Abstract: A ceramic to metal joint particularly advantageous in a recuperator tube assembly, includes a ceramic tube and a spaced, circumferentially disposed metal sleeve. A bonding material is cast between the ceramic and metal members. A seal member has sufficient ductility within a predetermined thermal operating range to plastically deform and yet maintain an effective fluid seal between the ceramic and metal members. The present invention is particularly useful in the construction of a modular heat exchanger unit. Both individual tube assemblies and module units can be individually removed for cleaning, inspection, or replacement.

Abstract: An automatic assembly machine for assembling a pleated filter material and a perforate hollow core member includes a wrapping station, an adhesive application station and a clamping station. A conveyor moves the filter material and the core member together as a unit through the wrapping station and the adhesive application station. The clamping station both clamps the seam to which adhesive has been applied for a period of time sufficient to permit curing of the adhesive joint, and simultaneously conveys the filter material and core member assembly. A method for assembling a pleated filter material and a perforate hollow core member includes the steps of conveying both the filter material and the hollow core member to a point where they come in mutual contact, supporting one of the members on the other, and simultaneously conveying the filter material and core member sequentially through a wrapping station and an adhesive application station.

Abstract: An automatic welding apparatus includes a drive assembly for pulling a movable carriage along a weld joint by drawing a weld cable through the drive assembly. The weld cable is attached to a welding nozzle adjustably mounted on the carriage.A method of welding a weld joint using the automatic welding apparatus includes moving the carrier and the attached nozzle by moving the carrier and nozzle along the joint by pulling the cable in a direction substantially parallel to the joint.The present invention is particularly useful in arc welding applications where access to the weld joint is restricted or hindered.

Abstract: An apparatus for thermally spraying a coating on a workpiece includes a fluid flow control shroud having a shaped inner surface portion complimentary to a preselected surface of the workpiece. During the coating operation, a supply of pressurized gas is introduced between the inner surface of the shroud and the workpiece surface to exclude deflected coating particles, remove weakly or loosely bonded particles, and cool the workpiece.

Abstract: An electrostatic coating system includes a non-arcing electrical discharge zone having an approach section in which an elongated conductor connected to ground through a resistor converges towards the path of travel of a charge collector. The system also includes a contact section in which the conductor is adjacent the travel path of collector and the conductor physically contacts the collector as it passes through the contact section of the discharge zone. Conventional charge dissipation systems usually require separate resistors in each workpiece support member or a plurality of mechanically operated switches. The system initially inductively reduces the charge on the workpiece and then establishes electrical contact when a conductor connected to ground through a resistor is at about the same electrical potential as the workpiece and associated charge collector.

Abstract: A heat exchanger (10) having a plurality of longitudinally-extending tubes (16) disposed within a shell (12) includes an elastomeric end plate (18) and means (22) for compresing the elastomeric end plate (18) and expanding the plate in the longitudinal direction and internal vibration-damping baffle plates (28).Conventional metal heat exchangers of brazed construction are prone to cracking and failure. More recently, heat exchangers having an end wall assembly comprising an elastic medium disposed between movable pressure plates has been proposed. Among other problems, the movable pressure plates are required to have clearance holes for the free passage of tubes therethrough and are consequently severely limited to the number and density of tubes that may be accommodated in a heat exchanger of such a design.

Abstract: The invention discloses a process of forging a sprocket segment for a track-type vehicle undercarriage. The forging process produces sprocket segments that conform to very restrictive tolerances without the necessity of additional machining or finishing.The process includes heating a metal billet (5') in an electric furnace (60), rough-shaping the billet (5'), then forging the billet (5') in a die (62) to form a sprocket segment (5) having a size and shape substantially equal to the desired finished shape of the segment (51). The forged sprocket segment (5) is trimmed and then placed in a coining die (8) wherein at least two nonparallel surfaces (A,B,C) are formed to a desired finished dimension.The invention also includes an apparatus (8) for forging a sprocket segment to a desired finished dimension. The apparatus (8) includes an upper die member (80), a lower die member (8'), and a transversely-moveable die member (82).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for abrasively machining a workpiece (12) includes the establishment of an eddy-current in the workpiece (12) at an area (33) where an abrasive tool (14) contacts the workpiece (12).Cooling liquid is also directed over the working area.

Abstract: An electrostatic spray gun (10) for the spray application of electrically conductive materials includes a shield (24) to prevent the build-up of electrically conductive flash deposits on preselected non-conductive surface areas (26) of the gun (10). By prohibiting the build-up of electrically conductive flash on preselected areas of the gun surface, the shield (24) is effective in preventing the completion of an electrical circuit between a charged electrode (18) and an electrically grounded gun support member (22). The gun of the present invention is particularly effective in the high volume spray deposition of electrically conductive paints.

Abstract: The invention described herein concerns a forging process for the manufacture of track chain links, especially for worksite machines and vehicles; this process produces links that conform to the tolerances required by the dimensions and the surface quality of opposed attachment mounting and link contact surfaces and nut seats of finished links without it being necessary to machine these surfaces or nut seats. This process includes heating a metal billet in an electric furnace, the billet having a mass that is approximately equal to that of a finished link, preforming the billet, then flat stamping the heated billet. A combined shaping and levelling step carried out on the stamped piece forms parallel opposed sides and nut seats in predetermined spaced relationship to each other. The resulting link is controllably sized and then subjected to a heat treatment.

Abstract: A contact tip (10) for a welding head (12) includes a wear-resistant member (34) and a transverse passageway (32). Wear-inducing deposits on the surface of consumable electrodes result in shortened service life of contact tips. In the contact tip (10) of the present invention, surface contaminants are removed from electrode (28) by a hard, wear-resistant member (34) and directed radially outwardly to an external surface (16) through a transverse passageway (32). The present invention is particularly useful in high duty-cycle automatic or robot-controlled welding operations.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus (10) and a method for forming, in situ, an external guard member (12), preferably of a spring steel wire material, on a hose (14).Spring steel wire is highly desirable as a material for guard members. Heretofore it has been necessary to preform the spring steel wire on a coiling machine and install precut lengths of the coil onto partially assembled hoses.The present invention overcomes the above problems of construction and assembly by providing an apparatus (10) and method for forming the preferred spring steel wire guard member (12) in situ on a hose (14) having fittings preassembled on both ends. The apparatus (10) includes a forming head (20) having separable first and second portions (46,48). A plurality of radially spaced die members (60) are provided on the first and second portions (46,48) to fully form two complete coils of a guard member (12).

Abstract: A clamp assembly (12) is disclosed for controllably gripping an article (10). Automated material handling devices generally require sensor and control devices to adapt the device to variously sized and shaped articles. Also, the application of excess contact force between the clamping device and article may damage vulnerable surfaces and features of the article being handled. The present invention solves the above problem by providing a clamp assembly (12) having opposed, pressurizable gripping members (64,66). The gripping members (64,66) each have a compliant, article-contacting surface (67,68) which form about the article (10) upon pressurization of the gripping members (64,66). The invention is of particular benefit in handling a wide range of differently sized stepped-diameter shafts.

Abstract: A tube expander (10), for extrudably expanding the walls of a tube (12) is disclosed.The clamping force required on a tube (12) to prevent relative movement between the tube (12) and a tube expander (10), generally limits the amount of deformation completed during single stroke forming operations. The present invention provides a tube expander (10) for partially forming the tube (12) during insertion of the expander (10) into the tube (12) and fully forming the tube (12) during withdrawal of the expander (10). The tube expander (10) has an annular forming member (44) moveably mounted on a mandrel (22) for movement between a first position at which a plane (46) of the annular forming member (44) is at a skew angle with respect to a longitudinal axis (32) of the mandrel (22) and a second position at which the plane (46) of the annular forming member (44) is normal to the longitudinal axis (32).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) and method for producing a gas having a controlled water vapor content is disclosed. Present methods of adding varying amounts of water to a gas containing nitric oxide may undesirably alter the composition of the gas.The present invention solves the above problem by providing an apparatus (10) and method for substantially fully saturating an unconditioned gas, subsequently removing water from a preselected portion of the saturated gas, and then mixing the preselected dry and saturated portions of the gas.The present invention is particularly useful in calibrating exhaust emission analyzers.

Abstract: A bobbin assembly (10) is disclosed for simultaneously dispensing a plurality of wires and controllably maintaining a predetermined tension on the wires.In the construction of a high pressure, multiple-ply, wire reinforced hose, it is necessary that each of the wires be applied at a uniform, predetermined tension. The present invention solves this problem by providing each spool assembly (12) of a multiple spool bobbin assembly (10) with an internally disposed adjustable brake assembly (22). The brake assembly (22) of the present invention imparts a controllable and uniform resistance to the rotation of a supply reel (20) in each of the spool assemblies (12). The present invention is particularly useful in the construction of high pressure hydraulic hose products.

Abstract: An apparatus (30) and method is provided for holding and tacking an elongate material (12) onto a body (14), which body (14) may be toroidal in shape. The material (12) is applied to the body (14) by means of a shuttle (22) rotating about the body (14) in a plane transverse to a plane containing the body (14). The apparatus (30) includes a tacker arm (76) having a clamping means (104) for clamping and unclamping the end of the material (12), extending from the shuttle (22), to the arm (76). The arm (76) is pivotally mounted on a carriage (58) for movement between a first position, wherein the material (12) clamped to the arm (76) is held against the body (14), and a second position, spaced from the body (14). In the first position of the arm (76), the body (14) will move the arm (76) until the clamping means ( 104) unclamps the material (12) whereupon the arm (76) is pivoted to the second position.

Abstract: Spaced elastomer ribs cooperating with the outer cylindrical surface of a flexible track belt within the confines of each track shoe site with a sufficient volume of elastomer in each rib will, when a track shoe is attached to the sites, be deformed to increase the stiffness of the belt in the flexing area between adjacent track shoes and improve the resistance to the ingress of dust and the like between the belt and the underside of each track shoe due to the resiliency of the elastomer in the ribs, allowing them to maintain continuous contact with the underside of the track shoe and the cylindrical belt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus (10) for the continuous casting of hollow articles (12) provides for the removal of liquid metal (49) from a mold (20) concurrently with the withdrawal of the solidified article (12). Undesirable reaction products, such as oxides, sulfides, and ceramic compositions, are commonly included in cast articles, reducing the mechanical and physical properties of the article and producing a product of inferior quality. The problem is solved by continuously casting molten metal (16) in a vertically oriented mold (20) and draining the contaminate enriched liquid (49) from an upper end (24) of the mold (20), thereby washing undesirable impurities from the freezing zone resulting in a clean, dense hollow article (12) having superior properties. Seamless mechanical tubing suitable for oil field and hydraulic cylinder applications can be produced by this process.

Abstract: An article transfer apparatus (10) is provided for transferring articles (16) from a predetermined first position to a varying second position and discharging the articles (16) at the second position. Difficulty is often encountered in controlling the drop height of articles (16) delivered by a conveyor (18) for random placement at varying levels in a container (12). It is desirable to minimize the drop height to prevent damage to the article (16). A carriage (36) on the article transfer apparatus (10) is controllably operated to controllably discharge articles (16) at a preselected distance above either the bottom of the container (12) or articles (16) predisposed within the container (12). The invention is particularly useful for transferring finished metal piston pins (16) from a conveyor (18) to a tote box (12).