidental impurities. The levels of the incidental impurity, oxygen, is controlled to a level of less than about 350 ppm. These alloys have been designed to minimize the adverse effects of pellet-clad interaction, when they are used as a liner bonded to the inside surface of water reactor nuclear fuel cladding. Specific cladding and fuel element designs according to the present invention are described.